Cycling performance - age related

[Tom C]

Can anyone point me to a website which gives expected or targeted bike-related fitness levels to be
expected for various age groups? I'm interested to know how performance is affected by age - for
example, what would be a good day's ride for various ages.

These thoughts have been sparked off by reading Tony Buzan's book, "The Age Heresy" which suggests
that if the body is trained to full strength, it reaches its physical peak at about the age of 50 -
not for sprinting or for activities which require great flexibility, but definitely for endurance
events like marathon running.

As someone now well into the second half of life, I'm interested to hear how cycling is affected by
increasing age, and also how cycling can help slow down physical decline in later years.

Thanks, Tom

 

[John B]

Tom C wrote:

> Can anyone point me to a website which gives expected or targeted bike-related fitness levels to
> be expected for various age groups? I'm interested to know how performance is affected by age -
> for example, what would be a good day's ride for various ages.

<snip

> As someone now well into the second half of life, I'm interested to hear how cycling is affected
> by increasing age, and also how cycling can help slow down physical decline in later years.

The VTTA (Veterans Time Trials Association) have age-related 'Standards' for all distances of time
trials for all ages over 40. It also gives times for trikes and women. Although racing based, it
could 'possibly' be used to give comparative guidelines for general riding.

http://www.billoyd.btinternet.co.uk/ http://www.billoyd.btinternet.co.uk/standard.html

John B

 

[Roger Cortis]

I think that the VTTA tables for age and distance performance can be found here

http://www.lcolombo.plus.com/Current/vtta_tables.htm

In fact following up the OP I am now going to work out just how unfit I actually am !! Rog

 

[Sky Fly]

> The VTTA (Veterans Time Trials Association) have age-related 'Standards'
for
> all distances of time trials for all ages over 40. It also gives times for trikes and women.
> Although racing based, it could 'possibly' be used to give comparative guidelines for
> general riding.
>
> http://www.billoyd.btinternet.co.uk/ http://www.billoyd.btinternet.co.uk/standard.html
>

I checked the site out, and it seems to feel that a hundred year old person should be able to do 10
miles in just over half an hour, or go at 20mph. I wonder how they have arrived at that figure?

--
Akin

aknak at aksoto dot idps dot co dot uk

 

[John B]

Sky Fly wrote:

> > The VTTA (Veterans Time Trials Association) have age-related 'Standards'
> for
> > all distances of time trials for all ages over 40. It also gives times for trikes and women.
> > Although racing based, it could 'possibly' be used to give comparative guidelines for general
> > riding.
> >
> > http://www.billoyd.btinternet.co.uk/ http://www.billoyd.btinternet.co.uk/standard.html
> >
>
> I checked the site out, and it seems to feel that a hundred year old person should be able to do
> 10 miles in just over half an hour, or go at 20mph. I wonder how they have arrived at that figure?

I suspect that they go that fast to stop falling asleep - or even passing to higher places. I'm sure
P**l Sm*th will be able to verify as faster speed when tired means greater alertness.

He'll have a graph ;-)

John B

 

[Tom C]

Thanks for the replies - some useful stuff here.

Tom

 

[Chris Malcolm]

"Sky Fly" <[email protected]> writes:

>> The VTTA (Veterans Time Trials Association) have age-related 'Standards'
>for
>> all distances of time trials for all ages over 40. It also gives times for trikes and women.
>> Although racing based, it could 'possibly' be used to give comparative guidelines for general
>> riding.
>>
>> http://www.billoyd.btinternet.co.uk/ http://www.billoyd.btinternet.co.uk/standard.html
>>

>I checked the site out, and it seems to feel that a hundred year old person should be able to do 10
>miles in just over half an hour, or go at 20mph. I wonder how they have arrived at that figure?

Average speed of hearse?

--
Chris Malcolm [email protected] +44 (0)131 650 3085 School of Artificial Intelligence, Division of
Informatics Edinburgh University, 5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/daidb/people/homes/cam/ ] DoD #205