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

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In the beginning, running helped Rachel gain mental strength and she thought she was healing fine. But her depression kept increasing, she tried to come out of it by winning races and collecting medals at Marathons. We need to do more work now,” warns Cavell. “In my opinion, that means dropping out cycling sessions and adding in resistance training, running and walking.”

I love how Rachel described her journey for cycling. It makes me regret not journaling down my experiences as a beginner cyclist in 2018 and my own doom and gloom in my overseas cycling adventure. Her adventure also makes me reflect and feel more about my connection with my cycling friends. Definitely a great read for anyone who is in it for a cycling adventure. So after 40, a cyclist’s testosterone, bone density and muscle mass are at the very top of the down slope.” But really, the author clearly accomplishes an epic cycle, I couldn't even contemplate putting myself through this, and certainly not without making myself fully aware and prepared in advance of what it actually entails, as she purports to have done. And there's the rub. Yoga and Pilates are great ways to counter the declining flexibility of your joints and spine. Injecting variety into your training will also help. If your heart rate is fluctuating or abnormal during training, or you get stiff hips or knees, it’s worth seeing your GP,” says Roberts.

These changes begin aged 30, but subtly make their mark in your 40s. As Cavell explains in The Midlife Cyclist, men face a decline in testosterone – vital for muscle strength, red blood cell production and fat regulation – of 1 per cent, per year; so by your 40s you may have a slight loss of muscle mass and bone-mineral density, and an increase in fat storage. Riders who pedal into older age will enjoy a raft of benefits, from improved cardiovascular fitness to enhanced mental health. Cycling is definitely going to feel harder now. But if you can keep cycling, you’re much less likely to suffer from certain diseases. Bone mineral loss is also speeding up. “Cyclists in their 50s who have only ever cycled may be slightly osteopenic (the precursor to osteoporosis),” warns Cavell. The road to older age is full of potholes, however, from declining muscle mass to slowing metabolism.

Male cyclists are now 20 years past their peak in terms of testosterone, bone mineral and muscle mass. “There is an accelerated decline in your 50s,” warns Cavell.After gaining mental strength and healing through running, she thought she was free. Her depression alleviated, she came off antidepressants, winning races and collecting medals at marathons. At Cycle Fit in London, Phil Cavell – author of The Midlife Cyclist – and Nichola Roberts – owner of Velophysio – have been helping ambitious cyclists navigate the ageing process for years. In the middle of the journey of my life, I am--as always--a woman on a bike. Although I do not know where this road will lead, the way is not lost, for I have arrived here. And I am on my bicycle, again. Resistance training also supports testosterone production, as does eating zinc-rich food such as red meat, poultry, beans, nuts and seafood, and topping up your Vitamin D levels. Daily hydration also becomes a much bigger challenge in your 60s. “Muscles carry water, so if you’ve got less muscle, you’re naturally less hydrated,” explains Cavell.

The way we metabolise food also changes due to reduced insulin sensitivity over time, causing weight gain. “We are gaining fat but losing muscle, so we need to change that proposition consciously,” says Cavell. Fat burning by riding for miles and miles won’t always work in your 40s, because of (underlying) hormonal change. You need to add strength training to help counter the insulin resistance.” Until the last few decades, 70- or 80-year-old athletes barely existed. Now there are plenty. But at this age, everything needs to be considered more.” Perhaps my sense of disjointness is because I hadn't realised the author had written a previous book about running, and this is a follow up about what happened when she found herself injured and couldn't run. I'm not sure how much I missed out on by jumping into her tale here, or whether there was a lot of repeated content from the first book. There is quite a lot that's more about running than cycling.Female riders also face big changes. “Perimenopause is becoming menopause, so you’ve got that steep decline in oestrogen, which has effects on muscle strength and bone loss,” says Roberts. To boost your functional fitness and bone and muscle health in older age, keep up those resistance-training habits from the previous decades. And add in extra challenges, such as single-leg balance drills. Both men and women may feel weaker on the bike, with strength declining by 30 per cent from age 50 to 70.