The Midlife Cyclist: The Road Map for the +40 Rider Who Wants to Train Hard, Ride Fast and Stay Healthy

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Age-related muscular decline affects balance,” says Roberts. “So falls are a major problem in your 70s and 80s, and breaking a bone can be harder to recover from at this age.” What changes should I make? Persuasively, Cavell argues for the abolition of “medium” intensity training which is (I think) what I’ve come to know as threshold training. All you need is: Remember, Dr Baker is going out of his way to point out that if you feel good, you should not increase the intensity, meaning no more watts or a higher heart rate, but instead add in a rep or two. Going too deep or too hard will increase the required recovery time and may lead to fatigue. If you assume your real (not inflated) FTP is 250, then your hard sessions using the Dr Baker algorithm will be 250 x 105-110% x 4-6 (8-10 minute) reps. This means that you'll be working at between 262 and 275 watts during those 8-10 minute reps. This isn’t going bonkers and sending your systems haywire — it’s a controlled elevation of training stimulus. That’s not to say I’m anti-data – my job as a thoroughly modern bikefitter requires fluency in its language and application – but technology is something that we at Cyclefit have adapted and bent to our will, rather than something that we inherently venerate or rely upon. For me, technology is a case of ‘wouldn’t this be nice?’ rather than one of ‘I just can’t cope without it’. A camera that fires at 60 frames per second (fps) versus the human eye, which routinely works at 10-12fps, can be mighty handy when looking at a client’s complicated and confused ankling patterns. But arguably more important is a deep knowledge of their personal injury history, rehab and plausible motor-patterning compensations. Actually, to tell the truth I am a little bit anti-data. Or at least I’m anti data for data’s sake. Numbers are meaningless unless we pipe in First, the bad news. As we grow older, in addition to our declining senses (eyes, ears) we must also contend with reducing muscle fibre, hormones and bone density. Not everything goes down: our blood pressure, cholesterol levels and body weight, for example, move right on up. But our heartbeat max takes a drop and, as if all this wasn’t bad enough, our very cells just don’t work as well as they used to. Atrophy.

Is there a difference between those who've exercised their whole life and those who come to retirement to take up cycling? Are there different challenges and different problems? If some exercise is good for you is a lot better or worse? The popular press is happy to run stories about the hazards of exercise, or age-group marathoners dropping dead at events, recounting the tale of runner Jim Fixx, who got America running yet died at only 52 (while running). “The Midlife Cyclist” quotes from studies of hard-core athletes and it seems that male elite athletes have a higher incidence of heart issues than non-exercisers and, interestingly, elite women. While the jury is out on what all of this means, Cavell’s experts (including doctors who are themselves immoderate exercisers) offer some speculative views. A Midlife Cyclist is a tale of two wheels across the Yorkshire Dales, Vietnam, Costa Rica and beyond, and a rider in search of peace.

The 40s: how is my body changing?

This subject goes in layers, so let's deal with it in layers. Overall, yes, exercise is tremendously beneficial for you – tremendously. That's the overall, overarching message. But then, within that, it's more nuanced. If you exercise moderately into middle age and beyond, even into old age, it is unquestionably good for you: the cognitive benefits or cardiovascular benefits, the feel-good benefits, everything is positive. But to exercise moderately – and by that, I mean the kind of exercise that the people we know do – there are question marks. Now, probably when all this washes after longitudinal studies and I do the revision of this book in 20 years time, it will almost certainly be the case that that was good for you. That's my opinion, and I have no evidence of that right now. So the book is taking up the evidence that we do have, looking at all the research conducted, and then on every subject, making an informed judgment. Phil Cavell: author of The Midlife Cyclist

With the help of medical experts, leading coaches, ex-professionals, and pro-team doctors, cycling biomechanics pioneer Phil Cavell produces a practical guide for mature cyclists who want to stay healthy, avoid injury, and maximize their achievement levels.

Cycling is definitely going to feel harder now. But if you can keep cycling, you’re much less likely to suffer from certain diseases. A must-read... this brilliant book shows you that getting older doesn't mean getting slower! ― Alan Murchison, The Cycling chef and masters cycling champion

Both men and women may feel weaker on the bike, with strength declining by 30 per cent from age 50 to 70.Exercise is an antidote to some of that,” says Roberts. Riding your bike is arguably now more important than ever. “We need to keep going, but just be more intelligent in the way we do it,” advises Cavell. I am blown away by the level of detail Phil Cavell brings to his work.' – Elinor Barker MBE, multiple world champion and Olympic gold medallist The impact will cause the body to produce more muscle and bone mineral,” explains Cavell. “It will also aid weight control, along with your low-intensity rides, which burn fat.”