Watch out older riders!

[HenryA]

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2019...73652818/?sl=1

Not sure I completely buy this but its interesting to think about.

[fignon's barber]

Makes sense to me. The 40 somethings who picked up cycling due to the "Lance Effect" after it became the new golf have aged into that 55-65 category. Personally, two years ago I stopped racing at age 55 after 30 years of it. I concluded the 55 year old body didn't bounce off the ground as well as the younger version.

[C40_guy]

I tried to find the source data for this study but ran into a paywall.

The key metric is incident per mile, versus total number. My guess is that we have many more older riders on the road now than 15 years ago, and many of us older riders are riding more miles than that same age group rode 15 years ago.

That having been said...I think the roads are less safe today than 15 years ago. Its not that we're older riders. We had far fewer distractions for drivers then. Today I'm surprised if one out of five drivers *isn't* staring down into his or her lap, checking that all important email, tweet, or BookofFace postings.

I'm spending more time running on trails, where the indigenous wildlife has fewer distractions (except, perhaps, the tinkle of my bear bell!)

[palincss]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

I tried to find the source data for this study but ran into a paywall.

The key metric is incident per mile, versus total number. My guess is that we have many more older riders on the road now than 15 years ago, and many of us older riders are riding more miles than that same age group rode 15 years ago.

That all may very well be correct. However, fignon's barber is also right about older bodies not bouncing as well as younger ones. (The one thing he's wrong about, though, is classing 55 year-olds as "older"; those of us who are more than 20 years older that that think of 55 year-olds as younger folks. And no, we don't bounce as well as those younger folks do.)

[efixler]

FUD


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[Ralph]

Us old folks have weaker bones, many of us have osteopenia or osteoporosis and our bones just break easier. We don't need to fall on the bike. Some are dizzy from BP meds. And after a long sweaty ride, your BP is much lower usually. I have known a case where a person just blacked out from low BP without warning. Adding to the statistics.

A lady I know just passed out recently while walking, and broke her shoulder. That had never happened to her before. And she is a very good bike rider. Now she is rethinking if she will ever get back on her bike (when her shoulder heals).

At some point you way want to avoid riding with some groups you are not comfortable with. Getting old not all fun.

Weight training tends to help old bones stay strong. Gotta keep going as long as we can. Last couple years....I spend about as much time in the gym as I do on the bike. 3 days gym, 3-4 biking 75-125 miles per week. Florida weather and great paved trails help. But as careful as I try to be....got hit on the trail last year by a 8 year old kid on his bike on way to school. Broke my leg....didn't really hurt him. And as we all know....wide smooth paved trails are dangerous.....but you don't usually die on them....like you can on the road.

[Hawker]

Great. I'm thinking of giving up my motorcycles due to my age (which is very hard to do) and now you guys are suggesting I stop riding my bike?

I guess could collect buttons or take up flower arranging.

However, I have started wearing more conspicuous gear and using brighter tail lights to help fend off drivers on their cell phones.

[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by fignon's barber

makes sense to me. The 40 somethings who picked up cycling due to the "lance effect" after it became the new golf have aged into that 55-65 category. Personally, two years ago i stopped racing at age 55 after 30 years of it. I concluded the 55 year old body didn't bounce off the ground as well as the younger version.

+1

[biker72]

Apparently I didn't bounce or slide at all in my July 27th accident. No damage to shorts and no abrasions on the helmet. The helmet did crack however. I was knocked out most of the day. I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.

[Octave]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

I tried to find the source data for this study but ran into a paywall.

I've read it and there's not a ton to be learned from their methods - it's mostly a meta-analysis.

A similar paper was published a few years ago looking at injuries amongst older cyclists in the Netherlands. The injuries are predominantly from the mounting/dismounting or when coming to a stop, rather than people going all Lance on some sketchy descent.

[paredown]

Helmets are good. My wife convinced me that to not protect my noggin would be foolish, considering how long and how hard I had worked to fill it full of (often useless) knowledge. The her sister sustained a TBI in car accident, and I witnessed the recovery first hand. Not something you would wish on anyone.

Aging and falling though--it is definitely a different path to recovery, and much slower. And of course F=MA, so assuming a constant speed, we hit harder because we are on average heavier.

[thwart]

Originally Posted by Ralph

And as we all know....wide smooth paved trails are dangerous....but you don't usually die on them....like you can on the road.

Exactly.

Interesting about the mounting/dismounting injuries. That speaks to some changes in balance and coordination... which makes sense.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Ralph

Us old folks have weaker bones, many of us have osteopenia or osteoporosis and our bones just break easier. We don't need to fall on the bike. Some are dizzy from BP meds. And after a long sweaty ride, your BP is much lower usually. I have known a case where a person just blacked out from low BP without warning. Adding to the statistics.

A lady I know just passed out recently while walking, and broke her shoulder. That had never happened to her before. And she is a very good bike rider. Now she is rethinking if she will ever get back on her bike (when her shoulder heals).

At some point you way want to avoid riding with some groups you are not comfortable with. Getting old not all fun.

Weight training tends to help old bones stay strong. Gotta keep going as long as we can. Last couple years....I spend about as much time in the gym as I do on the bike. 3 days gym, 3-4 biking 75-125 miles per week. Florida weather and great paved trails help. But as careful as I try to be....got hit on the trail last year by a 8 year old kid on his bike on way to school. Broke my leg....didn't really hurt him. And as we all know....wide smooth paved trails are dangerous.....but you don't usually die on them....like you can on the road.

This is great advice.

[Dekonick]

With aging comes anatomical changes. Real physiological changes. These do put older riders at greater risk for serious injury. The brain shrinks, the skull does not. This leaves room for the brain to slap around in a fall and can result in head injury that a younger individual might have avoided. Bones are more prone to fracture... etc...

Just realize this and be smart about how you ride, and getting follow up care if you do have an accident. Small brain bleeds can develop over days.

[unterhausen]

I fell a couple of years ago, and it seemed to bring on some sciatic nerve related problems. Finally worked through those. Anyway, going really fast on downhills doesn't really make up for going slow on uphills, so I avoid descending quickly most of the time. And I'm more careful about drafting nowadays.