Old man on a bike

[RedSectorA]

I was out on a bike ride at lunch today riding at about 32 kph (19 mph) when I see this slim man coming from a side street and cornering aggressively just in front of me. I accelerate a bit to join him and when I get to his level we started exchanging pleasantries. As I looked at him I could tell he was older than I but no clue as to his generation. He had all the latest equipment less the helmet but waring a cyclist cap, usually a sign of someone who has been riding for a long time ( before helmets were the norm). This corroborates the way he turned as you need quite a bit of experience (preferably racing) to lean in the curves like he did. A while later he starts telling me he wished he had better legs, a which point I tell him he's riding at a very reasonable pace and continue by asking how old he is, to which he responds..... 83 years old....... After my second heart attack I interject that I just hope I will still be riding at his age, never mind his level!

We continued chatting for a while but all along I couldn't stop thinking about his level of fitness for his age. We both went our own different ways a short while later, since then I've been rethinking about our meeting and what made him what he is. I now would ask so many questions to him, what level of training is he on to? Since when? Diet? It made me think also of how we evolve differently, notwithstanding the luck of the draw in terms of genes, and makes us who we are. I've always had the belief that if you don't use it you lose it, be it physiologically or psychologically. We have to constantly stress and challenge both our body and mind otherwise they atrophy. I guess he's just proof of that!

Now that I've written all of this I'm wondering why I went through this discourse, I guess to reiterare my love of bike riding, health reason notwithstanding, and mostly the interesting acquaintance you make along the path!

 

[GaryProtein]

32 kph (19 mph) is a very impressive rate for a cyclist, especially when prolonged.

The guy doing that at 83 years of age must be bionic.

 

[RedSectorA]

32 kph (19 mph) is a very impressive rate for a cyclist, especially when prolonged.

The guy doing that at 83 years of age must be bionic.

You tell me, I'm still flabbergasted by the meeting. I've seen guys in their early seventies holding these kind of speed, never in their eighties.

 

[socfan12]

Great story, Dan. I'm envious of people like that and I am sure you and Bob will be at the same level when you get that age many years from now.

I remember meeting 3 elderly gentlemen a few years back. I was going a little faster then they but we all stopped at the same deli for a break and water. Was chatting with them, probably 60+ and all were retired. They said the 3 of them do a century every weekend and this was their normal route they frequent. And there I was feeling good about the 50 I was going to do. It's great to meet people like that on your rides. Very inspiring.

 

[RedSectorA]

I remember meeting 3 elderly gentlemen a few years back. I was going a little faster then they but we all stopped at the same deli for a break and water. Was chatting with them, probably 60+ and all were retired. They said the 3 of them do a century every weekend and this was their normal route they frequent. And there I was feeling good about the 50 I was going to do. It's great to meet people like that on your rides. Very inspiring.

I'm doing some of the provincial circuit cyclocross race here in Québec, I race in the 50+ men category and I cant keep up with the wheel of some these guys in their early to mid sixties . Some of them are really strong, lean and mean. Big respect!

Then again I can beat the crap of guys way younger than I. Love the queries I get after handing the young pups asses on a silver platter, the likes of: "how old are you exactly?"

As I age I realized the best training is interval training, even if that forces you to reduce the volume. I guess that's what the old man was doing when he was coming out of his corner accelerating

 

[Asamel]

Two years ago I went on a bike trip to the San Juan Islands. There was an 84 year old man on the trip who could really ride! He didn't do the extreme stuff but everything else he just rode and rode.

 

[Bobvin]

Several years back I had the good fortune to be riding the Icefield Parkway between Banff & Jasper. I was solo'ing it riding on some silk sew-ups I'd imported when there was temporarily no Clemente dealer in the USA. (Campionato del Mondo's if you happen to know the tire, one of the classic Italian racing sew-ups.)

I'm rolling down the parkway and coming the other way is a good pack of at least a dozen riders, all extremely kitted-out in Euro team togs. I was disappointed they were going the other way. So I stop at the Peyto Lake overlook and a while later this same group rolls in. I was sitting alone out on the edge with my bike nearby, so they come by and say hello in broken English. They were all well into their 70s, and said they raced together as young men. They did a group vacation annually somewhere in the world. Then they noticed my 'del Mondos, and we had a great conversation about silk sew-ups, each one stopping to flick my tires to hear the distinctive "ping" you hear from a silky. Each gave an approving nod and smiled. It was one of those great cycling moments...

A while later I rolled out with them and they promptly put me into the pain cave. I couldn't hold their wheel when the road tipped up to 6%.