Age to stop cycle?



while cycling is not beneficial for bone health you can go to a gym and work out with weights to keep or improve your current bone health, all that's needed is to do that every other day and ride every other day. If you strength train you can ride a bike well into your 80's, and even longer maybe not so much outside since any fall could be fatal especially a head strike, so retreating to indoor riding may be better.

However I was born an idiot, I can't stand to ride indoors, so if I'm blessed to be living into my 90's as most of my family has then I plan on riding my bike into those ages, and to hell with the risk of hitting my head, because I would rather die doing something I loved to do then rotting sitting inside and dying.
 
This was an issue discussed to me by our family physician when I was having the bulge on my right calf. The bones, particularly of women, become denser and weaker when you reach 40 years. But exercise or workout that includes cycling can be of help. When the muscle is strong, it compensates for the weaker bones. However, there is a limit to that combination. When you reach 60, your bones will become thinner regardless of the muscles that you have. Maybe that's the reason for the higher sales of milk and milk supplements for the calcium needs of the aged.
 
I think it would depend on every individual's condition. Some people are simply blessed with genetics that allow them to cycle for longer than others. My uncle is 50 and can't cycle anymore due to chronic back problems, so that's one example of one's cycling career being cut short due to genetic conditions.

It would also depend on the intensity of cycling. My grandfather has knee problems so his days of cross-country cycling are over, but he still regularly goes on leisurely cycles throughout town. In fact, he just went out this morning for a two hour ride.

It's all going to depend on a case by case basis.
 
You can't protect yourself from the inevitable. While stopping cycling due o old age may make some health issues better, it will make some worse. May as well cycle until you cant turn a pedal anymore.
 
This was an issue discussed to me by our family physician when I was having the bulge on my right calf. The bones, particularly of women, become denser and weaker when you reach 40 years. But exercise or workout that includes cycling can be of help. When the muscle is strong, it compensates for the weaker bones. However, there is a limit to that combination. When you reach 60, your bones will become thinner regardless of the muscles that you have. Maybe that's the reason for the higher sales of milk and milk supplements for the calcium needs of the aged.

Before we get too carried away with the fear of bone strength, while it is true that bones do get weaker with age, some people don't have as big of an issue as others due to genetics of course. Everyone on both sides of my family never suffered from bone issues all the way into their 90's and they never worked out! And that includes the women in my family which usually suffer more from bone issues than men. While I agree that weight training would help everyone but for some it would be more helpful than for others. When I retire I do plan on going to a gym but right now I only have time for one or the other so I chose cycling because I enjoy that more than I would going to a gym.
 
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For my own opinion as long you/we can kick those legs to kick that pedals pads. I think if you really love the biking it will be a hard decision to stop biking.

and aslo '
  • Cycling can help to protect you from serious diseases such as stroke, heart attack, some cancers, depression, diabetes, obesity and arthritis. "
for me you need lot of guts to stop cycling
 
I think you should be more mindful when you reach 60, but you don't have to stop cycling at that age if you don't have any health issues and you still feel that you can do it. It's best to be on the safe side, though, so that you can enjoy your retirement years even more without any injury.
 
I think you should be more mindful when you reach 60, but you don't have to stop cycling at that age if you don't have any health issues and you still feel that you can do it. It's best to be on the safe side, though, so that you can enjoy your retirement years even more without any injury.

I'm in my 30's, but most of the local cyclist are in their late 40's or older. Too many of these riders cycling will be or is their retirement years.
 
Before we get too carried away with the fear of bone strength, while it is true that bones do get weaker with age, some people don't have as big of an issue as others due to genetics of course. Everyone on both sides of my family never suffered from bone issues all the way into their 90's and they never worked out! And that includes the women in my family which usually suffer more from bone issues than men. While I agree that weight training would help everyone but for some it would be more helpful than for others. When I retire I do plan on going to a gym but right now I only have time for one or the other so I chose cycling because I enjoy that more than I would going to a gym.

I agree with your reason of genetics because I remember talking to one cyclist who was, I think, more than 70 years old. But generally speaking, I would still be cautious when it comes to biking at old age because the main problem there is the accident. It's a disaster if you suffer a fracture because it may not heal anymore. One neighbor had a broken collarbone when she slipped in the bathroom and she had that neck brace until she died of old age.
 
The day I stop riding will be the day I stop breathing. I was 69 when I flew over my handlebars, after hitting somebody's home made speed bump in the dark, and landed on my chest. I had a small camera hanging around my neck, and it got between the road and my ribs. I think that's what caused a rib or two to break. Six weeks and I was fine. The loss of skin on my knees and elbows caused the most discomfort.
 
The day I stop riding will be the day I stop breathing. I was 69 when I flew over my handlebars, after hitting somebody's home made speed bump in the dark, and landed on my chest. I had a small camera hanging around my neck, and it got between the road and my ribs. I think that's what caused a rib or two to break. Six weeks and I was fine. The loss of skin on my knees and elbows caused the most discomfort.
That's the spirit, and I totally feel you. There are seniors at my ride track, that can make young ones to bite the dust. The impact or intensity may change, or maybe the speed, but no one can stop those guys to keep cycling. Some extra calcium and vitamin D may be needed, but the exercise is not going to make them feel worse or even older, on the contrary, that's what keep them active and healthy.
 
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...Some extra calcium and vitamin D may be needed, but the exercise is not going to make them feel worse or even older, on the contrary, that's what keep them active and healthy.
My doctor advised vitamin D and calcium, so I've been on those for a while. They may have helped.
 
The risk of getting sick and/or losing quality of life due to loss of endurance or strength from passivity/lack of exercise is far greater than the risk getting sick and/or losing quality of life due to bicycle accidents.
As long as your sense of balance is OK, keep riding.
 
When I turned 73 I started becoming slow. I just did a 38 mile ride with 1600 feet of climbing. Because of the climb they had in the Tour de France today was a mile and a half of 9% I did the same distance with an average climb of 10% but as slow as a snail. Using a gear of 39/28 when it hit 11 and 12%. I do a recovery ride on Saturdays with a friend that is 87 now. In that group I'm the kid. But the speed is not there.

About a year and a half ago a 105 year old Frenchman set a world speed record for his age group of almost 17 mph for an hour. I haven't tried riding the track but I doubt I could do that average speed for an hour.