Cycling Well being Poll at 40+

[Smudge]

It all started for me in my mid to late 50's...... now coming up 60.
Foraminal stenosis in spine, causing varying degrees of nerve pain in legs and arms, also occasional back pain will flare up. Osteoarthritis in hands, elbow and right knee. Take co codamol and meloxicam anti inflammatory tablets and gel as and when. Tramadol doesn't seem to work any better than the co codamol for me. Beer works quite well, even if it doesn't take away the pain, it makes me not care about it. Tempted to try marijuana at some point.
Cycling causes less pain than walking does, but i cant cycle a long distance and hills are out. So ebike riding is mixed in with my unassisted bike riding.
Probably the worse thing about it, is that people dont get it and just judge you by how you look. Especially if you look younger than your age. This can wind me up more than the pain does.

 

[Ian H]

Heading towards 67, I get the odd twinge, but it generally goes after a few dozen miles. I've used a physio on occasion during the last 20 odd years, when something major has gone wrong. But in general I'm still capable of 100 miles, 200, 300, 400 miles, etc.

 

[Vantage]

Hmmm
43 here and lucky to have survived a stroke 2 years ago.
The fatigue is my biggest enemy. Next in line is the dizzy spells.
I've a painful right shoulder and can't hold the weight of my own arm horizontal for long before the pain becomes unbearable. The doc said its due to under used muscle as I no longer work. I can't be a**ed doing the exercises he gave me.
My left hand goes numb and painfully tingly when doing household chores.
And then there's the headaches since the stroke. Argh.
Then there's the diabetes and all its associated crap. Hypos, hypers leading to painful muscles throughout my body.
Been off the bike since before Christmas and it's doing my head in.

S'ok though.
It's sunny today and I've a new set of tyres due for delivery and come hell or highwater, I'm taking the bike out later even if it kills me.

 

[ianrauk]

53 and touch wood, no medical problems and i'm as fit and as healthy as I've ever been with a resting heart rate in the low 50's. I don't do any stretching pre or post ride though I do take it easy for the first couple of miles to let the body and muscles get up to speed with the exercise. I'm also another one who covers the knees when the temperature drops. I'm not one to feel the cold but knees I want to protect and I think keeping them from getting cold can only be good for the long run.

 

[IBarrett]

I've just clicked 57 and generally am OK with a gentle 6 mile warm up ride to the club. A hamstring in my right leg niggles at me regularly but I am careful to stretch when on the bike.
My cycling has massively improved issues I had with my right knee dislocating as I have no ACL as the result of a basketball injury some 25 years ago. I rarely have dislocates these days so any niggles the bike causes are worth it.

 

[Sharky]

70 next month and still as keen as ever. Can get knee pain, arm aches etc, but just listen to my body and make sure I have plenty of rest days. Broken bones have been my enemy over the last 10 years.
Long rides are no longer my targets, just two to three 60-90 min rides each week, at "tempo" and that will keep me fit and just about fit enough to ride our club's 10 series thru the summer.

 

[Drago]

I have injuries that were not acquired through cycling that do occasionally hamper me on the bike.

 

[fossyant]

50 next week. Only issues is less fit than I was due to the rather nasty broken back I got, and the decision not to commute or ride on roads, which restricts the time available. I still ride though.

 

[roadrash]

my spinal problems are well documented on cyclechat, 54 yrs old , some days I cant do much because of pain , other days are much better , I am just grateful that my problems aren't any worse, still get out on the bike , though not as much as I would like.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Stretching is a total waste of time, where cycling is concerned. You dynamically stretch during the first bit of a ride, there’s really no need to do anything extra. Start your ride relatively gently, then smash stuff for a bit, then go relatively gentle in the last couple of miles, that’s one of the beauty things with cycling, you don’t need to faff about warming up and down, before and after the effort, you do it during. As I get older, I have to be wary to listen to any signals being given off, by my body / system, and react accordingly. As long as I do, I can pretty much ride with relative impunity. There’s a lot of B.S. talked about ‘bone density’ issues, exacerbated by cycling, and you simply must do stuff and things in a gym, or your skeleton will crumble like a sherbet dip. There’s an element of truth in it, but only really if you’re on a pro cyclist regime. For the vast majority of cyclists, unless they get around by levitation, or magic carpet, when not on the bike, it’s really not an issue that needs worrying about ( unless you’re predisposed to osteoporosis etc. ) but if you are, your going to get issues regardless, cycling really won’t adversely affect that. Long story short, ride lots, faff less, listen to your body, you’ll be fine.

 

[raleighnut]

I was fine til I had the accident, trust me having a Titanium leg is not an upgrade.

 

[Nebulous]

I started cycling seriously in October 2010 at 48. Summer of 2011 I had sore muscles most of the summer, as my body adapted. Next 7 years or so had very little pain to speak of. I’ve started audax riding and found I’m hitting problems with long distances. 300 and 400 last year I had sore knees. I got a bike fit where my saddle was raised before my 600 and my knees were fine, but I had problems with my Achilles. On PBP I had both, one sore knee and both Achilles troubling me.

I find I need to recover. Some people were doing back-to-back 600s, one person doing 3 in a row. I found I needed a gentle 3 weeks to recover.

I’ve now started some body weight stuff, primarily to strengthen tendons around my joints. Squats, press-ups and some stretches most days. It’s well-known that men lose muscle bulk which is testosterone related from about 40. I have read of the need to add some strength work, but have never really felt the need until now.

 

[Threevok]

Spinal problems for me are alleviated by hanging upside-down for ten minutes or so, using my gravity boots.

I don't bother with stretching when it comes to the bike. In fact, I use the bike as a warm up for the treadmill

 

[BoldonLad]

Heading (too) rapidly towards 73.

Selected first option in your list.

Typically 3 or4 rides per week, of 15 - 25 miles, weather permitting. Steady pace (12-14mph), occasional "refreshments" if a suitable cafe/Inn available.

I do suffer from the odd ache, but, doesn't everyone at my age?.

 

[Slioch]

At age 58 I've been lucky. Despite battering my body with rugby/football etc during teens/twenties, then wrecking my knees with hillwalking in my 30's/40's, I can still get straight on the bike & do a good distance with no twinges or need for stretching etc.

The biggest problem is the occasional bout of "ahem" piles