I am 72 and have been riding all my life (never competitively). My friends admire my fitness and performance and ask what’s your secret? I 100% second what Nick says: do it for fun and enjoyment of the ride, not for the podium. I also enjoy nature and my solo rides are a meditation. 👍🏼 I discovered STRAVA 3 y ago and use it as my riding logbook.
Jurgen: I'm 74 and all your comments apply to me. Old age is not a disease in itself. For many, long term avoidance of exercise is the reason their bodies decline, that and unnatural, unbalanced diets. I've fitted lower gears to reduce the strain of hills and headwinds, and am content with 12kph average speeds. To challenge myself, I'll go for 50 or 60km these days and be rewarded by the new scenery and a rejuvenating sense of achievement. For me, being old and still healthy is better than a lottery win, and well worth setting aside time and effort to achieve and maintain.
I'm 63 and made a pact with myself to 100% commute to work, irrespective of the weather & conditions! After a few years I found I was doubling my route length because it was not only safer but the best way to set myself up for a crazy day at work an then to wind down on my way home. We bought a Tandem 10 years back so now my wife has the confidence to ride with me holidaying across Snowdonia, Peaks, Dales etc, knowing that she'll always get back after a monster slog across the wild landscapes of Britain. I can't do what I once did, but I'm not afraid to try. Thanks Simon, a fabulously encouraging video
Been cycling on a geared bike since the early 70s. Only started "racing" mtn bikes when I was 34 because it they were closed courses, monitored for safety support, water stations and to be with friends. At 70 I've had 3 heart stents from work stress, developed arthritis in my right hip, which I had replaced a week ago, and through the years cycling has been the shining light through it all. Only thing that helped during stressful years, helped immensely on heart attack recovery, only thing that kept the arthritis at bay, and treasured every moment I could ride. It made hip replacement much more tolorable. Doc assured me once initial healing is dealt with, cycling will be very helpful to build back up. Keep it about smiles per hour folks. Fitness is a blessing but smiles are what makes it all worth while. Keep it fun folks! Great vid by the way, thanks.
I'm 58 and going through my 3rd bout of cancer, I:ve cycled all through my treatments and it's not only kept me healthy but also made me smile so many times, the fun involved is insane!!! I realise why we were so happy as kids, simple pleasures!!!
I've been a mediocre bike rider since turning 30. Now at 72 I'm still maintaining that mediocrity and even perhaps going a little longer and a little faster. Always having fun along the way!
Endorphins are God's reward for doing what the average person wouldn't or couldn't do. They're a massive reward for staying fit. Fun is a huge part of it too. See you on the road, Gwen!
I always felt really good until I hit 75. Then I started going downhill fast. Now, at 78, it looks like I will make 4,000 miles and 90,000 feet of climbing this year. At 70, it was 8,000 and 250,000. But I hope to be able to continue this for another 10 years before I have to give up the climbing. I'm still going to ride for as long as possible. One thing: I never push myself to the point of the danger of a heart attack. I drink a little wine and maybe some beer now and then. No smoking. Most of the group in my group have had heart attacks already and now ride fairly easy. I'm now more a 90/10%. But if you play properly, you can ride your entire life and have a stroke at 100 riding in a Veterans Day parade with a young man driving.
Can I offer some advice? (I'm mid-seventies, albeit post thyroid cancer, which does pay back a stipend on the cost) *Any* engine will wear much faster and reach failing point if constantly *slogged*. Give yourself a break! Find routes that are in your favour, not against it. The body, even aging, can produce what's necessary to endure if used within its limits. Start going down hills, not up them, at least on average. If you're not getting a 'high' from doing it, you're doing it wrong.
Impressive Tom, good to hear experiences of the "more older" cyclist. I'm 73 and on average I manage 2,200 miles and 180,000ft of ascent per year. Over the last 3 years I have managed Alpe d'Huez and most of the Flanders cobbled climbs; I am thinking of the 3-day Flanders challenge next year. I live in the Chilterns area so all rides involve climbs at some point so I have always just planned the most interesting and challenging routes to ride. My approach is similar to you in that I don't over push and if a particular climb feels too hard I will stop, have a drink and then cycle on. I then will do further rides until I can conquer the climb non-stop. Since watching Si's latest videos on low intensity rides I have planned over the winter to use indoor smart trainer to build my core for 5 weeks at Zone 2 and then do 80/20 until mid-April. 2 weeks in and I feel good and can see it will suit better than just high intensity and will hopefully make me better ready for the Hemel Hillbuster in May and la Planche des Belles Filles in August.
@@alanearp5019 I'm 76 and hear what you are saying. I mix in club rides with solo rides and from May to end October do about 5000K and roughly 50, 000 meters of climbing, We have a shorter season (Ontario, Canada) so use Zwift in the winter to go along with skiing and snowshoeing. I cant do 2 hard rides in a row and ofter need 2 to 3 days off (or zone 1) after a challenging club ride
@@stephensaines7100 - I don't know where you get the idea that section 2 is slogging. Why don't you tell the pros that their training is slogging along.
I’m 56 and I’ve been out of cycling for a number of years on account of injuries and a bout of depression… but last year I built up a bike and started riding for the joy of riding To me being rid of the pressures of racing and going as fast as possible is a relief and I find that I love cycling more than back when I was younger
At 56yrs old also I’ve adjusted my priorities and expectations of cycling. There is nothing wrong with not being able to do the things I use to do 10yrs ago. People ask me why I go on 6+ hour rides by myself. Because I love the ride. Good to hear you got back on the bike.
Thanks for sharing… I’m 56 , I peaked at 54 with my fastest 100 I’m race and then I’ve been plagued with injuries and depression as well… just so frustrating Best of luck to for your recovery mine has been painful
My father is 84 years old and too old for youtube comments. He still rides his road bike about 8,000 to 10,000 kilometers a year. When things are going well, I can do that much. My FTP is 250 watts - but I'm also only 55: the young son. My father worked on construction sites his whole life. He smoked and he drank. When he retired he quit all of that. He never had a car. He always rode his bicycle. Wherever he went. He never lost the fun of cycling. He is a great inspiration for his sons. And maybe for others: never stop cycling! @Si/@cgn: thank you for your extraordinary content.
At 71 the biggest things that have affected my performance have been major health issues, both knees replaced and cancer surgery. But while performance has decreased my enjoyment has increased! When a fundamental joy like riding my bike has been taken away it’s a huge gift to get it back.
As a woman who discovered cycling in my late 40s and who's now 59, I found Nick's advice (do what you love) so much more helpful than, say, books detailing elaborate, seemingly joyless training plans for staying fast. I'm sure such plans work for many people, but hearing Nick describe what he does and why really resonated. As did Si's sum-up at the end. All of which was quietly underlined by the visit to Charlie's memorial. Life is short (sometimes utterly unfairly so), and if you don't try to spend your time (as much as you can, of course) doing what you love, you risk wasting it. Thank you.
I am 58 and I get up every day at 4:30am to ride my bike for just over an hour and a half. I then go to work for 12 hours and I still manage to get in around 300 miles per week. Some days it’s tough but I love to ride my bike and my family support me in this as they know it will help me to live longer. Most of the time they are sleeping while I am out with my thoughts on the road. I ride as hard as I my body will let, some days it is great, some days not so good.
On a recent ride, I overtook a couple of lads in their early 30s struggling up a hill, as I passed they shouted "it's alright for these young ones!", I had to slow down, take my glasses off and tell them "actually I'm 55!".
These Si's videos on nutrition, science, ageing and interviews with experts (like San Millán, Seiler, etc.) are great and really worth watching. Please, keep on doing that, talking to experts is very insightful. The next could be on testosterone and whether endurance sports lower the testosterone levels. Thanks
[ The next could be on testosterone and whether endurance sports lower the testosterone levels.] The role of 'testosterone' per-se is misleading in the context you state. Without going into case studies, there's no better comparator than how far females have come in sports. In the animal world, (cats for instance) females are often the more athletic, and the hunters and providers. We're not talking wrestling here, we're talking an elan endeavour. And Si has little to worry about except worry itself. Keep fit...and what's crucial to that is *mental fitness*. Stay enthralled, and your body will pretty much know how to do the rest. There's a whole world to discover, a good part can be done on a bike. You don't need a canary outfit to do it.
I recently turned 61 and noticed my recovery time increased significantly. I can't keep up with the stronger A group riders so I went with the B and C groups. I realized we could have a conversation on the group rides rather than trying to kill each other. There are certain benefits to getting older and enjoying riding for the sake of riding.
Exactly GCN you're missing this trick - for soo long...this could get you so much, it's not all about the gear, the experience brings you the gear not the other way round!
As a lifelong cyclist just urned 68 I can really relate to Nick’s views on accepting the inevitable effects of age. Once again Simon has produced a work of great maturity in this video, well done. Please maintain the production values that have become the core of GCN.
Absolutely concur with you comment and a very worthwhile video for all of us "mature" riders. Lovely to hear someone that honest with that much experience.
I'm 70 and just completed a total of 1,150+ miles this calendar year. Averaged 30+ miles and 11 mph each ride. Need more vids like this! We are more numerous than what you may expect! Thanks - Encourging!!
bwrrick: Good for you, keep it up and you can go on for years. I have been there, and, provided there are no disabling health issues, consistency can keep you at it. Last year, in my 90th year, I clocked up 1,700 km, at about the same average speeds as yourself, but I have to admit that the rides were becoming very boring and repetitive. This was due to the fact that hills I used to ride were now beyond me, and flat terrain is very limited where I live. So when I actually hit 90 I decided some assistance would not come amiss, so in February I fitted a small e-bike kit to my road bike. It has given me a new lease of life - I am back on the old hilly routes I have been avoiding, my rides have expanded, and I have clocked up 3,000km to now, with a few weeks of riding left for the year. I would encourage everyone who is able, to keep going as long as possible, the benefits are incalculable.
Wow! Thanks for the encouragement and your are my new inspiration! I was hoping that I could keep this going until I was 80ish... Have fun with your new improved ride! Go man, go!! 😃
@@bwrrick Thanks for your reply - the health benefits of lifelong exercise really are amazing. I wish you the best of luck and many more miles in the future. Cheers!
I'm 52 and got heart rate-restricted by my cardiologist 3 years ago. It was difficult to separate going fast, attacking climbs and the like from enjoyable riding. However lately going slower, downshifting more and just realizing how great it is to be riding in general has sunk in. I get so much more from rides than just speed. It's great exercise, it's fun, it's fresh air, it's mental health therapy and so much more.
I’ve been going through the same thing. 58 and 4 years removed from a double bypass. Still have to remind myself that just riding after what I’ve been through is a fantastic thing. Problem is the ego/competitive nature always comes out. 😊 Slowly getting better at that.
I’m 68. I’ve been racing endurance sports for 50 years, although only rarely got on the podium. I did my first ironman triathlon at age 60, and still train 13-15 hours per week, doing mostly Z2 but 2 HIIT sessions and 1 hard tempo session per week. I agree the secret is to enjoy what you do - and avoid injuries. I love hearing about others still hanging in there. Thanks for the video.
Look up the sigmasport cafe rides series with Matt Stephens on RUclips if you haven't seen them already, I think Nick was one of the first one's done, very good....
Siborg doesn't age! He has looked the same for his entire GCN career, he doesn't train half as much as many others and still turns up, destroys the competition and humbly delivers some poetic conclusion 😁. However, one of the best things about Simon is that you never hear him boasting about himself like some others 😉. Overall a top lad. Rock on Si. Rock on.
A great video for inspiration. At 77, I am doing 13,000 kms each year for the last 10 years with 75 km rides at 19-21 km/h for the last 4 years. I do a Century ride once a month for a goal and ride 5 days a week. Most of my riding friends are in their sixties but I ride mostly solo since they do not have the commitment nor the stamina to ride often. I LOVE my road bike.
Nick states: "I love riding bikes"...and that's key. A huge part of enduring the years (I'm mid-Seventies) is to 'go cycling with Nature', find your own pace, don't get lured into trying to turn back the clock, and *discover* the world by cycling. Cycling never gets old. The ability to 'break records and win' does. Age well. I'm a better cyclist now in my seventies than I ever was prior, even with reduced stamina, speed and daring. You get more sensible with age. Live with that, it keeps you alive.
Great video. I am a former Marine and was fit. Now, at 45, I notice I’m not in the unrelenting shape I was in 20 years ago. I still expect my body to perform at the level it did 20 years ago and get disappointed and concerned when it doesn’t. This video helped me understand things have changed, but not ended.
I'm 51 and dropping riders half my age on sprints and climbs. As I grow old the legs feel stronger only because I never lost my love of 'pain and suffering' on the bike. The harder the ride, the more I keep going and loving it.
I do love dropping the youngsters, for me it was the downhill on gravel or mt bikes, they simply had no idea what I was doing. Now finally I can more than hold my own on climbs, which took a long while........I have 45 years on dirtbikes and bicycles on gravel and dirt in general, so its normal to me to go fast on gravel......Im 65 and have never quit riding, always something on 2 wheels. Muscle memory.
I'm turning 55 next week, Alan and this year, I'm learning more skills now than I did a decade ago -- getting more comfortable with table tops and small drops. Agree, it's not all about speed but being fit and strong allows you to focus on new skills. Can't see it ending anytime soon. (Fingers crossed.)
Forty is the new 25, and 60 is the new 40. I'm 62 and way fitter that I was at 50. Being retired affords me the time to ride and work out that I didn't manage to find while I was working. Probably the single most important factor in being fit as we age is having been really fit from 20-30 and never having let it go. Getting it back is always harder than keeping it.
Like a few others, I chuckled at the thought of Nick as an"older" rider. I'm 15 years older than Nick. He is a babe in arms. 👶 😂 I wanted to share that the 80-20 riding protocol has done so much to make me a stronger rider. It was reassuring to hear Nick validate my experience by sharing his own training regime. It would be great to see more of these awesome videos aimed at more "mature" viewers of GCN. Great job! 👏👏👏
I was never racer fast. But I've kept up steadily exercising for decades now, and I think it has made a difference in how I've aged. I get in about 4,000 miles a year on the bike and I lift weights in the gym and climb mountains in the late summer and early fall. I'm 65 and my resting pulse rate is typically about 48-49 these days. I do enjoy the notion of being able to get on the bike for a 50-mile ride at any time without considering it to be a daunting prospect.
When you get older, I think, you learn to "ENJOY" the things you love doing without the necessity to exceed. When I was younger I was extremely competitive. Through injury I wasn't able to compete anymore. This hurt me mentally more than the actual injuries, so much so that I couldn't even watch the sports I loved doing on TV never mind try to do them "just for fun". As I got older I found myself over weight very unfit and very unhappy to the point I ended up on medication. Getting back into cycling, one of the sports I enjoyed earlier in my life, has completely turned things around but now I do it purely out of enjoyment. Yes I push myself, not to be competitive, simply because it puts a smile on my face and gets the endorphins pumping. Enjoy what you love doing. Think about the present, not the future certainly not the past. Just enjoy the moment for what it is. Great film. At 52 I find myself cardio wise, as fit as I ever was. It's just the muscles and joints take longer to recover as talked about in the film.
I'm 67 and rode the Aussie 3 peaks challenge ( 235km, 4600m) for the 10th time this year. The secret is to keep riding, ride with friends, ride to see new places, and include a bit of effort in each ride, but not too much....
Yes, enjoyment! I made this comment on another video, but at 71 I just got a gravel bike. I exclusively rode a mountain bike for 20 years, then a road bike for the past 15. The gravel bike got me back on roads and trails I hadn't ridden in years and that has rejuvenated my riding.
Si, you have decades of great cycling ahead of you. It changes from building fitness to managing the decline. I had a small decline until 68 then the bottom fell out. At 72, I’m waiting for my e-bike to be delivered. It’s all good.
Enjoy the ebike. I have an electric cargo bike for my little girl and hauling. It is so much fun. Bosch is the best, of course, if the spare cash is available.
I resumed cycling in my 50's, after a 10 year lay off. I've set most of my PB's ages 59, 60 and 61. I'm 62, and still setting PB's. With that said, I ride because I enjoy nature, independence, and the ability to go somewhere 100 km or more without polluting, and the noise of society all around me. Alot of it is in your head, in terms of enjoyment and capability. Garbage in, garbage out theory. I feed mine thoughts of elation, peaks, valleys, streams and euphoria instead, visualizing my route the night before, and looking forward to it. YTD, I'm @ 16,000+ km; but I'm more pleased with the fact that it's with 210,000+ meters in elevation, averaging 25.5 km/hr overall. I'm good with that! I think it's important to not take yourself too seriously, unless you're a professional or a phenom. Have a pint or two every now; it's not always about KOM's and #'s....unless you're on a really great day! Peace out -
Today I rode over one hour on the indoor machine at 4 Watts/Kg in Zone 2. Zone 2 for me has a max HR of 135 bpm. My average was 133bpm at 230 Watts. I'm nearly 62 years old.
Nice video. I am 60 and enjoying the cycling more than ever. I’ve paid attention to diet, added a lot of strength training, and have cycled over 17,000 km so far this year.
I'm 26 and only 3 years into the sport. It opened the door to physical activity to me and I am in by far the best shape of my life and just getting stronger. Yet all these gray haired, 50+ veterans are dropping me left right and center. It is equal parts inspiring and humbling.
At 61 years old, I still ride my Mountain bike 3 times a week for 2 1/2 hours per ride. I had to make a mental shift away from measuring my performance and getting annoyed if I had a slower ride than last time, and am now more focused on enjoying the fact I can STILL ride, still do some relatively hard rides that my friends just can't do due to injury or their health. Most important, if I think I feel a twinge or tweak, I treat it immediately as if it's an injury. Recovery at my age, is something that has definitely slipped, and I cannot ride every day, it's just too much wear and tear. Once every 2 to 3 days, and just don't blast myself every ride. I just enjoy being out there, the scenery, the fresh air and the fact I 'm still capable. It also helps that I live where Mountain Biking was invented, and as a Scotsman living here in California,I'm just grateful I still get to do this. Also, get a proper bike fitting to keep you from getting small aches, injuries etc.
I reach the big six-two next April, Bristish but have lived in the US since 1993, any rider over 30 here is known as a 'Master'. So I'm def past veteran status and certainly no 'Master' but I'm riding just as fast and strong (in fact perhaps even faster) than I was 10-13 years ago. I've put my faith in structured training with Trainer Road, weight loss and optimal nutrition. Being type 2 diabetic I pursue a very restrictive carbohydrate diet, Keto with carb cycling before rides. It's worked wonders for my health and overall performance on the bike. (And also having a great group of strong riders to ride with regularly is a major plus too). Just one man's story of course.
I'm 68 years young and just getting back into recreational cycling after a lay-off of about 10 years. This was a great video to watch and hear Nick's philosophy. You may soon qualify as a Veteran, Si, but you've got a way to go yet :)
Thanks Simon and Nick great interview and some good tips. I am 70 this month but I am now have Lithium in my down tube. But having the E bike is 6K more kilometers than what I would be able to do with a normal bike per year. There's always tomorrow to achieve a "happy performance" in my pensioners riding group.
I'll be 58 in two months and my FTP sits around 355-375 depending on what part of the season I test. I'm rounding out my 45th season and the past seven years I've averaged 15,000km/year. Eating smart and getting regular sleep are key to my riding, but so is consistency. I ride a base of 300km at least per week. That's five or six times a week for at least two hours per ride. I typically average 30-33kph on solo rides and typically pick up six to 10 KOMs a season. I also sea kayak a couple of times a week April thru November, to relax and do core work. Just because you get older, doesn't mean you get slower. Be consistent with your riding and eat well and you'll stay fast and love riding as much as I do.
Wonderful video. I'm 51 and I'd love to see more on the channel for cyclists in their 40's and beyond. Nick is amazing. It seems like his love of cycling fuels his consistency. I think that is what keeps you going- just keep going 🙂
I"m now 66. When I turned 51 out of blue had a widow maker heart attack....on a mtn bike ride. Was super lucky to survive. Took about a year to get back to my prior fitness level, then set-up big goal (ride the famous TdF climbs at good pace) and hit that a year later (2010). Now, I ride for health, I ride for fun, and I ride to get out enjoy nature, or just being out on the roads. I've also discovered smart trainers and the lovely pain from apps like Wahoo Systm and Zwift (love them both). Still do weights a few days a week...but much lighter weight than the younger days. This won't sit well with some, but I went from two bikes (mtn and road) to four (added two e-bikes...one for mtn, one for road). Here's the thing I can't get over. I track my stats and when I ride the road e-bike, I burn more calories than on my other bikes. And.with the extra power I feel like I'm in my 30's again. Think I need to add a gravel to the mix .. Oh...I also ride a mountain unicycle..but not as often as i used to..it's a whole different thing going both up and down the trails. So, FULL RESPECT for everyone that is in great shape in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Enjoy the Day and Ride!
53 and pushing out a steady 4.3w/kg ....for an hour, outrageous!! Never been able to do that at my fittest 🤣. Top interview. I'm 59 and use cycling for fitness and enjoyment not racing and it's fantastic for that
From Denmark. I am 51 now and have cycled all my life, Bmx, Race and Mtb.. Always because it is wonderful and fun even if there is more fatigue now, I still ride well and with power and am just inspired by the video and I'm looking right now after a used cross bike now for country roads and forest paths 😊💚
I think you guys have touched a raw nerve! The comments have brought out so many 60years+ enjoying the great outdoors on their cycles! In India (where I live) there are now a lot of cycling groups, inspite of bad roads and terrible pollution, of all age groups! I am myself turning 67 next week and am fairly active on the running and cycling circuits🙏
Cannot believe I watched this episode this morning. I then walked over to the Torbay Velopark as I knew there was a cycling event on. To my surprise I ended up watching Nick win his age group in the National cyclo cross event. Unbelievable 👍🏻
I'm 58. Noticed a change 51/52. And then early this year. Pushing my self as best as I can. Started running last year and I continue bicycling as primary. If I didn't find bicycling, I don't where I'd be right now. I signed up for my first 5K Turkey Trot this year. Yes, there's more of an effort as I get older. But well worth it.
Simon, I loved this video and couldn't agree more about putting enjoyment as the central reason to ride. I've been fairly competitive for 40 years and still am. I'll be 65 soon, and I start the day with a bike ride. The one observation I'd like to add is, quite often when I first wake up, I may say to myself- I don't feel like riding today. I feel tired. But, I've learned, how I initially feel is no accurate indicator of how I'll actually feel once I start riding. So, if you don't feel like riding, go anyway. It may feel like you're 25 again.
^^^THIS, EXACTLY! At 67 I sometimes have to push myself out the door, even though I look forward to riding, because I just feel HORRID at the time. Ironically, many times, those are the times when I feel strongest once a half hour INTO that ride. As far as recovery goes, I do not have a problem at all, but, I am still just doing low gear, very high rev, 'base' training still (and will be until late spring), so I do not get as sore/fatigued (even after a 3+ hour ride) as those who do those huge gear grinding, intervals/zone whatever TF workouts must.
I'm also turning 40, in just over a month. I've been on a bit of a yoyo, but am getting back into triathlon racing to give me the target to get back to my previous fitness (used to race half Ironman). Just got a Giant Propel to replace my tired and broken Avanti Corsa, and plan to dial it up to a couple hundred km a week again. I've also joined a martial arts class with my 7yo son, Taekwondo and BJJ, with some other styles mixed in including swordfighting. Just waiting for the kids to get big enough to join me on the bike, then there'll be no excuse!
Great info to a 56 year-old. I have really enjoyed the details of the not being worried about the recovery time getting longer. Giving a person with leukemia a positive goal of enjoying the ride even if it is not as long as it used to be. Keep making motivational videos that get people to keep rolling.😁
I much needed to see this segment. I turned 68 today (11/12/22) and have been beating myself up because I just can't cycle as I once did in my 20's - 30's. Even pushing myself to match my riding/recovery where I thought I should be, and of course that's the ages mentioned above. I'm just going to start enjoying myself and well, have a piece of birthday cake. John B (USA)
I’m 55 miles old and can still ride like I’m only 55 kilometres old! I average between 17 to 19mph depending on the elevation but rest and recovery for at least 2 days is essential after a hard ride. When I retire I’m hoping to ride Lejog. Riding every other day. Staying in hotels and chilling out between riding days…..just got to get my lovely wife to agree to be my support crew❤
Nick's an inspirational guy, that's for sure. I've ridden my whole life and am now 73, still riding. I mostly ride with a group of retired people, we call ourselves the Geriatric Play Group, and there are riders older than me. My concession to age a few months ago was to buy an e-bike. Here in Australia the battery power cuts off at 25 kph and there are a couple of the faster riders in the group who love to get over that limit so I'm forced into good old fashioned leg power. Those guys are doing me good.
I got into cycling in my late 40s and had the bizarre experience of becoming fitter than I’d ever been in my life before. I ride for pleasure and don’t compete, but getting up Ventoux aged 54 was amazing and the peak of my fitness. At 58 I’m noticing I need more recovery but still love cycling as often as possible, zwifting at 5am to fit around work if I have to! Cycling had definitely changed my attitude and I now put my health and fitness before anything else - luckily my hubby is similarly obsessed and we’re looking forward to semi-retirement so we can cycle even more. Looking forward to getting an e-bike when the hills start to get too tough 😊
Love this Lorraine. At 55, my husband and I mountain bike together every weekend and train on our Peloton. What a gift to have these adventures together.
Great video. This guy reminds me of a guy we had here in the US named Steve Tilford. He was racing elite pro-level criteriums well into his late 40s, early 50s and getting great results. I believe he was a former world mountain bike champion. I raced against him a few times and always looked up to the dude. I remember him saying in an interview that he built up all this knowledge racing bikes that wasn't really useful for anything else, and so he didn't want to waste it. He also said he figured he'd lose his fitness if he ever stopped, so he just kept training. I remember thinking it'd be the end of an era when he retired, but tragically he was killed in a freak (off bike) accident several years ago. May he rest in peace.
Now 70, raced road and track for 25 yrs and still riding 3xs a week apprx 3000 a year. Being an unrepentant underachiever I always limited my training hours to below 10 a week. One thing I noticed at 70 is my hips and knees are thanking me. Many of my more ambitious peers have required hip and knee replacements. A good diet with plenty of green and red veggies and fruit. Try to keep the weight off (thats a big one). Put in some gym time. Stay out of the city for cleaner lungs and mind your stressors.
Just turned 40 yesterday. Last year I started off to lose 100lbs, I'm at 71lbs. I started cycling last year doing MTB but I got into road cycling this year and since May, I've already ridden over 500mi after going from almost 0 miles a month. Age is a number. I feel younger than 40. And as I keep going, I feel younger and younger. But I do know I'm not 20 anymore.
LOL. I'm 71 and ride 3 times a week in very hilly terrain. I concur about riding 80% in zone 1. I mounted a 48/28 elliptical chainring and an 11-28 cassette for terrain that averages 7% with a few areas of up to 12%. I will ride for as long as I can unassisted and then will transition to an E-bike when absolutely necessary. I'm out to have fun and see how I stack up on Strava against people in my age group. Planning on doing the Ronda Sella again this spring. Cheers from Italy.
Took up adult cycling at 45 to lose weight and improve fitness: it’s been life-altering for me. Worked out the easiest way to fit cycling in to a busy life of working 24/7 in 999 work is to commute to work and I slowly build up to doing that all year round. My job then moved 6-miles further away so I now enjoy a 32-mile ‘round trip commute - 2hrs of zone 2 training every working day (on a single speed bike). I’ve also started trying bigger adventures to make memories: JOGLE, a 200-mile ride and this week did my first category 2 climb in the Brecons. I’m LOVING my cycling - and it’s really working on my health, physical and mental, inc the weight loss.
Another 60yo here. Nick's message about enjoying it resonates with me. It's not about out and out speed, or KOMs anymore, but rather the volume of pleasure, laughs and time with good friends gained. 'Consume every day in the gradual accumulation of pleasure, as insurance against that day when the power or the passion deserts'.
At 78 I totally agree with the enjoyment of being on the bike is the key. Here in Colorado the summer riding is superb. I am entering my third winter with a Wahoo Kicker and Zwift which enables me to ride all year long. Besides the enjoyment of riding I am keeping my a1c in check and staying fit.
When I was 43., my father said, 'You're still a young man," and he was right. Today I'm still cycling at 75, and like others here I do it primarily for the joy of it -- and for my CV fitness of course. I still track my metrics, but rather than comparing my year-over-year progress/decline, I track my fitness through the year. In January this year I averaged 10-11 mph for 10-15 miles (in New England weather). In July I now consistently average 14 mph on ,my 50 mile rides. As long as my speed and mileage are increasing throughout the year -- and my weight is declining -- I'm satisfied. But more importantly, whenever I get out for a ride I'm a happy guy, no matter the time of year. Cycling is my link to sanity these days. I'm on track to do 4,000 miles this year, ahead of my goal. I turn 76 in 2 months, and I'm not planning to buy an e-bike until sometime after 80. I'm happy to wait. Thanks to Si and Nick for doing this show. You're both an inspiration to all of us.
Si, what a great video. We are both 83'ers and I can definitely say we need to find what drives our happiness and stick to it. I was never a racer, more of a enthusiast, but as we get older I agree we have to separate our happiness link to our numbers, and enjoy riding as a pure form.
Fantastic content in this video. Met Nick in 2017 at a bike test day in York. Very easy to talk to, and didn't talk down to me, unlike some of the other representatives of other manufacturers. Very quickly sussed out my level of riding and bike knowledge and spoke to me at that level. I already had a Scott CR1, which I loved, and was thinking of maybe getting the Addict. Test over and I now have an Addict Disc Di2. Thanks Nick.A very humble guy, who has represented the UK at the Olympica and Worlds.
@@nick1craig p.s. I will be 72 years young at the end of this month, and still love to get out on my bike, beit MTB, Road or gravel. I don't set annual mileage targets, whether I ride 1,000 miles per year or 10,000 miles, my aim is just to enjoy them.
40 and cycling got even more fun for me. Daily commutes, fun little banters & races during weekend training against younger riders, fondos or crits. Here's hoping to carry on to my 60s up
This was a great video and as an older cyclist “I hate saying that” was very informative, I’m 57 and got back into cycling in my early 40s after a 20 year gap, I’m fitter now than when I was in my 30s and the same weight and waist size as when I was 18, I commute by bike every day rain or shine but I’ve definitely noticed hills are harder and I’m a bit slower in the last couple of years but I try and average 100 miles a week, Si at 40 your only just getting started.
I’m 56, soon 57 and still ride road, gravel and mountain. It is a bit harder knowing you are racing in the “Masters” category but it’s still fun. Check out the Huntsman Senior Games, you can see age defying cyclist who are still very fast.
Efficiency. That is the core of performing when you age. When I was younger and raced in alpine skiing, there were some 60 year olds who would be right at the top. They certainly weren't stronger than us much younger racers. They learned smoothness and efficiency out of necessity. Now I will turn 60 next year. I've take those lesson to heart. When I'm on a bike, mentally I feel like a 30 year old. The mind is willing and the body tries it's best, but it's best days have long passed. So I've had to learn to ride intelligently and efficiently to hang over the long haul. But F- it, man. My love for riding hasn't waned one bit.
Great video! Recovery is critical as you get older. I’m 55, a trail runner, amateur cyclist and gym goer. I finally started listening to my personal trainer and take the time to recover properly. As a result, I did my best trail running performance ever this summer. Also based on my trainer recommendation, I now have a daily stretching routine. After a month of daily stretching, I saw a massive difference. I now “crave” my daily stretching routine.
@@gcn I started incorporating some yoga moves two weeks ago and I’m really enjoying it. I spend a lot of time at home reading or sitting in front of a computer, so I asked my trainer for a quick stretching routine that I could do when I take a break. She taught me a small yoga routine, which I really enjoy.
I am 62 and have 'discovered' my gravel bike. I'm fortunate because I live in a wonderful part of the UK (Scottish Highlands) where we have terrific off road routes. I really don't enjoy road riding in bad weather nowadays. I found this video great and quite inspirational. Nick Craig is a legend. To hear him talk about just riding his bike rather than following structured training programmes is very refreshing. Personally, I know I'm never going to be as fast as I was but I want to be fit enough to enjoy riding. At my age, fit = healthy.
I’m 56 now. Don’t worry what other people think. Do what gives you joy. Yes, I’m slower than I was, and it takes longer to recover, but I’m out there doing it, unlike the vast majority of people my age.
I'm watching this after a weekend in the Scottish Highlands mountain biking. I'm 57 and as I sat down to watch my body felt battered and sore and I wondered why I put myself through it. Watching this made me remember - I just bloody love every single minute. Long live life on the bike!
Yep, mtb'r too. Got my first pair of knee pads recently after almost 20 years of riding. As a 55 year old woman, I get a little laugh out of a happy "hey guys" as I sometimes pass young guys pushing their bikes up punchy climbs. :)
I started riding in my late 30s when knee issues prevented me from running.. My average speed was never super fast at around 16-17 mph, which isn't too bad for a woman. I have suffered numerous overuse injuries, but my love for cycling has always gotten me through those tough spots. I am now 57 and my average speed is about the same, but I now ride with guys about my age and can sometimes average 18-19 mph. The last few years I have been riding gravel and can hold my own on long steep hills. I think Si and Nick are absolutely right. The love of cycling is what keeps you riding and who cares how fast you ride when you love what you are doing!
Great video Simon, something for us oldies, I think Nick summed it up very well by saying " just get out there and enjoy your cycling" as a 65 year old that's exactly what I do here in Somerset and regular visits to Mallorca for the cycling, age is only a number !! (wish I was only 40)😉🚴
I'm 45, 99% of my cycling is on zwift. I'm currently trying to beat my KOM times from when I was 40. Once my fitness starts to dip due to aging I'll stop looking at kom times, and just focus on enjoying the ride. ***Edit to add - oh my word, Charlie's Cairn knocked me for six, sat here in tears. I was already thinking about aging, mortality etc, then to be hit with that. As a father I don't think there is anything more upsetting than thinking about the loss of a child.
I got into cycling at 42. As a result i had never been so fit, heathy phisicaly and mentaly, look great too. Am now in my 50, things are a bit harder, but love it no less, infact body is more adept and at one with the bike. I do now cycle less, although this does make recovery less of an issue.
I’m 49 and riding fixed gear to work on a 48 - 17 5 days a week with a minimum mileage of 300 miles a month. Then doing bikepacking adventures, long road rides and other rides at other times. Do loads of yoga at home at about 40 mins a time, as well as some strength training to help the rest of the body. Luckily people say I look 42, so I feel the exercise is all helping Trying to eat healthy and taking vit d 4,000 a day and other selective supplements all helps 🙂🙂
I'm now 72 and took up cycling again more seriously seven years ago shortly before I retired. This year I've already done 10,000km for the first time, averaging 10 hours a week. I love longer rides - not much intensity but more endurance - 3hrs+, and as Si says at the end the real key is enjoyment. There's nothing beats being on a bike!
I’m 61 and about to retire. I’ve riding and racing since I was 16 and still love going out on my road-bike. My plan is to ride 3 times per week, about 10 hours and work on my core muscles on the other 2 week days, so weekends will be family time. After a 3 to 4 hour ride, I need a day to recover, so I don’t ride on back to back days. I do like Nick, no point in putting my gear on for a 1 hour ride, no structured training, just listen to my body and lots of low intensity riding, with up hill pushes every now and then.
Nick Craig just made bike racing sound much easier than it is 🙂 It is a bit weird still looking out for the results for the same rider for 30 plus years - amazing rider
I'm 51 and been cycling all my life. I hit trouble in my late 30s when I was confronted by post peak decline. All my motivation up to that point had been based on getting stronger, faster and more competitive so that I can place better in races. I learned that some of my motivation was based on factors beyond my control. I started to identify elements I could work on that were in my control (for example, dumping the desire to beat others, with the goal to out-perform myself - I can't control what others bring to the race, but I can control what I bring). I found this simple change of prespective has brought about more satisfying and consistent results and better riding experiences. The theory is, that if you focus entirely on the factors that are within your control (so stop stressing about weather, the course, your competitors, etc, and focus on giving your best under your own circumstances) the odds of you experiencing a successsful outcome improve anyway. Well, it works for me. I don't judge my performance by other's standards anymore. Really interesting video. Nick has inspired me :)
This is excellent Simon and worthy of a much wider audience. I am now 55 and I agree with Nick's comments about perspective, enjoyment and put simply, just getting out there. I have cycled seriously since the age of 13 but have threatened to slow down with every new decade. in truth I have just started to feel my age in terms of recovery time and the fear of pushing too close to my MHR when pressing on. So what is my approach? I enjoy riding my bike and maintaining my fleet, I monitor my diet and weight, I supplement my cycling with tailored gym workouts, I have cheated by buying lighter bikes with a greater gear range and of course I dye that bit of hair between the end of my crash helmet and my neck - so that faster rider may think that the person in front is a youngster having a bad day! I am now accepting that I am ageing and I have to listen to my body and dispute my mind which is as strong and determined as ever. To all oldies out there, keep enjoying your cycling. It has a multitude of benefits.
Thanks for this. Nick's wisdom he has shared was really impactful for me. Asa 53 year old my Strava says I am losing a lot of fitness even though I am riding more. Riding for joy is why I ride. I ak doing a lot of Snowshoeing right now which is helping my core.
I re-discovered riding in my mid to late 50's, purely for enjoyment and a bit of exercise. Then Covid hit and it became my refuge from the world. I don't do group rides, so it was just me, my bike, and the road. I'm 62 now and have added yoga, as well, because it aids in my flexibility so much. I completed my second Century ride this past summer and tolerated better than my first one three years earlier. I've started commuting to work, usually 3 times per week (10 miles each way) and love it. The weeks where I'm limited by weather or schedule are my hardest weeks to get through. I may have to invest in better inclement weather riding clothes and just go out and ride. Thanks for all your content. It's helped me a lot.
62 now. Started road cycling again age 60 after 20 years break. Building up needs far more time, recovery the same, stretching and core training are indispensable. But it‘s possible, I can see progress and the fun increases as well. Ideally never stop cycling.
The book 'Fast After 50: How to Race Strong for the Rest of Your Life' from Joe Friel is also a helpful tool. I'm 53 old Triathlete and try not to worry too much about my age and just try to enjoy sporting as I always did. What I do differently is that I prioritize a healthy lifestyle, much more rest and sleep, good healthy nutrition and more mindful how I use my time and energy when sporting. When I was younger, I often overtrained and lost interested in sport for periods. Being more mindful helps me to have longer periods of uninterrupted training, ultimate still reaching similar levels or even a bit higher than in my 30s.
Brilliant video - another thumbs up from a 63-year old always cyclist. I'll also second the 'allow additional time for recovery' and raise you with 'don't beat yourself up if you can't cycle every day'. I have a short (8km) hilly, off-road commute to work to avoid the A595. I find that the intensity of the dirt ride with short, sharp ups and downs means that muscle tiredness builds up over the week and I need a long even-paced weekend ride to work out the aches, so I don't try to commute every working day. Injury avoidance is key...
What secret challenge do you think Si is taking on?
Back to his roots in the Gezzer CX nats or worlds???
Riding till he’s 90 and then retiring
Si is going to realize he's a lot stronger than he thought.
Hooking up his car to the back of his bike, and towing his car uphill.
Trying to be the youngest man ever to get trench foot?
I am 72 and have been riding all my life (never competitively). My friends admire my fitness and performance and ask what’s your secret?
I 100% second what Nick says: do it for fun and enjoyment of the ride, not for the podium. I also enjoy nature and my solo rides are a meditation. 👍🏼
I discovered STRAVA 3 y ago and use it as my riding logbook.
Yes!
Awesome! I just hope when I am your age that I am still enjoying riding!!
Nice work Jurgen! 🙌 Keep it up, long live the love for the bike 🙌
Jurgen: I'm 74 and all your comments apply to me. Old age is not a disease in itself. For many, long term avoidance of exercise is the reason their bodies decline, that and unnatural, unbalanced diets. I've fitted lower gears to reduce the strain of hills and headwinds, and am content with 12kph average speeds. To challenge myself, I'll go for 50 or 60km these days and be rewarded by the new scenery and a rejuvenating sense of achievement. For me, being old and still healthy is better than a lottery win, and well worth setting aside time and effort to achieve and maintain.
👌
I'm 63 and made a pact with myself to 100% commute to work, irrespective of the weather & conditions! After a few years I found I was doubling my route length because it was not only safer but the best way to set myself up for a crazy day at work an then to wind down on my way home. We bought a Tandem 10 years back so now my wife has the confidence to ride with me holidaying across Snowdonia, Peaks, Dales etc, knowing that she'll always get back after a monster slog across the wild landscapes of Britain. I can't do what I once did, but I'm not afraid to try. Thanks Simon, a fabulously encouraging video
Yes! I just wrote something very similar, thinking I'd be the odd one out here. Great post! Hopefully meet you on the road.
This is so so motivating 🙏
Very awesome and inspiring. Just be very careful with weather
Been cycling on a geared bike since the early 70s. Only started "racing" mtn bikes when I was 34 because it they were closed courses, monitored for safety support, water stations and to be with friends.
At 70 I've had 3 heart stents from work stress, developed arthritis in my right hip, which I had replaced a week ago, and through the years cycling has been the shining light through it all.
Only thing that helped during stressful years, helped immensely on heart attack recovery, only thing that kept the arthritis at bay, and treasured every moment I could ride.
It made hip replacement much more tolorable. Doc assured me once initial healing is dealt with, cycling will be very helpful to build back up.
Keep it about smiles per hour folks.
Fitness is a blessing but smiles are what makes it all worth while.
Keep it fun folks!
Great vid by the way, thanks.
@@gbart981 best wishes for a glorious recovery, stunning sunrises and breathtaking vistas
I'm 58 and going through my 3rd bout of cancer, I:ve cycled all through my treatments and it's not only kept me healthy but also made me smile so many times, the fun involved is insane!!! I realise why we were so happy as kids, simple pleasures!!!
All my best wishes your way!!❤
Keep on keeping lad 💪😎
Good for you man! Keep pushing!
Everything crossed for the treatment Dave, enjoy every moment.
Applause for your fortitude and grace, Dave!
I've been a mediocre bike rider since turning 30. Now at 72 I'm still maintaining that mediocrity and even perhaps going a little longer and a little faster. Always having fun along the way!
Endorphins are God's reward for doing what the average person wouldn't or couldn't do. They're a massive reward for staying fit. Fun is a huge part of it too. See you on the road, Gwen!
72 also and you know I have an FTP of maybe 90, but getting out three times a week is joy and a real good fitness boost. Ride on!
Nothing wrong with that Gwen! Keep it up 🙌
There is a lot of good things to said about the middle Gwen, and adding fun only accentuates it all. Keep enjoying the journey.
I always felt really good until I hit 75. Then I started going downhill fast. Now, at 78, it looks like I will make 4,000 miles and 90,000 feet of climbing this year. At 70, it was 8,000 and 250,000. But I hope to be able to continue this for another 10 years before I have to give up the climbing. I'm still going to ride for as long as possible. One thing: I never push myself to the point of the danger of a heart attack. I drink a little wine and maybe some beer now and then. No smoking. Most of the group in my group have had heart attacks already and now ride fairly easy. I'm now more a 90/10%. But if you play properly, you can ride your entire life and have a stroke at 100 riding in a Veterans Day parade with a young man driving.
Can I offer some advice? (I'm mid-seventies, albeit post thyroid cancer, which does pay back a stipend on the cost) *Any* engine will wear much faster and reach failing point if constantly *slogged*. Give yourself a break! Find routes that are in your favour, not against it. The body, even aging, can produce what's necessary to endure if used within its limits. Start going down hills, not up them, at least on average. If you're not getting a 'high' from doing it, you're doing it wrong.
Impressive Tom, good to hear experiences of the "more older" cyclist. I'm 73 and on average I manage 2,200 miles and 180,000ft of ascent per year. Over the last 3 years I have managed Alpe d'Huez and most of the Flanders cobbled climbs; I am thinking of the 3-day Flanders challenge next year. I live in the Chilterns area so all rides involve climbs at some point so I have always just planned the most interesting and challenging routes to ride. My approach is similar to you in that I don't over push and if a particular climb feels too hard I will stop, have a drink and then cycle on. I then will do further rides until I can conquer the climb non-stop. Since watching Si's latest videos on low intensity rides I have planned over the winter to use indoor smart trainer to build my core for 5 weeks at Zone 2 and then do 80/20 until mid-April. 2 weeks in and I feel good and can see it will suit better than just high intensity and will hopefully make me better ready for the Hemel Hillbuster in May and la Planche des Belles Filles in August.
@@alanearp5019 I'm 76 and hear what you are saying. I mix in club rides with solo rides and from May to end October do about 5000K and roughly 50, 000 meters of climbing, We have a shorter season (Ontario, Canada) so use Zwift in the winter to go along with skiing and snowshoeing. I cant do 2 hard rides in a row and ofter need 2 to 3 days off (or zone 1) after a challenging club ride
Great stuff Tom! Really smashing it 🙌
@@stephensaines7100 - I don't know where you get the idea that section 2 is slogging. Why don't you tell the pros that their training is slogging along.
I’m 56 and I’ve been out of cycling for a number of years on account of injuries and a bout of depression… but last year I built up a bike and started riding for the joy of riding To me being rid of the pressures of racing and going as fast as possible is a relief and I find that I love cycling more than back when I was younger
At 56yrs old also I’ve adjusted my priorities and expectations of cycling. There is nothing wrong with not being able to do the things I use to do 10yrs ago. People ask me why I go on 6+ hour rides by myself. Because I love the ride. Good to hear you got back on the bike.
Absolutely!
Wonderful!
Great to hear that the love for cycling is so strong! 🙌
Thanks for sharing… I’m 56 , I peaked at 54 with my fastest 100 I’m race and then I’ve been plagued with injuries and depression as well… just so frustrating
Best of luck to for your recovery mine has been painful
My father is 84 years old and too old for youtube comments. He still rides his road bike about 8,000 to 10,000 kilometers a year. When things are going well, I can do that much. My FTP is 250 watts - but I'm also only 55: the young son. My father worked on construction sites his whole life. He smoked and he drank. When he retired he quit all of that. He never had a car. He always rode his bicycle. Wherever he went. He never lost the fun of cycling. He is a great inspiration for his sons. And maybe for others: never stop cycling! @Si/@cgn: thank you for your extraordinary content.
At 71 the biggest things that have affected my performance have been major health issues, both knees replaced and cancer surgery. But while performance has decreased my enjoyment has increased! When a fundamental joy like riding my bike has been taken away it’s a huge gift to get it back.
As a woman who discovered cycling in my late 40s and who's now 59, I found Nick's advice (do what you love) so much more helpful than, say, books detailing elaborate, seemingly joyless training plans for staying fast. I'm sure such plans work for many people, but hearing Nick describe what he does and why really resonated. As did Si's sum-up at the end. All of which was quietly underlined by the visit to Charlie's memorial. Life is short (sometimes utterly unfairly so), and if you don't try to spend your time (as much as you can, of course) doing what you love, you risk wasting it. Thank you.
That's great to hear! Thanks for the kind words
Beautifully put !😊
loved this. I spent 20 years in the military and was always a runner, riding makes me feel like a kid again, I’m 56
I am 58 and I get up every day at 4:30am to ride my bike for just over an hour and a half. I then go to work for 12 hours and I still manage to get in around 300 miles per week. Some days it’s tough but I love to ride my bike and my family support me in this as they know it will help me to live longer. Most of the time they are sleeping while I am out with my thoughts on the road. I ride as hard as I my body will let, some days it is great, some days not so good.
I'm 38 and do shift work, two 12 hour days then two 12 hour nights. i find it even hard at my age. the night shifts don't get any easier.
@@darinsteele7091 amen to this
300 miles a week! Wow 🙌 Amazing work Peter!
@@gcn 14,600 miles this year, aiming to get to 16,000 by the end of the year depending on conditions.
@@peterhodgkinson2048 - you're e beast! Just amazing.
I’m 71, not very quick but still climbing Cols. just keep going. I’ve met cyclists on Cols as old as 89.
On a recent ride, I overtook a couple of lads in their early 30s struggling up a hill, as I passed they shouted "it's alright for these young ones!", I had to slow down, take my glasses off and tell them "actually I'm 55!".
i keep a grey beard so they will know when i go by
@@howlinhauler good one 🤣
Lol..great story, I plan to do that this year🙂
These Si's videos on nutrition, science, ageing and interviews with experts (like San Millán, Seiler, etc.) are great and really worth watching. Please, keep on doing that, talking to experts is very insightful. The next could be on testosterone and whether endurance sports lower the testosterone levels. Thanks
Thanks! Glad you like them
@@gcn Yeah I agree, they're really good - more of this content!
@@gcn Agree with these comments. Keep up the great work across all GCN channels. RIP Charlie.
[ The next could be on testosterone and whether endurance sports lower the testosterone levels.]
The role of 'testosterone' per-se is misleading in the context you state. Without going into case studies, there's no better comparator than how far females have come in sports. In the animal world, (cats for instance) females are often the more athletic, and the hunters and providers. We're not talking wrestling here, we're talking an elan endeavour.
And Si has little to worry about except worry itself. Keep fit...and what's crucial to that is *mental fitness*. Stay enthralled, and your body will pretty much know how to do the rest. There's a whole world to discover, a good part can be done on a bike. You don't need a canary outfit to do it.
@@gcn The cycling community is grateful for this great content.
I recently turned 61 and noticed my recovery time increased significantly. I can't keep up with the stronger A group riders so I went with the B and C groups. I realized we could have a conversation on the group rides rather than trying to kill each other.
There are certain benefits to getting older and enjoying riding for the sake of riding.
I'm mid-Seventies, and having trouble getting the forty and fifty year olds to do 'countryside adventures'. They're "too old". Hey...
Its a revelation right! A social ride at a real social pace 🤯
This is the type of content GCN should make on regular bases!
Interviewing pros and amateurs, about diet, training, etc...
Noted... We'll see what we can do 🙌
Exactly GCN you're missing this trick - for soo long...this could get you so much, it's not all about the gear, the experience brings you the gear not the other way round!
As a lifelong cyclist just urned 68 I can really relate to Nick’s views on accepting the inevitable effects of age. Once again Simon has produced a work of great maturity in this video, well done. Please maintain the production values that have become the core of GCN.
Thanks David! Si is taking this ageing malarky very seriously 🤣Keep up the good work 💪
Absolutely concur with you comment and a very worthwhile video for all of us "mature" riders. Lovely to hear someone that honest with that much experience.
I'm 70 and just completed a total of 1,150+ miles this calendar year. Averaged 30+ miles and 11 mph each ride. Need more vids like this! We are more numerous than what you may expect! Thanks - Encourging!!
bwrrick: Good for you, keep it up and you can go on for years. I have been there, and, provided there are no disabling health issues, consistency can keep you at it. Last year, in my 90th year, I clocked up 1,700 km, at about the same average speeds as yourself, but I have to admit that the rides were becoming very boring and repetitive. This was due to the fact that hills I used to ride were now beyond me, and flat terrain is very limited where I live. So when I actually hit 90 I decided some assistance would not come amiss, so in February I fitted a small e-bike kit to my road bike. It has given me a new lease of life - I am back on the old hilly routes I have been avoiding, my rides have expanded, and I have clocked up 3,000km to now, with a few weeks of riding left for the year. I would encourage everyone who is able, to keep going as long as possible, the benefits are incalculable.
Wow! Thanks for the encouragement and your are my new inspiration! I was hoping that I could keep this going until I was 80ish... Have fun with your new improved ride! Go man, go!! 😃
@@bwrrick Thanks for your reply - the health benefits of lifelong exercise really are amazing. I wish you the best of luck and many more miles in the future. Cheers!
I'm 52 and got heart rate-restricted by my cardiologist 3 years ago. It was difficult to separate going fast, attacking climbs and the like from enjoyable riding. However lately going slower, downshifting more and just realizing how great it is to be riding in general has sunk in. I get so much more from rides than just speed. It's great exercise, it's fun, it's fresh air, it's mental health therapy and so much more.
Sounds great Al! Slow can be fun too 🙌
I’ve been going through the same thing. 58 and 4 years removed from a double bypass. Still have to remind myself that just riding after what I’ve been through is a fantastic thing. Problem is the ego/competitive nature always comes out. 😊 Slowly getting better at that.
I'm 68, been cycling for 60 years but now an ebike still keeps me out there, best thing I ever bought myself. Can't keep off it.
I’m 68. I’ve been racing endurance sports for 50 years, although only rarely got on the podium. I did my first ironman triathlon at age 60, and still train 13-15 hours per week, doing mostly Z2 but 2 HIIT sessions and 1 hard tempo session per week. I agree the secret is to enjoy what you do - and avoid injuries. I love hearing about others still hanging in there. Thanks for the video.
You're welcome! Great job with the Ironman
From 14 to 60 years of age the joy of the ride has not changed.
Does it make you feel like a kid still? 👀
If there is a more lovely bloke at a bike race than Nick, we’ll I’ve not met them. True legend. ❤️
Agree!
Look up the sigmasport cafe rides series with Matt Stephens on RUclips if you haven't seen them already, I think Nick was one of the first one's done, very good....
so kind thank you
Siborg doesn't age! He has looked the same for his entire GCN career, he doesn't train half as much as many others and still turns up, destroys the competition and humbly delivers some poetic conclusion 😁. However, one of the best things about Simon is that you never hear him boasting about himself like some others 😉. Overall a top lad. Rock on Si. Rock on.
A great video for inspiration. At 77, I am doing 13,000 kms each year for the last 10 years with 75 km rides at 19-21 km/h for the last 4 years. I do a Century ride once a month for a goal and ride 5 days a week. Most of my riding friends are in their sixties but I ride mostly solo since they do not have the commitment nor the stamina to ride often. I LOVE my road bike.
Nick states: "I love riding bikes"...and that's key. A huge part of enduring the years (I'm mid-Seventies) is to 'go cycling with Nature', find your own pace, don't get lured into trying to turn back the clock, and *discover* the world by cycling. Cycling never gets old. The ability to 'break records and win' does.
Age well. I'm a better cyclist now in my seventies than I ever was prior, even with reduced stamina, speed and daring. You get more sensible with age. Live with that, it keeps you alive.
I agree, being in nature does alot of good mentally whether biking ,hiking or otherwise..great advice!
Great video. I am a former Marine and was fit. Now, at 45, I notice I’m not in the unrelenting shape I was in 20 years ago. I still expect my body to perform at the level it did 20 years ago and get disappointed and concerned when it doesn’t. This video helped me understand things have changed, but not ended.
I'm 51 and dropping riders half my age on sprints and climbs.
As I grow old the legs feel stronger only because I never lost my love of 'pain and suffering' on the bike. The harder the ride, the more I keep going and loving it.
Wow, you're awesome
I do love dropping the youngsters, for me it was the downhill on gravel or mt bikes, they simply had no idea what I was doing. Now finally I can more than hold my own on climbs, which took a long while........I have 45 years on dirtbikes and bicycles on gravel and dirt in general, so its normal to me to go fast on gravel......Im 65 and have never quit riding, always something on 2 wheels. Muscle memory.
Great video, at 59 I still ride as hard as I can, both Mountain & Road, it's not all about speed, if you love it, do it :) # stay active as an old git
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Keep up the riding 👍
I'm turning 55 next week, Alan and this year, I'm learning more skills now than I did a decade ago -- getting more comfortable with table tops and small drops. Agree, it's not all about speed but being fit and strong allows you to focus on new skills. Can't see it ending anytime soon. (Fingers crossed.)
Forty is the new 25, and 60 is the new 40. I'm 62 and way fitter that I was at 50. Being retired affords me the time to ride and work out that I didn't manage to find while I was working. Probably the single most important factor in being fit as we age is having been really fit from 20-30 and never having let it go. Getting it back is always harder than keeping it.
Like a few others, I chuckled at the thought of Nick as an"older" rider. I'm 15 years older than Nick. He is a babe in arms. 👶 😂 I wanted to share that the 80-20 riding protocol has done so much to make me a stronger rider. It was reassuring to hear Nick validate my experience by sharing his own training regime. It would be great to see more of these awesome videos aimed at more "mature" viewers of GCN. Great job! 👏👏👏
I was never racer fast. But I've kept up steadily exercising for decades now, and I think it has made a difference in how I've aged. I get in about 4,000 miles a year on the bike and I lift weights in the gym and climb mountains in the late summer and early fall. I'm 65 and my resting pulse rate is typically about 48-49 these days. I do enjoy the notion of being able to get on the bike for a 50-mile ride at any time without considering it to be a daunting prospect.
No point in getting old, if you don't get crafty.
Nick certainly got the memo.
Easily one of the best GCN videos ever... I'm racing cyclocross at age 52! And I really don't care how I finish aside from challenging myself...
When you get older, I think, you learn to "ENJOY" the things you love doing without the necessity to exceed. When I was younger I was extremely competitive. Through injury I wasn't able to compete anymore. This hurt me mentally more than the actual injuries, so much so that I couldn't even watch the sports I loved doing on TV never mind try to do them "just for fun". As I got older I found myself over weight very unfit and very unhappy to the point I ended up on medication. Getting back into cycling, one of the sports I enjoyed earlier in my life, has completely turned things around but now I do it purely out of enjoyment. Yes I push myself, not to be competitive, simply because it puts a smile on my face and gets the endorphins pumping. Enjoy what you love doing. Think about the present, not the future certainly not the past. Just enjoy the moment for what it is. Great film. At 52 I find myself cardio wise, as fit as I ever was. It's just the muscles and joints take longer to recover as talked about in the film.
I'm 67 and rode the Aussie 3 peaks challenge ( 235km, 4600m) for the 10th time this year. The secret is to keep riding, ride with friends, ride to see new places, and include a bit of effort in each ride, but not too much....
Yes, enjoyment! I made this comment on another video, but at 71 I just got a gravel bike. I exclusively rode a mountain bike for 20 years, then a road bike for the past 15. The gravel bike got me back on roads and trails I hadn't ridden in years and that has rejuvenated my riding.
Si, you have decades of great cycling ahead of you. It changes from building fitness to managing the decline. I had a small decline until 68 then the bottom fell out. At 72, I’m waiting for my e-bike to be delivered. It’s all good.
Cycling is for all, You might not be able to go fast or hard but the joy is still there 🙌
Enjoy the ebike. I have an electric cargo bike for my little girl and hauling. It is so much fun.
Bosch is the best, of course, if the spare cash is available.
I resumed cycling in my 50's, after a 10 year lay off. I've set most of my PB's ages 59, 60 and 61. I'm 62, and still setting PB's. With that said, I ride because I enjoy nature, independence, and the ability to go somewhere 100 km or more without polluting, and the noise of society all around me. Alot of it is in your head, in terms of enjoyment and capability. Garbage in, garbage out theory. I feed mine thoughts of elation, peaks, valleys, streams and euphoria instead, visualizing my route the night before, and looking forward to it. YTD, I'm @ 16,000+ km; but I'm more pleased with the fact that it's with 210,000+ meters in elevation, averaging 25.5 km/hr overall. I'm good with that! I think it's important to not take yourself too seriously, unless you're a professional or a phenom. Have a pint or two every now; it's not always about KOM's and #'s....unless you're on a really great day! Peace out -
Today I rode over one hour on the indoor machine at 4 Watts/Kg in Zone 2. Zone 2 for me has a max HR of 135 bpm. My average was 133bpm at 230 Watts. I'm nearly 62 years old.
Nice video. I am 60 and enjoying the cycling more than ever. I’ve paid attention to diet, added a lot of strength training, and have cycled over 17,000 km so far this year.
Great milage Chris! What's been your best ride? 👀
@@gcn Fred Whitton was the most memorable this year!
I'm 26 and only 3 years into the sport. It opened the door to physical activity to me and I am in by far the best shape of my life and just getting stronger. Yet all these gray haired, 50+ veterans are dropping me left right and center. It is equal parts inspiring and humbling.
Lots to learn from the oldies 👀
your on the journey building your engine... enjoy it
At 61 years old, I still ride my Mountain bike 3 times a week for 2 1/2 hours per ride. I had to make a mental shift away from measuring my performance and getting annoyed if I had a slower ride than last time, and am now more focused on enjoying the fact I can STILL ride, still do some relatively hard rides that my friends just can't do due to injury or their health.
Most important, if I think I feel a twinge or tweak, I treat it immediately as if it's an injury. Recovery at my age, is something that has definitely slipped, and I cannot ride every day, it's just too much wear and tear. Once every 2 to 3 days, and just don't blast myself every ride.
I just enjoy being out there, the scenery, the fresh air and the fact I 'm still capable. It also helps that I live where Mountain Biking was invented, and as a Scotsman living here in California,I'm just grateful I still get to do this.
Also, get a proper bike fitting to keep you from getting small aches, injuries etc.
Love this. I'm riding my local trails better than I ever have and I'm turning 55 next week. Yay for us. The forest is my happy place.
I reach the big six-two next April, Bristish but have lived in the US since 1993, any rider over 30 here is known as a 'Master'. So I'm def past veteran status and certainly no 'Master' but I'm riding just as fast and strong (in fact perhaps even faster) than I was 10-13 years ago. I've put my faith in structured training with Trainer Road, weight loss and optimal nutrition. Being type 2 diabetic I pursue a very restrictive carbohydrate diet, Keto with carb cycling before rides. It's worked wonders for my health and overall performance on the bike. (And also having a great group of strong riders to ride with regularly is a major plus too). Just one man's story of course.
I'm 68 years young and just getting back into recreational cycling after a lay-off of about 10 years. This was a great video to watch and hear Nick's philosophy. You may soon qualify as a Veteran, Si, but you've got a way to go yet :)
Great to have you back Steve! What sort of riding will you be doing? 👀
Thanks Simon and Nick great interview and some good tips. I am 70 this month but I am now have Lithium in my down tube. But having the E bike is 6K more kilometers than what I would be able to do with a normal bike per year. There's always tomorrow to achieve a "happy performance" in my pensioners riding group.
My Grandfather lived till 70. I miss him greatly. 🙂
"lithium in my down tube"... I'm stealing this one. Love it.
just did the North coast 500 with a mate over a week- 65-80m days killer hillls and headwinds-both age 61-No big deal.
NEVER SURRENDER!!
I'll be 58 in two months and my FTP sits around 355-375 depending on what part of the season I test. I'm rounding out my 45th season and the past seven years I've averaged 15,000km/year. Eating smart and getting regular sleep are key to my riding, but so is consistency. I ride a base of 300km at least per week. That's five or six times a week for at least two hours per ride. I typically average 30-33kph on solo rides and typically pick up six to 10 KOMs a season. I also sea kayak a couple of times a week April thru November, to relax and do core work. Just because you get older, doesn't mean you get slower. Be consistent with your riding and eat well and you'll stay fast and love riding as much as I do.
Just turning 64 today. Never been a racer but cycling is my greatest love and my fountain of youth.
Wonderful video. I'm 51 and I'd love to see more on the channel for cyclists in their 40's and beyond. Nick is amazing. It seems like his love of cycling fuels his consistency. I think that is what keeps you going- just keep going 🙂
Thanks Armand! So glad you enjoyed it, keep up the riding 🙌
I"m now 66. When I turned 51 out of blue had a widow maker heart attack....on a mtn bike ride. Was super lucky to survive. Took about a year to get back to my prior fitness level, then set-up big goal (ride the famous TdF climbs at good pace) and hit that a year later (2010). Now, I ride for health, I ride for fun, and I ride to get out enjoy nature, or just being out on the roads. I've also discovered smart trainers and the lovely pain from apps like Wahoo Systm and Zwift (love them both). Still do weights a few days a week...but much lighter weight than the younger days. This won't sit well with some, but I went from two bikes (mtn and road) to four (added two e-bikes...one for mtn, one for road). Here's the thing I can't get over. I track my stats and when I ride the road e-bike, I burn more calories than on my other bikes. And.with the extra power I feel like I'm in my 30's again. Think I need to add a gravel to the mix .. Oh...I also ride a mountain unicycle..but not as often as i used to..it's a whole different thing going both up and down the trails. So, FULL RESPECT for everyone that is in great shape in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Enjoy the Day and Ride!
53 and pushing out a steady 4.3w/kg ....for an hour, outrageous!! Never been able to do that at my fittest 🤣. Top interview. I'm 59 and use cycling for fitness and enjoyment not racing and it's fantastic for that
From Denmark.
I am 51 now and have cycled all my life, Bmx, Race and Mtb.. Always because it is wonderful and fun even if there is more fatigue now, I still ride well and with power and am just inspired by the video and I'm looking right now after a used cross bike now for country roads and forest paths 😊💚
I think you guys have touched a raw nerve! The comments have brought out so many 60years+ enjoying the great outdoors on their cycles! In India (where I live) there are now a lot of cycling groups, inspite of bad roads and terrible pollution, of all age groups! I am myself turning 67 next week and am fairly active on the running and cycling circuits🙏
Cannot believe I watched this episode this morning. I then walked over to the Torbay Velopark as I knew there was a cycling event on. To my surprise I ended up watching Nick win his age group in the National cyclo cross event. Unbelievable 👍🏻
59yr old racer here. This was tremendously helpful and everything Nick says is true! Cheers....
I'm 58. Noticed a change 51/52. And then early this year. Pushing my self as best as I can. Started running last year and I continue bicycling as primary. If I didn't find bicycling, I don't where I'd be right now. I signed up for my first 5K Turkey Trot this year. Yes, there's more of an effort as I get older. But well worth it.
Simon, I loved this video and couldn't agree more about putting enjoyment as the central reason to ride. I've been fairly competitive for 40 years and still am. I'll be 65 soon, and I start the day with a bike ride. The one observation I'd like to add is, quite often when I first wake up, I may say to myself- I don't feel like riding today. I feel tired. But, I've learned, how I initially feel is no accurate indicator of how I'll actually feel once I start riding. So, if you don't feel like riding, go anyway. It may feel like you're 25 again.
Very true! The hardest thing can be getting started🙌
^^^THIS, EXACTLY!
At 67 I sometimes have to push myself out the door, even though I look forward to riding, because I just feel HORRID at the time.
Ironically, many times, those are the times when I feel strongest once a half hour INTO that ride.
As far as recovery goes, I do not have a problem at all, but, I am still just doing low gear, very high rev, 'base' training still (and will be until late spring), so I do not get as sore/fatigued (even after a 3+ hour ride) as those who do those huge gear grinding, intervals/zone whatever TF workouts must.
I'm also turning 40, in just over a month. I've been on a bit of a yoyo, but am getting back into triathlon racing to give me the target to get back to my previous fitness (used to race half Ironman).
Just got a Giant Propel to replace my tired and broken Avanti Corsa, and plan to dial it up to a couple hundred km a week again.
I've also joined a martial arts class with my 7yo son, Taekwondo and BJJ, with some other styles mixed in including swordfighting.
Just waiting for the kids to get big enough to join me on the bike, then there'll be no excuse!
Great info to a 56 year-old. I have really enjoyed the details of the not being worried about the recovery time getting longer. Giving a person with leukemia a positive goal of enjoying the ride even if it is not as long as it used to be. Keep making motivational videos that get people to keep rolling.😁
I much needed to see this segment. I turned 68 today (11/12/22) and have been beating myself up because I just can't cycle as I once did in my 20's - 30's. Even pushing myself to match my riding/recovery where I thought I should be, and of course that's the ages mentioned above. I'm just going to start enjoying myself and well, have a piece of birthday cake. John B (USA)
I’m 55 miles old and can still ride like I’m only 55 kilometres old! I average between 17 to 19mph depending on the elevation but rest and recovery for at least 2 days is essential after a hard ride. When I retire I’m hoping to ride Lejog. Riding every other day. Staying in hotels and chilling out between riding days…..just got to get my lovely wife to agree to be my support crew❤
Nick's an inspirational guy, that's for sure. I've ridden my whole life and am now 73, still riding. I mostly ride with a group of retired people, we call ourselves the Geriatric Play Group, and there are riders older than me. My concession to age a few months ago was to buy an e-bike. Here in Australia the battery power cuts off at 25 kph and there are a couple of the faster riders in the group who love to get over that limit so I'm forced into good old fashioned leg power. Those guys are doing me good.
I got into cycling in my late 40s and had the bizarre experience of becoming fitter than I’d ever been in my life before. I ride for pleasure and don’t compete, but getting up Ventoux aged 54 was amazing and the peak of my fitness. At 58 I’m noticing I need more recovery but still love cycling as often as possible, zwifting at 5am to fit around work if I have to! Cycling had definitely changed my attitude and I now put my health and fitness before anything else - luckily my hubby is similarly obsessed and we’re looking forward to semi-retirement so we can cycle even more. Looking forward to getting an e-bike when the hills start to get too tough 😊
Love this Lorraine. At 55, my husband and I mountain bike together every weekend and train on our Peloton. What a gift to have these adventures together.
Great video. This guy reminds me of a guy we had here in the US named Steve Tilford. He was racing elite pro-level criteriums well into his late 40s, early 50s and getting great results. I believe he was a former world mountain bike champion. I raced against him a few times and always looked up to the dude. I remember him saying in an interview that he built up all this knowledge racing bikes that wasn't really useful for anything else, and so he didn't want to waste it. He also said he figured he'd lose his fitness if he ever stopped, so he just kept training. I remember thinking it'd be the end of an era when he retired, but tragically he was killed in a freak (off bike) accident several years ago. May he rest in peace.
Now 70, raced road and track for 25 yrs and still riding 3xs a week apprx 3000 a year. Being an unrepentant underachiever I always limited my training hours to below 10 a week. One thing I noticed at 70 is my hips and knees are thanking me. Many of my more ambitious peers have required hip and knee replacements. A good diet with plenty of green and red veggies and fruit. Try to keep the weight off (thats a big one). Put in some gym time. Stay out of the city for cleaner lungs and mind your stressors.
Great advice! Keep inspiring 🙂
Just turned 40 yesterday. Last year I started off to lose 100lbs, I'm at 71lbs. I started cycling last year doing MTB but I got into road cycling this year and since May, I've already ridden over 500mi after going from almost 0 miles a month.
Age is a number. I feel younger than 40. And as I keep going, I feel younger and younger. But I do know I'm not 20 anymore.
LOL. I'm 71 and ride 3 times a week in very hilly terrain. I concur about riding 80% in zone 1. I mounted a 48/28 elliptical chainring and an 11-28 cassette for terrain that averages 7% with a few areas of up to 12%. I will ride for as long as I can unassisted and then will transition to an E-bike when absolutely necessary. I'm out to have fun and see how I stack up on Strava against people in my age group. Planning on doing the Ronda Sella again this spring. Cheers from Italy.
Took up adult cycling at 45 to lose weight and improve fitness: it’s been life-altering for me. Worked out the easiest way to fit cycling in to a busy life of working 24/7 in 999 work is to commute to work and I slowly build up to doing that all year round. My job then moved 6-miles further away so I now enjoy a 32-mile ‘round trip commute - 2hrs of zone 2 training every working day (on a single speed bike).
I’ve also started trying bigger adventures to make memories: JOGLE, a 200-mile ride and this week did my first category 2 climb in the Brecons.
I’m LOVING my cycling - and it’s really working on my health, physical and mental, inc the weight loss.
Another 60yo here. Nick's message about enjoying it resonates with me. It's not about out and out speed, or KOMs anymore, but rather the volume of pleasure, laughs and time with good friends gained. 'Consume every day in the gradual accumulation of pleasure, as insurance against that day when the power or the passion deserts'.
Bingo! And the discovery. There's no shortage of wonderful roads and trails to find and ride.
At 78 I totally agree with the enjoyment of being on the bike is the key. Here in Colorado the summer riding is superb. I am entering my third winter with a Wahoo Kicker and Zwift which enables me to ride all year long. Besides the enjoyment of riding I am keeping my a1c in check and staying fit.
When I was 43., my father said, 'You're still a young man," and he was right. Today I'm still cycling at 75, and like others here I do it primarily for the joy of it -- and for my CV fitness of course. I still track my metrics, but rather than comparing my year-over-year progress/decline, I track my fitness through the year. In January this year I averaged 10-11 mph for 10-15 miles (in New England weather). In July I now consistently average 14 mph on ,my 50 mile rides. As long as my speed and mileage are increasing throughout the year -- and my weight is declining -- I'm satisfied. But more importantly, whenever I get out for a ride I'm a happy guy, no matter the time of year. Cycling is my link to sanity these days. I'm on track to do 4,000 miles this year, ahead of my goal. I turn 76 in 2 months, and I'm not planning to buy an e-bike until sometime after 80. I'm happy to wait. Thanks to Si and Nick for doing this show. You're both an inspiration to all of us.
This is the best GCN video I’ve ever seen. Thank you, Simon, Nick, and GCN. Thank you so much.
Si, what a great video. We are both 83'ers and I can definitely say we need to find what drives our happiness and stick to it. I was never a racer, more of a enthusiast, but as we get older I agree we have to separate our happiness link to our numbers, and enjoy riding as a pure form.
Fantastic content in this video. Met Nick in 2017 at a bike test day in York. Very easy to talk to, and didn't talk down to me, unlike some of the other representatives of other manufacturers. Very quickly sussed out my level of riding and bike knowledge and spoke to me at that level. I already had a Scott CR1, which I loved, and was thinking of maybe getting the Addict. Test over and I now have an Addict Disc Di2. Thanks Nick.A very humble guy, who has represented the UK at the Olympica and Worlds.
Thank you peter and i hope you are loving your addict 💪
@@nick1craig p.s. I will be 72 years young at the end of this month, and still love to get out on my bike, beit MTB, Road or gravel. I don't set annual mileage targets, whether I ride 1,000 miles per year or 10,000 miles, my aim is just to enjoy them.
@@peterthomas8053 that sounds perfect hopefully see you on the bike some time cheers nick
40 and cycling got even more fun for me. Daily commutes, fun little banters & races during weekend training against younger riders, fondos or crits. Here's hoping to carry on to my 60s up
Nick Craig is the definition of what cycling is really about, he is still having fun and that has to be the key? Best GCN film for an age, thankyou.
This was a great video and as an older cyclist “I hate saying that” was very informative, I’m 57 and got back into cycling in my early 40s after a 20 year gap, I’m fitter now than when I was in my 30s and the same weight and waist size as when I was 18, I commute by bike every day rain or shine but I’ve definitely noticed hills are harder and I’m a bit slower in the last couple of years but I try and average 100 miles a week, Si at 40 your only just getting started.
I’m 56, soon 57 and still ride road, gravel and mountain. It is a bit harder knowing you are racing in the “Masters” category but it’s still fun. Check out the Huntsman Senior Games, you can see age defying cyclist who are still very fast.
Efficiency. That is the core of performing when you age. When I was younger and raced in alpine skiing, there were some 60 year olds who would be right at the top. They certainly weren't stronger than us much younger racers. They learned smoothness and efficiency out of necessity. Now I will turn 60 next year. I've take those lesson to heart. When I'm on a bike, mentally I feel like a 30 year old. The mind is willing and the body tries it's best, but it's best days have long passed. So I've had to learn to ride intelligently and efficiently to hang over the long haul. But F- it, man. My love for riding hasn't waned one bit.
Great video! Recovery is critical as you get older. I’m 55, a trail runner, amateur cyclist and gym goer. I finally started listening to my personal trainer and take the time to recover properly. As a result, I did my best trail running performance ever this summer. Also based on my trainer recommendation, I now have a daily stretching routine. After a month of daily stretching, I saw a massive difference. I now “crave” my daily stretching routine.
That's amazing Eric! Maybe you just need to train smarter when you're older! Are you incorporating things like Yoga into your training?
@@gcn I started incorporating some yoga moves two weeks ago and I’m really enjoying it. I spend a lot of time at home reading or sitting in front of a computer, so I asked my trainer for a quick stretching routine that I could do when I take a break. She taught me a small yoga routine, which I really enjoy.
I am 62 and have 'discovered' my gravel bike. I'm fortunate because I live in a wonderful part of the UK (Scottish Highlands) where we have terrific off road routes. I really don't enjoy road riding in bad weather nowadays. I found this video great and quite inspirational. Nick Craig is a legend. To hear him talk about just riding his bike rather than following structured training programmes is very refreshing. Personally, I know I'm never going to be as fast as I was but I want to be fit enough to enjoy riding. At my age, fit = healthy.
I’m 56 now. Don’t worry what other people think. Do what gives you joy. Yes, I’m slower than I was, and it takes longer to recover, but I’m out there doing it, unlike the vast majority of people my age.
I'm watching this after a weekend in the Scottish Highlands mountain biking. I'm 57 and as I sat down to watch my body felt battered and sore and I wondered why I put myself through it. Watching this made me remember - I just bloody love every single minute. Long live life on the bike!
Hahaha yep Riding Bikes is the best 🙌 Beaten, battered, bruised and happy 🤣
Yep, mtb'r too. Got my first pair of knee pads recently after almost 20 years of riding. As a 55 year old woman, I get a little laugh out of a happy "hey guys" as I sometimes pass young guys pushing their bikes up punchy climbs. :)
I started riding in my late 30s when knee issues prevented me from running.. My average speed was never super fast at around 16-17 mph, which isn't too bad for a woman. I have suffered numerous overuse injuries, but my love for cycling has always gotten me through those tough spots. I am now 57 and my average speed is about the same, but I now ride with guys about my age and can sometimes average 18-19 mph. The last few years I have been riding gravel and can hold my own on long steep hills. I think Si and Nick are absolutely right. The love of cycling is what keeps you riding and who cares how fast you ride when you love what you are doing!
Great video Simon, something for us oldies, I think Nick summed it up very well by saying " just get out there and enjoy your cycling" as a 65 year old that's exactly what I do here in Somerset and regular visits to Mallorca for the cycling, age is only a number !! (wish I was only 40)😉🚴
It's all about having fun 🙌
I'm 45, 99% of my cycling is on zwift. I'm currently trying to beat my KOM times from when I was 40. Once my fitness starts to dip due to aging I'll stop looking at kom times, and just focus on enjoying the ride.
***Edit to add - oh my word, Charlie's Cairn knocked me for six, sat here in tears. I was already thinking about aging, mortality etc, then to be hit with that. As a father I don't think there is anything more upsetting than thinking about the loss of a child.
I got into cycling at 42. As a result i had never been so fit, heathy phisicaly and mentaly, look great too. Am now in my 50, things are a bit harder, but love it no less, infact body is more adept and at one with the bike. I do now cycle less, although this does make recovery less of an issue.
I’m 49 and riding fixed gear to work on a 48 - 17 5 days a week with a minimum mileage of 300 miles a month. Then doing bikepacking adventures, long road rides and other rides at other times.
Do loads of yoga at home at about 40 mins a time, as well as some strength training to help the rest of the body.
Luckily people say I look 42, so I feel the exercise is all helping
Trying to eat healthy and taking vit d 4,000 a day and other selective supplements all helps
🙂🙂
I'm now 72 and took up cycling again more seriously seven years ago shortly before I retired. This year I've already done 10,000km for the first time, averaging 10 hours a week. I love longer rides - not much intensity but more endurance - 3hrs+, and as Si says at the end the real key is enjoyment. There's nothing beats being on a bike!
I’m 61 and about to retire. I’ve riding and racing since I was 16 and still love going out on my road-bike. My plan is to ride 3 times per week, about 10 hours and work on my core muscles on the other 2 week days, so weekends will be family time. After a 3 to 4 hour ride, I need a day to recover, so I don’t ride on back to back days. I do like Nick, no point in putting my gear on for a 1 hour ride, no structured training, just listen to my body and lots of low intensity riding, with up hill pushes every now and then.
Nick Craig just made bike racing sound much easier than it is 🙂
It is a bit weird still looking out for the results for the same rider for 30 plus years - amazing rider
I'm 51 and been cycling all my life. I hit trouble in my late 30s when I was confronted by post peak decline. All my motivation up to that point had been based on getting stronger, faster and more competitive so that I can place better in races. I learned that some of my motivation was based on factors beyond my control. I started to identify elements I could work on that were in my control (for example, dumping the desire to beat others, with the goal to out-perform myself - I can't control what others bring to the race, but I can control what I bring). I found this simple change of prespective has brought about more satisfying and consistent results and better riding experiences. The theory is, that if you focus entirely on the factors that are within your control (so stop stressing about weather, the course, your competitors, etc, and focus on giving your best under your own circumstances) the odds of you experiencing a successsful outcome improve anyway. Well, it works for me. I don't judge my performance by other's standards anymore. Really interesting video. Nick has inspired me :)
This is excellent Simon and worthy of a much wider audience. I am now 55 and I agree with Nick's comments about perspective, enjoyment and put simply, just getting out there. I have cycled seriously since the age of 13 but have threatened to slow down with every new decade. in truth I have just started to feel my age in terms of recovery time and the fear of pushing too close to my MHR when pressing on. So what is my approach? I enjoy riding my bike and maintaining my fleet, I monitor my diet and weight, I supplement my cycling with tailored gym workouts, I have cheated by buying lighter bikes with a greater gear range and of course I dye that bit of hair between the end of my crash helmet and my neck - so that faster rider may think that the person in front is a youngster having a bad day! I am now accepting that I am ageing and I have to listen to my body and dispute my mind which is as strong and determined as ever. To all oldies out there, keep enjoying your cycling. It has a multitude of benefits.
Andy Smart- Great video, as mid wales mountain biker since 90’s great to see Legend Nick on GCN, and the emotional shout out to Charlie 💪🏻💪🏻
Thanks for this. Nick's wisdom he has shared was really impactful for me. Asa 53 year old my Strava says I am losing a lot of fitness even though I am riding more. Riding for joy is why I ride. I ak doing a lot of Snowshoeing right now which is helping my core.
I re-discovered riding in my mid to late 50's, purely for enjoyment and a bit of exercise. Then Covid hit and it became my refuge from the world. I don't do group rides, so it was just me, my bike, and the road. I'm 62 now and have added yoga, as well, because it aids in my flexibility so much. I completed my second Century ride this past summer and tolerated better than my first one three years earlier. I've started commuting to work, usually 3 times per week (10 miles each way) and love it. The weeks where I'm limited by weather or schedule are my hardest weeks to get through. I may have to invest in better inclement weather riding clothes and just go out and ride. Thanks for all your content. It's helped me a lot.
62 now. Started road cycling again age 60 after 20 years break. Building up needs far more time, recovery the same, stretching and core training are indispensable. But it‘s possible, I can see progress and the fun increases as well. Ideally never stop cycling.
The book 'Fast After 50: How to Race Strong for the Rest of Your Life' from Joe Friel is also a helpful tool.
I'm 53 old Triathlete and try not to worry too much about my age and just try to enjoy sporting as I always did.
What I do differently is that I prioritize a healthy lifestyle, much more rest and sleep, good healthy nutrition and more mindful how I use my time and energy when sporting.
When I was younger, I often overtrained and lost interested in sport for periods. Being more mindful helps me to have longer periods of uninterrupted training, ultimate still reaching similar levels or even a bit higher than in my 30s.
Nice insight! Age certainly isn't a barrier
Brilliant video - another thumbs up from a 63-year old always cyclist. I'll also second the 'allow additional time for recovery' and raise you with 'don't beat yourself up if you can't cycle every day'. I have a short (8km) hilly, off-road commute to work to avoid the A595. I find that the intensity of the dirt ride with short, sharp ups and downs means that muscle tiredness builds up over the week and I need a long even-paced weekend ride to work out the aches, so I don't try to commute every working day. Injury avoidance is key...