Cycling UK Forum

It’s not been a good few years ! Feels like the four horseman of the apocalypse has finally arrived. The 2008 financial crash, austerity, brexit, covid and now war - who could ever have expected that lot ?
Eight years ago I suffered a heart attack, resulting* in a double bypass ( family history of CVD). Already with a slightly damaged heart ( born a ‘blue baby’) it has put a ceiling on what exercise I am capable of. 150bpm and things start to get a bit dizzy !
I resolved to retire three years later at 60. To celebrate reaching that goal I immediately bust my left femur which was screwed back together but failed six months later. That led to a total hip replacement during which my left adductor muscle was destroyed leaving me with permanent left lateral weakness.
Since then ( now 65) covid and brexit have added to difficulties restarting cycle touring. My last effort was three years ago on a 300 mile, 7 day, trip from Somerset to the Yorkshire Ridings.
Since cycle commuting 30 miles daily twenty years ago I am now 12kg overweight and only manage rides of up to about 20 miles across the easy Somerset Levels. The Mendips, Quantocks etc are just looming barriers at the moment.
I’ve become very much a fair weather cyclist - not been on my trusty audax bike since late October ( and struggle a bit to ‘get my leg over’).
But I dream of more tours and torment myself with Youtube videos of other’s exploits. I am scared to try going further. I know that 40-50 mile days cause lots of problems now with soreness, cramp, hip discomfort and my knees are 65 years old !
I know I need to try and lose weight, increase fitness and just ‘get back in the saddle’ but I am acutely aware I face insurmountable barriers.
Just interested to hear any other stories about, hopefully, how other ‘old-timers’ with problems have battled on.

I started a thread about what older cyclists rode (what cycles do the elderly and those with impaired health ride) and it went to several very useful pages: viewtopic.php?t=146549 .
You might find that an open frame electric assisted bike allows you to do much more. The bike that I ride the most has a mixte frame and a three speed hub (but with low overall gearing). The bike is easy to get on and off of and I walk up some hills. Deciding that it was ok to choose to push a bike - my wheeled walking frame - has been liberating, any additional resulting time on journeys is both trivial and unimportant.

I’m fitter and lighter than I once was, I eat just a little less than I used to and take more exercise. As well as cycling brisk(ish) walking works for me too, and it might even be a better exercise than cycling (I suspect that more muscles are used with walking than cycling and it’s harder to over-stress yourself with walking than with cycling). Obviously YMMV.

In 2019 I moved West to Devon to seek help from my daughter after my Mrs developed dementia and spinal collapse. The local hinterland was like the Alps with frequent 1 in 4s that I just couldnt manage at the age of 77, so I bought a nice German Ebike. My Mrs lasted barely a year after the move and after a period in a Care Home where I was not able to say goodbye to her because of pandemic restrictions she passed away.
Soon after that I met my current wife and we sold her little cottage and found a Georgian house in Somerset which is magic. The large Devon house I had moved into with my daughter and her husband is now on the market because its too big and expensive to run for two people.

I have had type 2 diabetes since I was 62 which is why I took up Touring again after a gap of about 50 years. You seem to have been unlucky with your health but you are actually fortunate to live in Somerset where the NHS is really great compared to the awful NHS in Oxfordshire that we experienced.

Dont give up, get yourself a nice Ebike and get out there to enjoy cycling again. The Quantocks and Blackdown Hills will become a breeze!

Al

ps turn the news off!

Don't give up from me too, you say you still have dreams of touring again and with all the options available nowadays (ebikes) ect you can do it, your desire for it is alive and well just as strong as in your younger years.
This winter is almost over and better cycling days for you are coming over the horizon.

Carlton green wrote: ↑3 Mar 2022, 1:18pmYou might find that an open frame electric assisted bike allows you to do much more.

This sounds right to me.

Jonathan

(I'm in no position to advise of exercise or health, just recounting my personal experience and I suspect aspects of what I'm doing are not necessarily a good may of doing things)

In the 1st year od Covid for unrelated reasons I could hardly take any exercise and I lost a lot of fitness, stamina muscle. My bathroom scales give a measure of %age muscle (which isn't a measure of muscle but I assume gives an indication from some related measure with limitations). And through that year (or so) I watched my muscle gradually disappear.

I'm still suffering but determined to get back as far as I can and it's really hard work. Seems to be taking forever to make any gains but there are slow gradual signs. I get disheartened but then I think that I have two choices: sit at home (which will never help me regain fitness, stamina, muscle) or keep building despite it being slow and hard work. And on the plus side even my rides which might be short, they do get me outside in the fresh air, to see around and I am improving even though it is desperately slow.

Like OP, I dislike cycling in the rain but have found that I'm quite happy walking in the rain. So on rainy days (or when the roads are so wet I'd spend longer cleaning bike, cloths, self after ride than ride itself) I put on waterproofs and head out for a walk. I'm trying to do some outdoor exercise every day (even if it's just a short walk). I'm actually wondering if "doing some outdoor exercise every day" is such a good plan as many say you really do need rest days and so far my "every day" has been close to my (current) limits every day. So far this year I've managed and whilst I'm on far shorter distances than I'd like at least I'm outside, seeing wildlife, and in the evening feeling like I've done something.

Because I'm riding my recumbent trike much more than my DF 2-wheels, when I'm having a good day and do decide on the 2-wheels for a change my bum does suffer as it's totally unused to the saddle (but it's never going to get used to it sitting on the sofa).

Ian

There was recently a thread about heart rate and to a small extent the content overlaps here. viewtopic.php?t=149530&hilit=Heart+rate Measuring his heart rate might help the OP, obviously the OP should be thinking about getting some words of advice from a qualified person about what heart rates are acceptable and what’s to be aimed for - obviously advice specific to him and his needs.

Currently my fitness levels are as good as they have been for several years. I love cycling but it’s been hours spent briskly walking with a lightly loaded small back pack - plus either a walking stick or an umbrella - that has raised my fitness levels and (importantly) done so within a reasonable heart beat range. A long section of uphill walking today had my heart at 120 bpm, cycling home afterwards and labouring up a decent gradient saw it up another 20 bpm and me breathing more heavily and noticing the difference. I could have got off and walked and would have if I’d felt it necessary. My resting heart rate is 60 bpm, not at all bad but I’d like to see it a bit lower.

The point that I’m trying to make here is to listen to your body and work with it in a light and sustainable way. It’s perhaps counter intuitive and a bit ‘big girl’s blouse’, however a sensible person makes good but still sustainable progress and doesn’t push things to the limit.

Edit.

“I know I need to try and lose weight, increase fitness and just ‘get back in the saddle’ but I am acutely aware I face insurmountable barriers.

Just interested to hear any other stories about, hopefully, how other ‘old-timers’ with problems have battled on.”

Barriers sometimes feel insurmountable and at the time they might be so for the individual concerned too - I can relate to that feeling. My ways forward including doing what I can now and breaking difficulties down into smaller parts (which I then attack as best I’m able to). As a friend taught me: ‘I can’t do it’ almost always means ‘I can’t do it yet’. I also set realistic targets for myself, eg. I ain’t going to walk twenty miles today but I will walk for twenty minutes today even if I only move twenty yards forwards; and I won’t litter pick my whole sheet today but I will do fifteen minutes of picking today, another fifteen tomorrow and another fifteen the day after if needed.

As for age and inspiration. I was chatting to an old pal of mine who’s in his nineties and very active, he inspires me. I’m also inspired (totally amazed really) by folk who literally climb mountains in wheel chairs. I suspect the key to it all is positive mental attitude. I don’t claim to have a lot of pma and at times life can be a pretty awful grind but trying to keep bright and looking after body and mind has been helpful to me.

I can't offer any advice about how to progress after / during illness cos thankfully I don't have much experience of that except to wish you much success in finding a way.

Don't give up we'll need your advice and inspiring when I comes our turn.

Jdsk wrote: ↑4 Mar 2022, 1:03pm

Carlton green wrote: ↑3 Mar 2022, 1:18pmYou might find that an open frame electric assisted bike allows you to do much more.

This sounds right to me.

Jonathan

Having reached 75 with T2 diabetes & 3 coronary stents, the first 5/7 of my moniker have been reduced to a pleasant memory and I'm taking far too long to recover from rides these days. What was a recovery ride 10 years ago feels like an exploit now, and since the beginning of the year a measly 100k makes my legs stiff for 5 or 6 days, doing nothing but the odd 5k walk to keep loose.

I've now bowed before the inevitable and bought a moronisation motorization kit for the beautiful Ti demoiselle that carried me through thousands of happy km. The Catch-22, of course, is that I'll need the assistance to shift the extra weight of the motor + batteries.

I do want to do just one more unassisted 200k first, though. Last one was 5 years ago...

Financial means vary and electric bikes are both heavy and expensive.

As I was riding along the other day, on my humble three speed bike, it occurred to me that:
whilst my top gear isn’t high (about 63”) it still gets me about rather nicely,
that I (still) make useful progress in the middle gear (a mere 47”),
that the bottom gear definitely moves me along quicker than walking speed,
and that I can freewheel down hill just as well as any other bike.
For a bit of perspective a Penny Farthing has a fixed gear of around 53” - which is quite low - and some folk literally rode them the length of the country! It seems to me that whilst high gears have a use they certainly aren’t essential.

As the object of my cycling is to get me from A to B with less time and effort than walking it struck me that successively lower gears - maybe decreasing chainwheel size as I age - might just keep me on two wheels. Admittedly slow wheels when ‘powered’ - fine down hill - but definitely much quicker than walking and at lower cost and complexity than an electrically assisted bike. Perhaps I’ll end up with a Penny Farthing sized top gear of 53”, but that was once enough to take someone from LE to JOG so it should still be ‘tall’ enough to get me about.

At the moment I could afford an electrically assisted bike, but many other people are not that financially fortunate; we (cyclists) do what we can within the means available to us as individuals. If it ever became necessary then first, before going electric, I’m minded to try the lower gear and be satisfied with just being mobile route.

I hope that others keep posting on this useful topic, but wonder what happened to the OP.

Has a local cycling club got a mid week warriors group? Usually retired types who may be faster than their younger club mates or they may be those who want 10 miles to a cafe and then home. Riding with others is usually easier when the motivation is missing.

I echo the above comments. As far as the World Issues, there's nothing we can do as individuals except donate goods to the fantastic people who are transporting them over to the area for the refugees. A couple who run a charity in our local Town were planning on driving 2 transit vans over on Tuesday - the donations they've received have expanded it to an additional 6 trucks from a haulier.
Back to cycling.... I'm 63. My experience was Covid Jan 2020* followed by Shingles Jan 2021. I've lost speed and distance since the shingles, and my back cracks and gives lots of pain every day. Today's ride of 39 miles was in a very cold wind with what felt like freezing rain for a couple of miles. I crept along at 5-8MPH for the last 5 miles, so really suffered. After a warm shower and soup, I felt ok and was glad I'd done it (I may pay tomorrow )
If you do as much as you can it will get easier (or not get harder anyway) - just a gradual build-up can be a help. I used to ride in all weathers, but am now "fair-weather" only unless it catches me out of course). Do what you can, and what you enjoy
On a humourous note, If we start 'training' at 10 miles the 1st January, and go a mile further each day, by the end of the year we will doing 375 miles. Sounds easy when said like that, but shows the effect of fatigue (and lack of time)

*(not confirmed as not test available, but exactly the symptoms I has in Sept 2021 which was confirmed by PCR, thankfully milder)

On the days the weather is inclement and you don't feel like a bike ride go back to climbing the Tor. It all adds up and increases your fitness. Look west and wave I may even see you with my telescope.
And if you make it to North Curry there's an excellent community café. Often full of cyclists. (Closed on Mondays)

Audax67 wrote: ↑6 Mar 2022, 8:49am

Jdsk wrote: ↑4 Mar 2022, 1:03pm

Carlton green wrote: ↑3 Mar 2022, 1:18pmYou might find that an open frame electric assisted bike allows you to do much more.

This sounds right to me.

Jonathan

Having reached 75 with T2 diabetes & 3 coronary stents, the first 5/7 of my moniker have been reduced to a pleasant memory and I'm taking far too long to recover from rides these days. What was a recovery ride 10 years ago feels like an exploit now, and since the beginning of the year a measly 100k makes my legs stiff for 5 or 6 days, doing nothing but the odd 5k walk to keep loose.

I've now bowed before the inevitable and bought a moronisation motorization kit for the beautiful Ti demoiselle that carried me through thousands of happy km. The Catch-22, of course, is that I'll need the assistance to shift the extra weight of the motor + batteries.

I do want to do just one more unassisted 200k first, though. Last one was 5 years ago...

100k at any age would be regarded as pretty decent. Though I recognize the post exercise feeling. At 49, overdid the rowing machine last week. Nothing extraordinary, but it has resulted in a "price"

gbnz wrote: ↑6 Mar 2022, 7:09pm
100k at any age would be regarded as pretty decent. Though I recognize the post exercise feeling. At 49, overdid the rowing machine last week. Nothing extraordinary, but it has resulted in a "price"

A few years ago i would've considered 100km something to do maybe once a month but as i add more years i seem to do, and be able to do comfortably, more than i would have thought possible before i turned 50. At 59 (birthday end of Feb) i've just done three 100km+ rides in a week, i did over 150 such rides last year and i suspect by the time December gets here, i'll have a similar slew under my belt. I won't deny getting fatigued, a longer/hillier/faster ride might require a post ride snooze but the same was true when i was racing forty years ago!

I wouldn't expect everyone to be able to do such long distances (or have the time, @ 18 hours a week if you include stops) but i think if you have the desire we can all accomplish more than we think, whether thats 100k or an extra lap around the park.

Don't give up, focus on what you can do rather than what you can't.