When I'm (nearly) 64

[beegee]

I am planning to do several longish distance trips when I retire in the next couple of years. All in the UK on National Cycle Routes. Most would be in daily sections of around 35-40 miles, perhaps lasting 7-10 days. I can easily do those distances on single day trips, but it's years since I last did a multi-day trip. I'm a bit bothered about whether I will be able to cope with the distances over several consecutive days at around 60 years old, without my knees packing in or some other bits giving up.

Has anyone done this sort of thing in later life and is it survivable?

What should I do to prepare myself - should I try a couple of two-day trips and work up, or what?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[BikeyGuy]

I'm 52. I recently returned from a one week cycling trip in Colorado.
http://bicycletourcolo.com/
We rode 370 miles in 5 days. Climbed top over 12,200 feet.
It's an annual organized event. There were 1,500 people who rode.
Also, there were both men and women in their 70's that did the ride.
AND, they climbed, no saggers.
Those seniors were an inspiration to me.
So, forget about the age thing. Training ? You bet. Ride, Ride, Ride.
Enjoy your trip.

Safe cycling !

[beegee]

Thanks BikeyGuy for the encouragement. I'll keep those seniors in mind if I start to feel the pace!

beegee

[byfred]

I am planning to do several longish distance trips when I retire in the next couple of years. All in the UK on National Cycle Routes. Most would be in daily sections of around 35-40 miles, perhaps lasting 7-10 days. I can easily do those distances on single day trips, but it's years since I last did a multi-day trip. I'm a bit bothered about whether I will be able to cope with the distances over several consecutive days at around 60 years old, without my knees packing in or some other bits giving up.

Has anyone done this sort of thing in later life and is it survivable?

What should I do to prepare myself - should I try a couple of two-day trips and work up, or what?

Any advice would be appreciated.




Hi BeeGee:
Just found your Post and thought I would drop you a note. I'm 66 & my wife is 64. We took a two month, self-supported tour in the Canadian Maritimes this past summer and had a great trip. We're not "new" to this sort of travel, having taken similiar trips every summer for the past 12 years.
However, our 100+ mile days are long gone and we really don't tax our bodies to any great extent. 100km. (60mi) is a good day for us now and we ended up doing 2800mi. in the two months.
Here, in Canada, I find that there are many "old" folks like us out on the road. We're the ones that have the time for it. A large percentage of the younger cycle/tourists (perhaps as high as 60% or 70%) are from Germany.
We don't do any special training or anything, just a brisk 50 km daily run, on our "road bikes" each spring, for the couple of months prior to our yearly tour.
Have you ever considered a summer tour here in Canada? Just fly into Halifax, Nova Scotia, with your bike and equipement and follow all those Young Germans across the tarmac.........byfred

PS If I had your e-mail address, I'd send you some pictures of our tour last summer, give you an idea of our equipement, and of course, our beautiful country.