The Old Guy Bicycle Blog

It might sound ironic, but at 69, I believe I'm a better cyclist now than I was 20 or 30 years ago. No, I don’t ride as fast as I once did, and my days of chasing personal records are behind me. But I’m more proficient — smarter, more efficient, and more in tune with the rhythm of the road. As a touring cyclist, I value endurance over speed. And thanks to years of experience, I can now ride longer distances with less struggle than I could in my younger days. So, does cycling change as you age? Absolutely. But not all of those changes are negative. 🧓 The Physical Realities of Aging Let’s be honest — aging does bring challenges. Our bodies change in ways that can affect performance, comfort, and safety on the bike. Some of the most common changes include: Muscle loss , making it harder to generate power Joint stiffness , which can impact comfort and mobility Cardiovascular decline , reducing stamina at higher intensities Diminished balance and coordination , which can af...

Long-distance cycling might seem like a strange obsession to some. People often ask me, “Why would you ride 80 to 100 miles a day, sometimes for days in a row — often alone, towing a trailer?” To answer that, I have to rewind the clock back to the 1960s. I was a kid then, growing up in a time when parents didn’t worry quite so much about where their kids went during the day — as long as we were back by dinner. My friends and I had one shared freedom machine: our bikes. We’d set off to explore the edges of our neighborhood, then the next one over, and before long, we were discovering places we never would’ve seen on foot or with our parents. That feeling — wind in my face, legs pumping, discovering something new just around the corner — that was the spark. More than 55 years later, that spark still burns. 🚴‍♂️ The Call of the Open Road Today, I don’t just ride for exercise or even for the sense of accomplishment. I ride because it taps into something deep — a love for explorati...

Welcome to the Ride Hi, I’m Bruce Bussell — a 69-year-old touring cyclist from Lubbock, Texas. I may call West Texas home, but my bicycle has taken me thousands of miles beyond it. From the panhandle to the coast and through countless towns in between, the open road has become my second home. I started this blog with one goal in mind: to inspire people my age to get active and discover that you can ride farther — and feel better — than you ever imagined. This isn’t about racing or competing. It’s about freedom, movement, and discovering just how much you’re still capable of. In July 2020, I rode 962 miles in 12 blazing-hot days from Texhoma, Oklahoma to South Padre Island. Back in 2016, I pedaled 1,050 miles in 19 days from Lubbock to Pensacola, Florida. And those are just a couple of the many multi-day rides I’ve completed over the years. But I didn’t start out this way. Just a few years ago, I was 85 pounds heavier and far from fit. The bicycle changed that — and it can change yo...