Cycling trips—how old is too old? (page 6 of 10)

To answer the question: I’ll let you know when I stop! For now—turning 72 in two days—I’ve got a "Portugal tour" planned for spring... and a "Crete tour" as a backup plan... http://www.lethieu39.fr/dans-les-cartons-les-projets/ In the meantime, happy New Year and safe travels to all...

Hi Françoise, I browsed this forum some time ago, looking to buy a "nice" touring bike. I was in great shape back then (well, for my 66 years, at least)... Three weeks ago, though I never thought I was at risk (healthy lifestyle and all), I had a sudden heart attack after cycling 4 km in the cold... I’ve since learned that cold is a major risk factor, just like stress, smoking, or being overweight. After a bit of a "slump"—since I really need physical activity (this year, I was planning to hike around Mont Blanc and cycle down the Loire)—reading about your health issues actually cheered me up! Thanks again, safe travels, and watch out for the cold! Christian PS: I couldn’t get your website to open.

Before I posted my last message, I hadn’t read yours about your vertebra fracture! I hope you’ve been recovering well since November. Hang in there! Christian

It's true that "at our age," something can happen to us in no time, and a heart attack—just the word is scary! But it's not the end of sports in many cases. I have a brother who's 3 years younger than me. He overdid it with marathons and more, had a heart attack, and the doctor prescribed him 1 to 2 hours of cycling a day. I had to fight with him to get him to buy a heart rate monitor... I'm not even sure he did it!

not being a high-risk person (healthy lifestyle)

Healthy lifestyle—what *is* a healthy lifestyle? If I believe some sources, we're far from the truth, and even our various specialists, with help from pharmaceutical labs, might be leading us to the slaughterhouse—look into the statin scandal, by the way, that might interest you. Check out "Michel de Lorgeril" online.

"Good lifestyle habits" for me mean: - daily physical activity: walking or cycling (that’s my "vehicle" for getting around town every day, not to mention outings when the weather’s nice) + 1 hour of gym per week - balanced diet (plenty of fruit and veg, very little cold cuts, eggs, cooking with olive oil…) - no tobacco - little alcohol: at parties with friends, a bottle of wine now and then… apparently, I don’t drink enough: 1 to 2 glasses of red wine recommended per day! 😉

I only found out what statins are after my health scare… they’re one of the meds I was given because my bad cholesterol is slightly above the norm… the pharma lobby really got me, I’ll bring it up with my cardiologist at my next visit.

My "personal pipes" were probably in bad shape, but it was clearly the physical effort—limited, but without warming up—that triggered it. Christian

Hey MICHEL

Saw your blog with your two projects—nice one! You’re heading to Portugal—are you flying or sorting it out by train?

Any worries about your gear if you’re thinking of taking a flight??

That’s what kinda scares me and keeps me in FRANCE.

GOOD PREP

You're doing Portugal—are you flying or organizing train travel? Do you have any concerns about your gear when you consider flying? That’s what scares me a bit and keeps me limited to FRANCE.

Thanks... I’m planning to fly into Porto and back from Lisbon (EasyJet). So far, I’ve been lucky—just one or two minor "fixes" despite only using "low-cost" airlines. But I’ve always flown from Lyon or Geneva to or from "regional" airports. Is that related to my crazy luck??? All I know is that things go smoothly if airport managers, handlers, and subcontractors are decent and people aren’t too "under pressure." And it’s certain that at some airports (Paris??), it’s really sketchy...

One year, I tried an "all-ferry" solution: left the bus in a Venice parking lot and took a ferry for a "Greek island tour." It could’ve worked for a Greece, Crete, Italy, or even Sardinia and Corsica trip—from one port, you can easily expand your horizons—but boats are *so* slow!!! Happy trails...

But as I feared, there aren’t many seventy-somethings cycling on the forum. Counting me, we’re only 3 in total.

Patience—if I don’t kick the bucket first, in two years and five months we’ll be four, though gender parity still won’t be respected! Happy cycling, Françoise

Hello everyone, And in two years and seven months there will be five of us.......

Hey Lethieu! Oh, you beat me by a few days—I turned 72 on 11/2! Yeah, stress plays nasty tricks. I try to avoid it. No extra weight for me (1.71m, 69kg). Diet: Born in Dijon, I’m a bon vivant—I don’t deprive myself of anything, and I’ve been smoke-free since 1984! I don’t cycle in winter but walk instead (10km/day). I get back on the bike in March, doing 50km/day. This year, I plan to start from Givet to the Baltic, then follow the old Iron Curtain down to the Adriatic, then northern Italy, cross the Alps, traverse France, visit one of my daughters in the Landes, and head back to Givet. There you go—departure around May 25, return end of August. I live in campgrounds and under the tent, like a wild man, and I love it! To everyone: drink cool and French!!!!! Rigoll

Before my possible (probable) tour of Portugal in a few days, I’m doing a 3-day loop in the Camargue, around the lagoons... and, as tradition dictates, heading to the Vélocio Easter gathering in Provence (usually from Rive de Gier to Gigondas). Happy planning and have a great season to all seven of you...

I haven’t been online for two years, but you can add one more septuagenarian—I just turned 74 and I’m really not in great shape anymore. Cyclo 78 (Alain) 😉

Hi everyone,

Like I did in 2016, I’m sharing a 3-month bike-trip project here for early 2017. This year it’ll be in Southeast Asia (Thailand – Cambodia – Laos) by mountain bike from January 4 to April 3, 2017.

The planned route map is here. There are a few variations, and the route isn’t set in stone. Whenever possible, we’ll take unpaved trails or dirt roads.

Right now, there are three of us—all men between 65 and 66 years old. The group can grow, and anyone interested can contact me through this forum or via private message. We already have our flight tickets for Lyon–Bangkok round trip.

The site where you can follow the trip is here.

The site for the 2016 trip to Mexico by recumbent trike is here.

The site for the 2014 and 2015 trips in Southeast Asia by recumbent trike is here.

The site for the 2011 classic bike trip and the 2013 recumbent trike trip is here.

Jean Marie

Hi there,

As I mentioned in my post last April, I had just turned 74. This year I managed to continue the EV6 from Basel to Radolfzell, then did a loop around Lake Constance. Back in Basel, I took the EV15 to Neuf-Brisach, then a little detour to Freiburg before returning to Guebwiller. Okay, I went a bit slower and was more tired in the evenings, but I was really happy with myself. Next year will be... another year ;) maybe sticking around the Yvelines. Alain

Good evening, Still going strong, but a year without cycling. Walking and biking became too painful, so I decided to have hip surgery. Hip replacement in August after having some teeth pulled in July. Feeling good now—finally making a gradual comeback—and a trip in 2017 is "in the works." Jules

Bikes—how old is too old? Everyone’s got their own answer, or almost. Last year we hiked western Sichuan on foot; I’d just had wrist surgery and one-handed cycling isn’t easy. This year it was my husband’s turn to smash his shoulder and get a prosthesis. So we just bought e-bikes. They let us get back on two wheels without putting too much strain on our shoulders. We just rode the Verdon Gorge—gorgeous training ground. Two more seventy-somethings still pedaling.

Good question. I'm 68, and since retiring I've done a round-the-world trip and several 3- to 5-month journeys. I try not to dwell on it too much, even though it's always in the back of my mind. My answer: enjoy the present and dream about the future.

See post No. 7, which is still relevant.

Hi there... Wow, just looking at this site and especially this forum really lifts my spirits! Thailand, Cambodia, Laos... I’m full of admiration and envy!

Envious because if I hadn’t had a health issue in January, I would’ve done a bike trip in France in 2016 (either following the Loire or the Vélodyssée from Roscoff to Hendaye), and I would’ve loved to join you. Especially since I’m planning to visit that region soon.

Admiring because your trip planning seems really well thought out. I took a (too quick) look at your blogs and discovered your cyclist “gear” with interest, plus the "bikemap" site, which looks super useful.

Wishing you tailwinds for your trip! Christian

Hi Navigaterre, Your first post caught my eye, then I forgot about it. When I saw the second one, I thought, "Why not start a club, or just a group, or even a gathering blog?" How do you see it—what format, minimum age, purpose, etc.? Feel free to email me directly at 178jules at gmail.com to chat a bit more. Other "senior" travelers on VoyageForum can share their thoughts or offer to join in. 178Jules, Daniel in real life Happy Sunday