[bitflogger]

At 62 I confess there's some aging out but to non-adventure sports people and much of my cohort I can be considered wild or crazy. I still pursue expert riding and riding a few thousand miles a year.

The aging out is just can't help it stuff. Degenerative disc disease in the family, challenges with eyes and balance not the same but I keep at it. I'm not taking as big jumps anymore. Before that sounds too depressing, as said, I still pursue expert stuff and can make some younger than me hurt.

 

[rod9301]

Maybe i posted before, but right now after half a burke of 1995 ducru, and a few after dinner stuff, i don't remember.

I'm 72, started mountain biking at 50.

I love the sport, and I'm getting better technically every year.

My favorite kind of trail is steep and rocky, more do much air.

I do a lot of skiing, and steep backcountry couloirs.

Pretty good shape, lift regularly. But not the fastest uphill.

Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[DIRTJUNKIE]

56

I ain't as good as I once was,
I got a few years on me now,
But there was a time,
Back in my prime,
When I could really lay it down,
trails If you need some love tonight,
Then I might have just enough,
I ain't as good as I once was,
But I'm as good once as I ever was.

Still feeling the same.

 

[sturge]

I mountain biked all the time on one of these (and drainage-ditch biked and city hall steps-biked and neighbors' front yard-biked and every other possible place to ride!)...these things RULED. In fact, I think I want a banana seat on my Giant Anthem XC bike...

View attachment 1942849
Or heck, forget that-you can still buy the FULL SUSPENSION Orange Krate!

View attachment 1942850

I had a buddy who rode a 3 speed 'Buzz Bike' like this....

 

[sturge]

Love this thread...ROCK ON all you 'experienced' brothers and sisters

 

[cookieMonster]

43, started riding when I was 6, and truly mountain biking when I was 9 or 10. I was a distance runner in my teens and also raced XC, then moved into dual slalom and DH, which I excelled at and honestly preferred.

I know 43 isn’t that old yet, but I’m faster than I’ve ever been; have more stamina, and am riding more challenging terrain than I ever have. However, I ride a lot smarter. I don’t launch huge gaps and drops like I used to, but if a perfectly built one came along, I might still hit it. I just don’t do anything unless I’m 95% sure I can pull it off clean.

I’ve noticed that I can’t hammer every day all week like I used to. I ride every day if I can, and climb 10k feet per week on average, sometimes a little more. After three days of 2k’ climbs, my legs really feel it, and there’s no way I can get PRs in that condition, uphill or down.

Thankfully, it’s not a race! So I just ride a little slower and enjoy the ride! If I take a day or two off, I come back in my prime.

I’m built like a wrestler (I was one), and have always had a strong upper body without needing to lift weights. I think I’m going to need to get serious about lifting in the next few years because I think that gift is about to expire.🤣

 

[stripes]

47 here

Things that have improved over time:
I have the correct number of bikes for me: 3. It’s the Holy Hand Grenade. A park bike, an enduro bike, and a short travel plus bike. No more single bike quivers. I need a dh bike for parks. I’m too old to ride an enduro there. I can, but it hurts.

I’m comfortable with the fact I don’t like riding carbon bikes. I’m comfortable riding metal bikes and that’s where I’ll stay. I’m also more comfortable on smaller wheels, and that’s also where I’ll stay.

I needed to adapt my components over the years: shorter cranks for hip/knee issues, and i cannot ride stupid steep seat angles because the geo is not good for my body issues.

I’m also comfortable with my limitations. I have asthma (diagnosed 10 years ago but been riding 30 years), which explains my fitness struggles. There are going to be people I can’t ride with, and I’m ok with that.

I also need to do PT before riding, and stretching nightly. I also have a hard time riding back to back days when my asthma isn’t happy.

Overall though, I’m strong. I’ve been weight training for a year consistently and i feel healthy.

I still have brave days and i still have chicken days. But i stopped beating myself over it, and I’m still riding so I’m still happy.

I’m still learning better riding skills, including jumping and bunnyhopping.

 

[Rev Bubba]

71 (in 9 days)

I weigh 40 lbs. less then when I was 40.

I climb better then when I was 40.

My back hurts. My back hurt for the first time when I was 12. You get over it. Most other things do not hurt though.

Yes, things take longer to heal so you learn not to crash as much.

Testosterone kills. Give up group rides when you hit 50. The only reason men still ride in packs at that age is to prove something they can't prove anymore. People aren't all they are cracked up to be anyway.

Like an old house, things begin to go, especially the plumbing. I had prostate cancer at 58. Its been gone for a long time. Something like 50% or more of men will get it so be checked annually. Its no big deal if you catch early. It will kill you if you ignore it.

With luck, the older you get, the more money you will have to buy the bikes you wish you could afford when you were 40. If not, see my comment on luck.

Balance often diminishes but its not like you fall over. I started picking and choosing where and when to surf after a near fatal surf accident in a tropical storm when I was 60. I probably should have backed off but I learned my lesson. That might have been more a mental balance issue.

I can't take credit for it, but someone recently said "over bike and under trail." That's not bad advice.

You are approaching the point where coffee and aspirin will become the breakfast of champions.

Be like Herb. He was my uncle. On his hundredth birthday he was b!tching about being short of breath when he ran his morning mile.

Keep busy 12 months a year. It will continue to be more difficult to start up again every year as you age. I ski. I bike. I surf (less), I hike. I work out in the gym when Covid 19 is not telling me to stay home.

Middle age starts at 50, old age at death. By then its too late to worry about it. I heard 70 is the new 50 so middle age just started for me.

BE LIKE HERB.

UPDATE:

I am now a couple months past 72. No big deal. I don't feel any different then when I wrote the original except I now have arthritis in my right knee. A couple turns of the cranks and it seems to go away. My goal this season is to ride 121 day (one more then last year). As of now I am at 91. My wife and I will stop off and see friends in NorCal in October on our way to a month in Hawaii. He is my age and still rides so I'll get in some new areas. Same for Hawaii.

Aspirin and coffee still go well together.

I got a new bike late last year (SC Tallboy), I continue to climb well, have my Covid shots and found out we will soon be eligible for a booster.

God bless science.

My five year old grand daughter is riding well, skiing and I took her surfing for the first time this week.

Next year we plan a trip to Portugal, Spain and Morocco. My wife wants to ride a camel in the Sahara. I want to ride a Land Rover in the Sahara.

Getting old beats the hell out of dying young.

Now go ride.

 

[Mark K]

58 and have been riding a little over 10 years. Love the sport and the challenges it brings - cardio, balance, strength but most of all fun. Skills have improved to the point of learning simple jumps, drop offs, and trials stuff.

Descents are faster due to improved skills but have laid the bike down twice in 2 months resulting in impressive abrasions.

No plans on changing other than the purchase of some knee/elbow pads.

Mark


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[yomtnbiker111]

I turned 60 three days ago, and for those of you looking at 60 be aware because this one is a cause for reflection. Since 1991 I have had to take a medical exam for my job. EKG, BP check, blood work, eye exam and sometimes more. At first once a year and then more recently I had to go to see a doc every 6 months. I had to sweat thru passing the exam or not being able to go to work; at least until I resolved whatever issue came up.

Although I really really dreaded the upcoming medical day I realized how much healthier it kept me. I've always been active but that extra little nudge made me actually do what I may have otherwise just thought about doing.

My knees are usually sore until I start pedaling and if I fall it hurts a lot longer. There are a few hills that I just can't climb any longer...yup time for a much bigger cassette. I am slow at everything these days and I don't take risks like I did when I was young. But I know with a workout plan, a real diet program and a lot of stretching I can at least fight aging related slowdown for a while longer.

Regards,

Chas

 

[MSU Alum]

I turned 60 three days ago, and for those of you looking at 60 be aware because this one is a cause for reflection. Since 1991 I have had to take a medical exam for my job. EKG, BP check, blood work, eye exam and sometimes more. At first once a year and then more recently I had to go to see a doc every 6 months. I had to sweat thru passing the exam or not being able to go to work; at least until I resolved whatever issue came up.

Although I really really dreaded the upcoming medical day I realized how much healthier it kept me. I've always been active but that extra little nudge made me actually do what I may have otherwise just thought about doing.

My knees are usually sore until I start pedaling and if I fall it hurts a lot longer. There are a few hills that I just can't climb any longer...yup time for a much bigger cassette. I am slow at everything these days and I don't take risks like I did when I was young. But I know with a workout plan, a real diet program and a lot of stretching I can at least fight aging related slowdown for a while longer.

Regards,

Chas

Sounds like a first-class FAA.

 

[yomtnbiker111]

Sounds like a first-class FAA.

Yes sir.

 

[acer66]

All of the above and more.🥺

 

[Santa_Cruz_Mountain_Rider]

55

Didn't start riding until I retired almost four years ago, so I can't compare to my younger days. So while my back has its bad days during and after riding (and those days are more frequent as the years go by), I have lost a lot of weight from it and often feel younger because of mountain biking. I'll report back in a couple of years haha!

 

[sooslow]

65 here

I think I’m doing OK for my age. I enjoy climbing and can still keep up with the youngsters. I used to enjoy getting out on hot days but lately the heat (over 90) gets to me on a ride. I go back n forth between mtn and road bike phases. For the past 6 months I’ve had no desire to ride street as there have been a couple fatalities locally on the road. Don’t know what the circumstances were, but eff that.

 

[DennisT]

65 here

I think I'm doing OK for my age. I enjoy climbing and can still keep up with the youngsters. I used to enjoy getting out on hot days but lately the heat (over 90) gets to me on a ride. I go back n forth between mtn and road bike phases. For the past 6 months I've had no desire to ride street as there have been a couple fatalities locally on the road. Don't know what the circumstances were, but eff that.

Yeah, I have a road bike but I find myself supremely uninterested in jockeying with cars. MTB is so much more interesting and fun.

On hot days I have the option to do all my riding in forest, so that helps some.

 

[Fleas]

52(?)

The one thing that hasn't changed is that I still really like riding my bike! Doesn't matter where, or with whom, or how fast.

I would ride every day if I didn't have other things to do. Some days are slower than others, though.

Pros:
My bike skills are good enough that I am really efficient - cover lotsa terrain of all kinds with minimal effort.
My body still responds positively to actual training and hard efforts.
Stamina seems to be as good as ever, even though power might be down a little.

Cons:
Injuries take longer to heal.
Eyes! WTF is up with my eyes?! Sometimes I can see everything perfectly - sometimes it's like I have water in my eyes. Makes reading the trail very difficult at times.
Trail memory is eroding. ("Where'd that come from?") Makes every trail like a new trail!
Haven't been able to ride enough to keep myself strong like before. I think it just takes more effort. Or maybe I'm just starting to take it easier. ??? In any case, I can never tell if I'm going to have a strong ride or a slow ride until I'm nearly done. Sometimes it's like I'm spending the entire ride waiting for that switch to flip and it never does. But when it does flip, I've gone for hours in time trial mode and still felt great.

Glad to hear so many are still enjoying themselves!

-F

This past weekend we covered a lot of ground. 60 miles worth. My nutrition was well-timed, my efforts were moderate but efficient and fast-ish, my eyes weren't too bad, and my trail memory was right there with me! Without consciously trying, I hit a top speed PR on Lamb Loop. I think the dropper helped, but the fact that I remembered where all the big hits were made me a lot smoother without over-braking anything.

-F

 

[Nurse Ben]

Are threads like this due to boredom or do folks need to see a counselor?

 

[MSU Alum]

Are threads like this due to boredom or do folks need to see a counselor?

Are those mutually exclusive?

 

[Fleas]

Are threads like this due to boredom or do folks need to see a counselor?

Daily affirmations, with Stuart Smalley...

-F