QUESTION: My husband, age 83, has been bicycling for at least 50 years, and he’s ridden well more than 100,000 miles. But he’s now recovering from falling off his bike — and not for the first time. He says he plans to keep riding, but I’m worried. Isn’t he too old to keep riding? —Martha R.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: Without knowing more specifics about how age is impacting your husband’s riding ability, I can’t offer a direct opinion, but I suspect he will be more at peace with the decision to stop riding if he makes that himself when he feels the time is right. What’s more, basing that decision on age alone is not the only criteria for consideration. I have a friend about your husband’s age who can outride many people years younger, and who has a good record of staying upright on two wheels.
I have another friend who was my regular riding buddy for several years. At about age 85, he had a small fall from his bike that did not cause any injury, but he viewed the incident as a signal that it was time for him to give up cycling, but not because of any significant skill loss on his part. Rather his wife’s medical condition was such that she was confined to their home, and he was the mobile one who had to handle all the shopping, errands, household chores and, increasingly, the care of his spouse. He reasoned that if he got injured from cycling, they’d both be in difficulty, So he stopped riding, and when they later gave up their home and moved into a senior living center, he let his two bikes go along with other household items that were sold in the house-sale process. He’s 90 now, and when I recently talked with him, he told me he has fond memories of his cycling days, but no regrets that he is no longer riding.
I myself am 79, and the primary concession to aging I’ve felt the need to make is to now do most of my riding on an ebike — but one with no throttle, so that the motor only assists me when I am pedaling, which enables me to still get a good workout. My balance on the bike is as good as it always was, and the joy of riding is as strong as ever, but I do find myself paying a little more attention when mounting and dismounting.
At age 75, mystery writer Agatha Christie wrote, “With every year that passes, something has to be crossed off the list of pleasures.” She went on to name some things she had to forgo because of age: long walks, swimming in the sea, eating steaks, apples, and blackberries, and reading fine print. She did say she was glad for what remained, including operas, concerts, reading larger print, and the “enormous pleasure of dropping into bed and going to sleep.” For many cyclists, age 75 is premature to be giving up the pleasure of pedaling, but we’d generally prefer to make our own decision when, even if we have to rage about it.
If some changes are needed in the meantime, there are ebikes, step-through frames, recumbents, low-slung cargo bikes and — God help us! — adult tricycles.
Our non-riding spouses can keep the bandages at the ready.
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.
Thanks for the great article Stan. You know, a great way to keep riding as long as you can pedal is to take it indoors and ride in the virtual world of Zwift https://www.zwift.com/. This keeps you close to your loved ones and greatly reduces the risk of falling. If balance is an issue even on a trainer, you could surround the bike with gym mats so you at least fall on something soft.
In Zwift all riders have a name that shows on the screen as they ride past or you pass them. A lot of riders put their age next to their name, like this: “60+” or “76,” etc. I’ve seen a bunch of riders now that show numbers in the 80s. I haven’t seen anyone showing a number in the 90’s but I bet I will some day as those 80+ people keep riding.
Jim Langley
Thanks, Jim. Good suggestion.
I would not advise an older person use an e-bike. The higher riding speeds, compared to riding a pedal bike, of an e-bike requires quicker reflexes than an aging person may possess, especially when riding in a group. Falling at the higher speed attained on an e-bike can be much worse for an older person. You slow down with age and you should embrace that as a good idea.
Agree 100%. This is especially true if the older person had been competitive back in the day. At 84 I continually resist the temptation to get an e-bike because I know I won’t be able to resist the temptation to go as fast as I did years ago knowing full well that my sense of balance, reflexes, and vision are not what they once were. Keep in mind that no one is waiting to hand you a six figure check for going 30+ MPH. The only one that might be waiting is the ambulance driver.
I have never ridden any faster on my Class 1 eBike. The e-assist simply enables me to keep up with stronger younger riders. I can get up a big hill at 6-8MPH instead of 3MPH!!
Recumbent trikes, electric assist if hilly, has been life changers for friends of mine in this age group.
+1. I live in a retirement area and trikes are very popular here.
It may be too late for the more elderly who have already experienced loss of balance. Our sense of balance through our middle ear on to the brain, the vestibular systems, can worsen. For the ‘young’ old, maintenance of muscle mass and exercises to maintain balance are key. We also lose innervation to muscle as we age. Those are the connections between nerves and muscle. Strength training maintains and can strengthen these connections. Tai Chi maintains balance as well as other balance exercises. It means performing more targeted exercise off the bike.
Syborg suggests older adults should not be using e-bikes. I am 73 and added an ebike kit to my Surly Straggler. No regrets! And I was inspired by several who had already made the switch including Stan Purdum (my brother) and a 92-year old I met in the Cleveland Metro Parks who was riding strong despite some otherwise bike-stopping health issues. The ebike has not turned any of us into speed demons, but have helped to keep us active and mobile. Ride as long as you can as well as you can!
75 and still riding hills, albeit slower. And my threshold for cold weather outdoor riding has definitely changed. But the riding is essential to controlling my type 2 diabetes and I am thankful that I still can do it. For those who sense they are developing stability issues, I think the solution is to use a smart trainer and a good app that appeals to you (I use Rouvy) and do your rides indoors.
I regularly see a very old-in-years (but not in spirit!) couple who ride recumbent bikes with added wheel motors. The advantages are 1) falling off a recumbent is both less of a fall than a regular bike, and the fall is less likely to be forward & over-the-bars with the related head, neck and arm damage. 2) And of course, a recumbent is as comfy as an easy-chair. You have to accept that your appearance as a rider on a recumbent is “outside the norm” and for some people this is an issue.
Myself I tend to avoid city riding more-and-more, I start rides on bike paths so I can ride out of town safely before going on to country roads. I want to avoid risky situations with cars and other hazards in busy areas. And I heard long ago that many accidents happen five minutes from home, when we’re not paying attention as much because the environs are so familiar.
I would add that my boss’s father died in his 80s falling off his bike close to his home. So this risk is not just theoretical.
E-Bikes do not go faster than regular bikes! E-bikes enable you to go with your friends, as fast as you did before the heart attack; before the knee replacement. Your skill level should determine how fast you go in any situation. The E-bike will not make you a better rider.
I beg to disagree. One of my bikes has the Cytronex e-wheel. I go ~3 mph faster with the SAME EFFORT on the lowest setting (22% of power). Imagine how much faster I would go with the same effort at 100% power.
I threw my chain and couldn’t unclip—fell and broke my arm and got a hairline fracture in my femoral head. All repaired but scary. I’ve been riding Looks since introduction and this is the first time I failed to get out. EMT’s said the majority of falls they see involve failure to unclip. I’m trying flat pedals. At 78, I need to be safer (and check my drivetrain!). I’m not racing any more.
When i first tried clip in pedals they were Looks. I failed to unclip successfully several times including a scary episode at an intersection. Then I tried Crank brothers egg beater style pedals (Candy model). No problem and I’ve never gone back.
I am 77, and in the past year I have switched to road flat pedals with pins and Shimano flat pedal shoes. I made the switch when getting back on bikes after chemotherapy last year, and I am not inclined to return to clipless. For my road riding, mostly under 40 miles, I don’t think it holds me back at all. The pedal and shoe combination allows me to pull back at the bottom of the pedal stroke and to do slow speed manoeuvres with confidence.
I’m 84, still riding with an ebike on hilly rides because my persistent afib cuts down my climbing speed, and my my acoustic (non-electric) bike on flatter rides. I had a bit of a crash in January 2024 that took a while to recover from, but I intend to keep going, do my 85 mile birthday ride next November (did 83 mile b/day ride last year but missed this year due to crash), and continue from there if I can. I have a number of cycling friends close to my age who have stopped riding outdoors due to bad crashes or just not feeling safe on the roads. It’s an individual thing, we do what we can and what we are comfortable with. Ride on, outside or inside.. BTW, the rowing machine is a torture device. I’ve spent a lot of time on them, was very good at one point, but they are no mental substitute for riding outside.
We’re in late 70’s and stoker is pressing for adding e-assist. My response is why buy a boost when going slower, and using the gears to ascend both allow continued use of the standard single/tandem. My tandem low gear on a 3X10 speed drivetrain has gone from 30/34 to 30/36 to 28/36 to 26/36 and now, finally is 24/36 (= 0.67!). It is low enough (lower than most 1X11 or 1X12 mountain bikes) for gradients that give me pause on my single bike (34/36). Moving slower on the single or tandem is not a bother. There are no e-fins for swimming, so lap repeats are slower. No e-shoes for running or walking, so go as fast as is reasonable, or go rucking (weight in a backpack), adding weight carefully, and going as slow and steady as needed (fast is optional). And in the weight room the only assist device is for pull-ups. The answer to resistance training with ageing is to use lighter weights, higher reps. I have NEVER added weight to a bicycle to train harder, only to carry what’s necessary to finish the ride.
I know an 88-year-old man who commutes about 8 miles to his business, which he’s been running for over 60 years. He’s been commuting to work that whole time, except in bad weather. He rides a touring bike, and as he is riding he collects aluminum cans he sees on the side of the road!
I climbed Platte Clove Rd (Devil’s Kitchen) and Meads Mt Rd, NY, same day, age 75. I toured a number of times, , bicycling thousands of miles, traveling solo fully loaded, carrying everything I needed to camp and cook, in my 80s. I suffered a heart attack at age 90. I now do most of my bicycling on an E-bike with assist, no throttle. I do not fear going too fast on the E-bike. At most, I fear if I can make it in my hilly area bicycling distances 30 miles or more, even with the assist. Now age 93.
I’m 73, crashed and broke my pelvis in 4 places last July. Have been in PT for 2 1/2 months , but I started doing short flat rides after 3 months. I have had many orthopedic surgeries and from what I read here I am not alone in keeping on cycling.
I try to be safe and my family worries about me , but I think they understand the joy I get from cycling is irreplaceable.
I don’t think an age limit can be placed on this, it’s personal.
However, I do know it will end eventually and try to enjoy every ride .
There’s nothing fair or even about aging. I’m 86, and have sadly watched many younger acquaintances catch up – and then pass me in “real age”. I’ve been lucky health-wise – but I still feel birthday count, especially when it comes to balance & power. I live on a hillside lot, and cutting brush on the steep uneven hill is a serious challenge to my balance. Despite trouble keeping my footing on steep rough ground, I have no trouble with balance on my bike. I’ve always been surprised that my deteriorating balance problems on foot had not affected my bike riding. I wish I could say the same thing about my speed (and hill climbing) on the road – but there my performance has taken a real loss. I’m still riding metric centuries, but I have to pay close attention to the profiles. There are a few hilly metric routes that are too hard to be fun for me anymore. I have the usual 50/34 compact ring set, but an aftermarket 11-speed cassette that goes from 11 to 42 teeth is just enough to get me up the moderate hills sitting down. I’ve learned to accept the fact that I’ve become one of the slowpokes on the ride, keeping one eye on my mirror to make sure I’m not holding up faster riders.
At 85 I have 100,000 miles and 40 years of racing experience. Hills here are brutal and I went to ebikes 3 years ago. On the steep downhills I get to 40 mph and don”t feel at risk. I ride a MTB with rat trap pedals/running shoes and a road bike with clip pedals and have not had any problem getting out of them. The horror stories about balance problems and getting out of pedals have me worried. Am I taking a big risk on my safety, even though I feel safe? Crashing at this age can be very serious.
I am 70 and still riding, but more to the point is my dad, who is 97 and has essential tremors, which could be dangerous on a 2-wheeler. Dad now rides a 3-wheel recumbent to which we added electric assist. He told he is just doing a daily 7-mile circuit during the Boise winter, but plans to go out to the reservoir and back 12 miles one way, come spring!
Wow! Kudos to your dad!
I will begin by saying that God has Blessed me beyond anything I deserve. I will be 84 in two months and counting.. I am an x-marathoner and road bike amateur racer. I have fallen many times on both road and mountain bike– I now restrict my riding to mountain bikes. I also have a personal trainer who kicks my butt twice a week because I believe that overall strength is the answer to longevity along with endurance training. I also have 1st degree AV block. I can only hope that it doesn’t progress before I die(haha). So if you want to keep fit and riding, you better get strong and stay strong.
I’m 73 and have been riding since I was 8 yo.
I have 5 bikes and rotate them regularly. Last year we cycled the River Rhone in France on my Co-Motion touring bike. Not a hint of physical issues. I believe the key is to surround yourself with younger cyclists (10-20 years younger ) who treat you as an equal and forget about your age. The brain believes your BS and if you think and act like you’re old you will be… for me the best advice is to remember that age is just a number.
“Don’t let the old man in”!
Adding to my previous comment, answering more the poster’s question, Try it. Same when you don’t feel strong that day. See how it goes. If it is too much, give it up and try another day. When you feel it is time to give up bicycling, it probably is. You will know.
At 85 I got an pedal assist ebike, so I could keep up with my ride buddies who are 10- 20 years younger.. Now at 87 I still enjoy riding with the group.
The actuarial tables are clear. People who engage SERIOUSLY in aerobic sports like cycling/running/swimming outlive our sedentary peers by a significant number of years, And when we near the end of our natural lives, we wind down rapidly and surrender peacefully to whatever lies ahead.
Gosh, a rapid wind down and peaceful surrender surely isn’t the worst way for things to end – but I’m hoping to keep going full blast right up to the last second. Something like being struck by lightning while running on the beach in my mid-nineties.
Several friends near or over 80 have moved to recumbent E-trikes and non-E trikes, primarily due to balance concerns. One routinely climbs significant hills on his non-assist trike, albeit slowly. Recumbent trikes are common on the beautiful paved paths here in Tucson, and if and when the time comes, I’ll happily climb in one to avoid riding inside.