Did my first 2 endurance races this last summer at 44. 140 km grand fondo and 152 km whistler forte fondo. Both efforts smashed what I formerly thought was my limits.
At 69, I am consistently breaking my PR's. Did my first 75 mile ride at 67, and my 1st century at 68. As long as I train properly, there's no stopping me. Yes, it's true that I can't keep up with younger riders if they want to push, but I can still get close to 400 watts on a sprint. Glad to see this video. It validates my own experience.
I have been a cyclist for 20yrs, but it wasn’t until 3 yrs ago that I did my first century ride. It was challenging for me, I’m moderately disabled so it took me the entire day, but I did it. 7 months later I rode 4,000 miles across the US and strung together 3 sets of 3 centuries in 3 days (riding through Nebraska & later upstate New York). You really don’t know what you’re capable of u til you put yourself in a situation to just endure with gentle persistence.
this is really encouraging thank you! I'm a "new" cyclist getting back on my bike with a moderate disability at 38 and I'm still in the struggling phase. But even if I don't get to doing a 400mile trip, if I keep going, it will only get better
I've long thought that GCN should do more for us old(er) riders and greatly welcomed this video. I'm 68, a life-long cyclist and yes... the ability to keep on going stays with you for much longer than one might think. Touring remains a great pleasure and I hope to keep it up for many years to come. That being said, a large part of it is mental, thanks to decades of experience and intimately knowing my limits. To put it another way, someone my age with the same physical fitness but without my experience would quickly wither on a tour. Or perhaps it's all due to a butt hardened over the decades?
100% agree with this. I think what Nick said is spot on, I can't put big efforts in but can chug along for long periods. Last year, at the age of 60, I did 213 miles in a day cycling from Somerset to Liverpool and was amazed that I still averaged 14mph.
I wonder, for non pro athletes, if the fact that you have more time to train can also be a reason that more people in their 40s and 50s enter endurance races. Your kids are grown, can get themselves to their own activities or are moving out, and you have more time to train than when you were in your late 20s and 30s. I know this is true for me.
The first time I attempted a 100 miles ride (solo) I gave myself exactly 6 hours what with a young family and household responsibilities. I plotted a course that meant from 75 miles distance I was less than 5 miles from home ifI had to bail due to time constraints - I had to be back at the designated time. I had to bail and was 3 1/2 miles short, and just made it home with 5hr 59min elapsed time (no stops). How some people do it in little over 5 hours without breaking a sweat is astonishing. I'm 30, 63kg and my TT personal bests are 25:23 for 10 mile and 1:04:43 for 25 mile, so my fitness is pretty decent.
Yes this! I was coming on to say the same thing. It's easy to get good at endurance when you have the time to log the miles. I noticed when I joined a gravel riding group, the best riders were the retired guys in their mid to late 60's. They simply had more time to ride. One guy would consistently log 300 mile weeks. Hard to do that with a full time job and kids you need to chase around to things.
As an older cyclist (66) I never got into racing or competition. But in retirement I have gotten into bicycle touring. Did long way around John O Groats to Lands End (4000km including the west coast of Scotland and Wales) last year
I'm an older rider - wouldn't go as far as to call myself an athlete though. In my 50's my challenge was to do a 50 mile ride. In my mid 60's with a few years retirement behind me and lots of riding during lockdown I thought I'd see if I could do a century. I did it and enjoyed it so much I tried a more challenging one the next year. Didn't do one lst year but I intend to give it a go this year as I approach my 69th birthday! I don't ride a fancy bike, I don't ride fast but getting on the bike and enjoying the ride is enhance by the chellenge and the sense of purpose.
If you're willing to put the effort in then yes. I got into track cycling at 50, and last year managed to get as far as the finals of the UCI Masters World Track Champs. Age is not a barrier, don't limit yourself!
I am 42 and I am doing my first endurance event this year. I am riding the Chase the Sun North event in June where I will ride 200+ miles across the country. In my training I have definitely seen my power output reduce in my 40s but I definitely can see my endurance is right up. As you say, this has a lot to with mindset as you get older. I have always had a mantra which I remember on any ride: "You can ALWAYS pedal once more", I have that in my mind at all times especially when it gets hard.
In my 50s I have increased my muscle mass and increased my FTP dramatically. Last FTP test I did I was at 375. I do find recovery takes longer than before, but as a man who turned 59 today, my 50s have seen increased metrics across the board and I'm still picking up KOMs along the way. I know at some point the painting in the attic will catch up to me, but until that time, I'm going full gas and loving every minute of it.
It's quite possible you were nowhere near your fitness ceiling in your earlier years. At the age of 30 I am seeing a lot of improvements year-on-year having only started cycling at the age of 24. I am also on limited training time so with less time constraints I could be more consistent and get much closer to it. In 10 years time I will probably start peaking on anaerobic thresholds when I will have more time to do so.
@@gcn Bikepacking in Italy in June. I have been learning Italian so it'll be double fun Do you have any advice on taking a bike on a train from England to Italy? Anyway I can do it without boxing it up?
At 67 years old and having a varied background in athletics over my life I can't say for sure but if the study cited is true then it is so and I am grateful to hear. I also think we old folks benefit from strength training and I am leaning into this to a greater extent by periodizing. Winter is for gym and strength and summer is for distance and endurance. But I try to not ignore strength work at any time. The emphasis just changes when the weather does. Recovery for me is the real kicker so I utilize a full time wrist based tracker that helps me know how my body is doing. It is true that we learn to not hurt ourselves as we get older. Yet I find myself overextending myself on a consistent basis because in the moment I am feeling great. I am still trying to learn to be more intentional and reign myself in.
The strength training is pretty important at older ages for sure, because I lose muscle in 10 minutes if I don't do any weights! And still a lot weaker than when I was young. Recovery is another one - it just takes longer. However, once the motor starts running, I never seem to get enough riding, and even stronger the longer I am in the saddle.
I got very involved in cycling in my early 60s (joined a club, got a better bike, dropped 30 pounds, began a yoga routine, and did longer/steeper rides). I made impressive improvements for 10 years. I was very pleased. But I'm now in my early 70s and I'm no longer improving. The distances I could easily do before are just not possible now. While on the ride I still feel just as strong but if I stay in the saddle too long I pay for it after in my lower back and legs.
Hi Si, thanks a lot for this great video. I think you nailed it really!!! I am 52 and I started my endurance “career” with 38, more or less, and I have been getting better since, BUT (there is always a but), don’t forget to talk about RECOVERY. Unfortunately recovery capabilities decline with age, at least in my case, and that needs to be taken into to account when you plan your training, otherwise overtraining becomes a serious threat!!! Thanks again great video!
Went out for a 200km yesterday, feeling like shit today, not cause of the route per se or the ride itself - but the lack of water intake - 3x750 ml water bottles was not enough. Feel hungover!
Yes, yes and YES... I have commented here on GCN before that, as an older rider, I am still improving on setting and achieving distance goals as well as maintaining average speeds. One example I can think of is that when I rode the Rouvy Vancouver-Whistler Virtual Sea to Sky stages (and yes, I still want to ride the real thing Si !) I was left behind earlier but caught up and passed other (younger) riders that ran out of steam later in the ride. This is a combination of experience (pacing and previous mental experience of "that dark feeling") and my pure lack of power output to keep up the earlier part of the ride, as pointed out in the video. I just watched a UA-cam video on the 91-year-old who rode Land's End to John O'Groats in a record time. I plan on breaking that record... of course I have to wait another (about) 14 years, but damn it... It's my current long-term goal and you guys are contributing to that inspiration !!! KEEP THESE "MATURE RIDER" PIECES COMING.
I completed my first century (miles) ride last year at 58, wind was gusting up to 35mph most of the day but I found my pace and settled into the work and it really wasn’t that hard. I didn’t feel any worse the next day than I would after a 100k ride.
Good video! I'm glad that you talked about the experience/mental side of events. Endurance events require you to be mentally tough and to push through hard efforts and low points. This mindset is a skill that can be learned, but it takes time and experience, something that older athletes have over younger athletes. This mental improvement is over and above any physical changes experienced by the athlete.
Started racing road and track in 30s. Always better performance in longer events. Now 60, completed Audax SR and PBP this year. This in the year after i was seriously injured by a deer landing on me. Believe my long term endurance helped significantly in surviving and recovering from this trauma. Great article team. Thank you.🦌
Stellar content again Si and gcn! Love the science references embedded in the lived experience of Nick, Mark and yes...Si! Corresponds to my lived experience too on so many of the points. I have found at 65 that I can ride much longer than I ever used to do! I particularly resonate with Nick saying to avoid injury because you can't go hammer and tongs yet you find yourself putting in a slightly lower power level for longer and you pull away. Mark is so right about the mental game!! I find that the wide and varied experience is critical to meeting those seemingly impossible challenges. Remember everyone, the caution, Phil Clavell's Midlife Cyclist warns that you have to avoid overtraining and really temper your efforts if your morning heart rate is elevated. After endurance events/any event we need to build in enough recovery time! Love this content and really appreciate the science!
Great vid, I’m 43 have done LEJOG 9 days and 200miles in a day, I have also ran 100 miles in a day, and note that in those events that were 100% endurance i was definitely more at home in those tough moments and also noted that many of the people at the sharp end were older than me. I believe this to be for the reasons Si mentioned but also down to the fact as we get older we lose stuff (loved ones, jobs other real difficulties) so we get more and more resilient as the temporary pain isn’t as scary as it once was. Age is just a number that keep going and achieve our goals.
Great video, very promising and motivating. I'm 52 years old and much prefer longer rides rather than faster rides if and when I get the chance. Really interesting, thank you.
Mine has. But that's because i decided a few years ago to get back into shape and started riding a lot more, especially climbs. As my dad always said, hill build character!
You also have more time to do longer distances as you get older. The kids are at school or left home, retirement etc. So it's also the training that changes.
At 78 my endurance has maintained itself. Whilst not fast (I am riding 12,000 km per year (averaging 250 km per week at 18 km/h) for the last 5 years. My first week of 2024 was 289 kms and feeling great. I don't ride in the rain in order to take rest days. I live in Florida in Jan & Feb and the rest of the year in Toronto which is mostly sunny. I also find that i do not require as much food on the ride and after the ride..
Great video. I do think that if you've been relentless from a young age the body remains very capable, especially if you supplement endurance work with strength training. At 57 I'm not as strong as I used to be, but not by that much. And as you say experience certainly prepares you for the pain!
In ultra, experience and even more importantly, mindset is key. In Transcontinental 2018 age 51, I averaged 290km daily over 13 days. 4 years later in 2022, I increased this to 325km. If anything my fitness at higher efforts was less, partly due to age I guess, but partly because I knew I could rely more on experience. My efficiency and ride v rest ratio was better and I gained 10% or more in my daily average. This wasn’t a one off, I saw gradual increases over the years in between on other ultra races. Experience tends to reduce stress and this plays a part also. Interesting was my final overall ranking in the race, almost the same for both years!
Giving up speed, I've done the Cingles triple Ventoux aged 55, and three Etapes aged 56,57 and 60. It has all been possible by maintaining the level of fitness, but also being attentive to fuel and liquid intake before and over such events.
Fully agree, turned 60 last year and started running (and continue to cycle) and completed a UTMB 50k. I do find ultra running slowly easier than riding slower I think because rinding slowly is no fun.
I completely agree as a 65 year old enthusiast who only just started riding 10 years ago, I pace myself and find I still have energy to spare whilst my friends who are fast out of the gate are fading and wanting it over with. It helps to have the mindset of feeling lucky that I am able to do 50-100 miles rides.
I am 83 now, was an athlete pretty much all my life, running (10 K and up), speedskating (preferred distance 5000 and up), cycling and now Triathlon. Never could sprint in anything or for anything, so there may be a genetic predisposition. As a Physical Therapist I also know that the good old "slow twitch - fast twitch muscle fiber" theory is simplistic. Anyway: you mentioned a lot of things that I can attest to. when I started with skating in my 40ies I was probably never the fastest or fittest athlete on the line but one of the smartest. Than sounds cocky but I simply knew when someone was frying himself and it was better to let him go and I also knew when I had to stay with him or sh/could go myself. The prime personal experience was during the "SURM" Schwarzwald Ultra Rad Marathon, a 240 K "race' in the black forest of Germany. The main climb is up the Kandel mountain, just short of 10 K climbing with a little less than 1,000 meters total vertical. On the bottom everyone in my group went way to fast, about halfway up I started to reel them in and passed rider after rider, stopped counting after 50. One other factor (and I hate that) is retirement age. In Tris I am in the age group of 60 to 65 and while I am still in the workforce many of my competitors are retirees already, spending much more time training than I can. But in another 3 years I will have the time as well and then it is Kandel all over again.
Interesting subject, however I think it might be applying more to sprint than long distances… (MAYBE CYCLING IS WAY DIFRENT FROM SWIMMING ). Below is what is actually happens in swimming ... I was a pro swimmer for 14 years and swam for a national team. I did primarily 50, and 100 ( sprinter). Never was good enough in long or mid distance… during my carrier I saw many sprinters do compete on a very high level in their mid 30's and in some few cases a bit past 40 years old. Here is the list: Anthony Ervin won an Olympic Gold medal in 50 free age of 35. Dara Torres won an Silver medal in 50 free in age of 41. Michal Phelps (GOAT) won his last Olympic Gold in age of 30 - NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A SPRINTER. Jason Lezak won his last gold in age of 37. There are couple more name here, but the trend is the same... There are some other examples, and yes you can argue that those guys can still compete and do relatively well, however, we are talking here about the endurance and the main reason there are almost 0 swimmers who does anything over 100m is simple, endurance goes down due to the body not being able to recover and maintain HIGH training intensity going. Most swimmers who are still performing on very high level are sprinters, long distance swimmers just can not do the volume of training past certain age to maintain their pick performance form… There are couple points here; I think athletes that you are talking about are “special cases”, yes you can definitely ride long races in n your mid age, but the recovery is not there and let’s be honest, if you put a pro rider at their 30”s he will most likely destroy the one who is 50 years old. But there are always special cases and those a very few … I would definitely disagree with this statement, “endurance does improve with age”, yeah it’s good for your self esteem but in reality we all getting old and never be the same as we were in our mid 20’s… I am correctly 40 years old and do do 1/2 ironman's and triathlons. (feel great, however, I KNOW that for a FACT, that if I would do the same races and trainning as I do now , when I was in my 20's, my results would look much better... If I would want to get back into swimming and wanted to get back into the shape as I was before I quit, I am positives that with a LOT of Right type of training I could possibly get back very close to my PB in 50 free or Fly, however, I am sure I wont be able to get anywhere close to my 100's time, and not even speaking about anything about it (200, 400...and so ON) Good video tho… gave me a bit of hope… lol… Thanks for an awesome content … Ps Cycling might be a bit different story from swimming but the main problem is still there “ we are getting older”, got couple min older while writing this post… lololol Have an amazing weekend y’all!!!!
I have been cycling for 8yrears . I am now 65 and going strong . I rude around 40 to 50 miles every other day and on weekends 100 miles . 7 years ago I had a hart attack. Because of Amalidosa AL. It's an abnormal protein that courses damage to keddeny s and arteries and other problems. I have been on chemo for 3 years . And I am cycling strong . I lost some of my speed but my Endurance I never lost . Now I am getting faster on my bike . Training for Big Bear calif Grandfondo coming up thus summer. 110 miles 10,000 feet of climbing. You are never to old to do the things you love . And I am also a surfer .. Keep cycling don't stop!!!!!!!
I am 40 and whilst I definitely can't pull things off that I struggled with 20 years ago (even though my stupid arse tried...), I feel like the endurance is still there. You just have to pace yourself because your mind is screaming "GO GO GO!" while your body just wants to collapse. I'm happy giving it all I got but I must not compare myself to the younger me.
I agree that endurance gets easier. I am 48y old. Did 455km Munga Gravel Grid 2023, Riding time 26Hours, Come join us 2024! Full Munga 1130km November 2024, Bring GCN and do it!!!
200km is a nice day out, 300km upwards is just a great ride. Proud to have achieved Super Randonneur in my 65th year and in 15 weeks will be completing the 2000km self supported race around the Netherlands. So yes I am definately going longer as I age
Your gonna love RAtN it is a fantastic way to explore the NL! Just be sure to take warmer clothing if you plan on bivvying as it can be very cold in April still, and be sure to stock well up before you tackle the NE-most corner, I had to come of route to find a shop at one point - no big deal but study those food shops. =) Have fun!
I’m a 72 yo, and going strong. I did many long rides last year, including a century ride (miles, not klicks). This year, I hope to ride across the entire state of Washington, all the way to Idaho. I love it, and I don’t think of myself as a super athlete.
I am 65 and had a lower colorectal resection and the doctors took away 16 inches of my sigmoid colon and rectum. I thought that would stop me cycling distance ive cycled all my life i was devastated but i found i could still go the distance its amazing what you can do the older you get, just don,t give up.
I do believe this, I am in my 40s and I took up cycling two years ago as a way to stay fit and my riding friends most of them are much younger than me. While I can’t equal their speed over short distances, I can keep up when we going on longer rides.
I'm in my mid-40s and I'm in the best shape of my life. I think all of what you mentioned is true, but I'm also better at planning my training and planning my long rides than I used to be. Rest days, rest weeks, zone 2, scheduled intervals... I ignored all of that in my youth and just rode as far, fast, and hard every day
I’m 56 now and after about a 25 year hiatus raising my kids I’m back on the bike and riding with my son. We are consistently doing centuries I’ve got to train hard and intentionally so I can keep up with him. It’s not gonna be any fun waiting for dad. Just stay humble. Overdoing it can cause injury, which would be a big setback. Pride comes before the fall, literally.
I rode my first century and only double century at 39, after several months of intensive training and several years of commuting. We got a tandem for my wife's 40th birthday and rode several centuries in our 40s, I resumed commuting in my 50s, and we rode a number of half-centuries in our 60s, along with my "birthday miles" and some loaded multi-day touring with up to 40-mile days. In our 70s we slowed down a bit, but I rode a few metric birthday rides with minimal training. That early endurance training in the 30s and 40s pays off, as we know what to expect when we push the envelope, and automatically kick into a pattern of hydration, fueling, and pacing to quickly extend distance, even after long periods of light or no activity. And, that's the secret of "ageless endurance."
So true , great vid 👍 here in australia I rode a race Blaney to Bathurst , 100ks . At the age of 58 it took me 3 hrs 15 mins , but when I checked my age group catetory I was beaten by 15 older riders with one being 75 yrs old !
Look up (UA-cam) 75 year young (U.S.) Gene Dykes. At 70 years he ran a 2:54 marathon! He has been running ultra marathons, to keep his conditioning. (My words) He always says to get a coach to improve on one’s anaerobic capacity (my words). - Ruben Solis from Richwood, Tx.
I am an older cyclist like most of the other responders. I have been on/ off a bike most of my life. While in my 20's I rode 10 -15 mile commutes to/ from school, this seemed such a long ride at the time. Now, in my 50's I bicycle commute 2-3 times week to work (22 miles/ dayround trip) and do endurance rides/ events covering distances of 50 - 75 miles and more. My longest distance so far has been 75 miles during the "Hotter n Hell" race in Wichita Falls, Tx. Using mental toughness and proper training as an older rider I know maintaining a constant pace/ crank rotation I don't waste energy constantly changing my speed.
I rode Paris Brest Paris 4 times starting at the age of 48 in 1995. I bought my first decent bike in 1990, a Raleigh Royal and a Chas Roberts custom built in 1992. I rode my first 200 Audax in 1994. Qualifying in1995 I learned from each event how to feed, how to pace and to ride at night. I do not have a sporting background but for whatever reason cycling seemed right for me. My endurance got better and better and the second PBP was relatively easy as a result. In the early 2000’s I regularly rode the Etape du Tour and all of the Belgium/France classics full distance, not the half distance which seems popular now. Never fast but I could hold 16-18mph for 24 hours and ride successive days of 300-400 km. During all PBP I rarely rode in the dark, apart from the start, spending the nights in hotels en-route leaving as dawn was breaking. Overall riding time average was 15mph for each and I never suffered any of the associated aches and pains of multiple days in the saddle, possibly due to the Chas Roberts bike. My endurance just got better and better as I aged and as speed was never a priority I never suffered from any injuries due to over stressing. So, yes endurance does definitely get better as you age and as you gain confidence and experience.
I find that I simply cannot "power dump" anymore. I am 50 and enjoy the longer rides much better these days in zone 2. Better on my joints as.well. love the video
If possible, I would love to hear an interview with Ned Overend regarding endurance sports and aging. He's my favorite example of a person who performs/performed at an elite level as he has aged. As a man in his fifties, I love hearing these videos.
Studies have shown the peak age for performance at elite level on the road averages at 28.2 years and 25.5 years for track cycling. Saved you watching the whole video.
I am now 80 years old. My best “endurance” year came when I was 73; I rode 15,847 miles, and I would have topped 16,000 if I hadn’t injured my knee in early December. I was “competing” with a female friend in Dallas who is twenty years younger. She managed about 15,400 miles. Around that time, she was doing randoneuring rides and competing in 24 hour races. She beat the entire field at 24 Hours in the Canyon (Palo Duro Canyon in west Texas.) I have observed several other riders who have done extremely long distances over the course of a year. It seems the sweet spot is age 65 to 75. This may be explained partially by their reaching retirement age and having the time to ride 1000 or more hours. Of course, you have to arrive at that age in good physical condition, and life doesn’t give all of us that opportunity. In particular, athletes who participated in contact sports may have suffered injuries that affect their abilities as they age. I had to have a knee replacement the next year, and while I made a full recovery, I haven’t come close to my ten years of 13,000 to 15,000+ mile years. I’m working on doing better this year, though!
I am 74 years old. Even if I was not better or more wise, I enjoy and appreciate cycling now more than ever. Gratitude outweighs resilience for me, even though I am resilient.
This is good information because I am now 31 and hope to keep ridding my touring bicycle long distances. My new goal is to ride 200 miles in one day next summer.
Upon moving to Loveland, Oh. USA, mid 2000s, I began doing a beautiful ride from our house, to Yellow Springs, Oh. and back. Total 168 km. 100% rail trail. The Ohio to Erie trail. Last two times I did it, the final 30 km I would start getting weaker, and get home exhausted. Stopped 10 years ago at 52 years age. 2016 started riding near only cx. Fell in love with it. No racing. Late August 2023 (62 now), once again rode from our house, to Yellow Springs, Oh. When I got home, I still had lots of go-go juice in me. Felt great! Same CF bike, but did tire up from 23s to 25s. Fueled & hydrated the same way. Weather conditions the same. In those ten years I did lose app; 10.5 kg, so thats big. And less stress. I will be curious to see how weight changes and/or mental health are reflected in the vid. Thanks!
Great video, in fact I can relate to this as last season now in mid forties I pb'd in all mileage TT disciplines 10,25,50,100 & 12hr events. Some of which were 10 year PBS. 👍
I won 8 races last year (at 47 years old, 6 running and the only two triathlons I did in 2023), many more than I ever have in a single year. Also the first race I did of 2024 :) So I for one am definitely better than ever, and have no plans of stopping anytime soon!
100%. In my early twenties I used to ride to the coast and back many times. Was only 70 miles and that was enough. Never did 100 miles. Back in 2013, when I was 45, whilst training for the RideLondon sportive I got used to riding 100 miles and now I ride at least 15 x 100 mile days a year. Even 186 miles aged 52 on the Welsh Dragon devil.
This video is so spot on. As a younger cyclist i had more stamina and a much higher FTP. Oh and more training hours logged. I’m now retired and I entered a crit race and the Tour de Tucson. Crit race, I was crushed by the much younger competition (i’m 59, next oldest in my group 36) but i found that, once i was lapped (😢), by using my bike handling skills I was able to sit and ride comfortably in the peloton. In the tour de Tucson I devised an effective strategy, only gained through experience (dare i say wisdom). And i must say, with less training and a much lower FTP my time was quicker than similar distance races from my past. I stuck to my power targets, adapted to the opportunities around me (surfing wheels), and had the energy to do some hard pulls for the group in the end. The biggest difference, for me, in these two examples is post race. The younger me was completely exhausted after a race. After these two examples i was no worse for wear.
I'm 58. I never stopped riding after I got my first racing bike, as they were known back then, at age 10. A Coventry Eagle. I still commute via bike 15 miles each way. I believe riding in general, but specifically endurance, come down to mental toughness which is something you certainly develop with age.
Last year i rode the Spreewald 200km in Germany in seven hours at 60yo which is about 3 hours quicker than my first attempt when i was 44yo! (only 15 riders (out of 1400) were faster, the fastest rider on the day was @35 minutes ahead and i was giving him 20 years) I'm sure that overcoming the fear of longer distances is important, the length of my rides has crept up from @ 75km average 10 years ago to @ 100km average now, i just keep plugging away all day. I might not generally be riding as fast but throw in the distance and there won't be many in front at the finish of a hundred plus miler.
As a 54 year old and previous amateur time trialler, road racer and triathlete in my 20s/30s I find now I can't do the explosive efforts I once did but can do long days in the saddle at lower intensity. I also find my experience of knowing my body limits now reaps benefits. Whereas in my 20s and 30s I didn't like to be overtaken by other cyclists, so would push over my limit to stay in front etc, even on training rides, now it doesn't bother me so I don't have issues going for longer. As Nick said, I also find the muscle memory is there now, so even after long bouts off the bike, getting back into it again is not as difficult as when I was younger.
As a 55 year old, I've been checking my times on rides, and in the main they're slower, but also still up there with my best times. Sure, there are faster riders around, but it is the endurance, the ability push the body that is key; as Mark Beaumont said, I've been there and know what to expect; and as Nick said, I can't keep up in certain sections, so preserve - letting the young guns over work themselves, and then come back later. I check my stats on all my rides, and I am generally [consistently] in the top third, and I am happy with that. In some places, top 20, which is feels great.
New back to cycling after 20 years- yes, I can keep going longer- I think it’s more of a mental thing- but I have recently got a turbo trainer and that’s made a difference physically to my road riding-at nearly 60 - I enjoy cycling more than I did at 30
I am a 65 year old woman and my endurance is good. I have definitely improved over the years. I don't have the peak powers I used to have but I have no problem cycling for hours
I'm 68, never been a competitive cyclist, and I did 10 x 3 peaks challenges ( Australia, 234 km, 4500m elevation) between 2011 - 2022. All you need to finish the ride is some training (I aimed for 3 months doing in each week what I needed to do in the ride) and remembering during the ride "...if it was easy everyone would be out here doing it..." p.s. " endurance? it's in the name...!"
Mine definitely has, especially in my knowledge of how my body works. Fuelling being the biggest improvement. I managed the biggest rides of my life when I turned 50 last year and completed them with energy to spare.
I was 57 when I rode my first road century on a run of the mill road bike. Two weeks later, I rode the same route on my mountain bike, taking only an extra three minutes of riding time. So anecdotally, I would say that age is not a barrier to longer distances, nor is riding on a heavier bike when one knows exactly what to expect.
I'm 52 and started cycling 3 years ago after 15 years of bodybuilding. Whilst I can't say if my endurance has improved with age as I never did any previously, I can say that I'm fitter than I ever have been and my FTP hovers at around 280 - 300 watts, and averaged 270 watts over a 32 mile TT (1hr 22 mins) last summer. I've done multiple 100 mile rides, with a few averaging 19mph, and a couple of 204 mile rides. I'm averaging around 6000 miles a year. I've Got a number of KOM's and numerous Strava top 10's and top 2....beating guys much younger than me. I'm over the moon, but it does leave me wishing I'd started cycling when I was younger.
I am turning 50 this year and have been mountain biking for close to 30 years. I do a one mile single track climb on Strava at least 2 times a year I have consistently broken my best time every year! The last attempt was my fastest.
I am 69. I did lots of rides last year, but five rides were over 90 miles and 2 of those were over 110 miles. And I enjoyed every one of them. Hope to do many more this year.
I'm an athlete of a certain age. This video's subject is my experience with getting older. I have two 2024 fitness goals: an all-daylight 300KM ride (June/July), and a 50K baby ultramarathon run (October). Over the last few months while preparing my base fitness, I do feel like my body remembers its long hours of work from the past endurance training cycles.
We older ones have been there, done that, seen a lot and are just more stubborn and won't let up. (You called it "age and wisdom" and "dealing with dark moments"). Big plus for covering this - now go out and find a 50+ presenter to broaden GCN's appeal.
I'm forever commenting on GCN about riding with my Dad but.... As a 32 year old, I feel pretty fit and these days on a standard weekend 3-4hr ride I can make life very hard for my 62 year old (still very fit) Dad if I choose to (not in a cruel way!). But we love an all day ride, and I can't count the number of times 3hrs in to those rides he's said "I'm really struggling", but come 250km in he's chatting away saying he's got a second wind and feeling good. Meanwhile yours truly wants to shout "Shut up!" and throttle him because I've been on my limit for the last hour and have no prospect of a second wind. Definitely feel like in the Brownbill family, endurance (i.e. >6hr rides) is the great leveller, its why we love them!
An aspect of endurance performance you didn’t really explore, it might be considered as an aspect of wisdom, is injury rates. I suspect a contributing factor to going longer is being able to maintain consistent, injury free training. I’m now 56 and can go just as long as I ever did, in fact, did my highest amount of elevation in one day last summer (5.500ms). I’ve started do8ng much more weight training and this season have started racing CX for the first time, which is really opposite to endurance in terms of energy requirements. I have a suspicion that a strong endurance base makes it much easier to add power intensity if you need to, because muscles, tendons and bones are in good working order.
I'm a relative newcomer to cycling, getting my first proper road bike at 36. At 42, I had rapidly improved and got decently fit (turns out I'm a sprinter). I even did some crit racing, being good enough to be Cat 4 pack filler but not good enough to hang with the fast group on the Saturday morning rides. But now at 42, I find I'm decent at and actually enjoy longer and longer rides. It's weakened the sprint but I'll accept the transition to a punchy diesel. I joined my local Randonneuring group and now 200k rides are no big deal. It's not a race but I like being one of the first ones done. Current long ride is 400k and I'm targeting PBP in 2027.
There's a great book by Joe Friel "Fast after 50" that covers this subject in great depth. Essentially though, we start losing power etc somewhere in our 30's, but by the 50's it plateux's. In our 50's, we have the staying power.
Metabolic chemistry aside, endurance is a lot about mental capacity. I believe as you get older your head (mental state) is in a different place. It's built up a huge amount of experience, not just physical experience but life in general. I believe this helps during endurance efforts and makes us better at it than our younger selves.
I did my first 100 miler this past year on my 63rd birthday. I did my first 150+ mile 3 day ride at 60 and a 7 day, 454 mile ride across the state of Iowa at 61. I love endurance rides. Therapeutic, if you ask me. Trying to figure out whats on the schedule this year.
Age 68… when I ride with my 22 yo grandson… he’s waiting for me on the first few hills… after 100km I’m ahead (and not waiting 🤣). But I think he has a lot more upside. And today I celebrated my friend’s 75th birthday with a 75 km ride. I’m looking forward to his 80th!
Yes, At 70 my endurance is higher than at most anytime in my life. But my cycling journey only started after successful heart surgery 8 years ago. I now do long bike packing rides and am lucky to have a retired wife who will pick me up if something bad happens. Last year that occurred twice during 275 mile difficult rides. The year before was during a 100 mile gravel race and the year before that was on a 50 mile mountain bike trail after broken ribs. It also is great in the US that we can buy road assistance for bike breakdowns through AAA.
Mine has improved in middle age, mainly because I didn’t exercise before. 😂 That said going by Simons rapidly increasing grey hair, we will have a definitive answer soon…. (Sorry Si, I couldn’t resist, welcome to the grey club! 😂)
Will see ,I am getting better too as i am older, traning cycling for 3y, last year was Master A racing, this one planing to go to Elite, btw. I am 33y 😅
I've always loved cycling but never had enough time to do really long trips. Work (more than 12 hours a day away from home), family..., but I'm not complaining. I liked my work and enjoyed family outings. However, because of this I never bought a racing bike and always rode a normal bike (Norta Survival Alu 7 speed, 25 years old now) Since all my cycling frends are ride an e-bike I bought a gravel bike (I'm 68 now). I especially like "long" rides that fill my day and speed is certainly not the most important thing for me. My longest ride so far was 180km and I really enjoyed it. My goal is to ride more and more multi-day tours. All the rides I do with my "e-bike friends" I still do with my Norta Survival, which is more than 25 years old.
You can train and train on a turbo to improve your FTP, to give you and easier leg experience. As a cyclist rides further and further, back, shoulder and neck muscles build to keep the head aloft for longer. With no neck pain or discomfort, the legs sing.
I am 65 and I can ride 60 to 80 miles over very hilly roads I used to train on. I don't have power any more, meaning, I cannot hold the wheels of guys going over 25 MPH on relatively flat roads unless it is a pack and they ride steady without spurts. As the season advances, I don't need to nap as much. I also found I can stand without needing to sit when I am in peak season. I wish I could climb like I used to but, no matter how may steep climbs I do, I am not able to build real power, I just slog my way up and pace myself. I am going to use an oximeter this year to measure fatigue. I use a HR monitor and with my Wahoo Bolt and I am usually in the yellow zone. Finally, I can ride hours, up to 6 and not feel wasted.
This was great! Thanks Si! At 58, I’m all about endurance. Am I fast, no. But that’s ok. Can I do centuries & gran Fondos? Yes…do I come in last, yep! But that’s ok. My goal is to do them.
Has your endurance improved with age? 🧐
No evidence so far !
Im fitter at 54 than I’ve ever been and always cycle in a fasted state
In 2020 I was weight 120kg. And in summer time I was buy a bike. In 2022 I maked my longest ride 500km in 24 hours without sleep😊Im 37yo now.
Did my first 2 endurance races this last summer at 44. 140 km grand fondo and 152 km whistler forte fondo. Both efforts smashed what I formerly thought was my limits.
My wife says my endurance is out of this world. I'm only sixty but hopefully when i do get old i can still hang on to this incredible endurance...
My wife once suggested I should ride 100 miles a day. That way, by the end of the week I'd be 700 miles away.
😂😂😂
Ta-daaa! Boom, boom
Hahahaha she knows what she's doing 😂
I wouldn't resist
@@stoby3356 To be fair, since the divorce, she hasn't shown much interest in my fitness!
My Cycle buddy, Kathy, just rode the Paris / Dakar . 7200 kms on 30 days . She is 70. She a total legend and a gracious and amazing inspiration.
that's amazing! well done her.
She's phenomenal! Wouldn't it be something if GCN had someone like her on?
At 69, I am consistently breaking my PR's. Did my first 75 mile ride at 67, and my 1st century at 68. As long as I train properly, there's no stopping me. Yes, it's true that I can't keep up with younger riders if they want to push, but I can still get close to 400 watts on a sprint. Glad to see this video. It validates my own experience.
That’s awesome! I ride with some guys in their 30s and they are lucky if they hit 400 watts on a ride.
I have been a cyclist for 20yrs, but it wasn’t until 3 yrs ago that I did my first century ride. It was challenging for me, I’m moderately disabled so it took me the entire day, but I did it. 7 months later I rode 4,000 miles across the US and strung together 3 sets of 3 centuries in 3 days (riding through Nebraska & later upstate New York). You really don’t know what you’re capable of u til you put yourself in a situation to just endure with gentle persistence.
Inspiring! Keep rocking! 👍👍
Very inspiring.. Bravo 👏👏👏
this is really encouraging thank you! I'm a "new" cyclist getting back on my bike with a moderate disability at 38 and I'm still in the struggling phase. But even if I don't get to doing a 400mile trip, if I keep going, it will only get better
Wow what a legend
I love stories like this, keep it up brother!!!
I've long thought that GCN should do more for us old(er) riders and greatly welcomed this video. I'm 68, a life-long cyclist and yes... the ability to keep on going stays with you for much longer than one might think. Touring remains a great pleasure and I hope to keep it up for many years to come. That being said, a large part of it is mental, thanks to decades of experience and intimately knowing my limits. To put it another way, someone my age with the same physical fitness but without my experience would quickly wither on a tour. Or perhaps it's all due to a butt hardened over the decades?
100% agree with this. I think what Nick said is spot on, I can't put big efforts in but can chug along for long periods. Last year, at the age of 60, I did 213 miles in a day cycling from Somerset to Liverpool and was amazed that I still averaged 14mph.
I wonder, for non pro athletes, if the fact that you have more time to train can also be a reason that more people in their 40s and 50s enter endurance races. Your kids are grown, can get themselves to their own activities or are moving out, and you have more time to train than when you were in your late 20s and 30s. I know this is true for me.
Spot on mate!
That's a great point! You certainly need to time to put in the hard miles 👀
The first time I attempted a 100 miles ride (solo) I gave myself exactly 6 hours what with a young family and household responsibilities. I plotted a course that meant from 75 miles distance I was less than 5 miles from home ifI had to bail due to time constraints - I had to be back at the designated time. I had to bail and was 3 1/2 miles short, and just made it home with 5hr 59min elapsed time (no stops). How some people do it in little over 5 hours without breaking a sweat is astonishing.
I'm 30, 63kg and my TT personal bests are 25:23 for 10 mile and 1:04:43 for 25 mile, so my fitness is pretty decent.
Yes this! I was coming on to say the same thing. It's easy to get good at endurance when you have the time to log the miles. I noticed when I joined a gravel riding group, the best riders were the retired guys in their mid to late 60's. They simply had more time to ride. One guy would consistently log 300 mile weeks. Hard to do that with a full time job and kids you need to chase around to things.
As an older cyclist (66) I never got into racing or competition. But in retirement I have gotten into bicycle touring. Did long way around John O Groats to Lands End (4000km including the west coast of Scotland and Wales) last year
I'm an older rider - wouldn't go as far as to call myself an athlete though. In my 50's my challenge was to do a 50 mile ride. In my mid 60's with a few years retirement behind me and lots of riding during lockdown I thought I'd see if I could do a century. I did it and enjoyed it so much I tried a more challenging one the next year. Didn't do one lst year but I intend to give it a go this year as I approach my 69th birthday! I don't ride a fancy bike, I don't ride fast but getting on the bike and enjoying the ride is enhance by the chellenge and the sense of purpose.
If you're willing to put the effort in then yes. I got into track cycling at 50, and last year managed to get as far as the finals of the UCI Masters World Track Champs. Age is not a barrier, don't limit yourself!
Wow excellent well done dude 😊😃😃🚴🏻🥇
I am 42 and I am doing my first endurance event this year. I am riding the Chase the Sun North event in June where I will ride 200+ miles across the country. In my training I have definitely seen my power output reduce in my 40s but I definitely can see my endurance is right up. As you say, this has a lot to with mindset as you get older. I have always had a mantra which I remember on any ride: "You can ALWAYS pedal once more", I have that in my mind at all times especially when it gets hard.
Absolutely agreed! I'm 40 and have the same mantra. If you can do one more revolution, you can do another one. And another one. And another one.
Just one more pedal 😂 Great to hear that your endurance is improving! Good luck in the big ride, you'll smash it we're sure. How is the prep going?
@@gcnit is going well. My main concern is fuelling on the bike. Once I nail that I will be happy!
@@TangibleBellyexactly! An endurance ride is just a series of extra revolutions of the pedals!
In my 50s I have increased my muscle mass and increased my FTP dramatically. Last FTP test I did I was at 375. I do find recovery takes longer than before, but as a man who turned 59 today, my 50s have seen increased metrics across the board and I'm still picking up KOMs along the way. I know at some point the painting in the attic will catch up to me, but until that time, I'm going full gas and loving every minute of it.
It's quite possible you were nowhere near your fitness ceiling in your earlier years. At the age of 30 I am seeing a lot of improvements year-on-year having only started cycling at the age of 24. I am also on limited training time so with less time constraints I could be more consistent and get much closer to it. In 10 years time I will probably start peaking on anaerobic thresholds when I will have more time to do so.
@@matt_acton-varian unlikely. I raced full-time through my late teens, 20s and till I hit veteran 1 category (one season of this).
Wow! Where did start with FTP and was that muscle gain due to on or off bike training💪
In fact, as an overview, what was your training like?
I wasn't a cyclist in my younger years. I got into cycling at 49. I enjoy long rides and love bikepacking trips
Awesome! Never to late to try new things 🙌 Have you got any rides lined up for this year?
@@gcn Bikepacking in Italy in June. I have been learning Italian so it'll be double fun
Do you have any advice on taking a bike on a train from England to Italy? Anyway I can do it without boxing it up?
At 67 years old and having a varied background in athletics over my life I can't say for sure but if the study cited is true then it is so and I am grateful to hear. I also think we old folks benefit from strength training and I am leaning into this to a greater extent by periodizing. Winter is for gym and strength and summer is for distance and endurance. But I try to not ignore strength work at any time. The emphasis just changes when the weather does. Recovery for me is the real kicker so I utilize a full time wrist based tracker that helps me know how my body is doing. It is true that we learn to not hurt ourselves as we get older. Yet I find myself overextending myself on a consistent basis because in the moment I am feeling great. I am still trying to learn to be more intentional and reign myself in.
Yes the confounding factor is muscle mass as it declines with aging - unless you do effective strength training.
The strength training is pretty important at older ages for sure, because I lose muscle in 10 minutes if I don't do any weights! And still a lot weaker than when I was young. Recovery is another one - it just takes longer. However, once the motor starts running, I never seem to get enough riding, and even stronger the longer I am in the saddle.
I got very involved in cycling in my early 60s (joined a club, got a better bike, dropped 30 pounds, began a yoga routine, and did longer/steeper rides). I made impressive improvements for 10 years. I was very pleased. But I'm now in my early 70s and I'm no longer improving. The distances I could easily do before are just not possible now. While on the ride I still feel just as strong but if I stay in the saddle too long I pay for it after in my lower back and legs.
Leg compression sleeves do wonders for recovery, but are expensive.
Hi Si, thanks a lot for this great video.
I think you nailed it really!!!
I am 52 and I started my endurance “career” with 38, more or less, and I have been getting better since, BUT (there is always a but), don’t forget to talk about RECOVERY. Unfortunately recovery capabilities decline with age, at least in my case, and that needs to be taken into to account when you plan your training, otherwise overtraining becomes a serious threat!!!
Thanks again great video!
Went out for a 200km yesterday, feeling like shit today, not cause of the route per se or the ride itself - but the lack of water intake - 3x750 ml water bottles was not enough. Feel hungover!
Yes, yes and YES... I have commented here on GCN before that, as an older rider, I am still improving on setting and achieving distance goals as well as maintaining average speeds. One example I can think of is that when I rode the Rouvy Vancouver-Whistler Virtual Sea to Sky stages (and yes, I still want to ride the real thing Si !) I was left behind earlier but caught up and passed other (younger) riders that ran out of steam later in the ride. This is a combination of experience (pacing and previous mental experience of "that dark feeling") and my pure lack of power output to keep up the earlier part of the ride, as pointed out in the video. I just watched a UA-cam video on the 91-year-old who rode Land's End to John O'Groats in a record time. I plan on breaking that record... of course I have to wait another (about) 14 years, but damn it... It's my current long-term goal and you guys are contributing to that inspiration !!! KEEP THESE "MATURE RIDER" PIECES COMING.
I completed my first century (miles) ride last year at 58, wind was gusting up to 35mph most of the day but I found my pace and settled into the work and it really wasn’t that hard. I didn’t feel any worse the next day than I would after a 100k ride.
Good video! I'm glad that you talked about the experience/mental side of events. Endurance events require you to be mentally tough and to push through hard efforts and low points. This mindset is a skill that can be learned, but it takes time and experience, something that older athletes have over younger athletes. This mental improvement is over and above any physical changes experienced by the athlete.
Started racing road and track in 30s. Always better performance in longer events. Now 60, completed Audax SR and PBP this year. This in the year after i was seriously injured by a deer landing on me. Believe my long term endurance helped significantly in surviving and recovering from this trauma. Great article team. Thank you.🦌
Stellar content again Si and gcn! Love the science references embedded in the lived experience of Nick, Mark and yes...Si! Corresponds to my lived experience too on so many of the points. I have found at 65 that I can ride much longer than I ever used to do! I particularly resonate with Nick saying to avoid injury because you can't go hammer and tongs yet you find yourself putting in a slightly lower power level for longer and you pull away. Mark is so right about the mental game!! I find that the wide and varied experience is critical to meeting those seemingly impossible challenges. Remember everyone, the caution, Phil Clavell's Midlife Cyclist warns that you have to avoid overtraining and really temper your efforts if your morning heart rate is elevated. After endurance events/any event we need to build in enough recovery time! Love this content and really appreciate the science!
Great vid, I’m 43 have done LEJOG 9 days and 200miles in a day, I have also ran 100 miles in a day, and note that in those events that were 100% endurance i was definitely more at home in those tough moments and also noted that many of the people at the sharp end were older than me. I believe this to be for the reasons Si mentioned but also down to the fact as we get older we lose stuff (loved ones, jobs other real difficulties) so we get more and more resilient as the temporary pain isn’t as scary as it once was. Age is just a number that keep going and achieve our goals.
Absolutely endurance improves with age. Older people have the skillsets to do things smarter, not harder, and have the patience to wait for results.
Great video, very promising and motivating. I'm 52 years old and much prefer longer rides rather than faster rides if and when I get the chance. Really interesting, thank you.
Mine has. But that's because i decided a few years ago to get back into shape and started riding a lot more, especially climbs.
As my dad always said, hill build character!
Hahahaha sounds like a wise guy!
You also have more time to do longer distances as you get older. The kids are at school or left home, retirement etc. So it's also the training that changes.
At 78 my endurance has maintained itself. Whilst not fast (I am riding 12,000 km per year (averaging 250 km per week at 18 km/h) for the last 5 years. My first week of 2024 was 289 kms and feeling great. I don't ride in the rain in order to take rest days. I live in Florida in Jan & Feb and the rest of the year in Toronto which is mostly sunny. I also find that i do not require as much food on the ride and after the ride..
Might want to check your stats on when the first Olympics happened...
Great video. I do think that if you've been relentless from a young age the body remains very capable, especially if you supplement endurance work with strength training. At 57 I'm not as strong as I used to be, but not by that much. And as you say experience certainly prepares you for the pain!
Interesting point! Staying fit throughout your life is always going to help you further down the line🙌
This is so true. Link between endurance and resilience.
In ultra, experience and even more importantly, mindset is key.
In Transcontinental 2018 age 51, I averaged 290km daily over 13 days. 4 years later in 2022, I increased this to 325km. If anything my fitness at higher efforts was less, partly due to age I guess, but partly because I knew I could rely more on experience. My efficiency and ride v rest ratio was better and I gained 10% or more in my daily average.
This wasn’t a one off, I saw gradual increases over the years in between on other ultra races. Experience tends to reduce stress and this plays a part also.
Interesting was my final overall ranking in the race, almost the same for both years!
Giving up speed, I've done the Cingles triple Ventoux aged 55, and three Etapes aged 56,57 and 60. It has all been possible by maintaining the level of fitness, but also being attentive to fuel and liquid intake before and over such events.
Fully agree, turned 60 last year and started running (and continue to cycle) and completed a UTMB 50k. I do find ultra running slowly easier than riding slower I think because rinding slowly is no fun.
I completely agree as a 65 year old enthusiast who only just started riding 10 years ago, I pace myself and find I still have energy to spare whilst my friends who are fast out of the gate are fading and wanting it over with. It helps to have the mindset of feeling lucky that I am able to do 50-100 miles rides.
At 65 I did my first century ride. At 66 I did Seattle to Portland (STP) and Seattle to Vancouver, BC (RSVP). Both of those over two days.
I am 83 now, was an athlete pretty much all my life, running (10 K and up), speedskating (preferred distance 5000 and up), cycling and now Triathlon. Never could sprint in anything or for anything, so there may be a genetic predisposition. As a Physical Therapist I also know that the good old "slow twitch - fast twitch muscle fiber" theory is simplistic. Anyway: you mentioned a lot of things that I can attest to. when I started with skating in my 40ies I was probably never the fastest or fittest athlete on the line but one of the smartest. Than sounds cocky but I simply knew when someone was frying himself and it was better to let him go and I also knew when I had to stay with him or sh/could go myself. The prime personal experience was during the "SURM" Schwarzwald Ultra Rad Marathon, a 240 K "race' in the black forest of Germany. The main climb is up the Kandel mountain, just short of 10 K climbing with a little less than 1,000 meters total vertical. On the bottom everyone in my group went way to fast, about halfway up I started to reel them in and passed rider after rider, stopped counting after 50.
One other factor (and I hate that) is retirement age. In Tris I am in the age group of 60 to 65 and while I am still in the workforce many of my competitors are retirees already, spending much more time training than I can. But in another 3 years I will have the time as well and then it is Kandel all over again.
I am 55 years old now, so this is wonderful to know! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Interesting subject, however I think it might be applying more to sprint than long distances… (MAYBE CYCLING IS WAY DIFRENT FROM SWIMMING ).
Below is what is actually happens in swimming ...
I was a pro swimmer for 14 years and swam for a national team. I did primarily 50, and 100 ( sprinter). Never was good enough in long or mid distance… during my carrier I saw many sprinters do compete on a very high level in their mid 30's and in some few cases a bit past 40 years old.
Here is the list:
Anthony Ervin won an Olympic Gold medal in 50 free age of 35.
Dara Torres won an Silver medal in 50 free in age of 41.
Michal Phelps (GOAT) won his last Olympic Gold in age of 30 - NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A SPRINTER.
Jason Lezak won his last gold in age of 37.
There are couple more name here, but the trend is the same...
There are some other examples, and yes you can argue that those guys can still compete and do relatively well, however, we are talking here about the endurance and the main reason there are almost 0 swimmers who does anything over 100m is simple, endurance goes down due to the body not being able to recover and maintain HIGH training intensity going.
Most swimmers who are still performing on very high level are sprinters, long distance swimmers just can not do the volume of training past certain age to maintain their pick performance form…
There are couple points here;
I think athletes that you are talking about are “special cases”, yes you can definitely ride long races in n your mid age, but the recovery is not there and let’s be honest, if you put a pro rider at their 30”s he will most likely destroy the one who is 50 years old. But there are always special cases and those a very few …
I would definitely disagree with this statement, “endurance does improve with age”, yeah it’s good for your self esteem but in reality we all getting old and never be the same as we were in our mid 20’s…
I am correctly 40 years old and do do 1/2 ironman's and triathlons. (feel great, however, I KNOW that for a FACT, that if I would do the same races and trainning as I do now , when I was in my 20's, my results would look much better...
If I would want to get back into swimming and wanted to get back into the shape as I was before I quit, I am positives that with a LOT of Right type of training I could possibly get back very close to my PB in 50 free or Fly, however, I am sure I wont be able to get anywhere close to my 100's time, and not even speaking about anything about it (200, 400...and so ON)
Good video tho… gave me a bit of hope… lol…
Thanks for an awesome content …
Ps
Cycling might be a bit different story from swimming but the main problem is still there “ we are getting older”, got couple min older while writing this post… lololol
Have an amazing weekend y’all!!!!
I have been cycling for 8yrears . I am now 65 and going strong .
I rude around 40 to 50 miles every other day and on weekends 100 miles .
7 years ago I had a hart attack. Because of Amalidosa AL. It's an abnormal protein that courses damage to keddeny s and arteries and other problems. I have been on chemo for 3 years .
And I am cycling strong . I lost some of my speed but my Endurance I never lost .
Now I am getting faster on my bike .
Training for Big Bear calif Grandfondo coming up thus summer. 110 miles 10,000 feet of climbing.
You are never to old to do the things you love .
And I am also a surfer ..
Keep cycling don't stop!!!!!!!
I am 40 and whilst I definitely can't pull things off that I struggled with 20 years ago (even though my stupid arse tried...), I feel like the endurance is still there. You just have to pace yourself because your mind is screaming "GO GO GO!" while your body just wants to collapse. I'm happy giving it all I got but I must not compare myself to the younger me.
Great point about pacing! You can easily over cook it... don't want to end up like Conor 👉ua-cam.com/video/DrnH3gbOG9U/v-deo.html
@@gcn Definitely not, the poor lad bonked super hard. I've already seen the video but I'll make sure to give it a rewatch
Super interesting Si! Thanks for discussing this topic!
I agree that endurance gets easier. I am 48y old. Did 455km Munga Gravel Grid 2023, Riding time 26Hours, Come join us 2024! Full Munga 1130km November 2024, Bring GCN and do it!!!
200km is a nice day out, 300km upwards is just a great ride. Proud to have achieved Super Randonneur in my 65th year and in 15 weeks will be completing the 2000km self supported race around the Netherlands. So yes I am definately going longer as I age
Your gonna love RAtN it is a fantastic way to explore the NL! Just be sure to take warmer clothing if you plan on bivvying as it can be very cold in April still, and be sure to stock well up before you tackle the NE-most corner, I had to come of route to find a shop at one point - no big deal but study those food shops. =) Have fun!
I’m a 72 yo, and going strong. I did many long rides last year, including a century ride (miles, not klicks). This year, I hope to ride across the entire state of Washington, all the way to Idaho. I love it, and I don’t think of myself as a super athlete.
I'm 63. A day ride from Solihull to Preston ( 135 miles ) is an enjoyable trip. Not many hills, via Northwich.
I am 65 and had a lower colorectal resection and the doctors took away 16 inches of my sigmoid colon and rectum. I thought that would stop me cycling distance ive cycled all my life i was devastated but i found i could still go the distance its amazing what you can do the older you get, just don,t give up.
I do believe this, I am in my 40s and I took up cycling two years ago as a way to stay fit and my riding friends most of them are much younger than me. While I can’t equal their speed over short distances, I can keep up when we going on longer rides.
I'm in my mid-40s and I'm in the best shape of my life. I think all of what you mentioned is true, but I'm also better at planning my training and planning my long rides than I used to be. Rest days, rest weeks, zone 2, scheduled intervals... I ignored all of that in my youth and just rode as far, fast, and hard every day
Yep totally agree I'm 59 and ride regularly ,it's all in the mind . No limits aim high and get on and do it simple as that 🚴♂️
I’m 56 now and after about a 25 year hiatus raising my kids I’m back on the bike and riding with my son. We are consistently doing centuries I’ve got to train hard and intentionally so I can keep up with him. It’s not gonna be any fun waiting for dad. Just stay humble. Overdoing it can cause injury, which would be a big setback. Pride comes before the fall, literally.
I rode my first century and only double century at 39, after several months of intensive training and several years of commuting. We got a tandem for my wife's 40th birthday and rode several centuries in our 40s, I resumed commuting in my 50s, and we rode a number of half-centuries in our 60s, along with my "birthday miles" and some loaded multi-day touring with up to 40-mile days. In our 70s we slowed down a bit, but I rode a few metric birthday rides with minimal training. That early endurance training in the 30s and 40s pays off, as we know what to expect when we push the envelope, and automatically kick into a pattern of hydration, fueling, and pacing to quickly extend distance, even after long periods of light or no activity. And, that's the secret of "ageless endurance."
So true , great vid 👍 here in australia I rode a race Blaney to Bathurst , 100ks . At the age of 58 it took me 3 hrs 15 mins , but when I checked my age group catetory I was beaten by 15 older riders with one being 75 yrs old !
Look up (UA-cam) 75 year young (U.S.) Gene Dykes. At 70 years he ran a 2:54 marathon! He has been running ultra marathons, to keep his conditioning. (My words) He always says to get a coach to improve on one’s anaerobic capacity (my words).
- Ruben Solis from Richwood, Tx.
I am an older cyclist like most of the other responders. I have been on/ off a bike most of my life. While in my 20's I rode 10 -15 mile commutes to/ from school, this seemed such a long ride at the time. Now, in my 50's I bicycle commute 2-3 times week to work (22 miles/ dayround trip) and do endurance rides/ events covering distances of 50 - 75 miles and more. My longest distance so far has been 75 miles during the "Hotter n Hell" race in Wichita Falls, Tx.
Using mental toughness and proper training as an older rider I know maintaining a constant pace/ crank rotation I don't waste energy constantly changing my speed.
I bet most of my friends like that, in my 20's I view 10-15 mile as local as with traffic lights I get that far in just an hour
I rode Paris Brest Paris 4 times starting at the age of 48 in 1995. I bought my first decent bike in 1990, a Raleigh Royal and a Chas Roberts custom built in 1992. I rode my first 200 Audax in 1994. Qualifying in1995 I learned from each event how to feed, how to pace and to ride at night. I do not have a sporting background but for whatever reason cycling seemed right for me. My endurance got better and better and the second PBP was relatively easy as a result. In the early 2000’s I regularly rode the Etape du Tour and all of the Belgium/France classics full distance, not the half distance which seems popular now. Never fast but I could hold 16-18mph for 24 hours and ride successive days of 300-400 km. During all PBP I rarely rode in the dark, apart from the start, spending the nights in hotels en-route leaving as dawn was breaking. Overall riding time average was 15mph for each and I never suffered any of the associated aches and pains of multiple days in the saddle, possibly due to the Chas Roberts bike. My endurance just got better and better as I aged and as speed was never a priority I never suffered from any injuries due to over stressing. So, yes endurance does definitely get better as you age and as you gain confidence and experience.
I find that I simply cannot "power dump" anymore. I am 50 and enjoy the longer rides much better these days in zone 2. Better on my joints as.well. love the video
If possible, I would love to hear an interview with Ned Overend regarding endurance sports and aging. He's my favorite example of a person who performs/performed at an elite level as he has aged. As a man in his fifties, I love hearing these videos.
Ned blazed this trail starting in the 90s. A role model for me to keep going hard, and stay mentally flexible
Studies have shown the peak age for performance at elite level on the road averages at 28.2 years and 25.5 years for track cycling.
Saved you watching the whole video.
I am now 80 years old. My best “endurance” year came when I was 73; I rode 15,847 miles, and I would have topped 16,000 if I hadn’t injured my knee in early December. I was “competing” with a female friend in Dallas who is twenty years younger. She managed about 15,400 miles. Around that time, she was doing randoneuring rides and competing in 24 hour races. She beat the entire field at 24 Hours in the Canyon (Palo Duro Canyon in west Texas.)
I have observed several other riders who have done extremely long distances over the course of a year. It seems the sweet spot is age 65 to 75. This may be explained partially by their reaching retirement age and having the time to ride 1000 or more hours. Of course, you have to arrive at that age in good physical condition, and life doesn’t give all of us that opportunity. In particular, athletes who participated in contact sports may have suffered injuries that affect their abilities as they age.
I had to have a knee replacement the next year, and while I made a full recovery, I haven’t come close to my ten years of 13,000 to 15,000+ mile years. I’m working on doing better this year, though!
I am 74 years old. Even if I was not better or more wise, I enjoy and appreciate cycling now more than ever. Gratitude outweighs resilience for me, even though I am resilient.
This is good information because I am now 31 and hope to keep ridding my touring bicycle long distances. My new goal is to ride 200 miles in one day next summer.
Upon moving to Loveland, Oh. USA, mid 2000s, I began doing a beautiful ride from our house, to Yellow Springs, Oh. and back. Total 168 km. 100% rail trail. The Ohio to Erie trail. Last two times I did it, the final 30 km I would start getting weaker, and get home exhausted. Stopped 10 years ago at 52 years age. 2016 started riding near only cx. Fell in love with it. No racing. Late August 2023 (62 now), once again rode from our house, to Yellow Springs, Oh. When I got home, I still had lots of go-go juice in me. Felt great! Same CF bike, but did tire up from 23s to 25s. Fueled & hydrated the same way. Weather conditions the same. In those ten years I did lose app; 10.5 kg, so thats big. And less stress. I will be curious to see how weight changes and/or mental health are reflected in the vid. Thanks!
Great video, in fact I can relate to this as last season now in mid forties I pb'd in all mileage TT disciplines 10,25,50,100 & 12hr events. Some of which were 10 year PBS. 👍
I won 8 races last year (at 47 years old, 6 running and the only two triathlons I did in 2023), many more than I ever have in a single year. Also the first race I did of 2024 :) So I for one am definitely better than ever, and have no plans of stopping anytime soon!
100%. In my early twenties I used to ride to the coast and back many times. Was only 70 miles and that was enough. Never did 100 miles. Back in 2013, when I was 45, whilst training for the RideLondon sportive I got used to riding 100 miles and now I ride at least 15 x 100 mile days a year. Even 186 miles aged 52 on the Welsh Dragon devil.
This video is so spot on. As a younger cyclist i had more stamina and a much higher FTP. Oh and more training hours logged. I’m now retired and I entered a crit race and the Tour de Tucson. Crit race, I was crushed by the much younger competition (i’m 59, next oldest in my group 36) but i found that, once i was lapped (😢), by using my bike handling skills I was able to sit and ride comfortably in the peloton. In the tour de Tucson I devised an effective strategy, only gained through experience (dare i say wisdom). And i must say, with less training and a much lower FTP my time was quicker than similar distance races from my past. I stuck to my power targets, adapted to the opportunities around me (surfing wheels), and had the energy to do some hard pulls for the group in the end. The biggest difference, for me, in these two examples is post race. The younger me was completely exhausted after a race. After these two examples i was no worse for wear.
yeah... but your younger self would have won the race, not just sat in the peloton.
@@hugobrown2516 Lol Hugo, you surely have me confused with another cyclist. 😂🤣. Thanks for that. take care
I'm 58. I never stopped riding after I got my first racing bike, as they were known back then, at age 10. A Coventry Eagle. I still commute via bike 15 miles each way. I believe riding in general, but specifically endurance, come down to mental toughness which is something you certainly develop with age.
Last year i rode the Spreewald 200km in Germany in seven hours at 60yo which is about 3 hours quicker than my first attempt when i was 44yo! (only 15 riders (out of 1400) were faster, the fastest rider on the day was @35 minutes ahead and i was giving him 20 years)
I'm sure that overcoming the fear of longer distances is important, the length of my rides has crept up from @ 75km average 10 years ago to @ 100km average now, i just keep plugging away all day. I might not generally be riding as fast but throw in the distance and there won't be many in front at the finish of a hundred plus miler.
As a 54 year old and previous amateur time trialler, road racer and triathlete in my 20s/30s I find now I can't do the explosive efforts I once did but can do long days in the saddle at lower intensity. I also find my experience of knowing my body limits now reaps benefits. Whereas in my 20s and 30s I didn't like to be overtaken by other cyclists, so would push over my limit to stay in front etc, even on training rides, now it doesn't bother me so I don't have issues going for longer. As Nick said, I also find the muscle memory is there now, so even after long bouts off the bike, getting back into it again is not as difficult as when I was younger.
As a 55 year old, I've been checking my times on rides, and in the main they're slower, but also still up there with my best times. Sure, there are faster riders around, but it is the endurance, the ability push the body that is key; as Mark Beaumont said, I've been there and know what to expect; and as Nick said, I can't keep up in certain sections, so preserve - letting the young guns over work themselves, and then come back later. I check my stats on all my rides, and I am generally [consistently] in the top third, and I am happy with that. In some places, top 20, which is feels great.
New back to cycling after 20 years- yes, I can keep going longer- I think it’s more of a mental thing- but I have recently got a turbo trainer and that’s made a difference physically to my road riding-at nearly 60 - I enjoy cycling more than I did at 30
I am a 65 year old woman and my endurance is good. I have definitely improved over the years. I don't have the peak powers I used to have but I have no problem cycling for hours
I'm 68, never been a competitive cyclist, and I did 10 x 3 peaks challenges ( Australia, 234 km, 4500m elevation) between 2011 - 2022. All you need to finish the ride is some training (I aimed for 3 months doing in each week what I needed to do in the ride) and remembering during the ride "...if it was easy everyone would be out here doing it..." p.s. " endurance? it's in the name...!"
Mine definitely has, especially in my knowledge of how my body works. Fuelling being the biggest improvement. I managed the biggest rides of my life when I turned 50 last year and completed them with energy to spare.
How far did you ride? Really cool to hear you are still pushing yourself!
@@gcn Caringorms Loop - 197 mile mtb ride over 2 days and the Badger Divide - 206 mile gravel ride, also over 2 days.
I was 57 when I rode my first road century on a run of the mill road bike. Two weeks later, I rode the same route on my mountain bike, taking only an extra three minutes of riding time. So anecdotally, I would say that age is not a barrier to longer distances, nor is riding on a heavier bike when one knows exactly what to expect.
I'm 52 and started cycling 3 years ago after 15 years of bodybuilding. Whilst I can't say if my endurance has improved with age as I never did any previously, I can say that I'm fitter than I ever have been and my FTP hovers at around 280 - 300 watts, and averaged 270 watts over a 32 mile TT (1hr 22 mins) last summer. I've done multiple 100 mile rides, with a few averaging 19mph, and a couple of 204 mile rides. I'm averaging around 6000 miles a year. I've Got a number of KOM's and numerous Strava top 10's and top 2....beating guys much younger than me.
I'm over the moon, but it does leave me wishing I'd started cycling when I was younger.
I am turning 50 this year and have been mountain biking for close to 30 years. I do a one mile single track climb on Strava at least 2 times a year I have consistently broken my best time every year! The last attempt was my fastest.
I am 69. I did lots of rides last year, but five rides were over 90 miles and 2 of those were over 110 miles. And I enjoyed every one of them. Hope to do many more this year.
Great work! Enjoying every ride as well 👍
What have you got planned for 2024?
I'm 43 and have a 50km run coming up end of this month's. Will be the 9th time I will run an ultra distance and am looking forward!
I'm an athlete of a certain age. This video's subject is my experience with getting older. I have two 2024 fitness goals: an all-daylight 300KM ride (June/July), and a 50K baby ultramarathon run (October). Over the last few months while preparing my base fitness, I do feel like my body remembers its long hours of work from the past endurance training cycles.
We older ones have been there, done that, seen a lot and are just more stubborn and won't let up. (You called it "age and wisdom" and "dealing with dark moments").
Big plus for covering this - now go out and find a 50+ presenter to broaden GCN's appeal.
I'm forever commenting on GCN about riding with my Dad but.... As a 32 year old, I feel pretty fit and these days on a standard weekend 3-4hr ride I can make life very hard for my 62 year old (still very fit) Dad if I choose to (not in a cruel way!). But we love an all day ride, and I can't count the number of times 3hrs in to those rides he's said "I'm really struggling", but come 250km in he's chatting away saying he's got a second wind and feeling good. Meanwhile yours truly wants to shout "Shut up!" and throttle him because I've been on my limit for the last hour and have no prospect of a second wind. Definitely feel like in the Brownbill family, endurance (i.e. >6hr rides) is the great leveller, its why we love them!
An aspect of endurance performance you didn’t really explore, it might be considered as an aspect of wisdom, is injury rates. I suspect a contributing factor to going longer is being able to maintain consistent, injury free training. I’m now 56 and can go just as long as I ever did, in fact, did my highest amount of elevation in one day last summer (5.500ms). I’ve started do8ng much more weight training and this season have started racing CX for the first time, which is really opposite to endurance in terms of energy requirements. I have a suspicion that a strong endurance base makes it much easier to add power intensity if you need to, because muscles, tendons and bones are in good working order.
I'm a relative newcomer to cycling, getting my first proper road bike at 36. At 42, I had rapidly improved and got decently fit (turns out I'm a sprinter). I even did some crit racing, being good enough to be Cat 4 pack filler but not good enough to hang with the fast group on the Saturday morning rides. But now at 42, I find I'm decent at and actually enjoy longer and longer rides. It's weakened the sprint but I'll accept the transition to a punchy diesel. I joined my local Randonneuring group and now 200k rides are no big deal. It's not a race but I like being one of the first ones done. Current long ride is 400k and I'm targeting PBP in 2027.
There's a great book by Joe Friel "Fast after 50" that covers this subject in great depth. Essentially though, we start losing power etc somewhere in our 30's, but by the 50's it plateux's. In our 50's, we have the staying power.
Metabolic chemistry aside, endurance is a lot about mental capacity. I believe as you get older your head (mental state) is in a different place. It's built up a huge amount of experience, not just physical experience but life in general. I believe this helps during endurance efforts and makes us better at it than our younger selves.
I did my first 100 miler this past year on my 63rd birthday. I did my first 150+ mile 3 day ride at 60 and a 7 day, 454 mile ride across the state of Iowa at 61. I love endurance rides. Therapeutic, if you ask me. Trying to figure out whats on the schedule this year.
Age 68… when I ride with my 22 yo grandson… he’s waiting for me on the first few hills… after 100km I’m ahead (and not waiting 🤣). But I think he has a lot more upside.
And today I celebrated my friend’s 75th birthday with a 75 km ride. I’m looking forward to his 80th!
Yes, At 70 my endurance is higher than at most anytime in my life. But my cycling journey only started after successful heart surgery 8 years ago. I now do long bike packing rides and am lucky to have a retired wife who will pick me up if something bad happens. Last year that occurred twice during 275 mile difficult rides. The year before was during a 100 mile gravel race and the year before that was on a 50 mile mountain bike trail after broken ribs. It also is great in the US that we can buy road assistance for bike breakdowns through AAA.
Mine has improved in middle age, mainly because I didn’t exercise before. 😂
That said going by Simons rapidly increasing grey hair, we will have a definitive answer soon….
(Sorry Si, I couldn’t resist, welcome to the grey club! 😂)
Don't worry we like to point out the grey to him at GCN HQ too 😂
I'm glad to see Simon found his winterbike in the shed.
Thank You. This has been an inspiring video 😊
Excellent vid.
Average age on PBP race (1200 kms - some parts of the video are from this race) last year was 50 years old.
I improve vo2max and ftp too these months. I'm 58. It's simply because I didn't dare before. Now I feel I have nothing to loose anyway...
Will see ,I am getting better too as i am older, traning cycling for 3y, last year was Master A racing, this one planing to go to Elite, btw. I am 33y 😅
I've always loved cycling but never had enough time to do really long trips. Work (more than 12 hours a day away from home), family..., but I'm not complaining. I liked my work and enjoyed family outings. However, because of this I never bought a racing bike and always rode a normal bike (Norta Survival Alu 7 speed, 25 years old now)
Since all my cycling frends are ride an e-bike I bought a gravel bike (I'm 68 now). I especially like "long" rides that fill my day and speed is certainly not the most important thing for me. My longest ride so far was 180km and I really enjoyed it. My goal is to ride more and more multi-day tours.
All the rides I do with my "e-bike friends" I still do with my Norta Survival, which is more than 25 years old.
You can train and train on a turbo to improve your FTP, to give you and easier leg experience.
As a cyclist rides further and further, back, shoulder and neck muscles build to keep the head aloft for longer.
With no neck pain or discomfort, the legs sing.
I am 65 and I can ride 60 to 80 miles over very hilly roads I used to train on. I don't have power any more, meaning, I cannot hold the wheels of guys going over 25 MPH on relatively flat roads unless it is a pack and they ride steady without spurts. As the season advances, I don't need to nap as much. I also found I can stand without needing to sit when I am in peak season. I wish I could climb like I used to but, no matter how may steep climbs I do, I am not able to build real power, I just slog my way up and pace myself. I am going to use an oximeter this year to measure fatigue. I use a HR monitor and with my Wahoo Bolt and I am usually in the yellow zone. Finally, I can ride hours, up to 6 and not feel wasted.
This was great! Thanks Si! At 58, I’m all about endurance. Am I fast, no. But that’s ok. Can I do centuries & gran Fondos? Yes…do I come in last, yep! But that’s ok. My goal is to do them.