The Old Guy Bicycle Blog

Last Updated July 2026 Quick Take There will be a day I can no longer ride — but today is not that day . Real cyclists adapt: slower, shorter, different gear, different bike — but we keep riding because cycling lives in the here and now. There will be a day when I can no longer swing a leg over a bicycle. I don’t know when it will come. I don’t know what will cause it — age, injury, balance, reflexes, strength, or something that’s been quietly waiting down the road. But I do know this: Today is not that day. And that matters more than any future I can’t control. Small Safety Upgrade (Worth It at Any Age) If you’re still riding, protect the one body you’ve got. Here are MIPS bicycle helmets I recommend browsing. Pick the one you’ll actually wear every ride. As an ...

Last Updated: June 2026 Quick Take: I still ride. I still train. I still dream about future tours. But after completing a 366-mile ride along the Mississippi River at age 70, I realized something I had managed to avoid for decades: age has finally become part of the equation. A few weeks ago, I finished a six-day bicycle tour along the Upper Mississippi River. It covered 366 miles and averaged about 61 miles per day. By any reasonable standard, I was happy with the ride. The scenery was beautiful, the weather mostly cooperated, and I enjoyed every day on the bike. Yet when I got home, I found myself thinking about another tour. Back in 2020, when I was 64 years old, I rode from the northernmost point of Texas to the southernmost point of Texas. The trip covered 972 miles in July, and most days the temperatures were over 100 degrees. Several days stretched beyond 100 miles, and when the tour was over, I felt tired but still strong. The more I thought about it, the more I realized...

Last Updated: June 2026 My son and I during my June 2026 Mississippi River bicycle tour. He provided vehicle support while I rode 366 miles through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois on my Specialized Diverge. Last week I finished a six-day, 366-mile bicycle tour along the Mississippi River on my Specialized Diverge. The ride began in southeast Minnesota, crossed into Wisconsin, continued through Iowa and Illinois, and ended near the Missouri border. My son provided vehicle support for the trip, carrying gear and helping with logistics while I rode the route. It wasn't the longest tour I've ever ridden. It wasn't the fastest. It wasn't the toughest. But it may have taught me more than any bicycle tour I've done in years. At 70 years old, I came away with a realization that many older cyclists eventually face. No matter how much we train, age changes things. And that's okay. This Wasn't My First Adventure I've been riding bicycles serious...

Last Updated: March 2026 Most 70-Year-Olds Don’t Ride 5, 10, or 20 Miles — But Cyclists Still Do There’s something interesting about being a cyclist in your seventies. The world tends to assume people our age are slowing down. Retiring. Taking it easy. Spending more time sitting than moving. But then you roll past them on a bicycle. Helmet on. Legs turning. Maybe grinding up a hill or leaning into a headwind. And suddenly the assumptions don’t fit anymore. Because the truth is, most 70-year-olds can’t do what cyclists our age are still doing. Most 70-Year-Olds Don’t Ride 5, 10, or 20 Miles — Cyclists Do If you stop and think about it, riding 5, 10, 20 miles—or more on a bicycle is not a small thing. It means your heart can handle sustained effort. It means your balance is still sharp. It means your legs can keep pushing for miles. It means your lungs can keep up. It means your mind stays alert enough to ride safely. Most people in...

Last Updated: February 25, 2026 There’s a version of me from years ago I think about sometimes. He didn’t know what a cadence sensor was. He didn’t track calories. He didn’t understand recovery. He didn’t look like a cyclist. He weighed over 275 pounds. He was just trying not to quit. Now I’m 70 years old. Over 155,000 lifetime miles . 187 pounds. Still riding into West Texas wind. Still stacking miles. Still learning. If that man could see me now… Would he be proud? Quick Answer If you stayed consistent, kept learning, embraced safety, and adapted instead of aging out — yes. The person you were when you started cycling would likely be proud. Back Then, I Thought Cycling Was About Fitness I thought it was about getting lean. About keeping up. About looking like I belonged. I didn’t realize it was about becoming someone dif...

Last Updated: February 20, 2026 Quick Take: For this post, stacking means two rides in one day —morning and evening—so I practice riding when I’m not perfectly fresh. It prepares me for 7 straight days of touring without destroying myself in training. I’m training for a 7-day, 470-mile Mississippi River tour  where the real test isn’t day one—it’s day five. By then your legs have opinions, your energy fluctuates, and your mind starts negotiating. I’m 70. My base is solid. Now I’m preparing for the reality of long rides seven days in a row. The best method I’ve found is splitting one “tour day” into two separate rides —half in the morning and half in the evening. If you want the backstory behind this ride, read I Thought I Was Done With Solo Adventures. I Was Wrong. That post explains why I chose this Mississippi River tour and why it matters to me. What Stacking Means Here Ride 1 (morning): Controlled effort. Touring pace....

Last Updated:  January 19, 2026 Most people picture “athletes” as 20-something pros with perfect VO 2 max scores and bulletproof knees. But if you ask me who the toughest riders on the road really are, I’ll point to the men and women who are still turning pedals in their seventies and beyond. I’m a 70-year-old long-distance cyclist with more than 155,000 miles in my legs. I’ve ridden through injuries, bad weather, surgeries, and plenty of people who thought I’d “age out” of cycling years ago. Quick Take: If you’re still riding a bike at 70+, you’re already performing at a level most people will never reach. Older cyclists train through pain, adapt to aging bodies, and show up week after week. That combination of grit, consistency, and heart makes 70+ riders the real super-athletes nobody talks about. Why “Super-Athlete” Actually Fits When you’re 70+, cycling isn’t just “going for a ride.” It’s strength training, cardio, balance work, mental therapy, a...

Published: February 7, 2026 Quick Take: At 70 years old, I’m riding stronger than ever—not because I’m chasing speed records, but because I’ve leaned into organized events, smart training, and a few key gear upgrades. If you’re a senior cyclist (or want to be one), this is what’s working for me and how you can build your own cycling life after 60. There’s something poetic about flipping a calendar page. The calendar turns, but the road remains the same. The asphalt doesn’t care how old I am, what month it is, or whether the wind favors me or tries to break me—it just waits. Looking back on 2025, I can see just how much this past year shifted the way I ride. For decades, I was a solo tour guy. I’d pack up the bike, head out alone, and let the days unfold one mile at a time. But 2025 was different. This was a year of single-day events, multi-day rides, and shared roads with other cyclists chasing their own stories. And honestly? It was one of the most rewarding...

Last Updated: June 2026 Quick Take: Some cyclists keep riding strong into their 70s, 80s, and even 90s. They are not magic. They stay consistent, ride within themselves, recover better, and never fully give up the habit of moving. I used to think cycling had an expiration date. Not officially, of course. Nobody hands you a letter when you turn 70 that says, “Please turn in your bike shoes and report to the recliner.” But somewhere in the back of my mind, I probably believed there would come a day when long rides, bicycle tours, and big cycling dreams would just fade away. Then I got older. And instead of quitting, I kept riding. A few weeks ago, at 70 years old, I finished a 366-mile bicycle tour along the Mississippi River. I was not fast. I was not trying to impress anyone. Some days I felt strong, and some days I felt every one of those 70 years. But I finished it. And more than that, I enjoyed it. That ride reminded me of something I’ve seen ...