How can I keep my bike-handling skills and balance from deteriorating as I age?

QUESTION: I’ve always prided myself on my bike-handling skills and balance, but now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve noticed that these skills aren’t quite what they used to be. I still love riding challenging terrain, especially on gravel, and I want to keep my balance and handling sharp as I age. What can I do to maintain or even improve these skills so I can keep riding confidently, even on tricky roads or in large group rides? —Lawrence S.

RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: Given the range of things that can affect movement and balance, I can only respond to your question in a general way. If you haven’t yet consulted a doctor regarding the changes you’ve noticed, it would be wise to do so.

There is a condition called sarcopenia, which is a normal decrease of muscle mass and strength that can accompany aging. The resulting loss of muscle power can make regulating movement and maintaining balance more difficult.

Balance can be affected by reductions in joint flexibility and by joint degeneration, such as with osteoarthritis. But overall balance is managed by our vestibular system, which detects the position and movement of our head in space. A key component in that system is the vestibular apparatus, which is located in the inner ear, and I’ve witnessed the impact of damage to that apparatus.

Several years ago, following major spinal surgery, my wife developed a massive infection in the incision area. The treatment consisted of six months of IV antibiotics, which saved her life, but which also damaged her inner ear. Ever since, she has been unsteady on her feet and susceptible to falling. For short distances, she uses a cane, and when we are together, also holds onto my arm. For longer distances, she uses a walker.

Imbalance can also be caused by certain medications, so if that’s the case, a doctor may be able to switch you to a medication that doesn’t have that side effect.

But assuming your reduction in bike-handling skills and balance is not caused by vestibular system damage or drugs, but by aging, you may find improvement by adding a program of strength training to your routine — specifically choosing exercises that focus on balance, muscle development and flexibility.

A few weeks ago, I addressed that issue in this space while responding to the question, “Will using fitness machines along with cycling wear out my knees?” In that response, I told about a conversation I had with the surgeon who did my total knee replacement. I asked him the question posed in the article.

He answered, “Everything wears your knees out.” But he went on to say, “Nonetheless, you shouldn’t stop cycling or using the machines, because the strength you gain makes a big difference in your life. It’s what will keep you out of a nursing home. There are studies that show that the people who are strong tend to survive longer. Even with people who have stage 4 metastasized cancer, the ones who survive the treatment are the ones who are strong to begin with,” he said.

Additionally, even the cycling you are still doing may help slow the deterioration you are noticing, particularly when compared to people who don’t exercise at all.

Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.

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7 Comments

  1. Re balance & skill loss due to age.
    I am 78 and still enjoy road and mountain biking very much. We, my wife and I, enjoy riding greatly. 60km road rides are norm and 2hr rides on single narly trails. Yes! It sometimes hurts and it can take ~ 24hr to recover sometimes, but it is worth every moment.
    So, to comment on your concern regarding loss of balance and skill. Post 65 or so, I knew and felt these were deteriating but after a while I accepted it and focused on the enjoyment and achievements.
    I am an avid fitness person (so is the wife which helps a great deal) am at the gym 3 times week focusing on core fitness and leg muscles. Have had vascular angioplast placed in my arteries some years back as I was unable to walk or ride to far. That took me off the road for a few months, but once again was well worth it. I also suffer from sinusitis and am close to being deaf. These factors do effect my balance a great deal, but once again have accepted that growing old REALLY sucks.
    All I can offer is to “stay with it” never give in to age. Age is just a number. We all have to experience it.

  2. Great article as always. As noted, assuming there are no medical or drug related issues. The Inclusion of unilateral and mobility work in your routine is extremely beneficial. I’m a group fitness instructor And many of my participants are over the age of 60. Our classes Usually start with mobility movements and then will consist of working one side of the body, balance, and then the other side of the body. It’s immensely helpful.

  3. When I was approaching 60, knowing that balance declines with age, I decided I wanted to do something that could slow the decline of my balance. Little did I know that it would greatly improve my balance. It took about 9 months for me to notice an improvement. I am now 72.. I always put on my pants while standing, I could not do that in my first 60 years.
    Here is a description. It is extremely simple and of course free.

    https://selleanatomica.com/blogs/homepage-blog/the-best-thing-you-can-do-to-improve-your-balance-on-the-bike?_pos=1&_sid=3e374f1bc&_ss=r

    Coach Darryl

  4. Practically every day, in some way I challenge/support my balance. Examples:
    – Standing while putting my pants on
    – Harder: standing and raising my leg as high as I can while putting my socks on
    – Stretching by standing on one leg, putting the other leg back, pointing as far back as possible
    – Riding the Elite Nero Smart Rollers, especially with high resistance and low speed, https://www.elite-it.com/en/products/home-trainers/rollers/nero
    – Trying to balance my bike when coming to a stop
    – Walking/hiking on challenging terrain

    The faster one rides on the rollers, the easier it is to balance.

  5. Even if one’s vestibular system is apparently functional, the older one becomes the greater the probability that tiny, fugitive calcium crystals floating around in the vestibular fluid will irritate the cilia that connect to the nerve endings that lead to the part of the brain that provides one’s sense of balance. To experience that while riding a bike is frightening, unnerving and could cause the ride end not well. Many times an ENT, physical therapist or even a good chiropractor, can relieve the symptoms (if that is the underlying cause) by using a physical manipulation of the head and body called the Epley Maneuver. That maneuver attempts to re-locate those crystals to a place in the vestibules away from those nerve endings. The take home message is the older one gets, the more vulnerable one is to having this happen. If you experience any vertigo/ imbalance, seek help. It will not resolve of its own accord and you cannot tough it out.

    1. I have this issue intermittently and the Epley Maneuver has worked a treat to restore balance. There is another exercise that does the same thing using what is called the half summersault.

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