Great commentary. A lot of wisdom in your words. I just turned 70 this year and being retired I can ride every day. It has done wonders for my fitness and mental well being. My friends are all falling by the wayside due to years of inactivity, bad diets and bad luck with health concerns. I have been lucky but my hard work and dedication have paid off. Fortunately I am in better shape now than when I was a young guy. Doing a minimum of 30 miles a day now..seven days a week and it is getting easier. Brain is as sharp as a 70 year old brain can be. Is hot 74 playing golf last week after riding 70 miles. Hope to keep it together so I can ride my age in mileage and shoot my age in golf. Have to hang on a few more years. Btw…I walk when I play golf and carry a lightweight bag. No golf carts for me!
@@markfeldman6509 Regarding riding your age ... Riding 30 miles every day indicates that you are reasonably fit. 70 is a bit more than double that. I suggest doing a longer ride one day per week with a recovery/rest day after it. Pick a cool day and ride 25 miles to a place for lunch, then ride back, with stops on the way. That would be 50 miles: add a few more in each direction and you're almost there :-) Just ride easy, plan to ride someplace where there will be a tailwind home, and start early when that wind is much less. Enjoy.
Hi Leonard. Speaking of age, during a very well-attended 25 mile group ride here in the Southeastern US recently, I met a lady who is 80. She was on a beautiful Pinarello and moving at a respectable pace. The humidity was terrible and the temperature was climbing toward the mid 90s. She told me that she was taking it easy because of her asthma! Now I think about her when I'm struggling to find the motivation to get on the bike.
They can surprise. A few years ago (I was 56 then) I was biking back roads in British Columbia when half a dozen folks in their 70s pulled besides me at an intersection. They invited me to ride the rest of the way back to town with them. I did, but gosh, I really had to push hard to keep up. Back in my home province I’m the one passing cyclists but out in BC they regularly pass me, even those older than me. It inspired me to see what was possible even as we aged.
Same feelings here. Over 50, overweight, overjoyed to ride bikes all my life. I have dropped a lot of weight and have been sharing that journey on my channel, but cycling is only a part of that journey. I ride because I love to. I'm dealing with my health because I need to.
Thank you, good Sir. I needed to hear this. I am over 50 and overweight. Lately, I have been getting frustrated at my lack of speed. I see that I am 2-3 mph slower than some of my friends. Your words are a reminder that I don't ride to compete with anyone. I enjoy it for what it is for both my physical and mental well being. I enjoy pushing myself, however far that push may take me. It does not matter. I am in this for me. Thank you!
Lovely video Leonard and I fully agree with your sentiments - as a 60 year old & my wife is 56 we have recently arrived back from a 7-week tandem journey from the Hook of Holland to Copenhagen and back covering some 1500 miles with a fully laden bike (camping along the way). Age is no barrier as long as you keep moving and stay active.
I love your attitude! I am 64, 95kg, a self funded retiree, and ride to keep fit. Totally understand the cycling computer is a good idea, having had a Huret cable drive speedo in the 60’s! Keep up the great work!
I've been a cyclist for at least the last 25 years riding almost daily but before that I have always owned a bicycle from the time I was around 10 years old. Before cycling daily, for years before that I worked out with iron weights in the gyms. I lost the will to go to the gyms because of injury and pain and the damage weight training does to the joints. I am going to be 66 years old next week and people can't believe it. It doesn't show. When I think I can retire in another year it's hard to comprehend because I don't feel that old either. I want to keep going just because I like my job and it keeps me always looking forward. I can't imagine having so much free time on my hands and what I would do to keep busy. I feel the time I've spent on the bike is why I am in this position today because I see other guys my age and younger that look like they are near the end. I think I must still look like a competitor on the bike because people are always trying to start a race with me but truthfully lately there are a few girls that can out pace me. But that doesn't make me feel bad because then I just think about how old I am and I am happy. Yup, cycling makes me happy and I'm going to keep doing it as long as I can.
Wasup: I retired at 66, and having been a keen cyclist in my yoof - I joined my first cycling club in 1948 - decided to take it up again. That was 24 years ago, and I am still wearing my Lycra and riding my road bike. I have to admit though, that as the years passed my rides gradually got slower and shorter - 100M became 100km sort of thing, and once I got to my later 80's hills became a bit of a problem, which meant that my rides were becoming rather circumscribed. I struggled on though, until having recently hit 90, I overcame my aversion to e-bikes and added a small e-bike friction drive kit, (the road bike appearance is virtually unchanged), which has enabled me to extend my rides back into the hilly areas I had been avoiding for some time. It is an e-assist kit which I ride unassisted on the flat, only using the assistance on hills when necessary. I still get a very good workout and am averaging about 120km a week at the moment, and the consistency over the years has done wonders for my fitness, so I would exhort all those enjoying these great videos of Leonard's to stick at it as long as you can.
@@vincekerrigan8300 I'm beginner my thighs are painting because of rise. I completed some far 67 km in 2 weeks time, resting days inbetween, when I ride I do 12km avg ride. What advice you would give me for a beginner like me.
@@vincekerrigan8300 OMG! I hope I am as lucky as you. Here I'm thinking I may not be able to ride anything more than a tricycle by the time I'm 75 or 80. You're still doing it into your 90s. That's awesome. That's encouragement. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks for the candid and honest comments. I too am an overweight man in his (late) 50s and I'm proud to say I'm both a runner and a cyclist and enjoy both very much. I also enjoy a good meal and food of all kinds. While I'm aware that being overweight figures negatively into my running/cycling performance I am proud to say I've run a marathon and a half marathon this year and been on a 52 mile and several 30 something mile rides. Thanks for being a great role model and friend to us all.
My problem is that I like food as much as I like cycling! At 65 I ride for myself and no one else and enjoy the heck out of it. Thanks for keeping it real, Leonard.
I'll turn 68 next month and ride an average of 60-75 miles a week. I'm overweight, so I agree with you that diet plays a big role if you want to lose weight. I like to watch the numbers on my Garmin and periodically give myself an amateur cardio stress test using the heart rate monitor. Thanks for your videos.
Very good points, especially fun and fitness. As a solitary cyclist, what I also enjoy is it just gives you an uninterrupted chance to think. Problems often seem so much less knotty when cruising along. Again, like some of your other contributors I am over 70 and totally attribute such fitness that I have to this wonderful pastime.
I was out running recently, fella in front of me , I could not catch him , when we reached the end of the trail , he said he was 87 years old and a age record holder , he was an exiled American living in Cornwall and in tremendous nick .
Thanks Leonard. I've been riding over 50 years as well, and between menopause and arthritis, my body has been rebelling. I just put a deposit down on an e-bike to keep me on the road. Can't fight the hills any longer, so looking forward to enjoying it again.
Michelle, check…check…and check! Got an ebike for those reasons, plus being a flatlander living at moderate altitude, and everything is uphill both ways (feels like it anyway!). The ebike was a huge game-changer for me. Got a commuter style for light trails, and a mountain bike. I’ve put in more miles cycling than ever in my life thanks to a little power for a few impossible hills. I still mostly use zero power, but I like having the option, and it challenges me to see how full my battery is by the end of each ride. Go for it, you’ll never look back! 😊
Leonard, I really relate to your video's because I am a 55 year old overweight male with Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. I was first diagnosed about 15 years ago and at that time the doctor told me to work out for an hour a day, no specifics just an hour of exercise. I was too overweight at the time to start running (also had shin splints from too much running in high school) so I took out my old mountain bike and started riding an hour a day. As a goal, i set my sights on riding the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure in Long Beach California. Within the first year i was able to ride a 70 mile ride on that 44lb bike and complete my first event. Never looked back from that point on. Got a road bike (and a part time job in a bike shop ) and 15 years later and i have been a ride leader for a local club for over 12 years. Our club has quite a few members older than 50 and they are some of the strongest riders out there. Keep up the great work and keep the rubber side down.
Excellent vlog! I will never forget seeing a guy who had to have been at least 75-80 years old, cycling up to a rest area that was well over 11,000 feet in altitude. He then hopped off of his bike and jogged up to a couple of 20-something’s that had also cycled up and were catching their breath. He was chatting with them like it was no big feat that he had just accomplished. I was so impressed.
You are so right in saying cycling is not merely about racing or speeding, it is an attitude, one that also overweighted people may possess. I love cycling although I am not the fastest one, I don' t mind watching many younger and thinner drivers passing by, I enjoy riding at my own speed...
I'm 68. I ride to slow the aging process - not that cycling stops time, but it keeps me from aging faster than I normally would just sitting around. It also gets me out of the house - when it's not 105F outside. Which it will be until mid-September. Alas.
Having a destination for each cycle trip, the journey interacting with the flora and fauna, taking in the scenery and smells that is truly breath-taking.
Inspiring. I'm recovering from a stay in ICU Sept2021-Jan 2022 (covid realted) 48 years old and my life in the balance and 6 weeks on a ventilator family told daily I would not make it. Against the odds I did thanks to our wonderful NHS and it's amazing staff and I'm much better now. As a result I managed to loose all the use in my legs due to %70 muscle loss and nerve damage due to medication used. After months of Physio I'm almost there and looking forward to getting back on my bike more than ever. I was told by one consultant it was likley I would never ride again and like you I'm on the larger side but I never gave up hope. Love watching you ride it gives me hope that soon I will be back on the bike and enjoying the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. Keep up the great work 😁
Bloody great. Inspirational, as always, Leonardo. And BTW in about 4 years you'll be the same age I was when I took up cycling as a regular hobby! Never let age/weight/(insert cycling-handicap-excuse here) get in the way.
That is the main thing about cycling, just do it because you enjoy it and what other people think and their opinions are not your concern, just have fun, i've just checked out your latest ride on strava and it was very good, 88,11km in East Hampshire. Keep it up Leonard, i gave you kudos right now.
Watching yr video is so enjoyable which gives me a smile on every ride. Everytime riding on a rough trail I keep reminding myself I do this for fun while I am still capable........at my own pace and enjoy everything comes along with it.
Another encouraging video! I am in the 60+ group and still trying to ride the way I did back in my teens. My mind says "go for it" and my body says "what in heck are you doing !?!" 🤣 I ride for fun and fitness (equally). No racing, but I am trying to improve on long-distance endurance rides...channeling my inner Mark Beaumont. 😉👍
Glad you mentioned the mental benefits. I started cycling to get fit/lose weight, but kept doing it for the mental benefits. 68 years old and over 200 pounds, but still going.
Enjoy watching your videos Leonard. I’m 62 & try and cycle as much as I can since retiring early at 55. Regarding weight, be warned it gets harder to control when you get in your 60’s. I’m convinced I can just look at food and gain weight lol, also any injury takes longer to heal😬 Do you still ‘off road’ on your Gravel bike? Must be some great trails round your way. Keep up the good work & keep the videos coming.
So many liked-minded people in the comments. Wonderful! I’m 61, and have been biking since I can remember. We were poor so my dad would build us bikes from spare parts. We had some really unique looking bikes. Once I hit adulthood it never occurred to me to give up biking. It was such a large part of my life by then thanks to my dad. In a few studies they found overweight fit people had similar metabolic (insulin and sugar uptake) and blood chem (lipids, sugars, liver enzymes) measurements as thin fit people. Both groups had better indicators than thin people who may look fit but who didn’t exercise. Couldn’t judge fitness by how someone looks.
After years of smoking, and finally quitting, the most energy output I can manage is "hiking". Jogging and Running are just not going to happen. But put me on a bike and I can cover 40 miles in 5 hours. And that includes breaks, and stopping to look at every interesting thing on my route. I think with a bike you can cover at least 5 times the distance with the same energy. I get my walking in when the snow covers the ground.
I did 31 miles in 3 hrs. The biggest problem is traffic and heat and humidity. I want to average 25 miles per hour within a year right now my cruising pace is 10- 11mph.
@@myballsitchsomethingfierce6319 where I live traffic is easy, I have a network of no lane country roads that stretch for miles. Heat & humidity cannot be avoided. When it hits 100F (37.5C) and the humidity is 90+ all you can do is start at sunrise. After a couple rides in a SAG truck for heat exhaustion I respect my limits in the heat!
Hi their im 74 years old still love my sl advance dic tcr weigh 7 3 kilos best bike on the market come in at 68 70 kioles started in the 90 ride 360 plus km every week easey with a new hip replacement 3 years ago after training crash Peter perth australia
Leonard, I am 76 and out every day. I have been since 1972. I am confident that you will be out there when you reach that age as well, and beyond. Watch us.
As long as you know the health implications of being overweight then its your choice to lose weight or not. My rule is, eat less to lose weight, go cycling to get fit.
Got here from a link from a more recent video but love all your work, Leonard. Really appreciate your honesty and insight. I definitely think it's important for youngsters to get on the bike. I, too, started young and it definitely sticks for life long enjoyment. Keep on keeping on Big L X
I know, I know... few days late.... Love the video! Being of older age, a bit heavy and physically scarred by events of my younger years I still ride and enjoy every pedal stroke. Plus being heavier stature has it's benefits... I still can descend like mad man!!! Keep pedaling my friend, and keep those pedals turning.
Great video. I too am in my mid 50's slightly over weight but love cycling. I do it for fitness, sometimes to commute but always enjoyment. Thanks Leonard for another great and truly honest video. Look forward to one day sharing a ride with you.
Great vlog. Without the bike as an outlet and release valve I do not think I would have got through the events of the last couple of years as easily. It has always been a true Godsend for mental health (the physical bit is of course fun too - going faster now than I did 30 years ago). I know many others too who have been kept sane (through a myriad of stressors) by their love of the bike.
At 6'5, 240lbs, 63 yrs old, I find cycling is truly the fountain of youth! Many of my cycling chums are north of 60. One my close friends is 65 and has completed 45 century rides this year! His goal is to ride 66 which he will turn in November. If anyone is interested he's riding a double century in September. I rode 70 miles including 4500 ft of climbing, yesterday in Big Bear, CA. I don't care how old or what your weight his, go out ride and have some fun.
Absolutely sir! Having the numbers/logs is a way to re-live some of those rides/moments and/or proof you can/did/do too! Everyone has their own journey/purposes in life.. you be the best version of you! My most memorable/sense of accomplishment hardest rides I've ever done was riding up Haleakala (sea level to 10,025ft over ~36mi) .. Had a beautiful day for it, and the views on the way up/down (down through the clouds) and being able to see what you've accomplished was just amazing! And for some, it might have been a turtle pace, but I surprised myself and made it (and over 50 then too) On my 50th, did a 100mi ride (actually about 112 due to getting of the route for a while)..
Hi 65 here, and overweight. Running is better, but bike is low impact. If you are overweight, you have to be careful with high impact. My brother used to ride with me, and he is 70. I rarely drive. Almost everywhere by bike. I also take my bike on the train and go on camping trips. I love cycling, I have all my life.
Was not expecting to see you cycling down Thames Street Windsor in first ten seconds ... I used to know that area well.... with a bit of luck and health you will be making clips in the next decade " Over 60" , and i will be over 60 , still watching and still cycling too.
Hi Leonard: I absolutely love your videos & how you present Cycling as being for every one. Your mellifluous voice is relaxing & your ideas help 64 year Olds such as myself. Please consider the humble meat pie; it contains 600 calories & will take about 80' to metabolize during a tempo bike ride. For the overweight rider, it certainly is easier to N O T eat the meat pie! Cycling also increases hunger, so that big effort in cycling-off that food is countermanded by the food raid afterwards. The key to weightloss is 70% sensible diet. A trick I use is to do harder rides on a comfortable straight bar Steel Bike. If you peruse the Street Peloton, it's obvious that 'general' cyclists are becoming heavier but the bikes are lighter! Therein lies your answer. PS I make these comments prior to watching your video, as I will do now.
Good on you Lee!! It does look amazing there near your home. We're pretty lucky here in Sydney as well. Can't beat Sydney beaches and they tend to have decent climbs near them too. Keep it up and I'll certainly be watching you!
Excellent, Leonard. I hope both you and I can continue to enjoy our respective cycling trips for many years to come. Detractors can continue on their merry way but I know what I love.👍😄
Great piece Leonard I'm enjoying my rides more that I stopped trying to lose weight from it as I was, too much thinking why haven't i lost weight instead of thinking why do I ride, for the enjoyment and freedom it brings you and getting out into the fresh air plus its started to bring my blood pressure down too at its lowest after a ride than before 🤔
Shortly after WWII, average ladies waistline in the UK was 24". My mum, as a 17 yr old single girl cyclist in 1948, had a 24" waistline. Her wedding dress in 1958 was still 24" as she kept riding to work. Since the late 40s, ladies average waistline has increased by 1" per decade, so in late 2010s was 31". This is, availability of food and reduction in bicycle use, increase in car use.
Hi Leonard, Thank you for inspiring me back on the bike. After hitting 50 and adding another 40 lbs to myself.. I was too shy to put my fat bum onto my racer.
You can never have enough bikes, it's one of those cargo bikes for you next 😉 Great video - another very good reason to ride your bike is exploring new places. Recently read this paragraph that I thought summed it up perfectly: "When we pay attention to our surroundings, going for a bike ride is so much more than turning the pedals and counting the miles. It's an inspiration that can dispel the blackest mood, it's a real education in geography and geology, history and culture, it's an easy and inexpensive way of spending carefree time with friends and family, it's a radical demonstration of independence and self-sufficiency - taken all together, it's a new way of seeing the world that begins right on your doorstep. Enjoy the ride!" Couldn't have said it better myself.
Thanks Leonard. You do a great service with your vlogging. Everybody has their own peculiar mix of motivations and preferences. I like the way you give them encouragement. I choose to "ride by feel" and look at the numbers later on Strava. It was liberating when I left the computer off the new bike I got, 10 years ago. Each to their own. Health gurus have been wondering how to accommodate people who, like you, are overweight but apparently fit and healthy. Have you considered interviewing one of your UK health boffins on the topic?
We've got one chance at life and the destination is a box. Kudos to you for continuing with your cycling and all of your vids. It's just a pity that more men of our age don't take a leaf out of your book. Well done Sir 👍
I like to remember the old joke by Rodney Dangerfield: "Lose weight? Sure, I've lost lots. But I keep finding it again." At 68 and bigger (fatter) than you, I am in synch with your commentary. Sure I ride for "all" the reasons and utility, but at the end of the day, because I like it and it likes me back in so many ways.
I just subscribed to your channel because I just turned 60 and have let my cycling fitness slide way too much. I need motivation and you may be the person to help. I moved to SW France 3 years ago but I did many thousands of miles around Hampshire (including many Audax rides from Denmead ... I'm sure we know some of the same people). I just serviced my bike(s), and I'm ready to go this week. There's a superb 100km signposted route here "The Duke de Lauzun 100km" and a few others, longer and shorter. The terrain and scenery is uncannily like Hampshire and the South Downs, nothing too brutal but generally always rolling. Think the area around Alresford. The big difference is the lack of traffic and the better road surfaces .... and weather (when it isn't 40degC). Anyway... let's see how it goes. The plan is to lose 15Kg, increase power and generally get back to where I was 4 years ago, when Hampshire seemed flat and it was all so effortless. Since then somebody has been out and increased the length and gradient of all the hills. Bloody Council!!!
When I was 60 I was fat and slightly fit, but riding my bike several days a week stole some weight, and now i am 61 , some kilo lighter, and more powerful. O2 capasity as a 30 year old kid.
It’s definitely an uphill battle for me cycling these days, both in terrain and the attitude others have of me riding. I may have to ride a bit more under the radar these days but I’ve had to give up far too much of who I am for the sake of a paycheck. Naysayers tend to get the altered American version of the two finger salute with only the middle one up for aerodynamic purposes. Thanks for taking us along for the ride!
Great video. Thanks for sharing. This week I went cycling early every day, because afternoon temperatures are up to 35 degrees. With "early" I mean between 8 and 9 a..m. Sunrise is already at 5.25 Tomorrow it'll be a little cooler, only 25 degrees or so. Then I can go late afternoon, which in fact is my favourite time for cycling. But sunset is at 8.15 p.m. and I hate riding in darkness (too many potholes). I think my last ride in the dark was still in the Netherlands, 35 years ago.
Nice. My favourite time is starting one hour before the sunset and then finish in darkness. The later it becomes, the lesser the number of cars on the roads i.e. better. I wear my reflective vest plus use good front and back lights. I'm a 50 y.o. male and about 6kg overweight which is not too much. My usual weight is 80kg. So when I go up to 82kg I'm very unhappy, and when I'm 78 I'm quite happy. But my ideal weight should be 74kg, which is hard to achieve for me without changing my eating habits. Ride your bikes often and happily everyone!! 👍💪💚
@@radiocontrolled9181 According the ideal BMI (20-25) I'm overweight 16 kg (when I count from BMI 25). About 10 years ago I went from 115 to 91 kg, just by moving more and eating less (mainly no sweets, chocolates, cakes, etc) but I was able to keep that weight only for 2 years. Now I'm around 102 kg. In spite of having cycled this year alread 1800 km, I didn't lose one single kilogram this year. (I should stop eating sweets, etc. again, I guess)
@@hansdegroot8549 Yep, it is basically a calories in calories out simple plus and minus. Not easy to say no to sweets, ice-cream and chocolates and cakes ... far from it 😏 but we'll keep riding our bikes and enjoying it that's the most important thing
Me being a 51 year old motor- and bicycle loving mortician, who, due to too many years of pumping iron in the gym, is certainly about 30 kilograms heavier than the so-called prototypical slim and stylish and young and agile and trendy cyclist, let me please tell ya: Age is just a fucking number 👍😛 Are we having good times on our bikes? Yes?!! Well, then we can't be all too wrong. Beste Grüße aus Graz in Oesterreich. Christoph
I do it for fun and also lose weight, but the weight is not the main target, but fitness, because cycling is fitness and if losing weight is in it, then great. I'm also a tech nerd, so sportwatch, cycle Computer etc are a must, like video and photography. It's... fun 👍🚴
yup. Fitness and Fun. I have lost a little weight since starting back at it, but never started back at it because weight loss was the goal, it's coincidental. I started back at it because i should never have stopped because I'm a cyclist that's it. yup not the fastest not the fittest. I'm healthier and fitter than I've been for about 12 years or so. i push myself hard going up the hills, and sometimes when it was soooo difficult i have actually cheered myself (shake that Belov!) because i never thought i was going to make it, usually then i take the rest of the ride easy, lol. But fitness and fun, and the true freedom (no gas no reg no license etc, but mostly no gas). Since i originally started club riding with UK CTC in about 1985, I had always been surrounded by guys and gals older than us now, many retired, that just rode and toured around all the time, and now that's the eventual goal. lol. Drew
I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head for reasons to cycle, when you said it's great fun! I was a keen jogger but repetitive bouts of sciatica put that on hold so I took up cycling to keep fit. After a few months of regular cycling of distances between 15 to a max of 100 miles, I feel pretty fit and look forward to my two wheeled outings so much more than I ever did with my jogs which sonetimes seemed a bit of a chore. Anyway, I intend to keep on cycling as at 74, I feel great just riding along. 👍
Great video and wise words Leonard, I ride because i love it. Im 69 and rode a bike since I was 5 still ride every day for 1 hour plus. Not as fast as when i used to race cyclocross but as we get older we all slow down a bit all part of lifes circles. Enjoy your weekend.
Had to click because I'm also overweight, over 50 and like riding my bicycle. I have a short commute so I like to ride because it gives me a modicum of exercise and I feel good when I get to work. 🙂
On the numbers and the tech aspect I'd have to comment that you develop an instinctive feel for where you're at physically on your own, without the gadgetry telling you. Besides that I always have a watch on. which adds to that without being techy.
@leonardmlee this “why do you ride?”question is like asking someone, “why do you party?” I’m sure those that party are not the best singers, or dancers, or musicians, or best dressed… you get the picture. #Ride ‘til death
Here's a testimonial that what you say is true; I recently had a doctor's visit where my labs were all within normal range. He was shocked. I am 66 and look like I could be your brother. So my body mass index is way too high (as yours is) by that metric. I do ride 1 mile up hill to the store and bring back my weekly groceries one backpack at a time. I do ride 1 mile to work but I only have to bring my lunch. On the weekends I do ride just because my body is condition to ride and feels neglected if I don't.
Gotta say, I was 60, technically obese and cycling 100 miles a week when I had a triple heart bypass. I'm sure the cycling speeded up my recovery and I was much better off than if I had been that weight and unfit, but there's an old saying that you can't run away from a bad diet, and it turns out you can't ride away from one either.
Another top video Leonard .Lots of nice comments and appreciation of your work .Could you do a video of all your goodies? and a review of what you like best and worse cheers 🚴👌
Great commentary. A lot of wisdom in your words. I just turned 70 this year and being retired I can ride every day. It has done wonders for my fitness and mental well being. My friends are all falling by the wayside due to years of inactivity, bad diets and bad luck with health concerns. I have been lucky but my hard work and dedication have paid off. Fortunately I am in better shape now than when I was a young guy. Doing a minimum of 30 miles a day now..seven days a week and it is getting easier. Brain is as sharp as a 70 year old brain can be. Is hot 74 playing golf last week after riding 70 miles. Hope to keep it together so I can ride my age in mileage and shoot my age in golf. Have to hang on a few more years. Btw…I walk when I play golf and carry a lightweight bag. No golf carts for me!
Hardcore golf carrying your own clubs there, Mark.
@@jollygoodvelo I am very old,school, Leonard. When k can’t walk a golf course I won’t play anymore.
I love playing golf I just wish I could afford a caddy & he could carry my clubs and I would love walking the course!!
@@lindafeiler1448 just purchase a push/pull cart trolley and walk! It’s the only way to play!
@@markfeldman6509 Regarding riding your age ... Riding 30 miles every day indicates that you are reasonably fit. 70 is a bit more than double that. I suggest doing a longer ride one day per week with a recovery/rest day after it. Pick a cool day and ride 25 miles to a place for lunch, then ride back, with stops on the way. That would be 50 miles: add a few more in each direction and you're almost there :-)
Just ride easy, plan to ride someplace where there will be a tailwind home, and start early when that wind is much less.
Enjoy.
Hi Leonard. Speaking of age, during a very well-attended 25 mile group ride here in the Southeastern US recently, I met a lady who is 80. She was on a beautiful Pinarello and moving at a respectable pace. The humidity was terrible and the temperature was climbing toward the mid 90s. She told me that she was taking it easy because of her asthma! Now I think about her when I'm struggling to find the motivation to get on the bike.
Some older riders can really surprise us.
They can surprise. A few years ago (I was 56 then) I was biking back roads in British Columbia when half a dozen folks in their 70s pulled besides me at an intersection. They invited me to ride the rest of the way back to town with them. I did, but gosh, I really had to push hard to keep up. Back in my home province I’m the one passing cyclists but out in BC they regularly pass me, even those older than me. It inspired me to see what was possible even as we aged.
Those Italian girls...
I love your attitude and honesty. We need more Leonard M Lee's in this world!
We do.
hear, hear
Same feelings here. Over 50, overweight, overjoyed to ride bikes all my life. I have dropped a lot of weight and have been sharing that journey on my channel, but cycling is only a part of that journey. I ride because I love to. I'm dealing with my health because I need to.
Thank you, good Sir. I needed to hear this. I am over 50 and overweight. Lately, I have been getting frustrated at my lack of speed. I see that I am 2-3 mph slower than some of my friends. Your words are a reminder that I don't ride to compete with anyone. I enjoy it for what it is for both my physical and mental well being. I enjoy pushing myself, however far that push may take me. It does not matter. I am in this for me. Thank you!
I've got 10 years on you. Any day you can get out for a ride is a good day - no matter how fast you're moving.
Lovely video Leonard and I fully agree with your sentiments - as a 60 year old & my wife is 56 we have recently arrived back from a 7-week tandem journey from the Hook of Holland to Copenhagen and back covering some 1500 miles with a fully laden bike (camping along the way). Age is no barrier as long as you keep moving and stay active.
Sounds like an amazing ride.
I love your attitude! I am 64, 95kg, a self funded retiree, and ride to keep fit. Totally understand the cycling computer is a good idea, having had a Huret cable drive speedo in the 60’s! Keep up the great work!
I've been a cyclist for at least the last 25 years riding almost daily but before that I have always owned a bicycle from the time I was around 10 years old. Before cycling daily, for years before that I worked out with iron weights in the gyms. I lost the will to go to the gyms because of injury and pain and the damage weight training does to the joints. I am going to be 66 years old next week and people can't believe it. It doesn't show. When I think I can retire in another year it's hard to comprehend because I don't feel that old either. I want to keep going just because I like my job and it keeps me always looking forward. I can't imagine having so much free time on my hands and what I would do to keep busy. I feel the time I've spent on the bike is why I am in this position today because I see other guys my age and younger that look like they are near the end. I think I must still look like a competitor on the bike because people are always trying to start a race with me but truthfully lately there are a few girls that can out pace me. But that doesn't make me feel bad because then I just think about how old I am and I am happy. Yup, cycling makes me happy and I'm going to keep doing it as long as I can.
I have problem with groin area with new cycle , how to correct that it becomes numbe.
Wasup: I retired at 66, and having been a keen cyclist in my yoof - I joined my first cycling club in 1948 - decided to take it up again. That was 24 years ago, and I am still wearing my Lycra and riding my road bike. I have to admit though, that as the years passed my rides gradually got slower and shorter - 100M became 100km sort of thing, and once I got to my later 80's hills became a bit of a problem, which meant that my rides were becoming rather circumscribed. I struggled on though, until having recently hit 90, I overcame my aversion to e-bikes and added a small e-bike friction drive kit, (the road bike appearance is virtually unchanged), which has enabled me to extend my rides back into the hilly areas I had been avoiding for some time. It is an e-assist kit which I ride unassisted on the flat, only using the assistance on hills when necessary. I still get a very good workout and am averaging about 120km a week at the moment, and the consistency over the years has done wonders for my fitness, so I would exhort all those enjoying these great videos of Leonard's to stick at it as long as you can.
@@vincekerrigan8300 I'm beginner my thighs are painting because of rise. I completed some far 67 km in 2 weeks time, resting days inbetween, when I ride I do 12km avg ride. What advice you would give me for a beginner like me.
@@vincekerrigan8300 OMG! I hope I am as lucky as you. Here I'm thinking I may not be able to ride anything more than a tricycle by the time I'm 75 or 80. You're still doing it into your 90s. That's awesome. That's encouragement. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks for the candid and honest comments. I too am an overweight man in his (late) 50s and I'm proud to say I'm both a runner and a cyclist and enjoy both very much. I also enjoy a good meal and food of all kinds. While I'm aware that being overweight figures negatively into my running/cycling performance I am proud to say I've run a marathon and a half marathon this year and been on a 52 mile and several 30 something mile rides. Thanks for being a great role model and friend to us all.
I'm 78 and have been cycling since I was 13 most people are amazed about my fitness, all down to cycling still love it .
Good for you.
Good on you, 58 here and still bombing downhills as well, side gig is tuning bikes and getting kids on bikes who don't have any money.
@@mountaintruth1deeds533 Sounds like a very noble endeavour. Best of luck with it.
@@jollygoodvelo thank you, we shall proceed and pedal on...
My problem is that I like food as much as I like cycling! At 65 I ride for myself and no one else and enjoy the heck out of it. Thanks for keeping it real, Leonard.
I'll turn 68 next month and ride an average of 60-75 miles a week. I'm overweight, so I agree with you that diet plays a big role if you want to lose weight. I like to watch the numbers on my Garmin and periodically give myself an amateur cardio stress test using the heart rate monitor. Thanks for your videos.
I’m in the same position: over 50 and over weight but loving cycling now that I’ve discovered it - and wish I’d found it sooner. Thanks 🙏
Very good points, especially fun and fitness. As a solitary cyclist, what I also enjoy is it just gives you an uninterrupted chance to think. Problems often seem so much less knotty when cruising along. Again, like some of your other contributors I am over 70 and totally attribute such fitness that I have to this wonderful pastime.
Thinking time is a biggie.
I was out running recently, fella in front of me , I could not catch him , when we reached the end of the trail , he said he was 87 years old and a age record holder , he was an exiled American living in Cornwall and in tremendous nick .
Thanks Leonard. I've been riding over 50 years as well, and between menopause and arthritis, my body has been rebelling. I just put a deposit down on an e-bike to keep me on the road. Can't fight the hills any longer, so looking forward to enjoying it again.
You are going to love that ebike. I’ve yet to hear of anyone that doesn’t have a massive smile on their faces when they ride one for the first time.
Michelle, check…check…and check! Got an ebike for those reasons, plus being a flatlander living at moderate altitude, and everything is uphill both ways (feels like it anyway!). The ebike was a huge game-changer for me. Got a commuter style for light trails, and a mountain bike. I’ve put in more miles cycling than ever in my life thanks to a little power for a few impossible hills. I still mostly use zero power, but I like having the option, and it challenges me to see how full my battery is by the end of each ride. Go for it, you’ll never look back! 😊
@@jollygoodvelo smiles guaranteed 😊
Leonard, I really relate to your video's because I am a 55 year old overweight male with Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. I was first diagnosed about 15 years ago and at that time the doctor told me to work out for an hour a day, no specifics just an hour of exercise. I was too overweight at the time to start running (also had shin splints from too much running in high school) so I took out my old mountain bike and started riding an hour a day. As a goal, i set my sights on riding the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure in Long Beach California. Within the first year i was able to ride a 70 mile ride on that 44lb bike and complete my first event. Never looked back from that point on. Got a road bike (and a part time job in a bike shop ) and 15 years later and i have been a ride leader for a local club for over 12 years. Our club has quite a few members older than 50 and they are some of the strongest riders out there. Keep up the great work and keep the rubber side down.
One thing I like about your videos is that I can depend on them being published every week. I look forward to watching them.
Who could not appreciate your wit and honesty, Sir? Youre tall in the saddle. Much respect from Texas !
Excellent vlog! I will never forget seeing a guy who had to have been at least 75-80 years old, cycling up to a rest area that was well over 11,000 feet in altitude. He then hopped off of his bike and jogged up to a couple of 20-something’s that had also cycled up and were catching their breath. He was chatting with them like it was no big feat that he had just accomplished. I was so impressed.
What I love about Audax (randonneur) cycling is that its not competitive, its about just finishing. As a result the camaraderie is great.
You are so right in saying cycling is not merely about racing or speeding, it is an attitude, one that also overweighted people may possess. I love cycling although I am not the fastest one, I don' t mind watching many younger and thinner drivers passing by, I enjoy riding at my own speed...
I'm 68. I ride to slow the aging process - not that cycling stops time, but it keeps me from aging faster than I normally would just sitting around.
It also gets me out of the house - when it's not 105F outside. Which it will be until mid-September. Alas.
Having a destination for each cycle trip, the journey interacting with the flora and fauna, taking in the scenery and smells that is truly breath-taking.
Enjoy.
Inspiring. I'm recovering from a stay in ICU Sept2021-Jan 2022 (covid realted) 48 years old and my life in the balance and 6 weeks on a ventilator family told daily I would not make it. Against the odds I did thanks to our wonderful NHS and it's amazing staff and I'm much better now. As a result I managed to loose all the use in my legs due to %70 muscle loss and nerve damage due to medication used. After months of Physio I'm almost there and looking forward to getting back on my bike more than ever. I was told by one consultant it was likley I would never ride again and like you I'm on the larger side but I never gave up hope. Love watching you ride it gives me hope that soon I will be back on the bike and enjoying the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. Keep up the great work 😁
Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery and I hope you are back on the bike again soon.
Bloody great. Inspirational, as always, Leonardo. And BTW in about 4 years you'll be the same age I was when I took up cycling as a regular hobby! Never let age/weight/(insert cycling-handicap-excuse here) get in the way.
That is the main thing about cycling, just do it because you enjoy it and what other people think and their opinions are not your concern, just have fun, i've just checked out your latest ride on strava and it was very good, 88,11km in East Hampshire. Keep it up Leonard, i gave you kudos right now.
Watching yr video is so enjoyable which gives me a smile on every ride. Everytime riding on a rough trail I keep reminding myself I do this for fun while I am still capable........at my own pace and enjoy everything comes along with it.
67 here with a dodgy hip and entered for the GNBR this month 👍🏻
Another encouraging video! I am in the 60+ group and still trying to ride the way I did back in my teens. My mind says "go for it" and my body says "what in heck are you doing !?!" 🤣 I ride for fun and fitness (equally). No racing, but I am trying to improve on long-distance endurance rides...channeling my inner Mark Beaumont. 😉👍
I’ve told my friend “I don’t really feel my age but I am that age.” At 67 I really do feel pretty good and cycling and walking are the main reason.
Glad you mentioned the mental benefits. I started cycling to get fit/lose weight, but kept doing it for the mental benefits. 68 years old and over 200 pounds, but still going.
You are an inspiration Leonard 😊❤️!
Enjoy watching your videos Leonard. I’m 62 & try and cycle as much as I can since retiring early at 55. Regarding weight, be warned it gets harder to control when you get in your 60’s. I’m convinced I can just look at food and gain weight lol, also any injury takes longer to heal😬 Do you still ‘off road’ on your Gravel bike? Must be some great trails round your way. Keep up the good work & keep the videos coming.
I get back to cycling after watching your videos
Glad to help.
So many liked-minded people in the comments. Wonderful! I’m 61, and have been biking since I can remember. We were poor so my dad would build us bikes from spare parts. We had some really unique looking bikes. Once I hit adulthood it never occurred to me to give up biking. It was such a large part of my life by then thanks to my dad.
In a few studies they found overweight fit people had similar metabolic (insulin and sugar uptake) and blood chem (lipids, sugars, liver enzymes) measurements as thin fit people. Both groups had better indicators than thin people who may look fit but who didn’t exercise. Couldn’t judge fitness by how someone looks.
That's why I love your channel: I identify as a person who just wants to enjoy y have fun cycling.
After years of smoking, and finally quitting, the most energy output I can manage is "hiking". Jogging and Running are just not going to happen. But put me on a bike and I can cover 40 miles in 5 hours. And that includes breaks, and stopping to look at every interesting thing on my route. I think with a bike you can cover at least 5 times the distance with the same energy. I get my walking in when the snow covers the ground.
It’s funny how that works.
I did 31 miles in 3 hrs. The biggest problem is traffic and heat and humidity. I want to average 25 miles per hour within a year right now my cruising pace is 10- 11mph.
@@myballsitchsomethingfierce6319 where I live traffic is easy, I have a network of no lane country roads that stretch for miles. Heat & humidity cannot be avoided. When it hits 100F (37.5C) and the humidity is 90+ all you can do is start at sunrise. After a couple rides in a SAG truck for heat exhaustion I respect my limits in the heat!
Hi their im 74 years old still love my sl advance dic tcr weigh 7 3 kilos best bike on the market come in at 68 70 kioles started in the 90 ride 360 plus km every week easey with a new hip replacement 3 years ago after training crash
Peter perth australia
Leonard,
I am 76 and out every day. I have been since 1972.
I am confident that you will be out there when you reach that age as well, and beyond.
Watch us.
Let’s hope so Frank. Watch us indeed!!
As long as you know the health implications of being overweight then its your choice to lose weight or not. My rule is, eat less to lose weight, go cycling to get fit.
Very encouraging Lee
What an inspirational video! Thanks!
Got here from a link from a more recent video but love all your work, Leonard. Really appreciate your honesty and insight. I definitely think it's important for youngsters to get on the bike. I, too, started young and it definitely sticks for life long enjoyment. Keep on keeping on Big L X
Thanks for the motivation I’m definitely getting into it again
I know, I know... few days late.... Love the video! Being of older age, a bit heavy and physically scarred by events of my younger years I still ride and enjoy every pedal stroke. Plus being heavier stature has it's benefits... I still can descend like mad man!!! Keep pedaling my friend, and keep those pedals turning.
New subscriber from across the pond. Enjoying your content.
Great video. I too am in my mid 50's slightly over weight but love cycling. I do it for fitness, sometimes to commute but always enjoyment. Thanks Leonard for another great and truly honest video. Look forward to one day sharing a ride with you.
Great video......just keep on keeping on..........like myself
Great vlog. Without the bike as an outlet and release valve I do not think I would have got through the events of the last couple of years as easily. It has always been a true Godsend for mental health (the physical bit is of course fun too - going faster now than I did 30 years ago). I know many others too who have been kept sane (through a myriad of stressors) by their love of the bike.
I think many people feel the same.
🎯
At 6'5, 240lbs, 63 yrs old, I find cycling is truly the fountain of youth! Many of my cycling chums are north of 60. One my close friends is 65 and has completed 45 century rides this year! His goal is to ride 66 which he will turn in November. If anyone is interested he's riding a double century in September. I rode 70 miles including 4500 ft of climbing, yesterday in Big Bear, CA. I don't care how old or what your weight his, go out ride and have some fun.
Absolutely sir! Having the numbers/logs is a way to re-live some of those rides/moments and/or proof you can/did/do too! Everyone has their own journey/purposes in life.. you be the best version of you! My most memorable/sense of accomplishment hardest rides I've ever done was riding up Haleakala (sea level to 10,025ft over ~36mi) .. Had a beautiful day for it, and the views on the way up/down (down through the clouds) and being able to see what you've accomplished was just amazing! And for some, it might have been a turtle pace, but I surprised myself and made it (and over 50 then too) On my 50th, did a 100mi ride (actually about 112 due to getting of the route for a while)..
Great motivational video. Thank you.
Hi 65 here, and overweight. Running is better, but bike is low impact. If you are overweight, you have to be careful with high impact. My brother used to ride with me, and he is 70. I rarely drive. Almost everywhere by bike. I also take my bike on the train and go on camping trips. I love cycling, I have all my life.
Excellent words Leonard.
Add to the list education, entertainment and encouragement and you have a recipe for a killer UA-cam channel!! 😀
I am there, however, I needed the transportation when the car breaks down for grocery shopping. 😄
4:40 Perfectly said
Was not expecting to see you cycling down Thames Street Windsor in first ten seconds ... I used to know that area well.... with a bit of luck and health you will be making clips in the next decade " Over 60" , and i will be over 60 , still watching and still cycling too.
Hi Leonard: I absolutely love your videos & how you present Cycling as being for every one. Your mellifluous voice is relaxing & your ideas help 64 year Olds such as myself. Please consider the humble meat pie; it contains 600 calories & will take about 80' to metabolize during a tempo bike ride. For the overweight rider, it certainly is easier to N O T eat the meat pie! Cycling also increases hunger, so that big effort in cycling-off that food is countermanded by the food raid afterwards. The key to weightloss is 70% sensible diet.
A trick I use is to do harder rides on a comfortable straight bar Steel Bike. If you peruse the Street Peloton, it's obvious that 'general' cyclists are becoming heavier but the bikes are lighter! Therein lies your answer. PS I make these comments prior to watching your video, as I will do now.
62 here in Florida Leonard. Enjoy your videos. Keep them coming. Thanks
Thanks Frank.
57 and overweight to a degree, I got hit by a car in 2010 and just started back to riding last summer...
Hope you are enjoying it.
Good on you Lee!! It does look amazing there near your home. We're pretty lucky here in Sydney as well. Can't beat Sydney beaches and they tend to have decent climbs near them too.
Keep it up and I'll certainly be watching you!
Excellent, Leonard.
I hope both you and I can continue to enjoy our respective cycling trips for many years to come. Detractors can continue on their merry way but I know what I love.👍😄
Great piece Leonard I'm enjoying my rides more that I stopped trying to lose weight from it as I was, too much thinking why haven't i lost weight instead of thinking why do I ride, for the enjoyment and freedom it brings you and getting out into the fresh air plus its started to bring my blood pressure down too at its lowest after a ride than before 🤔
Another excellent video. Very encouraging and ispiring for us over 60s and overweight people, Thanks Leonard.
Shortly after WWII, average ladies waistline in the UK was 24". My mum, as a 17 yr old single girl cyclist in 1948, had a 24" waistline. Her wedding dress in 1958 was still 24" as she kept riding to work.
Since the late 40s, ladies average waistline has increased by 1" per decade, so in late 2010s was 31".
This is, availability of food and reduction in bicycle use, increase in car use.
I think it’s mainly the food and sedentary lifestyle rather than the lack of cycling
Hi Leonard, Thank you for inspiring me back on the bike. After hitting 50 and adding another 40 lbs to myself.. I was too shy to put my fat bum onto my racer.
Glad to help. Enjoy your cycling.
You can never have enough bikes, it's one of those cargo bikes for you next 😉 Great video - another very good reason to ride your bike is exploring new places. Recently read this paragraph that I thought summed it up perfectly: "When we pay attention to our surroundings, going for a bike ride is so much more than turning the pedals and counting the miles. It's an inspiration that can dispel the blackest mood, it's a real education in geography and geology, history and culture, it's an easy and inexpensive way of spending carefree time with friends and family, it's a radical demonstration of independence and self-sufficiency - taken all together, it's a new way of seeing the world that begins right on your doorstep. Enjoy the ride!" Couldn't have said it better myself.
Thanks Leonard.
You do a great service with your vlogging.
Everybody has their own peculiar mix of motivations and preferences. I like the way you give them encouragement.
I choose to "ride by feel" and look at the numbers later on Strava. It was liberating when I left the computer off the new bike I got, 10 years ago. Each to their own.
Health gurus have been wondering how to accommodate people who, like you, are overweight but apparently fit and healthy.
Have you considered interviewing one of your UK health boffins on the topic?
It’s a good idea but I am a little reluctant to feature any kind of full on health advice, even from independent experts.
Good on ya! Keep it up. I'm the same as you except 20 years older but still cycling for as long as I'm able.
We've got one chance at life and the destination is a box.
Kudos to you for continuing with your cycling and all of your vids. It's just a pity that more men of our age don't take a leaf out of your book. Well done Sir 👍
I like to remember the old joke by Rodney Dangerfield: "Lose weight? Sure, I've lost lots. But I keep finding it again." At 68 and bigger (fatter) than you, I am in synch with your commentary. Sure I ride for "all" the reasons and utility, but at the end of the day, because I like it and it likes me back in so many ways.
I just subscribed to your channel because I just turned 60 and have let my cycling fitness slide way too much.
I need motivation and you may be the person to help.
I moved to SW France 3 years ago but I did many thousands of miles around Hampshire (including many Audax rides from Denmead ... I'm sure we know some of the same people).
I just serviced my bike(s), and I'm ready to go this week.
There's a superb 100km signposted route here "The Duke de Lauzun 100km" and a few others, longer and shorter.
The terrain and scenery is uncannily like Hampshire and the South Downs, nothing too brutal but generally always rolling. Think the area around Alresford.
The big difference is the lack of traffic and the better road surfaces .... and weather (when it isn't 40degC).
Anyway... let's see how it goes. The plan is to lose 15Kg, increase power and generally get back to where I was 4 years ago, when Hampshire seemed flat and it was all so effortless.
Since then somebody has been out and increased the length and gradient of all the hills. Bloody Council!!!
Amazing how the council extend the hills!! Best of luck with your cycling and getting your fitness back.
When I was 60 I was fat and slightly fit, but riding my bike several days a week stole some weight, and now i am 61 , some kilo lighter, and more powerful. O2 capasity as a 30 year old kid.
It’s definitely an uphill battle for me cycling these days, both in terrain and the attitude others have of me riding. I may have to ride a bit more under the radar these days but I’ve had to give up far too much of who I am for the sake of a paycheck. Naysayers tend to get the altered American version of the two finger salute with only the middle one up for aerodynamic purposes. Thanks for taking us along for the ride!
Glad to have you along for the ride.
I really enjoy your words of wisdom. I'd love to find a tourism bike-based reason to visit and ride your neck of the woods!
Just come and visit!
Yes, cycling has many health benefits. Well said Leonard👍🤗🚲
Great video. Thanks for sharing. This week I went cycling early every day, because afternoon temperatures are up to 35 degrees.
With "early" I mean between 8 and 9 a..m. Sunrise is already at 5.25 Tomorrow it'll be a little cooler, only 25 degrees or so. Then I can go late afternoon, which in fact is
my favourite time for cycling. But sunset is at 8.15 p.m. and I hate riding in darkness (too many potholes). I think my last ride in the dark was still in the Netherlands, 35 years ago.
Nice. My favourite time is starting one hour before the sunset and then finish in darkness. The later it becomes, the lesser the number of cars on the roads i.e. better. I wear my reflective vest plus use good front and back lights. I'm a 50 y.o. male and about 6kg overweight which is not too much. My usual weight is 80kg. So when I go up to 82kg I'm very unhappy, and when I'm 78 I'm quite happy. But my ideal weight should be 74kg, which is hard to achieve for me without changing my eating habits. Ride your bikes often and happily everyone!! 👍💪💚
@@radiocontrolled9181 According the ideal BMI (20-25) I'm overweight 16 kg (when I count from BMI 25). About 10 years ago I went from 115 to 91 kg, just by moving more and eating less (mainly no sweets, chocolates, cakes, etc) but I was able to keep that weight only for 2 years. Now I'm around 102 kg. In spite of having cycled this year alread 1800 km, I didn't lose one single kilogram this year. (I should stop eating sweets, etc. again, I guess)
@@hansdegroot8549 Yep, it is basically a calories in calories out simple plus and minus. Not easy to say no to sweets, ice-cream and chocolates and cakes ... far from it 😏 but we'll keep riding our bikes and enjoying it that's the most important thing
Thanks Leonard, most definitely appreciated
Thank Brian.
Keep up the good work 👍
More wise and appropriate words. Thanks Leonard.
Thanks.
This story is about to go viral
If only.
Me being a 51 year old motor- and bicycle loving mortician, who, due to too many years of pumping iron in the gym, is certainly about 30 kilograms heavier than the so-called prototypical slim and stylish and young and agile and trendy cyclist, let me please tell ya:
Age is just a fucking number 👍😛
Are we having good times on our bikes? Yes?!!
Well, then we can't be all too wrong.
Beste Grüße aus Graz in Oesterreich.
Christoph
I think we are all getting it right!
THIS!!!♡♡♡♡♡
I do it for fun and also lose weight, but the weight is not the main target, but fitness, because cycling is fitness and if losing weight is in it, then great. I'm also a tech nerd, so sportwatch, cycle Computer etc are a must, like video and photography. It's... fun 👍🚴
Sound like all the things I like too!
yup. Fitness and Fun. I have lost a little weight since starting back at it, but never started back at it because weight loss was the goal, it's coincidental. I started back at it because i should never have stopped because I'm a cyclist that's it. yup not the fastest not the fittest. I'm healthier and fitter than I've been for about 12 years or so. i push myself hard going up the hills, and sometimes when it was soooo difficult i have actually cheered myself (shake that Belov!) because i never thought i was going to make it, usually then i take the rest of the ride easy, lol. But fitness and fun, and the true freedom (no gas no reg no license etc, but mostly no gas). Since i originally started club riding with UK CTC in about 1985, I had always been surrounded by guys and gals older than us now, many retired, that just rode and toured around all the time, and now that's the eventual goal. lol. Drew
I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head for reasons to cycle, when you said it's great fun! I was a keen jogger but repetitive bouts of sciatica put that on hold so I took up cycling to keep fit. After a few months of regular cycling of distances between 15 to a max of 100 miles, I feel pretty fit and look forward to my two wheeled outings so much more than I ever did with my jogs which sonetimes seemed a bit of a chore. Anyway, I intend to keep on cycling as at 74, I feel great just riding along. 👍
Great video and wise words Leonard,
I ride because i love it. Im 69 and rode a bike since I was 5 still ride every day for 1 hour plus. Not as fast as when i used to race cyclocross but as we get older we all slow down a bit all part of lifes circles. Enjoy your weekend.
Have a good one too, Terry.
I could never be a cyclist but I've been enjoying a lot of cycling recently. Have noticed that it doesn't make you lose weight, but you do get fitter.
Thank you Mr Lee……really enjoy your philosophical bits….a bright spot amidst my usual you tube loonacy
I do my best!
Had to click because I'm also overweight, over 50 and like riding my bicycle. I have a short commute so I like to ride because it gives me a modicum of exercise and I feel good when I get to work. 🙂
It’s a great way to start the day.
On the numbers and the tech aspect I'd have to comment that you develop an instinctive feel for where you're at physically on your own, without the gadgetry telling you. Besides that I always have a watch on. which adds to that without being techy.
@leonardmlee this “why do you ride?”question is like asking someone, “why do you party?”
I’m sure those that party are not the best singers, or dancers, or musicians, or best dressed… you get the picture.
#Ride ‘til death
I do Albert!
Here's a testimonial that what you say is true; I recently had a doctor's visit where my labs were all within normal range. He was shocked. I am 66 and look like I could be your brother. So my body mass index is way too high (as yours is) by that metric. I do ride 1 mile up hill to the store and bring back my weekly groceries one backpack at a time. I do ride 1 mile to work but I only have to bring my lunch. On the weekends I do ride just because my body is condition to ride and feels neglected if I don't.
Another great inspirational video mate. Keep it going
You're an inspiration mate. Keep up the good work!
Love it, thanks for the motivation.
Onya 💪 from 🇦🇺
I always love these. Thank you for doing them. Also - lovely roads you ride.
Glad you like them.
Gotta say, I was 60, technically obese and cycling 100 miles a week when I had a triple heart bypass. I'm sure the cycling speeded up my recovery and I was much better off than if I had been that weight and unfit, but there's an old saying that you can't run away from a bad diet, and it turns out you can't ride away from one either.
Another top video Leonard .Lots of nice comments and appreciation of your work .Could you do a video of all your goodies? and a review of what you like best and worse cheers 🚴👌