Old Man Cycling - The beginning

I decided to start this blog because I seem to be the only 60 year old man cycling! I know that's ridiculous and not true but living out in the middle of the sticks in Gloucestershire, I feel like the title of the book "The loneliness of a Long Distance Runner" only replace runner with Cyclist!

I've been cycling in some way ever since I was a teenager, never seriously as in wanting to be a professional, but enough to get me out and about as a teenager and then to keep reasonable fit as an adult. My average distance then was about 20 miles and it was mainly the enjoyment and the freedom of cycling that appealed to me.

I was also heavily in to the mechanics and the building of bikes and even as a youngster I started to tinker with the gearing and seating positions and later began to build my own racing bikes.This has gone on from building several bikes from the wheels and spokes upwards.

Nowadays I tend to go down the easier path of buying off the shelf bikes but occasionally I will still have a go at building the odd bike. Presently I own four bikes, a Cube Attain, which is a carbon lightweight, two Ribble audax bikes, one a winter trainer and the other a later 7005 sportive that I am in the process of building. Finally I have my training bike that lives on my static indoor trainer.

Interestingly my training and riding distance has gone up as I get older, which either points to more time on my hands, or the thought of getting older scares the hell out of me! 

This Blog will record my rides and experiences be it building bikes, indoor or outdoor training sessions, so as to give myself and other like minded people of a similar age knowledge of what to expect or what can be achieved. Training when your sixty has differences obviously from when your a young 30 year old. These are mainly recovery times, your body takes a certain time to repair aching muscles etc and as you get older this may take longer. Also it is essential that you do proper warm up exercises for the start or the end of a training session, If you don't I assure you you'll know about it!

Remember when starting anything new take it easy gradually work yourself in to it, never rush, it will come gradually. So far this past summer I started at a large 93 kilos and am now 87 kilos, I can safely and happily ride 40 odd miles, climb steep hills and not feel too worn out. If I can do it, so can anyone!