Age vs. Cycling Ability

[Grog]

I never bothered checking the reference, but a long time ago my cycling coach said something about a study in which they had discovered that a majority of former elite and pro cyclists had dropped out of cycling after stopping racing.

I see lots of older cyclists, but rarely are they former racers. Maybe those who start early and go really hard are less likely to get out there in their 50s, leaving a chance to all of us who are late-bloomers athletically speaking.

[smilingcat]

I never bothered checking the reference, but a long time ago my cycling coach said something about a study in which they had discovered that a majority of former elite and pro cyclists had dropped out of cycling after stopping racing.

I see lots of older cyclists, but rarely are they former racers. Maybe those who start early and go really hard are less likely to get out there in their 50s, leaving a chance to all of us who are late-bloomers athletically speaking.

Part of the problem is burn-out. Just think, week in week out, you have to perform against same bunch of people. You are better than some and some are better than you. On a good day, you might be able to beat a better rider. On a even day, you know you will get beaten by the same 1 second margin. But you go out and give your best. You get beaten by that 1 second margin...

If you get too serious with racing, it takes the fun out and without the fun, what's the point to beat your self up, to suffer lactic acid burn in your leg, and major major discomfort that you can stop by slowing down but you can't.

Yup. chances are pretty good to just drop the sport and become sedentary.
Looks pretty appealing to me.

smilingcat

[OakLeaf]

I wonder if that's different for other sports.

I know all about amateur racer burnout. But after 12 years I'd been away from it long enough that I could come back to cycling and enjoy it. I wonder how that would be different for someone who'd been able to compete at a high level. A lot of my burnout I really believe was from the fact that I'd reached the limit of what I could do with the amount of commitment I had, and I knew that even if I took my commitment to another level, I'd never be a top-level cyclist. But then again, I was a recreational rider long before I started racing, and my racing years were a small proportion of my total cycling years, so I had a good foundation of really enjoyable riding that I could remember when I was ready to.

Now that you mention it, it's definitely noticeable on this forum that we have a whole lot of recreational riders, some current elite racers, some former club racers, but no former elite racers who've identified themselves anyway.

I'm really just musing on this, so early in the morning. So this post is a little incoherent

I'm around professional motorcycle racers quite a bit, and honestly, when they retire, they don't stop riding - on the contrary, they often have trouble imagining anything non-motorized to do for fun! It's often difficult for them to be around the racetrack after they retire from competition, but it really seems to me that the majority of them keep riding in the dirt or on the street after their racing careers are over.

What about it, racer gals? What have you seen from your older peers, past their racing prime - are they able to ride for fun (either immediately after they stop racing, or after a break)?

[pardes]

This thread is taking on a life of its own which is appropriate since we are all surmising that aging will hopefully also have a life of its own beyond the physical limitations that often come with it.

Fabulous point that many of us were never athletic as kids at least in organized sports with some wanting now to be competitive and others embracing all aspects of the recreational facets of biking.

Either way self-pride seems to be the laudable point and what is more age appropriate to aging than finally learning both the acceptance of limitations and the Boomer trait of wanting to change the world starting from within that knows no limitations.

Some Boomers will claim we changed the world by stopping a war but I would like to see us change the world again by reaching out to the fretful young with examples in living color of how it's possible to "have it all."

[Crankin]

Excellent points. I also grew up in the 60s and spent every night running around the streets with my friends or riding my Raleigh 3 speed up huge hills, and playing in streams. I tried to give my kids the same kind of upbringing, allowing them the freedom other parents gasped at. Most of the time it worked, although once when they were 5 and 8, the older one left the younger alone in the woods for "no reason." Thankfully, he had a walkie talkie with him and I was able to talk him out by sighting a house in the distance. They both did a lot of computer stuff, but very little video games. At 23 and almost 26 one is a super athlete and the other is just normal active. He takes the bus to work, instead of driving, and often gets off 2-5 miles before home and walks. He also does some long fitness walks on the weekends, some swimming, and hiking once in awhile. I gave him my old mountain bike, hoping he would ride it, but nothing yet. I don't want to push him, but I have been giving gentle hints that if he doesn't start now, it only gets harder!