The Old Guy Bicycle Blog

Last Updated: November 21, 2025 Quick Take: Seniors and grandparents quietly shape the next generation—often more than anyone else. One of the most powerful gifts we can give? A bicycle. A simple kids’ bike can spark freedom, confidence, and a lifelong love of cycling, just like my first Stingray with a banana seat did for me over 60 years ago.   Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. The Future of Cycling Depends on Us Old Guys Here’s a truth nobody likes to say out loud: seniors and grandparents are often the ones quietly holding families together. We’re the ones who show up to ballgames, school programs, and birthdays. We’re the ones who have the time to listen. We’re the ones who still believe in teaching work ethic, respect, kindness, and follow-through. And like it or not, a lot of us are either helping raise our grandkids outright—or we’re the ones pouring ...

Photo: The Old Guy Bicycle Blog Quick Take: Age changes how you ride—but not why you ride. The miles still matter, even when they look different. Last Updated: November 3, 2025 I don’t ride like I did in my 30s. I’m slower. I recover a little differently. I warm up a little longer. But here’s the thing: I feel the same. The same ambition still burns. The same grit still shows up. And I’m still out here riding—maybe not racing the clock, but definitely not backing down. My bike has taught me a lot over the years, but maybe the most important lesson is this: getting older doesn’t mean giving up who you are. You just learn to meet the road differently. In my younger years, I was all speed and fire—push harder, go faster, prove something. Now, I ride longer, think deeper, and savor the miles more. I don’t have to prove anything anymore. That doesn’t mean I don’t push myself; I just do it with more patience, more wisdom, and a whole lot more gratitude. ...

Quick Take: You can do everything right and still watch a dream ride unravel. The work isn’t wasted. Change the goal, keep the miles, move forward. Last Updated: November 1, 2025 When the Big Ride Falls Apart You train hard. You log the miles, study the route, check the gear, and show up ready. Whether it’s a multi-day tour or a one-day event, you feel stronger than ever. You’re not just prepared—you’re excited. And then… it all falls apart. I know that feeling. I spent more than a year preparing for a San Diego-to-Las Cruces tour—over 6,000 miles of training rides. Thirty-four miles into day one, a rag blew off the road and straight into my rear derailleur. In seconds it snapped the mech, twisted the chain, and broke multiple spokes. The bike was done—unrideable. I stood on the shoulder staring at a dream that just evaporated because of a gust of wind. The first wave is disbelief. Then anger. Then the silence where you wonder if you wasted all that time. But the...

Last Updated: November 1, 2025 Night cycling can be peaceful, cooler, and surprisingly practical—if you set up for visibility and predictability. I ride plenty of pre-dawn and post-sunset miles myself, and the rules below are what actually keep you safe. Quick Take: For senior cyclists, safe night riding = bright lights (front ≥700 lumens + steady rear), reflective coverage that moves as you pedal, clear-lens glasses, layered clothing for temps, familiar routes, and predictable riding with legal signals. Tell someone your route and carry a charged phone + mini repair kit. Lights: Your Primary Safety System Front light: minimum 700 lumens for unlit roads; 1000+ lumens makes rough surfaces and potholes far easier to read. Angle it slightly down to avoid blinding others. Rear light: a steady (not only flashing) rear light is easier to track for drivers. Daytime-visible models are a plus at dusk. Side visibility: reflective ankle bands, spok...

Quick fixes that keep you rolling. Last updated: November 7, 2025 Quick Answer: You don’t need a mechanic for every squeak or skip. With a few basic tools, these five simple fixes will solve most common ride stoppers and save you time and money. Disclosure: I may earn a small commission from links on this page at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 5 Bike Repairs You Can Do Without a Shop Visit These are the fixes I actually perform on the roadside or in my garage. They’re simple, repeatable, and don’t require a full workbench. Learn them once and you’ll ride calmer, farther, and cheaper. 1) Fix a Flat Tire (Tube or Tubeless) Carry the basics: two tire levers , a spare tube , a patch kit , and either a mini pump or CO₂ inflator . Tube setup: pop off one bead with levers, remove tube, check the tire for thorns/wire, install new tube with a little air, re-seat bead, inflate. Tubeless: spin t...

Last updated: November 10, 2025 Readers’ all-time favorites — stories, tips, safety, and gear. Top 10 Most Read Posts on The Old Guy Bicycle Blog Quick Take: Based on StatCounter entry traffic. No homepage, no duplicates — just the posts readers keep coming back to. Bookmark this page. I refresh it whenever the leaderboard changes. Cycling for Seniors: Smart Tips for Riders Over 60 Practical, low-risk ways to ride more, hurt less, and actually enjoy it after 60. Should a 70-Year-Old Ride a Bike? Straight talk on safety, fitness, and how to keep cycling into your seventies. The Feeling I Get When I Ride My Bike on Rainy Days Why some wet rides become core memories — and how to do them safer. How Riding a Bicycle 100 Miles a Week Changed My Health ...

Quick Answer: Long rides aren’t about escaping boredom—they’re about finding space to think. The rhythm, the solitude, the sound of the tires—cycling gives your mind room to breathe, reflect, and reset. What Cyclists Really Think About on Long Rides People ask me sometimes, “What do you think about out there?”—usually with a curious look, as if pedaling for hours must feel like watching paint dry. But it’s not like that at all. The longer the ride, the more my mind opens up. The road doesn’t bore me—it speaks to me. It quiets the noise of everyday life and lets the thoughts that matter most rise to the surface. The Warm-Up Thoughts At first, it’s all about the basics: breathing, cadence, terrain, and weather. How do the legs feel today? What’s the wind up to? Those are the mental check-ins every cyclist knows well. But once the rhythm sets in, those practical thoughts fade into the background. The road becomes a moving meditation. The Journey Back Through Time That’s when m...