How has your fitness changed over the years?

[Crackle]

For those who've been cycling for a few decades what changes have you seen?

For me it's complex. I'm very much a recreational/fitness rider, always have been. In 3 decades or so I've seen my average speed reduce but the reason is probably more to do with how I ride than ageing. I've simply slowed down a bit, use the gears more etc... When I try, I'm fairly close to where I was, perhaps not quite as strong on inclines.

The main thing I've noticed is in the amount of time I need to get fit, that's longer and my recovery is a little slower. I can no longer afford to stop riding or if I do, accept it will take a few months not weeks to get back to a level again. My 20 year old self would do a few rides and be up to speed, my Saga self needs a few months.

 

[2IT]

Most of us are like you in our need for more recovery. The new trick to learn at our age, is not over doing it.

"Don't do anything today - that will screw up tomorrow ".

There are some going faster than would be expected. Better bikes, nutrition, retirement, we were loafers in our younger years or came to cycling later, etc...

It remains an amusing game to see what we can do on any given day.

For those who've been cycling for a few decades what changes have you seen?

For me it's complex. I'm very much a recreational/fitness rider, always have been. In 3 decades or so I've seen my average speed reduce but the reason is probably more to do with how I ride than ageing. I've simply slowed down a bit, use the gears more etc... When I try, I'm fairly close to where I was, perhaps not quite as strong on inclines.

The main thing I've noticed is in the amount of time I need to get fit, that's longer and my recovery is a little slower. I can no longer afford to stop riding or if I do, accept it will take a few months not weeks to get back to a level again. My 20 year old self would do a few rides and be up to speed, my Saga self needs a few months.

 

[ColinJ]

At 60 I am actually probably fitter than I have been for years but I can still feel the damage inflicted by my serious illness of 2012/2013. I can't push myself as hard as I used to or my heart gets into distress. I do not mean just beating very fast, I mean worrying heart rhythm problems which can last for hours after I stop. It wouldn't be wise to take too many chances with that so I try not to go much above 90% these days except for very short steep climbs (>20%) which I tackle as slowly as I can without the bike wobbling.

I still have room for improvement but I think the ceiling of that improvement is a lot lower than it would have been without my illness. I certainly don't think I will be doing any serious time trialling as I get older, but that is no great loss because I never did it when I was younger either!

 

[Hill Wimp]

I certainly go slower now but that's because i'm more interested in where i am cycling than how long or how fast. In my younger years although i was still touring it was more about getting from A - B not what was inbetween so much. I also have no great desire to improve hugely on my speed sector between 10 -13mph as i get far more out of my cycling mentally now than i ever did chasing times.

 

[Globalti]

I got a lot fitter in 1989 when I took up mountain biking. Then I got properly fit in 2009 when I moved over to road riding.

However having just celebrated my 60th birthday I notice that fitness fades quickly, especially if I go for a 2 week business trip in which I drink lots of beer and take zero exercise.

 

[nickyboy]

I'm relatively new to cycling. I'm reasonably fit now but something I do notice is that if I have 4-5 days without cycling, I'm faster than if I have, say, only 1 day off. Presumably I just take a while to properly recover from hard rides

Having said that, if I reduced my cycling to once every 4-5 days I presume my overall fitness would reduce (I do 3 or 4 rides a week at the moment) and I would, on average, get slower

Plus I like cycling so I don't want to reduce it

 

[steveindenmark]

I'm 58 and am a regular cyclist so keep reasonably fit. But I have recently bought a carbon road bike with Di2. It is great to be riding at speed with little effort. I am increasing my distances all the time and even getting out in the rain. Just spending more time on the bike is making me fitter.

Carbon and Di2 are really helping me.

 

[booze and cake]

I'm nearly mid 40's and only about 15 years into regular cycling. I've always had good base fitness, like most I cycle less in winter so have to build up my rides in spring before launching into doing centuaries in the summer, but it comes back pretty quick, I just have to be a bit more gradual about it as my brain still thinks I'm in my 20's.

I notice my midriff is showing more willingness to grow into the next waist size up bracket, but think this is age related as I'm not cycling less. I'm probably about 2 stone heavier than I was when I started cycling, but I was always a scrawny sod so I've just filled out all over without getting a paunch, and think in terms of speed I'm probably quicker and therefore stronger, despite the extra girth.

Also I went from a compact to a 53/39 last year and have really noticed my legs and arse have got even more bulbous and I've burst out of few sets of trousers like an angry David Banner.

I think the most important thing is that with regular cycling you become more accustomed to your own body (even if your brain does'nt feel the ageing) so you better know your own limits, and when you can really push and when to back off. Your fuelling gets better and you ride smarter.

I do find though that I have a lot more niggles (in my teens, 20's and 30's I'd never so much as pulled a muscle despite being active) and these niggles take longer to recover the older I get, so in a way
I guess its managed decline. I just accept my twinging left achilles, bad left hip from bad MTB crash years ago, and I've banged my knees and elbows hard so many times I'm sure I'm going to get bad arthritis when I'm older, but as long as I can keep on two wheels and off public transport I'll be happy enough.

 

[Crackle]

"Don't do anything today - that will screw up tomorrow "

I'm reasonably fit now but something I do notice is that if I have 4-5 days without cycling, I'm faster than if I have, say, only 1 day off.

This is very true I have found now. Easing off before a longer ride is becoming more neccesary. With the exception of this year. This year nothing has felt easy. No idea why.

 

[Dave 123]

I've had to knock Friday night circuit training on the head if I want to ride on the weekend.

There was a time in my life when I could do whatever, whenever.

In general I'm fitter now than in my 30's.

 

[raleighnut]

I was probably at my fittest 3yrs ago, I'd been riding/training a lot in order to do LEJoG unsupported/camping from home in Leicester (so twice really) but I have relations/in-laws en-route that I planned on visiting for shower stops/overnighters.(Maz's sister lives in Okehampton and Mum is up in Holmes Chapel as the 2 furthest apart but there are several others inbetween)
Then a simple trip at work broke my femur and I spent 8 months pretty much bed-bound until they took the pin out and fitted a bigger one cos the bone wasn't healing (I was still doing Physiotherapy through that even buying the Trike in order to get around and for exercise)
Nowadays 20-25 miles is about my limit whereas before I could rattle off back to back 100k rides easy (on a fully loaded tourer) and still not be sore/ knackered the next day.

 

[nickyboy]

This is very true I have found now. Easing off before a longer ride is becoming more neccesary. With the exception of this year. This year nothing has felt easy. No idea why.

I told you to lay off those home made dog biscuits but would you listen?

 

[Bollo]

At 47 I'm probably as fit as I've been in my adult life. With a few small gaps I've always ridden, but it's been "cycling and .....". Over the last 10 years various injuries have narrowed down the "ands", I've stopped looking like an ex-rugby player, dropped a couple of stone and started properly taking care of myself. I've never been one for interstellar rides so I'll maybe only do three or four 100km+ rides a year. Instead I focus on the shorter, higher intensity stuff, which suits my temperament better. It's also easier to get out a couple of times a week without fatiguing.

 

[mjr]

For those who've been cycling for a few decades what changes have you seen?

I used to ride most weekdays. Now I ride most days and sometimes take a weekday off and ride at the weekend. No idea if I've sped up or slowed down as I didn't measure anything until the last couple of years.

I probably ride further but that's probably mainly because I live out where nothing's very near now. I feel like riding in bad weather takes more out of me now, but that may be due to the latest iteration of drugs.

 

[gavroche]

I can comfortably do 20 to 40 miles ride but feel it in my legs for the next couple of days which is why I tend to ride only once a week now. It feels better. I have no wish to do 100 kms as I know it would be a struggle, specially for my arse.