The Secret Of Staying Fast | The GCN Show Ep. 294
Umberto Begum and Margaret bar from say Delhi and you're listening to the gcn show welcome. To, the gcn show brought to you by our mate over at wiggle, this week we're asking, is your age actually a, barrier, to cycling, performance there. Is bad news but. It's also good in cycling, shores were questioning, whether cycling. Shorts are in fact the height of general, fashion right now and following, the death of the legendary frame builder dare integrity, we, celebrate, some of his greatest works, we. Have had an unbelievable, time, here at the world de espana for stage 1 & 2, we've, had bus tours talk, to the pros interviews. We've, done the lot we also got. On president access to the man of the moment Pizza GaN so, I can't wait for you guys to see all that so, stay tuned off the GCM channel back to you in the studio. This. Week in the world of cycling the, soccer, cross season is now just around the corner and what we learned is that even if you're one of the best riders, in the world you. Still need to practice. Yes. That's former, world junior soccer cross champion at Yin's Decker showing. That is not done in Melbourne, Australia Lucilla, learned over the last seven, days that a lot of you have, got quite severe symptoms, when it comes to an addiction to ward cycling, although we also found out it's not necessarily, a bad thing a 0, series MMX, commenting. And reminding us of the old adage and teach, your children to be addicts to cycling and they will have any money left for drugs ya know and some of us you didn't know what you were dated to Nick, W said he loves beer and if, he didn't cycle he'd be significantly, heavier therefore. Is he addicted to beer or biking I'll know the answer to that one it's not the latter no, fair enough now we also learned this week that age is, no, barrier to, cycling, performance. Not if you alejandro, valverde any, rates because on Sunday he, became the. Second oldest, rider to win a stage of a Grand Tour the Vuelta a Espana, at 38, years of age which reminded, us of this, photo from Twitter a couple of years ago posted by urban thoughts, that. Photos always makes me laugh is it good one I think the reason it makes us laugh constantly, is because you could believe it happening you absolutely can it's not the oldest winner of a stage at the world over barely and that honor goes to Chris Horner who won two stages at the age of 41, and with it of course the overall classification, but. Nevertheless valve. Early's win on Sunday did, get us thinking is, age a barrier to cycling, performance I, mean, we clearly. Hoping, not at our age don't we right you're, right re we're very similar ages, so anyway.
We're Both hoping is not bad too many words you definitely open it's not because if someone actually goes out stills that kom you're talking about in last week's show you have no chance of getting it back mate well I'd be full of motivation so. That's, what we want to find out if, you, are full of motivation and, you're very dedicated you do the hard work can. You to continue, to improve with age or are there some physiological, reasons why, you're, inevitably eventually. Going to slow down, well. The. Bad news first, we, consulted, professor Luke, Pass feel good. Mate and. He said, yes. Age decline, is clear and there is a lot of research to back it up but. He, also. Said that actually when that point happens is, exceedingly. Variable. And dependent. On motivation. Oh Ben in a ray of hope. Yeah and, although unfortunately sighs, things become quite clear again, when you look at the example of professional, cyclist, victories, and, so we had or there was four hundred and ten thousand, results from six thousand different riders put, into a graph and this, is what it looks like ouch. What, can you take from that side, well, thanks Louie first up clearly. What's. That twenty seven years old, you are almost literally, over, the hill you are that is terrifying isn't it and there is another. Glimmer of hope thing if, you want to win a Grand Tour you've. Got another few years so. The average age of a. Giro winner from the last ten years was. Just, over twenty nine the, average age of a Tour winner almost bang on 30 and, the, Vuelta was also 29 but if you remove that Chris Horner outlier things, that look so good because the average age there would be 17 okay you joke yeah, probably not too far off now average age of that is it and now. More bad news son yeah your, peak muscle, mass is apparently just 24. What, yes yeah. To be fair I think I could exactly the same amount of muscle now I had when I was 24, ie none. Vo2. Max goes down by 15%, every. Decade, just, depressing, again yeah I've, got even worse news than that you. Know that old theory where you get bit more efficient, as a cyclist, as you get older yeah our, friend, perhaps. X-ray now professor, Lee password I'm going off very quickly at the moment it says that that's not true either in, contrast, to previous studies. Which, have shown there might be an improvement in economy, and efficiency with, age their. Research, shows. That actually economy.
Efficiency Goes, down. Bugger. No. It's. Not that bad. Firstly. All, these, studies relates. To your maximum, exercise, capacity, not your, current fitness level. So the fact is unless you are at your absolute peak. Physical. Performance, ceiling. You probably are able to make loads, and loads of improvements, I think I'm quite well away from my ceiling at them I think we can all see that down yeah all right what. Was quite illuminating now impossible, to study on this part was, that the older, more experienced, trained cyclists, showed a much lesser reduction. In, their performance at both higher and lower intensities. In fact specifically what he said was, that versus. Untrained. Athletes, these, more experienced cyclists, in the study, what Abel's somewhat better maintained, things such as vo2, max max one minute power output, and indeed their efficiency, excellent. News then so effectively the, more you ride the. Better you stay that's, it okay and then there is one last, positive. To this as well and that is factoring, in that your emotional. Intelligence so basically your own, ability, to control emotions, a study, published in personality. And individual, differences which is surely not a real journal but apparently is called. Emotional, intelligence impact. On half, marathon, finish times what. They found the authors of this study was. That it had the biggest impact of anything on the predictive, performance of half marathon, runners and, so if you had this emotional intelligence you're, better able to control your emotions as I said and what that means is that fatigue has less of an impact on you therefore, you can run harder for longer and so, your performance is better and that is over and above other factors, even such as the training done is remarkable isn't it so theoretically, then you'd, think that. Instead. Of that gradual. Inevitable. Decline. In, physical performance, you could potentially compensate, for it by improvements, in, emotional, intelligence which. You'd, hope would continue to improve with age you'd, hope yeah yet another glimmer of hope for both there absolutely, now a more age your. Age at what point though you. Can't compensate anymore. I don't, know but perhaps you have some thoughts. So get involved in the comment section down below this. Could be an interesting one it could be I'm gonna be interested to read the comments this week as, every week of course our, also going ons are slightly different subjects, on the research that Lewisohn. Over to us I did know that if you want to be a real prolific, winner you need to be born in January, as I and I were born in June and August respectively. Which by, coincidence up, kind of the the mumps closest, to being average yeah. That make sense doesn't it really mister to mr. average right. There, is one last thing actually that Louie said and apparently, age is no barrier to, talking, about bikes so, that is without doubt can we improve it that there's. No doubt about that. He. Didn't really do that part of the study, so, I'm sad news from the world of cycling now as we mentioned in our introduction, darío, peg or se the legendary, frame builder has unfortunately passed away at the age of 62, he, was a true master, of this art form who both welded, and painted, his creations, he, lands trade from Luigi, know at Milani before, going on to pioneer, the TIG welding, process, in bike frames working, both steel and aluminium. Knowledge. That he actually passed on through, his teaching, the, performance with frames was legendary, as well such professionals, as pant Arnie Cipollini. Indurain, and Steven Roach all rode, his bike but, as well as the performance side of his frame sets particular more recent times he was as much known for the quite elaborate an amazing, artwork that adorned, his frame and fort in fact if you were lucky enough to commissioned a peg rosy frame you, would be given the option of giametta, which, basically meant that Dario had carte blanche to do absolutely whatever, he wanted with your frame set on that, given day so you received, a completely, unique bike, yeah he said he was influenced, by things that he'd seen things, that he was listening to music was a big part of his life even.
His Mood on a given day so if, he wasn't having the best of days you, could get loads of blacks on, your bike whereas, if it was and a great day then there'd be loads of white and yellows, he said even the weather could, influence things there, a wide and varied one note let's have a look at some of his best works. From. All of us here at GCN we would of course like to pass on our condolences to, his family and, friends the. Legend that is darien / Goretti they will live on through his work. We're. Gonna start cycling shorts with, a warning, if you think that one day you might end up winning the Tour de France you'd, better have some fairly bond answers ready for when journalists, ask seemingly, innocuous, questions. Otherwise you. Might end up like Garant Thomas you, see what he seems to have done he's. Kind of accidentally. Called for compulsory, helmet, use amongst, all cyclists. And this was one answer, given an hour-long interview which, was picked up as the main headline, by a whole host of outlets and then subsequently, he received quite a lot of angry responses, from many cyclists, in the at which point he decided to try and backpedal, even, using the hashtag, on Twitter calm, down, mistake, number two right there gallon never sailed someone to calm down he'd, pretty much always has the exact opposite response in his, defense though it's easy to see why, he gave me unless he didn't he because to, actually know, the counter-argument, to compulsory, hungee she kind of have to know specific. Stats don't you rather than just personal experience, of which, he has plenty because, he. Falls off a lot yeah actually somebody did say that on Twitter, I definitely, wear a helmet all the time if I crash as much gear as Thomas, but here's another excuse, as well in that when we did the G sin show on this very subject he, was racing and winning the Tour de France so you might missed it I'm, not sure racing, to a-rod is an excuse for missing the DCN showdown but no no not necessarily but you know what the hotel Wi-Fi can be like sometimes, he buddy couldn't watch it that, isn't possible excuse, if we'd run out of data as well and, now think of the Tour de France actually you, may remember Mark Cavendish she was eliminated, after a particularly brutal. Mountainous. Stage, 10 and. He's actually only raced for, one day since, then, and according to het lutz the news, it's. Because he's got epstein-barr. Virus which. Would make it the second time in two years wouldn't, it so I hope it gets well soon yeah fingers crossed a bj actually what he does in 2019. Because his contract, is coming to an end at the end of this year with his current team dimension, data some, people are even speculating. About retirement. Aldo speculate, about retirement to Kevin ish that's like telling him to calm down isn't it yes, exactly maybe I can be black winning stage of the tour this time next year you can be guaranteed of that perhaps talking, of bad news regarding contracts. There was News for, an entire team on Monday aqua-blue. Sport they. Announced, on Monday, to the public, and the county to the rise and staff - via, Twitter, why, they will be finishing at the end of this year ah that's. A real shame isn't it although, I'm. Or slightly suspicious when. A team launch is saying that it's gonna be self-funding, I'm not sure that's ever worked and history cycling has it but anyway. Some really talented riders out there now looking for contracts, including, GCN's. Unofficial head of fashion Adam Blythe well, I think he should dive, straight into something else set up his own kit brand which he'd be good at design wouldn't he ain't going to some fixed, gear racing, on the road yeah, I've got the shoes for it for a start me I think you'd be good at that I know seriousness, though a lot of rides and staff now without a job for 2019, as things stand I wish you were the best of luck in finding fun your future career still absolutely, right, some good news now shall, we the.
Boss Of uber daraa core of sahi, or a, variation, of that name. Went. On record in an interview saying, that. They would be expanding, their businesses, into electric, scooters, and ebikes. Even. Pay, for it if. It hurts their profits, I'm. Not sure I believe that but anyways this did come from an interview that was in the Financial Times here, in the UK he, basically said, that individual, modes of transport are far better in inner-city areas, saying, it's very inefficient, to, use a big Hulk of metal of, one ton to transport, one person, ten blocks yeah. They're, right and remember of course that they already have their jump ebikes, in eight US, cities, could, they reverse. The fortunes, of all the other public higher brands that seem to be mired in problems, at the moment like in. My hometown at Bristol with a yellow light, are, you you're pretty quite happy that those yellow button modeling problems on well, I just, I just wish people wouldn't leave online around yeah he's, been banging on about it this morning see I'll use the bicycle that I'm quite thank but I don't have to think about all those logistics, yeah high bikes and stuff well I have been thinking about over the last few days though and mulling over is, where the cycling, shorts are going to go from, high fashion, to high, street, fashion you. Read that cosmopolitan, arts go as well I did, yeah the author of the school Lauren, a damn who stresses in fact that she is by no means a cyclists, of any way shape or form, experimenting. Wearing cycling, shorts for, a week, for, a fashion perspective and, the results are quite illuminating they wear DS which. Will read some out she, says while. Initially I was doubtful, that I could put off the look I mean how could my butt's possibly compared to. Kim Kardashian presumably, rather than us -, Kim Kardashian yeah I was, hesitant about wearing bike shorts for one day let alone for, a week they, really did grow on me which is a risk I think if you wear your sake for, a week non-stop, anyway, she then goes on to say they. Weren't too long to skip either fit amazingly well and they were super easy to dress up all you have to do is throw on some wedges or heels and, you're, done, well we could have told you that ages, ago LAN couldn't we or they could it come the. Wedges and heels yeah, yeah. Mm-mean, events now you don't imagine that you need cycling, shorts without a chamois though for comfort, whilst walking around for a week surely you would think so anyway game. On from me I think Dan let's finish talking shorts we have some other good news and what should we saw this last week sigh but, the New Zealand Minister. For women Julie. And Ginter, as she, does kind of appointment to go and get induced at the hospital and decided to ride there on hurry by where she gave birth to a very healthy baby, boy, I'm credible as that that, is pretty incredible isn't, it congratulations, yeah congratulations. Jimmy and Jimmy, a visit. Jimmy a midget, Julie, Julie Ann congratulations. Sincerely. It's. Time now for our weekly. Inspiration. Which is sponsored, by our friends over at wiggle, your chance to win one a three voucher, amounts fifty pounds for third 75, pounds per second and a hundred, pounds for thirds to place incidentally. Bella's written and she was the winner of fifty pounds on the very first weekly inspiration. I really photo well then I remember it well yeah anyway, she got some spirit cleats and some spare twos bit boy but necessary said topic, mini road pump with gauge and a power bound to charge everything because, she's going over to France from, Australia's, do some touring in their nice five-week. Bike packing, for the furthermore you first month - that's, right, meaning out of life both of us right, then yeah I wonder enemy's been backpacking, not. Yet not, yet right. Okay anyway, weekly inspiration. In third, place we have got this one from, James sent. In from, the top of Mount Washington. Look, at that, said, when Washington, for, non-us viewers is probably, one of the toughest climbs in, North, America isn't it and there's an annual Hill Climb race to the top he says that, he completed, it slowly, but, he's gonna get faster next year that to my mind is pretty, inspiring yeah this the Mount Washington Auto Road, by School Hill Climb actually, went slow but faster, than last year which is all you can ask for isn't it onwards, and upwards quite, literally it, is second Basel and winning seventy-five pounds of wiggle bouches is. Great. Proving. That, you don't even need to have a bike in the picture for it to Mont want you to make makes. You want to go out on your bike on this Rover, short but, nevertheless you, agree with the photo that, is the color they'll, never let we, believe in, the Italian, Alps and that has, I've never ridden it and I was amazing, doesn't it just look fantastic 40 comes as long apparently, according.
To Greg but they're, gay hmm, right time, whether you are checking. Place where the second place they're so worthy first place coming up for you now winner of 100. Pounds of wheedle vouchers, this week is. Its. Martin brother, Martin, where these Pinarello f/8, in shot and, he's. In Queenstown, or, the qui sounds of glenorchy and, Paradise, Road South Island New Zealand, look, at that since his stunning winter's day in Queenstown. And. While my wife was working and everyone else was skiing up in the mountains I headed out on. The glenorchy in Paradise Road this rose everything, that a bike magazine photo shoot is all about and nailed, it with the weather to, Fairplay. That is quite incredible this reflection is incredible, isn't it I do like that photo I must admit yeah well done very cool yeah we'll be in touch we'll get those back down to if you'd like to let us know what you spend them on please, send us a message, you know what that photo makes, me slightly, less scared of winter right, now yeah that's very - I'm at that point where I'm really, just. You know a little bit like ah yeah, because we got a decent sum haven't we it's gonna come up very quickly there Fabian three days of some Jubilee if you would like to get involved with a chance to win with some vouchers next week the, hashtag on Instagram is GCN inspiration. Or you, can head over to our uploader. Which is in fact well when it came from today there's, a link to that in the description down, below. We've. Got an amazing giveaway. For you this week you might have been watching our City cycling series, is you turn up of a Saturday of late and if, you have you'll, definitely, have noticed be. Quite Froemming jaw-dropping, bites that we've been riding they are made by shin de Lauer and which believe that they are giving one away, Ludwick. Along, with Brooks Sadler, which we'll get onto a few moments time I shall he go on this you know how for the first time songs helmet, without a helmet for, our show a couple of weeks Jess yeah I did look cold in my time on, the bike not because you didn't have a helmet on Ernest ironically, I was in jeans going past people their fashion be wearing cycling shorts walking down the side of the road I never let's back to this amazing giveaway. As tells more about Jindal Howard bike to start with well I'll. Be glad to Dan firstly, one of the big things is it's got other the fact that looks amazingly cool is, it's got a gate carbon, belt drive so there is no chain in this bike which means practically. Zero maintenance and you. Won't get your trousers or oily so no more tuck them into socks which, is a bonus so I'll tell you about the Brooks p17, saddle they're Garlin it's. Been around such as the 1890s. And for over a century now, it has been their best-selling model is it a thing of beauty it's, a thing of beauty s could be a trivia that dandies indeed, and now if you'd like to be in a chance of winning this entire package all you've got to do is click on the link which you will find in the description below. This video now you can enter their entries will close on Monday the 3rd of September, 10 a.m. Greenwich, Mean Time which means that we can then announce the winner on the, G 10 show the following day which is one week from now I, don't. Think GMT, exists anymore does it it. Does cool, it Jim, well there's an alternative, isn't there rather than not existing, anyway, talking off giveaways. We're. Not giving, these away, but, they're a bit of a steal at the moment over a shop that global cycling Network calm, aren't they because they are 30%, off you know this colorway for this the hoodie ever, the t-shirt. She got on underneath, and also a for the sweater and so if you're interested in those third, upset offers decent discounts, net it's pouring my favorite over colorways that I like it's do or two I'm not sure why they're sending it off cheap, anyway.
Well. This week on the gcn tech show we've got ourselves a, new gravel bike we've got research, into, titanium, additive. Manufacturing. Hmm. Find out what all that's about in the tech show not, to mention we've, got ourselves a, one buy time trial bike Simon Richardson's, favor of course and also, we spotted a new 12 speed, electronic. Group set yes that's right 12 speed electronic. So to get all the scope make sure you tune in this Thursday. For the gcn tech show. It's. Time now for Hank. /blog. Of the week I'm going to start with. Something the Kathryn said in she, was off on a ride with people, from her old school which is kind of cool the other day and she. Spotted this which, is the school mascot for, the John, O'Groats to Land's End rather doing complete, with, 3d, printed, helmets that the design technology, department, created. That's pretty cool is Nick Garrett Thomas would be chuffed to bits with Adams safety first the bear I picked. That one for you sigh Utley thanks, mate I'm on twitter at 24. STB. Has, used bottle cage holders for, much. Cause a wide array of wd-40. Cans but they'd all look quite similar in all honesty yeah also an old-school frame pump tape holder. Know. That I yeah I do. I mean I'm with you I mean not sure why you need three, identical. Cans well, I'm one giant one on your on your belt mesh it's always boring scorning, what, I mean back up back up in case they you know so they needs a lot good, point yeah there's always a need right anyway. I got one for you as well might as well it's. Like a sharing chosen this is from Eric Viner he. Has created. Don't. Under, a. Chain, keeper, another, chain key for ages no but you know what mate this is one of the ones that I like because effectively, it. Is showing just how kind, of simple. A chain keeper is and, there we go let me so he uses throw axle and what. Was that yeah-heh, many, thread lock spool there, doesn't come much more Supermax, appeals I think even I'm going to say but not, much if it's been made to make sure the spool fits really neatly but that's why Chile works in there oh yeah I guess so. Fraser, Goodwin. And. He's. Found this rather interesting, bike today, you. Have to pronounce it before we sign Ljubljana. Ljubljana, Ljubljana, ah. It. Is interesting, I've mangled the pronunciation, but the bike looks a bit mangled, to it isn't it what. A beacon for wheelies, you'd think wouldn't you it's. Effectively, like a unicycle, with, like a caster, wheel at the front there's bound to be some, sort of story about this there'll be a flood of comments they all I can't believe you didn't know about it's like an icon, of City siding Brooks. A blonde, looks. Like it might, well be there we go right. Then Russ Allen sent in this one from, his travels in there and see it's. A frame covered, in mirror squares and with disco balls for valve caps he suggested, is it one for John Travolta, she, we asked John John. Yet. Another interesting response mode travolta there yeah, I'd say that he was quite excited by that one we, were finished we're the good story you, might remember the busy Cleese dad, well, he can, I hacked his own new, Wales, sky outfit, by just putting a toy whale on the back of his oldest guy Jess he was pretty good I think we said it was a hack to me yeah, we did well there's the proofing to put in a screenshot that you put up on Instagram oh yeah well recently on Instagram he's put up this team sky I've, actually sent, it with alone their own personalized, notes a t-shirt.
Sky T-shirt that's so cool. Sky, ocean rescue. Yeah. As cool as me are fantastic. Don't, forget hashtag, is jisun hack if you would like to submit your hats and budgets for next week or once again you can upload it to the hack section, of the uploader feel, all warm and fuzzy damn I'm, not gonna lie got that little gesture, that's amazing must have been chuffed a bit I'm, chuffed. I'm. Sure you will all remember last week's caption, competition. Photos if you don't hear, it it is we. Do have a winner somebody. That bettered my effort even I would say I say sex advert wrote, in with Team Sky find yet another marginal gain to make that riders come first, well, done to you Thomas you, will receive a decent, cow back Ward's buzzer if you've sent your address as a message on facebook all, right okay go ahead what about a photo if you get teeth into this week this, is our own James. Interviewing. Piece again or, so we thought what. Do you think Dan Unicare, starting on Sam. I'm. Bored, to. Be. Fair you know sometimes, as simple words are pretty good anyway. If you think you can better downs effort if you think you can win a g-string Kombat water bottle then, make sure you stick your caption, in the comment section down below, it's as simple as that good luck. Three. Of, our favorite comments from the last week coming up before we let you know what's coming up on the channel for the next seven days and, starting, with this underneath, the video that, you did Syed Pratt that we know really well actually lots of likes for that and had just come back from cycling around the world on a uni, side then they were like in my unicycling efforts probably probably, no I liked it, this fellow from Patrick Collins pointed out that that bill it's awfully, watery, yes. So. I offered to put in context offered, to buy at a bit to say well done for cycling about the world in a unicycle for three and a half years and, he, actually elected to go for a latte, and that was my lemonade. So. Yeah both of us were stout from the beer option but it was hot and feeling yeah, right, what about this one underneath, the top eleven, riders to watch at the Vuelta Dennis. With points out no Mikhail clear Kowski, Ben which. I mean I can imagine good hop and live and didn't we although one of us did predict, if actually have an update of our predictions from the preview show ya guys so firstly, a, couple of people predicted, bench n anemia that was Katherine, and John John, yeah. He's almost five minutes down so he's not going for GC, roughly how did you go for again the Richie Porte she, bought a new restaurant Richie Porte ollie my favorite ami and Richard ahlian do so I went for Richie Porte and let, me see how he's doing so means. To scroll down here a little bit further. 167. Currently, going into stage for 23, minutes and 17, seconds, I mean the good news he still got nine riders behind him on on GC but, it's. Not looking good however, Emma. Predicted. Me how Fiat Koski with the win he's in the leaders Jersey I before. I knew who she was going to predict that we might all quit if she gets it right again it's. Very dainty. To good is its early days will, be absolutely, fine both. At Macau kick-ass I think potentially James. As she did say we can't pick a ski but given his brand Co, Gagan heart we might never have known. Yeah, right underneath top five basic skills for cyclists Darren. Horrocks and how many outtakes are there of Dan getting thrown completely, clean over the bars before you've got that smooth dismount, none. Actually I've, got a div I did that first time and I did it again exactly. The same and, I asked Oscar and James they want. They were pathetic the. Other back we're about three inches off the ground versus. Its head anyway along, with my dismount we always learned this week how, does dismount properly from a panther farthing, it way. Is. Rocky impressive isn't it it doesn't look too bad on a video does it but imagine if you were on that penny farthing, have you been on a penny farthing I can say that for the remarkably honey apparently.
Though That's how they used to go down hills because when you sat on top of one the handlebars, effectively. Act like a safety. Belt but, meaning if you then go over the bars your legs are stuck and so you fall forward on your face so that was what that you still used to take the feet off the pedals and put them out like that as if they hit something they just fly clean over and they could start running brushing knowing. It's. Coming fil this week someone. Else might have enjoyed that little nugget their lowdown joy that now get in the comments a Wednesday. James, is going to let you know how to save, the best energy by hiding, out on a ride out, on Thursday he's, back again actually because they're a tour of the team Astana, bus, or Astana you wanna pronounce it like that no one knows how he's gonna pronounce it no yeah, it's probably yeah Borah hands go or something and, then Friday we got asked to eat anything yeah on Saturday, we go back to our City cycling series this one is how to try, and stay safe on Sunday. We've, got a retro, versus, modern this one was super exciting, to shoot one, of the most iconic looks. In pro cycling, then. On, Monday it is of course the racing news show and Tuesday, it's the gcn show oh and, as well gotta say stay tuned for bonus, content coming up from the vuelta both on GCN and also on the TCA and tech channel because john Cannings was over there rummaging. Through team. Buses left, right and center and also on our Facebook page Eton, cycling, where we've got highlights and analysis after, every stage we do need. It's. All mighty end of the show now but that means that you've still got extreme. Corner, to come right now in fact and this week we are heading over some more amazing, tricks from Batory Abreu mati. Impressive. Skills there yeah that's gonna seriously affect you by can be when you're what kilo large at the front end well not to mention the penalty for getting you wrong I mean I don't even know how you bail out without front wheel let alone what happens when your front forks strike, no, tarmac, does it ralph thinking about this yeah what our walk, sorry. Yes, leave it in. The show yeah alright frankly yeah I think that's probably it in it for most people reminder, that this colorway, is on sale at 30%, reduction overshot, the global cycling Network calm, you can find a link to that on the screen right now yeah please also make sure use for you a big thumbs up and if. You, want to watch another video why not check out that, one with Ed Pratt you know cycling around the world and actually me. Having to go pretty much what bro mati was doing just, without half a bike waddling around in front of me he's slightly different level. Yeah. You know cycling is definitely hard.
2018-09-04 14:26
Age is just a number...Proof be as I age I get heavier and I go faster without pedeling down hill, can I hear an AMEN?
Mark Eightv29 As John Wayne said in one of the cowboy movies. No matter how fast you are, you’ll always meet someone who is faster. And the more shooting you do the sooner you’ll meet that man
I took up cycling last year at the age of 60 and work with a coach. I find riding that by riding regularly and with others, I have steadily improved - as well as lost weight. I've done some 10mile TTs and yesterday my first hill climb race for which I earned the Lanterne Rouge! Best of all I have a new hobby, new friends and an active social life!
Riding fast is not the same as just riding. I think wether we care about racing or not, there is a time when you can't perform as well as you used to. For me, at 42, it's obvious that my capacity to maintain great efforts for long periods of time has decreased with age.
+xGshikamaru when I turn 60-something, I wanna be that old dude who kicks the young dudes arses on the bike.
I'm 57, I ride my bike like I stole it.
Of course, but then again, I'm 38, I took up cycling 2 years ago and I'm faster than most people I compete against. Just won gold at a Tri, beating out plenty of 20 year olds etc. Typically take the fastest or close to fastest bike times at my Tris and Time Trials. I also have KOMs all over my city and many top tens and 5s all over. I think it comes down to motivation, discipline and hard work. I work harder than most people I know and it shows. But could I work this hard for the next 5 years and expect a Pro team to come calling? Not a chance, not even if I quit my job and focused on it full time.
As long as I can ride the lift to the top, I'm sure I'll ride the downhill fast.
Global Cycling Network as per my Strava , results are improving despite being 67 years old. I have more time to ride and have lost weight and gained speed and ability to ride further
You find this topic very well described in the book of Joe Friel "Fast After 50: How to Race Strong for the Rest of Your Life" . This book gives me - I am 61 years old and started exercising 10 years ago - motivation to get better every year still if you train the right way and don't focus only on "LSD" (Long Slow Distance). Joe friel shows on the basis of the current scientific results that you are able to improve your performance - respectively reduce your loss of performance because of biological reasons - by pushing yourself regularly to the limits in intervals and have the necessary time of rest between the training session to avoid overtraing. Overtraining is the greatest thread for older athletes, because they need more recovery time the older they get.
At 55 years of age I can still do everything on the bike that I could do when I was 30. Unfortunately though, it all takes longer.
so much of the information and data was overgeneralized yes of course you lose some of your fitness and health as you age, but that can be curtailed through healthy living and avoiding things that hasten the decline then there are many many cases of "outliers" like Horner You hear about them on the web every week I know you tried to defend some respect for Cavendish and retirement rumors but didn't GCN pick a convenient week to talk about both Cavendish's decline? and the fact that Cav has been doing worse and worse over the last few years, very much in his professional twilight years throw in the curse for Cav and Roger Hammond after the 2017 TdF snfu - Cav is toast
Maybe, Age will affect your performance when your riddled with diseases. I see 50+ aged riders, Still taking up 60kms above maybe for morning rides, Long rides.
Nahhh, never to old. Im F54 and loving my bike and wheels and can't get enough. Climb, distance, average speed, best this year. Its a mindset. Only started real cycling 6 years ago.
To be honest I don't care if I cant ride fast when i'm older just as long as I can still ride my bike
At 45 I do agree with decline in performance with age but 24 is the peak muscle mass??? The extreme in muscle mass is bodybuilding, I've see no Mr Olympia's or Universe's at 24, most are in their early to late 30's. Look at Elvis, how can you say he reached his peak muscle mass at 24???
I'm 67 and riding as well or faster/longer than at any prior age. Upgrading to all the great new bike innovations really helps, as well as joining a bike club and seeing lots of riders my age or older performing really well. It's all about motivation.
Does the wins by age correlate with how many riders are in the peloton per age? For example there maybe only 10 riders that are 35 years old but 5 of them might have won a race giving the 35 year old a 50% winners rate ....
I really hope that mature emotional age can help me sustain pain for longer periods, then maybe I can improve a little.
In ourdays no team, even an continental one, would give a place to 35 years old cyclist with no background in the sport, even if the results of his are insanely huge! The teams today work with only numbers and that's why the rompotic cyclists when they reach their late 20s want to retire theirselves! There is no motivation now other than a big contract! The love of the sport is vanishing day by day and i think that when you go back you will find more human conditions that can keep motivated to go on! So motivation can keep you going, for sure!
I got this one,. First you have to be a lousy cyclists when you were younger. That way all i have to be is average and it would be considered improving with age.
I knew a couple of cyclists in their 60's who could beat over 90% of cyclists of all ages(proven in mass start events I'd also entered). Trouble is they used to beat me as well most of the time! I only regularly started beating them after they got to about 68 and finally started slowing down. Very good B grade cyclists.
Older riders out perform on ultra distance and audaxes generally due to experience and mental strength :)
I'm 60. I commuted to work most of my life. Now I ride to simply go places. So while I still enjoy challenging myself I love riding thru the countryside and meeting other cyclists. Simply put . . . riding makes life better.
Too good to be true, but my father is his mid 50s engaged in cycling and gained strength plus endurance even climbing.. but I noticed his recovery to be a bit slower
There will be an age you will start to notice, But, at 43 I'm mostly getting stronger and I gained the possibility to turn HUGE gears effectively really late. I used to be a climber/classics rider even though I was never really a light build trough spinning and efficiency and huge endurance. Now, i'm having trouble keeping my weight really low but i started to turn more on power and bigger gears as such I have fun at Paris Roubaix every year, breaking my PR's every outing. The only thing I had when I was young was endurancy, now I have the added capability of endless intervall making me even more into a classics rider. The Difference? Riding to improve your favourite strava Segments while munching the miles. (there was no Strava +5 years ago) I feel I can turn more power, but I also need to to keep the power up when I get older. (I Love the +6 minutes all out efforts which resemble efforts like Paris-Roubaix) Also I have seen dedicated guys of 60+ still utterly destroying guys in their prime: motivation and dedication are the name of the game.
Never too old... and if needed there's what e-bikes are for.
Hi I started to riding/racing 2013 and have improved every thing since, lost 30 kg, vent fro 0 to nor 307 W FTP at the age of 58 so what are you talking about :-)
If things really start to fall off I guess there is always hormone replacement.
I don't know is a steady pace of 17mph fast? :( Honestly at 45 now I don't like to push my heart to hard so avoid the all out stuff like I did in my 20's and 30's. I went mtn biking a month ago and the all out heart rate just felt really stressful.
Bad news: I am a cognitive psychologist and emotional control, what Si calls “emotional intelligence”, actually declines with age- so no compensatory mechanism there. Good news: emerging evidence that endurance athletes have superior mental control- thus superior emotional control.
I'm 69 now. I'm definitely slower, but I am much better able to afford expensive kit, lighter equipment and keep the industry going. That's got to be worth something!
It looks like emotional intelligence plays a big part in the success of ultra endurance riders in the really big events, be interesting to see the top 10 finishers age graph over events like the Transcontinental Race, Trans Am Bike Race and the Indian Pacific Wheel Race. So maybe age isn't a barrier for success as much in these events!
Ah, I’m better with age...doing more than I did when I was younger: Triathalons, long distance rides and marathons. Though, not as fast as I’d like and I do need recovery time a bit more.
Depends how you classify fast. Im in way better shape now at 43 than i ever was in any of my twenties!
45 y.o. ??? I'm turning 71 in a couple of days and I'm certainly no speed demon, yesterday I did 33 miles on gravel in ~2:30. Not going to win me a Dirty Kanza, but what the heck.
My sense is that up to about age 60 an avid cyclist can keep up with a 30-year-old version of him/herself on flat-ish ground at a hard tempo. I know my 25-30 year old self could not drop me at age 51, except in the climbs. Then old me would be smoked horribly. Could I train up to match my best-ever 40K time trial? Almost for sure. I just cannot see my old climbing me coming back in my 50s.
If you think that you are too old.... then you have told yourself that you are. Forget what you are told by others, know yourself. Full stop!
Nope, I see plenty of riders in their 40's and 50's who are faster then me, "fast" is somewhat relitive.
I think what defines fast is like a bell curve with age on the x-axis and speed on the y-axis. In our younger and older years, lower speeds are "fast".
Your study are run on the subjects that had been selected due to their natural ability to withsdand extremely large loads. Most of us were not training to the top of capacity and never were loaded at that top for months in a row. So, most of us could improve from season to season till early 60s. Since we are far away from those pro cycling mutant cluster and below our potential max level of performance.
At some point, one might stop caring about KOMs and PRs and start enjoying the scenery by bike. "It's all about the ride."
At 57, I'm not too old to commute slowly... 4 season in Michigan USA
The graph of ZERO top 10 finishes after 39 is pretty rough as someone who just turned 40. Still, I only started riding a few years ago and I don't think I've reached my potential yet, so I have that to look forward to for myself. I do wonder what it's like when you actually start the decline, to know that you're only going to get slower and slower from there. In a way it's nice that for me, that will happen much later in life than a pro cyclist who peaked at 27.
Not really. Just use the Eddy Merckx method of "ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike" and if you "ride your bike" more in the last 10 years, than you did in the previous 10, you'll be faster. On that subject, "How long does it take to train a professional cyclist". #torqueback #askgcn - I would say about 10 years, if say serious competition starts about 12/13? #torqueback #askgcn
#Caption #GCN-Caption: Despite the intense questioning, the responses fell flat and rather two-dimensional.
Global Cycling Network I’ve just noticed that in your introduction montage there’s a bit with you guy walking out of building, then, taking off you helmets. Seems backwards.
Dan was that "motivation" or "motor-vation" to regain your KOM? :)
Since at least 99.99% of all cyclists of whatever age would acknowledge there are some cyclist who perform better than they do I don’t see that age makes much difference to 99.99% of cyclists unless they choose to compare themselves with only a subset of cyclists rather than every cyclist. A young cyclist performs better than me? So what? There are thousands of cyclists who perform better than both of us!
Barriers? Naturally we all slowly decline with age. The overwhelming majority of us will never ride at the World Tour level, regardless of our age. But is age a barrier? It's not a barrier to fitness. It's not a barrier to competition. It's certainly not a barrier to enjoyment. Not a barrier at all.
I got my ass kicked by a guy in his 60s in the Pyrenees. In fact he kicked us all but one guy who's won local races around here. The guy is a genuinely strong and nice guy. I feel privileged to have been able to ride with him and would love to be able to ride like him when I'm his age. I know another guy who kicked us all at 59. For context they produce well over 4W/kg at FTP
Most pros start early, so they peak and retire early. The pros that start later in life still have strong careers. I think mental state, the rigors of the Pro Tour lifestyle, and drive are larger factors. Individually, though you may be genetically strongest in your 20's, that is only one part. Cycling has diet, training, racing acumen, and other factors that need to be learned. A lazy 25 yr old racer eating chips all day can still improve into a faster 40 yr old smartly trained racer. Potentially, many punters can improve well into their adult diaper days depending on when they start and how much they learn. Look at the age groupers, I think a majority are old guys! They seem plenty fast enough
Well we are designed to wear out in a sense, because for thousands of years of evolution humans rarely made it beyond 35. So evolution designed us to be more efficient for less time, in the future (if we haven't destroyed the environment by then) we may well see some pros in their mid to late 40s and even 50s with high personal performance reachable to everyone beyond that. We haven't had time to fully adapt to our new found extended lifespan yet, hence we peak pretty early and it's perfectly possible that all the bolts are shaken loose and the old engine is wearing out by 40 - 50.
In sprinting, the gap increases but i dont know about climbing
Caption: ***"Sagan's performance in the Vuelta so far has been flat, many say lacking dimension... he has admitted feeling board at times, but claims he still has an edge, while others observe that he is looking a lot thinner than usual.***
Am I right in thinking that the inspiration prize means that the people who can afford the fanciest bikes and can afford to travel to the fanciest destinations get rewarded with vouchers? How about a prize for people like me that love cycling but are stuck in Leicestershire with a sub grand bike??
Absolutely not! We're into anyone who has a cool story
I'm 71 and ride 200 km per week. My legs are stronger than they have ever been. I mountain bike in the Boise foothills and on Friday I was out for over four hours setting eight personal bests climbing 4,300' overall. I ride my road bike on the paved roads in the foothills and on the Greenbelt, 13 miles for a loaf of sour dough bread at Wholefoods. Three weeks ago I placed second in the Big Spring National Hang Gliding Championship, just behind the former world champion, besting pilots half my age. Don't give up, life is good.
Caption: can’t talk now, I’m off to a Board meeting
Caption: The secret of Peter's success: Clandestine training sessions during interview appointments.
Hi, Im 63 and I feel better and better as I increase my training. Im a Triathlon runner, and my prefered distance is Half Ironman. My motivation is high and feel that happyness is related to my sport dedication.
Caption: Since his crash at Le Tour, Sagan's interviews have become somewhat two-dimensional.
Would have given this a thumbs up, until Si (or is it Sigh) said, "forks". It is a fork, singular - again, picture the eating utensil, compared to the steering tube and blades of a bicycle FORK! ...or an even more obvious comparison, a tuning fork, unless Si calls that a tuning forks. ARGH!
A Dirty Kanza for Central Pennsylvania is coming in October, I just found out from the Gravel Cyclist here on YouTube, whoop whoop. I might have to break out my GCN socks and ride it. This is the website: https://www.unpavedpennsylvania.com/
Still riding at 63!
Caption:...make sure you get my picture!"
Caption: Cardbord hansgrohe
How old is Graeme Obree now? 56? He's still riding his 10mi TT at around 31 mph.
Caption: Peter Sagan is giving a flat response
Caption: Unusually, the competition made Peter Sagan look like he was standing still! (perhaps he was board so put on heels
#captioncompetition Peter Sagan is such a card.
Most depressing video ever.
It’s a little bit upsetting actually!!!! Not the fact that G said to wear helmets because I agree but more the fact that whoever’s Twitter you used to get the tweet...... they ain’t even following G .... #letdown
Noticed today that YouTube's subtitles distinguish between Dan and Si by referring to Dan as 'Man with Beard' (at 4:03). Perhaps Si could be 'Man with small arms' Sorry Si, don't worry personality makes up for it ;)
Caption: Peter Sagan gave a very wooden response the the question. #lovegcn
Caption: Well James, it goes without saying that as World Champ I am a cut-out above everyone else
Caption: "Seriously, Peter, no funny business, when did you become the strong, silent type?"
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I started racing as a 38 year old. Maybe I'm off my peak potential, but nothing gives me more pleasure than stomping kids half my age!
Enjoyed Dan's fascinating nugget. OK. I teed it up for ya, start the abuse!
Sagan: “I’m still feeling a bit stiff after my crash on the Tour...”
Simon says Mt. Washington is "probably one of the toughest climbs in North America". Well, it is actually tougher than that. See this link for stats versus European climbs: http://dsjansen0.tripod.com/Global_Climbs.html
CC: Was soll ich Sagan?
Caption: So paper segan is your next bike a Boardman
No Kristoff?! Well he does not get to wear his white european champion gear anyways, might as well cut him out of cycling shorts :'(
Caption: "James left red faced with a stiffy when interviewing Sagan."
Never mind the caption competition, let's get an interview with the brick and the cardboard cut out of Segan. It could be the most dynamic and animated interview ever!
Comment: UCI Champion = Uninterested Cardboard Interview Champion.
The information about the effects of age on cycling performance is really interesting. All of us will be affected by this (some sooner than others). It would be great to get Louis in to do a special show on this please!
James: I'm here with Peter Sagan, Now Peter how are you feeling today? Sagan: A little flat really
Bugger...
Caption: "And don't worry, I'm not from GMBN, so I won't mention anything about shredding."
Caption Comp: Just as in his sprints, even in his interviews Sagan goes flat out.
Well, obviously your potential declines as you get old. But at 63 pushing 64 I can still churn out a decent 40k TT. And the other day I did Mont Ventoux - which would be more impressive had I not been beaten to the top by a 72 year-old in our group. He was stick thin, mind...
Caption Competition. “So Peter, good to see you flat out again”.
Caption: "Mr. Sagan, you seem to be lacking some depth"
Hey GCN! This was a good one. I have an idea for the Weekly Inspiration Contest: Provided this doesn't enter into some sort of copyright snag, why not have a section on the GCN website that includes a gallery of the contest winners' images in HD for people to use as their desktop backgrounds? Could even paste a little GCN logo in the corner of each... Love the show, keep on churning them out!
Caption Competion: John Travolta's got nothing on me
The older I get the faster I used to be
Please, do a video about tips for Everesting challenge... Climbing 8848 meters (29000 feet) in single ride... Ride same hill over and over... Are anyone of you try to do? that?
I am 66 and after retired from work done a LOT of training .. and yesterday won the World Championchips in TT in Varese ;) ;)
caption - what happened during the sprint? you seemed a bit out of shape
You can compensate the difference with electric road bikes
I felt a little flat out there today........
Caption for this week? Maybe : "He's so cool, do we need words, really? Who'd notice?"
Calm Down Cavendish!! ( yeah I know what I'm doing !)
I've noticed the younger cyclists who leave me dead on hills are at the lights every time in towns, where I slow down to traffic flow and get through nicely. But all that lyrca? No! My pet hate as per and apparently born in an average month.
I'm happy that you replaced the wiggle wheel with something interesting to watch. Good call.
As Si says the important point about whether you can still improve or not as you age is although you obviously decline in the limits of your physical ability as you get older, there is still room for vast improvement whatever age you are...assuming you are not already in optimal physical condition. When I started cycling and running again at 60, it took me over 40 minutes to get to work. Now at 66, it takes 25 minutes for the same journey on the same bike. Of course, shedding body weight has made a big difference! P.S. suggestion for a GCN video...out riding today, got caught in a sudden thunderstorm. What should cyclists do when out in the countryside and confronted with the dangers lightning?
Caption: "So, Peter, I imagine cardboard sunglasses are a lot cheaper?"
I'm 60 in October and regularly cycle 140+ miles a week in terrain like the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors, Peak District, Dartmoor, etc - not exactly known for being flat (see my channel for videos of my rides). I started cycling at 17 years of age (in the glorious summer of 1976) and (although this might be because I have a better bike these days than the small-wheeled, 3-gear Chopper-type bike I used to ride back then!), I can cycle further, faster and higher. When I'm not out on the bike, I'm on my indoor trainer following - of course - GCN indoor training videos - current favourite is Race Winning Intervals. I just feel as if I'm getting fitter and stronger all the time.
Caption: Peter Sagan claims having a pretty good chance of winning his fourth world title in mountainous Innsbruck next month. "The power is the same, but I lost a lot of weight."
Is there any statistical data or studies mentioning how far you can improve from couch potatoe to decent road cyclist? I started out riding about two years ago at the age of 45. I started with small gentle rides at 20-25km/h at maybe 60RPMs. Last month I rode 215km in a day at ~25km/h at 80RPMs. Is there a limit that i can expect to reach? How much more can I improve or what should I aim for?
Is that a doctored pic of an aging Sagan you've used as the thumbnail? ... Should have used a pic of Quintana, save you firing up photoshop.
Caption: Peter Sagan... A man akin to winning.
To try and win a stage of the Vuelta Bouhanni decided to cut out the competition!
Sorry guys, but I agree with G. Cyclists need to wear helmets. I have family, friends, parents, and significant others, and a job that I need to be alive for. I lost a very close friend to a fatal head injury because he wasn't wearing a helmet. The last thing I want is to cause pain to myself and the others around me all because I wouldn't put a 300 gram sphere of styrofoam on my head. I guess if you've got nothing to live for, go for it, but i'd still like to ride tomorrow and a helmet is a small price to pay for that. Just seems dumb to not wear a helmet when on a two wheeled piece of carbon going 40kph over hard asphalt.
I’m 65 and just started biking since the age of 16. I’m already doing 30 mile trips. I’m wanting to try down hill... I’ll leave the word “racing” out because I don’t expect to be seriously competitive. I do expect to finish any challenge I start.
I am three score and nine years old(being born closer to the nineteenth century than to this century,I talk like that)and i'm a better cyclist than when I was young.....In 1956 I was on my new 20 inch Roadmaster and wound up under the front end of a Hudson Hornet.I've got nothing but better over the generations!
I think there is another angle on the EI aspect of performance - its not just about digging deeper but also about the ability to pace oneself better and not writing checks the legs can't cash later on
Well I am 48 and new to cycling. I keep setting Strava PBs every time i go out. Its keeping my happy, motivated and healthy. Plus the wife loves the peace and quiet she gets while I’m cycling. Everyone a winner!
What ever happened to @wattagebazooka?????
Felt flat today!
Caption: Marginal gains must be made in the rider department too, these cardboard ones are lighter, cheaper, and don't complain about rain
#deleteuber
Although I went flat out today my performance was a little thin
The loss of muscle mass is called SARCOPENIA. And it is inevitable. There are a rare few who genetically are spared this process, but all in all... say goodbye to those bulging muscles. This is not to say you can't build muscle mass to a degree and become stronger, but you will never be the rider you were at 25 once you are 55. And then we get into training as someone over 65, which I am. I have a strength coach and a riding coach, I work hard, eat well and can only generate 700w for 10 seconds. And then the results of this test, I'm going to assume, were done on males. For us gals it's a whole different story. We hit our peak later for endurance much later. It's all good and well... but as we know... just keep riding. I'm a 67 year old woman who competes at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Ut. in TT, Crit, Road and Hill climb and you can't imagine how fast the women riders are in the top class. The games are for anyone over 50. In 2017 contestants come from 7 different countries, with over 13,000 in all, in different events. There are 300 cyclists ranging from 50-90's. Cycling is agelist.
you can definitely attenuate the loss though - hence 'use it or lose it' or 'move it or lose it'. you have to work much harder to actually build muscle mass, but so long as you keep using it you can maintain nearly all of it
Caption: well this is a very flat interview
I got back on the bike, age 58, 16 years after I stopped riding (walking the family dog... you know the thing). I used to think a 100km ride was a big thing to prepare for. Now I do one most weeks, do 100 mile rides with 2,500m of climbing regularly, and just did my first 200km. And faster at that. Just more aware of my body and what I'm doing, learned better technique (ie learned some) - and more determined too.
Caption: When we said we want Sagan to go flat out this wasn't quite what we meant
Caption: “So, Peter, I understand your cycling hero was Boardman?”
#GCNcaption :After seeing Vincenzo Nibali's horrific crash during the Tour de France due to unmanaged fan exposure, the organisers of the Vuelta have taken a rather stern step in order to limit the contact of fans to the riders.
I'm 63 and can hold my own, but a lot is skill. Kids just don't have the same skill set even if they're quicker. 2 hours later I'll pass them, again.
Caption: Sagan’s silent treatment over questions regarding his performance in the Vuelta threw James into a flat spin.
Caption competition. You “wooden” believe who I’ve just interviewed!
Caption: "Cut it out, Peter"
If Brumotti was really that good he would have caught the front wheel and installed it back while riding.
Caption: Peter Sagan said "I had to go flat out to win the sprint finish"
Caption: Peter Sagan is trialling a new "Pay Per View" cycling and not quite getting the concept.
Bike shorts worn as fashion? Fucking stupid. What a tool.
for the caption contest. Feeling a bit stiff after that ride
Pedal...fast a bit, slowish for much of it, sprint for fun....my average speed is 22/26 kmph, and have maxed out personally at 60 plus kmph, fast enough for me.. at 65 plus, I don't give a rats ass about speed...applaud those who fly past me, some up to 40 years my junior....pedal, the rest is in the head. Doing it, regardless of age is the pure joy of being on a bike
Where’s Lasty?
There is no need for Dan Lloyd to quit if Emma gets her Vuelta prediction correct. However, it would be good if we had some video evidence that Dan and others make their predictions before Emma does. Only the fans can piggyback off Emma's predictive powers.
The real Peter Sagan is on holidays in bora bora
Caption: "C'mon, Peter, talk to me. This is no time to keep a stiff upper lip."
Caption: I'm just not 'cut-out' to talk to these PUNdits.......
Caption: I'm ready to ride flat out for the next three weeks.
Peter’s comments were a little stiff today
Caption: Sagan came across a bit flat in his interview
Caption: "Thanks, Peter, me and John Travolta are still the new guys, and Dan said I'd better not come back without this interview."
Caption : Im not saying Peter Sagan looks wooden in some of his interviews, but......
I feel as though the one thing that has been greatly overlooked in this conversation is experience. I ride with people who are by and large 20 years or so older than me- and they have the experience to know when to eat, what to eat, what to wear, when to go hard, when to save themselves, how to prepare, and what works for them. As a none competitive cyclist, I am sure I will only get better with experience (providing my fitness doesn't go TOO far the wrong way).
Is GCN now just becoming an outlet for bad acting? I used to really enjoy nearly all the content but hardly get through a whole vid a week now. The shows used to have a natural enjoyable flow about them but now just sound scripted and over-rehearsed. In the last few months I've gone from looking out for the next vid to waiting a few days before I can bring myself to brave it. And I can't even go and watch Ollie do his weekly blogs anymore. There is still some great stuff (Jon Cannings bike knowledge for one) but in general I give up by half way.
Caption Comp: "So Peter, do you think you're CUT OUT for this race?
I got my first road bike at age 35. A year on, I cycle faster than when I first started, cashing in quite a few QOMs, training for TTs and potentially racing next year. Sure, too old for making it a profession, but certainly not too old to improve and enjoy the sport. We have >50 and even >60 year old guys in the club who are quite able to show most people on the road their rear lights. All depends on where you benchmarked to start with, and who you compare yourself to. Increase of ability, peaking and the inevitable decline is just natural. Might come earlier for some and later for others. Most importantly, one should enjoy riding, eh? ;-)
I’m 57. I don’t ride as fast as I use to. And lately, haven’t been training like I use to. Kids and injury take it out of you. Daughter is growing up, and I’m finally healing up. My plan is to get back to race weight and shape by next spring. Speed isn’t what it use to be but I feel I can get back to high teens maybe even low 20s as long as I keep with a long training schedule and listen to what my body is telling me. My goal is to get ready for the OFC, (Old Farts Club) once I’m old enough. Crazy buggers I met years back on a Cycle America Tour. The youngest 63 there oldest 98. Tours daily route was around 68 miles per day. The OFC averaged 110 mile per day. They averaged 15 - 17 mph and did it all day with good long breaks, generally at local pubs. Rain, sun, nor snow stopped the OFC. Your chart is interesting, but the OFC is laughing at it.
almost 59 and loving it, the faster the better..
Caption:”The world champion was a little stiff in his recent interview with GCN.”
are the performance/muscle mass/avergae age stats the same for women? probably not, but do you have any details on that?
I'm wondering what Si's reaction was to Adam Blythe's (another unofficial GCN member) comments on The Bradley Wiggins Show re: racing on the 1x setup of the 3T Strada all year and that it was a ridiculous bike to be racing in Europe with. Si, do you feel like your enthusiasm for 1x setups has waned after such a scathing pro review?
Taylor MacGillivary Not really. I’m quite surprised by his views to be honest. I’ve got on really well with mine, although I appreciate I’m not racing on it.
I'm 58 and recently took second place in one Strava sprint segment and a week later 10th place in a longer Strava segment. What age takes away, a 30 mph tail wind puts back.
Caption comp: Peter Sagan declares he's not cut out for the climbs of the Vuelta
Caption Competition Peter Sagan stayed silent on the rumours that he had signed for team 2 Dimension Data for 2019
Mark Geuel Lim That’s commitment.
I'm new to the arguments against wearing helmets. Can someone enlighten me??
When you get a bit too old, you can always get a job at a well known European sport TV channel
So you were wondering why you need three identical cans of wd40 but did not think twice about the 27 rolls of tape?
Age is not the limit for sure. Here 8yrs old beating adults at 9-12% climb :).. https://www.facebook.com/BrentConsignado/videos/147601139440468/UzpfSTE0NTk5NzM4OTYwMDg0MzoxNDc2NTk2MTI3Njc5NTQ/?modal=admin_todo_tour
I'm in better shape at 40 than I was at 20 or 30. A lot has to do with where you're starting from. I can also afford more expensive bikes/accessories which helps with speed. Plus, now I have GCN videos to help me get faster!
Guys, as I see it, the secret to staying fast with aging is not merely to stay fast, but instead, ...to ...get ...faster! Of course, doing this is very simple if you plan ahead during you youth as I did. As a result, now that I'm [ok, I'm not going to quote my age here, but I was bummed to see that your age/performance graph did not even get close to my age, but anyway] ...older, I'm honestly faster than ever. I climb faster, descend faster, pull a pace-line faster, and even fix my flats faster. How did I achieve this physiological miracle? You GCN guys, all ex-pros, will never ever guess. I did it by not being at all fast, actually slow , non-athletic and out of shape, when I was a young man. Who could have known how smart this turned out to be! To make this life-long plan so successful, I didn't workout much after high-school P.E. for at least two decades, After that, while looking at a photograph of my wife and I in Bora Bora on our honeymoon, with my wife and the island scenario absolutely stunning and me looking only slightly more ripped than Jaba the Hut, I knew that my time was at hand.So, I joined a road bike club. Luckily, with my stressful career, my growing family and my ever-lovely working wife, we were always busy, so I had plenty of stress to burn up on the roads each Saturday morning. However, oh so smartly, some years later, and roughly 12 years ago today, with the birth of my second child, I again put the bike on the shelf while increasingly prioritizing my dad-responsibilities, progressing from diapers through Pee Wee basketball coaching. Once again, at approximately your (GCN guys) ages, or a bit older, I again prevented myself from peaking at cycling performance too early in life. Now, however, since my youngest is now 12, and I'm back on a new carbon machine, I'm really hitting my prime now on the roads. My only problems now are that (1) Since my job feels less stressful now, I have to find some other reason to push myself hard. Fortunately, some of my fellow riders, being a bit older even than me and maybe, just maybe faster, I do get that urge to grind it. 2. Recover is, alas, slower, so when I pound it on Saturday, I can pound it too hard during the bike commute the following Tuesday.Solution: Because, at my age, I'll never be number one in my club, especially with those annoyingly fit, twenty-somethings who ride with us, I'm gonna try to start being a nicer, still 'kinda fast' guy in my club, scoop more riders up into teamwork climbs, and pull more at the front of the paceline. Or maybe I'll just keep hammering and see what happens. It's my magnificent obsession, I wouldn't trade it for anything, and now that I'm closer to 100 than newborn, I'm honestly faster than ever.Daniel USan Diego County
Caption: “I had to go flat out to win the sprint”
Kudos to finishing the Mt Washington Hill Climb in New Hampshire. I finished the Pikes Peak Hill Climb GF/race in Colorado a few weeks ago. Both have the same elevation gain (~ 4,700), but the Mt Washington course does it over 8 miles vs 12 for Pikes Peak. However, the summit of Mt Washington is 6,300 feet above sea level. The Pikes Peak course STARTS near 9,400 feet and finishes at 14,115 feet above sea level, well over double Mt Washington. Each is harder in their own way, I'm betting.
Our natural physical decline aside, here are some other advantages to getting older that I've noticed have increased my overall speed from when I rode back when I was around 20 (I'm 40): 1) advances in technology 2) I have a lot more money now compared to then, so I can buy upgrades, 3) increase in general knowledge, experience, emotional intelligence, etc. 4) endurance peaks are actually much later in life than late 20s, 5) for those that are empty nesters and/or retired, you probably have much time time to dedicate to training and riding then before. 99.9% of us probably never raced, so I think getting older actually results in increased cycling performance relative to ourselves. If we still want to race, that's what age groups are for!
No, I'm doing fantastic and I'm 63 years young. I love it more now than I did in my 30's. Keep riding everyone, stay alive.
At 58, a daily commuter (32k) I have slowed a bit...but the joy is still there! Never enjoyed cycling more!
Sagan really showing how stiff he feels after the ride in interview with james.
51 this year. Never been faster.
Age 59.. took up cycling 18 months ago... was overweight, unfit... and struggled to do 2 miles. Underperforming lungs damaged by smoking are my biggest hindrances... they give up before the legs every time but I’m still fitter than I have been since my 20s... and the other day someone said I was 48.. talk about chuffed!!! Ride as often as I can 10-20 miles so I’m happy.
The reigning men’s champion in the Trike category (T-2) in paracycling is 61 or 62! Would love to see a few episodes on UCI paracycling!!!
29:17
I have a friend that tries to ride every day. His ride is flat and about 24 miles long. I first met him about 10 years ago, and we always give it a smile and wave when we pass. 10 years ago he was 87.
What if the Tour De France turned all leftist, leaning against sports ideals, and the starting age of cyclists allowed in the tour was age 40. Now that would be something to watch, but with training, I think detoriation wouldn't happen until after age 45 for many of the cyclists. It would also be great promtional tool to get people living more healthy in middle age, give hope to those who are at an age where they're battling against hospitals. Tour De Gramps.
As a middle aged rider. I use this simple formula to stay fast. 1. Have a good mental attitude 2. Mix it up 3. Train hard - high intensity and low volume work every week will help you get faster 4. Recover hard - rest up after you work hard. Good nutrition is a plus, as well as consistent sleep 5. Stay on top of injuries - stretching and light weights help
Just found out about Dario Pegoretti's passing and feeling sad... It is still a dream of mine to own one of his bikes. RIP Dario, your soul lives on in your works.
If there is no age cut off for pro cycling, do people retire because of family?
So let me understand this properly; If you are and have always been a well trained (fit cyclist) then performance will gradually decline as predicted. However if you are a 60y/o untrained beginner cyclist and are highly motivated you will see substantial gains. Question: How good (i.e., FTP) can that 60y/o potentially be after 5 years of training?
Well, I lose a lot of fitness over winter but after three months of a good spring I go fast enough for me. At 74 I don't expect to ride like a 26 year old pro but sitting in the half-way coffee stop I can look forward for the 25 mile return trip. Or the 2,500 feet of climbing on another ride. Though I don't know if the 12% jumps are all that much fun.
Do you think you can be too old to ride fast? Let us know.