What cycling can do to your rate of aging

[Baz]

Massive biomolecular shifts occur in our 40's and 60's.......

A new study produced by Stanford School of Medicine sheds new light into how we age - specifically when and at what rate. Can cycling help during these critical times in your life, and what steps can you take to slow your rate of aging.

Chapters
00:00 - The Study
01:33 - Cycling
02:15 - Motivation
04:41 - Convenience
05:22 - The bike
06:34 - My anti-aging bike
08:18 - Summary

Paper cited:
Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging
https://www.nature.com/articles/s4358...

[herr_oberst]

This is good stuff.

I loved this line in the comments:Be the OLDEST person in the weight room (or on a bike). Not the YOUNGEST person in the nursing home

[Jeff Higgins]

Well, I'm my own little case study. As related elsewhere, I resumed cycling back in January of this year after a ten year or so hiatus. The more I ride, the more I cannot understand why or how I ever quit. About as close to a "fountain of youth" as we are ever likely to get. I've lost almost 30 pounds now with no change in diet whatsoever, I'm off my blood pressure and cholesterol meds, and I just feel so much better. It's gratifying to see studies such as this validating what we "feel", what we know is happening.

[cantdrv55]

I want to get back to cycling as well. It’s been 18 years since my last long ride. Sure I’ve done 5 miles or so with the family but I don’t consider those rides exercise. Question is, should I dust off my old road bike or buy a new one? The old bike has 23 mm tires. I heard new bikes take 28 or wider tires. Don’t know if my rims can accommodate wider tires. Also, I have rim brakes not discs. Should I put on disc brakes? Regardless, I’m going to start riding again.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

I want to get back to cycling as well. It’s been 18 years since my last long ride. Sure I’ve done 5 miles or so with the family but I don’t consider those rides exercise. Question is, should I dust off my old road bike or buy a new one? The old bike has 23 mm tires. I heard new bikes take 28 or wider tires. Don’t know if my rims can accommodate wider tires. Also, I have rim brakes not discs. Should I put on disc brakes? Regardless, I’m going to start riding again.

I just dusted off my old road bike. I ran 23's on it forever way back when, but was able to squeeze 25's on it now. I don't find the rim brakes to be any hinderance whatsoever, even having ridden a few disc brake bikes. I started back with this old bike because I was not all that sure I would remain committed enough to justify a new bike, but now I'm just digging' riding this old bike. I'm not sure a new one would increase my enjoyment enough to warrant buying one. Maybe for the gearing, mine has the traditional old road bike gearing which, at 65 years old and living in the Puget Sound area, I'm told is a hinderance. Yet, well, I can now (after ten months of work) get up any hill I run across in my area. So, for me, for now at least, I think getting back into this on my old bike was the way to go.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

yo 55- just get out and ride it. Unless you want to dump thousands, get back on the old bike to start with. You don't need disc brakes. 23c are fine to start out with. The rims will take wider tires- the limiting factor is squeezing the tires through the brakes and frame/forks.
If a road bike is really old 1970's- 80's, it might have clearance for wider tires- 30, potentially even 32c. About 20 years ago 90's into the 2000's, things got tight and were 23 specific, but I'd bet you could get 25 or possibly 28c's on it.

One saving grace for older bikes is the rims are narrow (like 14-16mm wide internal width)- which pinches most modern tires down a bit in width- so a 28c will measure more like a 25 width. My 25 conti 5000's measure 23mm on my older rims. The 30's fit more like a 28mm. This makes sizing a little hit or miss, but they will work. 32c measures about 30 iirc on the narrow rims. I run a 38c on a 14mm internal width rim and it works awesome for gravel, and measures about a 35c, and I was kicking the millenial "rapha" crowd's ass this summer.

The nicest thing about the wider tires is you can hit gravel/rough stuff with a lot more confidence and lower the pressure for a smoother ride. Even with 23c, you can drop the pressure a bit and be fine. I run my 23c about 85-90 lbs. Even back in the day I just inflated them to 100 and rode it for a month or two before checking pressure again. No need for 120.

Some of the best bargains going are 2010-2015 era road bikes. Incredible top of the line stuff going for hundreds of dollars because they aren't "disc brake/wide tire" trendy. You can get some REALLY good stuff for cheap.

I'm gonna ride in WV tomorrow- first big ride since breaking my leg. Should be good!

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

This is good stuff.

I loved this line in the comments:Be the OLDEST person in the weight room (or on a bike). Not the YOUNGEST person in the nursing home

There’s an 85 year old on the treadmill at the gym I use every day. Guy will likely outlive us all.

[Baz]

The head football coach at Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin talks about how doing Yoga has changed his life.

Legendary surfer Gerry Lopez the same.

I love Herr O's comments in the other thread:

I've got a selection of foam rollers, a roller stick, a balance board, other gym stuff that I leave around the living/dining room so I can attack sore spots or just lied around and stretch and feel a little better. The balance board is nice, (the round wobble kind, not the back and forth roller style), because you can just sort of use it while you're just waiting around or killing time or enjoying a song or a podcast. It's amazing how many muscles in my lower body - including my lower back - get stretched while I try and maintain balance for five or ten minutes.

[thingmon]

My son bought a Bianchi and left it behind... I didnt know a bike could be so good. The only knock is the non-Schneider things they call vvlves.

[cantdrv55]

Thanks leaky and Jeff. I’m going to replace all my cables and put on fresh tires/tubes and hit the road again!

[herr_oberst]

'55, if I recall, you have a beautiful classic Ciocc? I think you'd be surprised at the kudos you get for getting that jewel out on the open road. The other day a young guy showed up with this gorgeous Colnago with the swaged tubes on our Wednesday High Noon ride. It was great seeing a real steel bike out among the thundering herd of C/F.

[cantdrv55]

Great memory! Yes, I still have my Ciocc. It’s a museum piece at this point. I’ll ride my old department store bike until it’s time to buy a new one.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

'55, if I recall, you have a beautiful classic Ciocc? I think you'd be surprised at the kudos you get for getting that jewel out on the open road. The other day a young guy showed up with this gorgeous Colnago with the swaged tubes on our Wednesday High Noon ride. It was great seeing a real steel bike out among the thundering herd of C/F.

that's a big girl

[look 171]

Yep, others are absolutely correct, ride that bike and enjoy the wind in your hair again. Its is an old steel Ciocc? Like Herr said, a larger tire will fit in there. I was riding 20s and sometimes 19 mm tires back then. On 23s, I get them up to about 85-90 on rough LA roads and they work fine. Get over a 100, then you start to bounce. Also, it depends on uour weight but the 90lbs mark is pretty the golden standard for 23 mm tires. Yeah, I ride disc now, but for the longest time, I rode rim brakes and have never had any issues with them stopping. Riding is great for staying young and keep things moving but no one ever talks about crashes. As we get older, we don't bounce that well.

Then again, a new bike is sure nice.

[sc_rufctr]

I agree with everything in the OP's video but there's one thing you can not afford to overlook.

- Eating!

What and how much you consume is vitally important.
- You can de everything else right but you must also get this right.

IMO... Most debilitated older people don't move nearly enough and eat way too much.

---

"Riding a bike is a middle finger to a world that wants you to sit still, shut up, and consume."

- Unknown

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Spent the weekend reversing the aging process:

[flatbutt]

Needing to park the bike for the winter really annoys me as I hate hate hate indoor gym bikes. But cold weather biking just hurts too much.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Needing to park the bike for the winter really annoys me as I hate hate hate indoor gym bikes. But cold weather biking just hurts too much.

Back in the mid-90's I had a routine to ride my Trek inside on my Nashbar roller on weekdays while watching "The Love Connection" on TV.

I really enjoyed that show!