Cycling in your late 40's... Do you relate?

Arequipa

Evening,

I hope you are well and enjoying the start of your weekend.

I have cycled loads over the years and still commute most days to work.

As I approach my late 40's I have noticed some subtle signs of ageing...

I have noticed when I extend my leg my knees will click.. no pain..

And first thing in the morning or at points in the day I can kind of feel my knees if you know what I mean...

They are a bit tight and slightly stiff but feel better after warming up ...

No real pain but I feel them and am less likely to sprint out of the saddle...

It is like you still feel good and strong.. just a little stiffer and more fragile!

Do you relate to this?

What signs of ageing have you noticed?

(Not looking for medical advice btw!)

How do you adapt to cycling and fitness as you get older?

Do you push as hard as when you are younger or do you focus more on rest and recovery...

Thanks for reading,

A

mrpdap

I’m early sixties and have been exercising consistently over the last 12+ years, meaning 5 times per week, for an hour.

Nothing competitive, just a working on keeping active. I used to do cardio exclusively but started weight training earlier this year which I’m loving.

I haven’t had any serious injuries, if I’ve a niggle I let it recover.

Keep going.

Tell me how

I'm a few years younger than you, though not much.

Fitness is all relative for me, I find that due to personal or life circumstances I've often gone through phases where I'm fitter or less fit than I was a couple of years before. I was fitter at 42 than I was at any point since my late 20's I reckon but the last couple years have seen it drop off significantly although I'm starting to work on that.

I had back issues through out most of my 30's that I never really got the better of until I started consistent frequent exercise again in my late 30's. If you saw a video of me then versus at 42 like I said, you'd reckon I had gotten younger rather than older.

I did get knocked off my commuting bike 6 months ago by another cyclist who veered in to my path when looking at a phone. Man, that felt like I had been hit by a bus. Winded me for about 3 minutes and I bashed up my elbow (no break thankfully) and ribcage and was feeling the effects for about 6 weeks. One other obvious thing I've noticed is that my average and peak heart rate has dropped a couple beats from when I was younger. And I've no doubt lost the explosiveness that I would have had (though it was never much to be fair).

Arequipa

Thanks mrpdap.. fair play to you....

I will keep going!

dahat

46, train hard on the bike for racing & do a 3/4 month gym block in the winter. While yes I do get a little tired & a bit creaky I’d recommend strength work in the gym as off the bike it has helped hugely.

Sleep, gym & bike with a reasonable diet will see you as best you can be.

Flinty997

Dunno if this link will work ..

https://youtu.be/Pey-DWj8KWI?si=SIv7YH_UP_7k9TmF

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121414079#Comment_121414079

Stay away from those chippers

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121414108#Comment_121414108

It’s bread & jam is my enemy 😂

BabysCoffee

I commute to work by bike since my twenties and am noticing that I don't have the same range of mobility in my 40's. For example I find it hard to turn my head to look at traffic behind when taking a right hand turn. I now have to turn my whole shoulders and neck to see behind me.

Arequipa

Ha haaa!

John_Rambo

On the other hand when I cycle for a couple of weeks I'm much more flexible, bending, lifting, crouching tasks are a lot easier than the weeks when I don't get the exercise on the bike.

After this years holiday in France (swimming & cycling every day dragging nutbag kids around in a trailer) I really really felt the difference when back in work.

Johnny Jukebox

I'm 10 years ahead of you and had the same issues until I started doing Pilates twice weekly. I don't really like it but it's resolved all my back and knee issues and increased my mobility and flexibility.

Flinty997

I've lapsed but another thumbs up for Pilates here.

Daroxtar

Im nearly 48. Started cycling 10 years ago and I was definitely fitter in the past 2 years than at any stage since my teens. I'm a carpenter so I'm well accustomed to creaks and clicks from various body parts. The bike has probably helped delay the onset of a lot more. I do yoga once a week and a few basic stretches most mornings to get me going.

The biggest difference I find now is that if I go for a skip of drink it takes me about 3 days to recover.

mewso

52 myself. Only back cycling in the last 6 years or so and not long distances except for a recent attempt at bike packing which I will probably do more of. I'm overweight and not the fittest but manage ok mainly because I have played 5 a-side footie in the astro 3 times a week for 20 years or so which has kept me from becoming a total slob. Unfortunately my heart decided to attack me when I was 46 so these days my biggest problems are if I take a knock then bruises etc. take a while to heal up because I'm on blood thinners. Old age is great.

secman

66 here and try to get out 4 times a week on the bike. Always did some kind of exercise, soccer, karate, running,swimming and cycling. Eventually had to give up soccer at 30 karate early twenties, running 50's (chronic siatica) swimming late 50's, shoulder issues. Nearly had to give up cycling due to chronic back issues. Had bike fit, changed office chair, raised the monitor, you name it,I tried it...Pilates is my saviour, just sorry i only started 3 years ago rather than 33 years ago. Since mid 50's I get annual check ups. When I hit 60's had full cardiac screening done on a recommendation from my trusted physio. On some meds now, but as cardiologist said just a few additives to keep a good engine running sweet in a vintage body. 😀Beauty of cycling is no pounding, twisting or turning.

Main thing I notice now is recovery time takes a tad longer, can't go out with Group 1 for full year, currently going out with Group 2 and hopefully back our with Group 1 May to October.

Usually try to hit 10,000 km for the year but will fall short this year probably 9,500km is achievable. Bad start to the year, and 3 week lay off in September post covid have hampered this year's target.

Sorry for long post

Seth Brundle

similar to @mewso above, I'm 51 now but had a major heart attack back in 2015 (during my parents 50th wedding anniversary dinner!). Cardiologist managed to put a stent in one of the arteries (the "widowmaker") about 10 days after the event. This artery was 100% blocked and in theory should have left me horizontal but although some heart muscle died (as it was a few days before I went for medical help), my heart (after a few months) had managed to compensate for this and blood flow is quite strong again.

I had been doing a bit of cycling before it but really took to it about four years ago. Now, I'm quite fit and healthy and aim to get about 250kms on the bike each week (with about 1500m). The meds I'm on now have my blood pressure down which means that when I really push myself, I can feel it so I tend to limit my heart rate to a max of about 150bpm (on my Garmin). This unfortunately means that I can't zoom up the hills (or at least that's my excuse!).

I also used to have joint issues and would especially feel it in damp or wet weather but actually found that in the last number of years I'm not as stiff. Whether this is because of the cycling or just coincidental, I don't know.

When I cycle, I find that I push myself. I'm not really a big fan of going slow. I'll try and better my time for a segment or improve my average time for a spin.

At this point, despite being older and a bit battered, I'm probably fitter than I've ever been. Yesterday, I passed the 11,000km mark for 2023 and expect that to be over 12,000 by New Years Eve. Back in 2019, I did my first ever 100+km spin. I've done around 40 of them this year.

Age is just a number. Personally, the only real way I see or feel that I'm getting old is that my hair has more grey in it!

manatoo

Early 40s here. Was an avid cyclist up until 2 years ago. Elbows is my problem. My daily cycle to work is 30 minutes each way, 8km, on a hybrid and by the time I'm home both elbows are a pain to even straighten. I used to be able to complete the ring of Kerry in under 6 hours including stops throughout my 30s 😞

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121421513#Comment_121421513

Is that due to arm muscle strength or lack of flexibility in upper body?

Do some yoga and or pilates

magicbastarder

would drop bars allow you to change the position of your arms (both in the sense that you'd be able to orient your arms differently, and that you could change back and forth during the ride so as not to be in the same position for the whole length of the ride)?

monkeyslayer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121421513#Comment_121421513

I'd look into a bike fit and in particular your hand position, you'd be surprised how much of a difference it could make. I had similar when I changed handlebars on a bike, in my case it was aero dropbars, i was in a lot of pain during and post ride... whatever way they were encouraging me to put my hands/palms flat on the hoods and then twisting my arms etc.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121421500#Comment_121421500

How do you manage to fit in so much distance all year round?

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121422165#Comment_121422165

Commuting, club spins and any free time. It does take some discipline.

Edit: I also look to reach 250km per week. Smaller goals are more easily achieved!

manatoo

Neither. It's bad joints. My mother is riddled with the same problem and it started in her mid 30s. No clear diagnosis. She just takes tons of steroids and anti inflammatories for it but obviously in her mid 70s she doesn't do any kind of exercise that would demand functioning joints. I've had injections for tennis elbow on both sides. Made no difference.

It's not just my elbows that are going this way. Knees fingers knuckles back etc all going bad too. The elbows are the immediately limiting factor though.

De Bhál

The older I get the motivation to get up early, and get out on the road is the most limiting factor, once out on the road I'm happy.

To overcome the lack of motivation to get out i find it useful to have somebody to meet which forces my hand to get out on time.

Flinty997

Hardest distance is the 2 meters to the front door.

Tombo2001

Biggest difference I can see is natural stamina - in my early 30s I drove down to Kerry, hopped on the bike and did the Ring of Kerry cycle with zero training. No way would I do that now, even though I am doing a 90 minute cycle 3 or 4 times a week.

Tombo2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121422898#Comment_121422898

Thats the one aspect of cycling I feel I miss out on - Ive never been in a club. Always felt it would be too time consuming and prescriptive - I like to go to Phoenix Park and do trails, or maybe cycle road out to Portmarnock/ Howth for 90 minutes (living northside Dublin). But maybe I should bite the bullet, as I find generally getting older there are less opportunities to socialise with people.

Tombo2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121422524#Comment_121422524

Just your comment above - 'obviously in her mid-70s' - I know health is a bit of a lottery ticket but I would be pretty hopeful that I would still be out on the bike regularly in mid-70s.

Weight training the thing here though, we need to work harder to maintain muscle as we get older.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121422927#Comment_121422927

my road bike is in the shed at the bottom of the garden. Going out at this time of year also involves putting on a lot of kit, and daylight is in short supply, it's all a real disincentive to getting out for anything other than the regular weekend spin.

rflynnr

I'm 52. Some days that feels old. Some days that feels, as others have said, like no more than a number. I don't seem to discernibly slower than I was 20 years ago (though I was never fast) nor does the actual doing of long distances (100km-plus) phase me any more than they did in the past. My resting heart rate has also remained unchanged since I was about 30 so there's a fair bit of give in the cardiovascular system. But if I do do something over 80km, my recovery time is definitely longer than it used to be so I'm a bit more conscious of looking after myself when I finish: taking a protein drink, resting etc. I've also adjusted my exercise "regime": it used to be pretty much all cardio (swimming and cycling) but for the past 5 years there's been weight-training for strength and yoga for flexibility.

The thing that most affects me is not caused by cycling but often causes me to be off the bike for extended periods: an as yet undiagnosed, but recurrent respiratory issue which seems to be related to an - at times - almost non-existent immune system (despite assiduously taking Vitamin C and D every day along with zinc and magnesium). I've always had a tendency towards not full-on asthma but atopic sensitivity and that has become more acute with age.

That said, my working assumption is that I'll be cycling in my 70s. Perhaps a bit slower but I've never been in a massive hurry anyway.