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Ageing Mamil’s bodies

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  • December 28, 2014 at 3:08 pm #22916
    Leviathan

    I’ve noticed a lot of threads recently asking advice about rehabilitation after crashes or back problems. Both on the forum and people in the 2015 plans thread saying they just want to get back on the bike after this or that lay off.
    I wonder what age some of these guys are as they don’t often say. I admit I am 38, but hope I am a young 38. I have been riding as an adult since 1996 various mountain bikes, I bought my first road kit in 1999 and have been slowly building up especially since 2008 and giving up some of my other more extreme sports. I therefore was surprised to find myself in the Mamil category as I though it was meant as a dig at people getting into biking later in life – the new golf, as they say. I though I might be exempt as it is not so long ago that I was actually young, no-one said when I was buying lycra shorts ten years ago that I would only have a small window of opportunity to wear them without being branded some kind of aging wannabe.

    So at what age are some of the newbies here getting into bikes? If you crash are you concerned about breaking a hip or just grazing your gluteus maximus (my fat arse has hit the deck a few times on the ice and I never though it was a vulnerable point compared to wrists or shoulders – both broken before.) Do I have all this to worry about in the future or if I just plough on I should stay robust whilst less active contemporaries go downhill (figuratively.)
    They say you should inform your doctor before beginning strenuous exercise like training for a marathon. I had never ridden 100miles before 2013 but didn’t think I wold have to take see a doctor before I did it. At what point do you start booking regular appointments for such things? What problems have you experienced as an aging cyclist? Maybe it is just the time of year with little news, bad weather and people reviewing and planning… keep yourselves in one piece for 2015 guys and gals.

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Viewing 15 replies - 16 through 30 (of 34 total)
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  • December 29, 2014 at 5:17 pm #824383
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    kil0ran

    Started riding again last
    Started riding again last year at age of 43. Didn’t bother getting checked out by doc – just self-checked my BP, blood glucose, and cholesterol. Getting on for 3 stone lost since then and almost 1000 miles on the bike, that figure will at least double in 2015 as I’ll have a ten mile round-trip work commute. Aiming to get down to sub-99kgs. No injuries yet bar a sore right knee I sorted out with riding position change. And sadly yes, I’m a MAMIL – too much chafing in delicate areas from riding in standard clothes if you’re a fat bloke

    December 29, 2014 at 5:00 pm #824381
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    OnTheRopes

    As far as the ‘MAMIL’ label
    As far as the ‘MAMIL’ label is concerned. So what? People like to label everybody one way or another. As long as Lycra remains the most practical material for cycling clothing then I shall be wearing it.

    December 29, 2014 at 4:31 pm #824379
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    SPIKE718

    Well age is mental – to a
    Well age is mental – to a point. I was 71last year and did a 71 mile sportive. Took me a bit longer than I would have hoped (average 14.5 m.p.h.).
    Also managed a 50 and a 35 around the Chilterns. I suppose at some point I’ll get even slower, I just hope it’s a gradual thing and not a sudden drop off (if you’ll excuse the pun).
    I’ve got a place in Ride London 100 in August. Must spend some time practising for Box Hill.

    December 29, 2014 at 4:26 pm #824377
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    mike the bike

    ianrobo wrote: …….
    Age is

    ianrobo wrote:
    …….

    Age is purely a mental thing ………

    Oh no it ain’t.

    December 29, 2014 at 4:04 pm #824375
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    antonio

    I’m 77, rode a ten mile time
    I’m 77, rode a ten mile time trial this week, (cold and very wet) wore umpteen skins of lycra, I would be very pleased to be classed as MIDDLE AGED MAN IN LYCRA!

    December 29, 2014 at 3:22 pm #824373
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    Cheekyjohn

    I’m 43 a fairly fit 43 I
    I’m 43 a fairly fit 43 I hope. Go to the gym. Like trail running. Like my Mountain bike etc, etc. Decided to buy a road bike on the work cyclescheme. So it makes me a mamil. Is that really a ” bad thing ” are all you serious cyclists going to look down at your nose at me when you realise. Or am I better to keep my misdemeanour secret for fear of ridicule? It really gets my goat. What if it’s the new golf. Who gives a fig anyway. Do what you like and enjoy it whatever your age. Plus you will heal eventually whatever your age. Just go out and don’t take yourself so seriously X(

    December 29, 2014 at 12:59 pm #824371
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    Poptart242

    27 year old checking in –
    27 year old checking in – took up road cycling to get over a badly broken wrist (football) at the tail end of last year and haven’t looked back.

    Only had one handlebar moment this year, can imagine if I was double my age then I wouldn’t have just bounced!

    I broke a finger in the summer, but that was the fault of the idiot who doored me, and I imagine that would have had the same outcome regardless.

    December 29, 2014 at 12:00 pm #824369
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    PJP

    Having been riding a road set
    Having been riding a road set up for about 6 months and aged 23, I’m looking forward to being older, wiser and faster. The bruise on my hip from slipping on ice outside the Arsenal stadium was my fault, not my birthday’s!

    December 29, 2014 at 12:29 am #824367
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    ianrobo

    I am 42 been riding properly
    I am 42 been riding properly now for 12 years and frankly if I crash just heal and get back on.

    Age is purely a mental thing and I would rather cycle than anything else and get my RHR below 60 (currently 64 or so )

    December 28, 2014 at 9:20 pm #824365
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    truffy

    Quote:I though it was meant

    I though it was meant as a dig at people getting into biking later in life

    I don’t think it reflects the age at which you start cycling, just the age you are. I’m 50 (young or old, I don’t care), I’ve been cycling since my teens, but I’m still a MAMIL.

    Whatever, you get to an age when what others think doesn’t matter one jot.

    It’s rather nice.

    December 28, 2014 at 9:17 pm #824363
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    dotdash

    I’m only 35 and started
    I’m only 35 and started riding this year, I was getting better and was getting the miles in.

    The pain isn’t my fault it’s from being hit by a car not sure how I will recover. I’ve attached photo shows the resulting metal work I’ve had to had put in my spine.

    I will be back on a bike soon, and better than before.

    December 28, 2014 at 8:16 pm #824361
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    Bazza155

    kev-s wrote:Im 37 and been

    kev-s wrote:
    Im 37 and been riding roadbikes for 5 years now, been a bmx’er for over 20 years (here’s to another 20 more!)

    tbh falling off dosent bother me (happens quite often on the bmx) which helps you to learn how to fall/deal with coming off

    wearing lycra actually bothers me more lol

    Baggy shorts on the MTB, lycra on the Road bike…….when you get old you can’t give a toss.

    December 28, 2014 at 7:38 pm #824359
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    kev-s

    Im 37 and been riding
    Im 37 and been riding roadbikes for 5 years now, been a bmx’er for over 20 years (here’s to another 20 more!)

    tbh falling off dosent bother me (happens quite often on the bmx) which helps you to learn how to fall/deal with coming off

    wearing lycra actually bothers me more lol

    December 28, 2014 at 7:20 pm #824357
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    ta2dwez

    Im 32 and only back on the
    Im 32 and only back on the bike properly since April this year although i used to do cross country MTBing as a teen. I recently started the thread about a slipped disk. My guess is my injury is from years of not doing much exercise after leaving the forces and my body still isn’t used to it.

    December 28, 2014 at 5:40 pm #824355
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    brakesmadly

    After the Fabrice Muamba
    After the Fabrice Muamba incident I got checked out by a doctor (I’m 49 and ride TTs competitively – I probably try too hard!).

    The Dr’s verdict upon giving me a clean bill of health? “More people die from not exercising than from exercising.”

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