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Home > Books > Cycling Past 50 (Ageless Athlete)
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Cycling Past 50 (Ageless Athlete)
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By Joe Friel
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 (40 Reviews)
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Human Kinetics
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Date:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Paperback
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Pages:
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264
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Conventional wisdom says that middle-aged cyclists should slow down and expect to achieve less as they grow older. But in Cycling Past 50, author Joe Friel shows cyclists that with proper training and the right attitude, the years after 50 can be their best ever.
Written for cyclists of all types-road riders, mountain bikers, track racers-this book provides an in-depth look at the full range of considerations for cycling successfully into and through middle age. Joe Friel, a writer and contributing editor to several top cycling publications and a dedicated rider himself, will inspire cyclists toward better performance and more biking enjoyment as he presents: - basic principles of training;
- advanced workouts to improve endurance, climbing ability, and sprinting;
- training advice for 100-mile events and multi-day tours;
- planning tips and a workout program for getting into racing form;
- injury prevention tips and exercises; and
- body fueling advice. In addition to explaining the physical adjustments seasoned cyclists can make to keep their biking effective and satisfying, Friel discusses the mental aspects of cycling successfully into middle age. He explains the importance of developing a positive attitude, maintaining a high level of motivation, and taking pride in their accomplishments. He also reminds cyclists that, above all, biking should be a fun activity that should be shared with fellow riders, family, and friends.
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Customers' Reviews:
Add Your Own Review |
 You don't need to be fifty to enjoy this book!, November 14, 1998
By A Customer
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While this book contains virtually the same information that is in Friel's The Cyclist's Training Bible, the focus on the older athelete makes the information more accessable and practical. Good reviews of current knowledge of cycling physiology, nutrition, and various training strategies for different types of cycling goals. Very good discussion of self evaluation of personal cycling strengths and weaknesses, along with guidance on how to set cycling goals, and develop abilties. Neither book is aimed at the casual cyclist, but rather those who want to develop and improve their skills. Where the Training Bible seems aimed at the elite athelete, Cycling Past Fifty provides reduced intensity trainig suggestions, and has more discusion on potential limitations, nad training problems. I highly recommend both books. Only four stars because of the poor title, and the level of repetition from The Cyclist's Training Bible.
127 of 127 people found this review helpful
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 Just what I needed, July 15, 2002
By kpeffley (Tempe, AZ USA)
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I've been a casual cyclist for over a year now, and I was looking for information that would explain in everyday language a strategy for improving my conditioning. This book hit the mark right on the head. I didn't want a detailed plan. I wanted to understand the concepts of training so that I could easily tailor them for myself, and this book provides just that. As mentioned in other reviews, this book is not just for those over 50. It could easily apply to anyone who wants to get more out of cycling, whether it be for long distance riding, touring, racing, whatever. I've known for a long time that working out in different heart-rate zones can improve conditioning and performance, but I've never known how to apply these ideas. Now I do, thanks to this book.
62 of 62 people found this review helpful
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For the hard core cyclist, August 30, 2005
By Bruce Silver (Aptos, CA USA)
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As a not-especially-athletic 50-something who rides to get in shape and lose a few pounds, I found the book a bit of a shock. Aimed at aging jocks, its main focus seems to be training for racing, centuries, and even LONGER rides! But once the shock wore off, I found a lot to help even me: ride often (3-4 times a week), vary the training regimen, and most of all -- learn how to use your heart rate meter. The book provides practical recipes for figuring out your "lactate threshold" (LT) heart rate (about 10% less than what my HRM calls my "maximum" heart rate) -- and then how to base your training program on time spent in various "zones" defined by percent of LT heart rate. It's helping!
39 of 39 people found this review helpful
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The Bible Simplified, January 31, 2002
By Brian P. Lafferty (Longmeadow, MA United States)
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This volume has the basic information of the Bible in a better organized format. When one needes more detailed training information, this volume makes finding the material in the Bible less time consuming. It also isn't just for cyclists past the age of 50. Any cyclist seeking sound training advice in a more usable format than the Bible will benefit from this volume.
18 of 22 people found this review helpful
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Excellent Book, August 2, 2007
By Paul Mckenna (Montara, Ca USA)
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Despite the title, cyclists of all ages will find this book useful. There is a great deal of both general discussion as well as specific recommendations for effective training. The sections which are age specific generally are of the form "If you were 20 you would train like this, since you are 50 you need to modify the training like this... (usually allow more recovery)". Thus the discussion becomes relevant for everyone.
Some will probably find the specifics more detail than they are interested in. Fine, take the bigger message (intensity + adequate recovery = ageless perfomance) and you will be way ahead of the game. The discussion of heart rate training is the best I have seen.
Again highly recommended for everyone.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
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I'm Cycling Past 86, August 3, 2005
By Dynecourt Mahon (New Rochelle, New York)
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I would say that this book is excellent for any adult that wants to start or get back to riding a bike again, regardless of his or her age, as long as a physical examination says it's OK.
Now some people might think this book is too advanced, but keep reading and you will get to areas that fit right into your case like a glove. Joe Friel set this book up for everybody. He could of named it 'Cycling past Five', but then he would have to put in 'How to ride in traffic'.
Joe bought to my attention the importance of a Heart Rate Monitor. Of course if you just want to ride around the block, I don't think you'll need one. If you want to improve your cycling ability you better look into it. I'm going to get me one and learn how to use it.
Dynecourt Mahon.........Gods gift to the Daughters of the American Revolution.........
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
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Easy read, informative, timeless information, February 10, 2009
By Jim Fitzpatrick (Southern Cal.)
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I'm a very inshape cyclist. I ride over 100 miles on a weekend and train indoors during the week. Great training tips, goal setting and measuring performance. The nutritional information really made a difference in my recovery. This guy is liget. Read it.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Excellent wisdom for over 50 cyclists, November 6, 2006
By reenthe reader (Australia)
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I am only 51, have begun cycling at beginning of 2006, have read 3 other handbooks on the subject, but found a unique relevant source of information displaying great understanding. It is really worth taking note of. The author also demonstrates wisdom and thoughtful tips which go beyond the usual type of cycling handbook.
I am pleased to have read it, but also believe cyclists in their 40's should read it in preparation for this time period which will eventually come their way. I wish I knew this information when I was 40.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Well explained good information, February 27, 2006
By joecool (South Africa)
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This book dispells the myths re age and exercise. After reading the facts I also feel encouraged to train more and in the correct way.
The fisiology of training is well explained. After dealing with age related facts and information Joe's book is equaly important for cyclists of all age groups. I would recommend it for people from 15 - 85.
This book will enable you to compile an all year training program for yourself.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Cycling past 51 and counting..., May 13, 2007
By David Wiezer (Northern California, United States)
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Having recently just got back on the bike after a prolonged illness, I was pleased to find this book on Amazon. The excellent training strategies were very helpful. The chapter on psyche was very inspirational. I refer back to it constantly. Over the hill takes on an entirely new meaning.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Very usefull training book, April 23, 2007
By Pedro Moral Lopez (Santiago, Chile)
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I have several books on cycling but this is one you can read completely. I mean read not just brouse. I've being carrying it everywhere for two weeks.
It helps you understand how your body works, and how to acheive fitness even over 50.
If you are starting again in cycling this is a must. you will enjoy it.
The only extra book you'll need is one about fixing you bike.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Great great great, January 9, 2007
By Jeffrey Anderson
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This guy really hits the bullseye for a 51 year old training for a summer of racing. A very enjoyable and informative read. Of all the training books I've read this one may be my favorite.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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 Cycling Trainning, March 8, 2010
By Mirsan (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
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It's a very good book. It teaches you how to deal with data for your trainning. It will be interesting if the author write a book for cyclists that are not interested in competing, but only in enjoing the bike although worried about improvements.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Valuable Book, April 30, 2007
By Rich Poley (Boulder, Colorado)
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Joe Friel is an experienced cyclist who is over 50. That combination makes this book particularly valuable. Couple that with the knowledge he's acquired as a cycling coach, and author of The Cyclist's Training Bible, The Triathlete's Training Bible, and The Mountain Biker's Training Bible and you can't ask for a better person to write Cycling Past 50. If you've read his Bible training books this probably won't add much, but if you haven't and want to learn about aging and training this is a great book to learn from.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Very Good Plans, VERY Poorly Presented, May 23, 2011
By Wood Loon (Acton, MA USA)
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Why "Train"?
I think improving my cycling will make it more enjoyable, so I've decided to experiment by following a training regimen. Last year I simply rode my bike as often, fast, and far as possible. I did get faster and able to ride longer, but it plateaued. The logic is obvious - specific steps designed by very, very experienced people for a specific goal are more likely to achieve that goal than random effort. Will it be too much or a PITA? Time will tell.
My First 12 Months
From past experience I knew I needed some days to rest, so I started off mostly following a riding one day with a rest or gym day - I had started my "get back into shape" effort by joining a gym two months before I started riding. I also joined two cycling clubs in my first month cycling, the Charles River Wheelmen and Nashoba Valley Pedalers and discovered that they had rides every week on weekends, most of which had very well-designed routes. Immediately I started doing club rides every Saturday and Sunday - scratch the ride/rest idea. After two months of riding, I added Wednesday Wheelers, a group within CRW. Then I had regular rides on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday every week. Most of these club rides had options for two or three routes of different length. Naturally [in my mind, anyway], I would always opt for the longest ride option. Add in a couple of solo rides and there weren't many rest days in the week. By the end of six months, I was riding 5-6 days a week.
Find a Plan
The two most prolific authors on training for cycling seem to be Joe Friel and Chris Carmichael. Shortly after I started riding I read Friel's The Cyclist's Training Bible (skimmed), Cycling Past 50, and Carmichael's The Time-Crunched Cyclist. Too much detail, a lot of it too difficult for me to grasp, and generally it just seemed too complicated to try an implement. Of course, I was still working out cycling basics. As the months passed, I did a lot of internet research, including BikeForums.org (lots of knowledge and a willingness to share). I read most of Friel's web pages - he's very technically oriented, very competition oriented, but his conclusions seemed sound.
I decided to re-examine Friel's Cycling Past 50 . This time the lessons made a lot more sense but I found I had to really dig to extract the nitty-gritty details. No wonder it was so hard to comprehend a year ago. Examples:
* His "Weekly Training" plan broke the weeks into Buildup weeks and Recovery weeks with detailed instructions for each day of the week. But he doesn't identify what weeks are Buildup or Recovery. Unless you figure it out yourself from a "Weekly Progression" chart two pages later.
* The "Weekly Progression" is broken into 4 Periods, each 3 weeks long. Each week shows 2 lines of info - e.g., "4 x 6 min (2 min. RI), flat" and "2:30 tempo ride"[more on these below]
* But the "Weekly Training" specifies "Cruise Intervals" on Tuesday for both Buildup and Recovery weeks, but "Tempo ride" only occur (Saturday) on Buildup weeks - Saturday is a "long ride in 2 and 3 zones only."
* It turns out the Cruise Intervals and Tempo ride are easier every third week in the second chart. Ah, so it's two Buildup weeks and then one Recovery week. And I infer Friel simply calls the Recovery week Saturday ride a "Long ride" in one chart and a "Tempo ride" in the second chart.
* "Cruise Intervals." "Tempo Rides." and "Threshold Rides" are key elements. You will need to refer to the detailed descriptions when you try to implement any of the training programs. But they don't get headings - each of the three terms is highlighted by being italicized at or near the start of paragraphs under "Muscular Endurance."
* Hills - Every Thursday in Buildup weeks calls for "60-90 min on a hilly course in all zones." What kind of hills? A 5-mile grind or 1-mile at 10%? There is a page labeled "Climbing Workouts" that identifies three types -
*** Moderate - "a course with several climbs of up to a 6% grade... Go no higher than heart rate 5a zone." [I need details! Are 3 climbs on a 20-mile ride OK? What if one of the climbs lasts 5 miles?]
*** Long - "a long hill with a 4- to 6% grade that takes 4-8 minutes to climb. Repeat this hill several times until you've accumulated 20-30 minutes of climbing with coast-down recoveries after each....Raise heart rate into the 5a zone on each climb."[Now that is specific - I know exactly what he wants]
*** Steep - "Do repeats on a short, steep hill of 8% or more that takes 90 seconds to 2 minutes to climb. ... Climb in and out of the saddle, alternating positions and experimenting with technique." [How long between climbs? What zone? How many repeats?]
*** So which of these should I do for the Thursday ride? Or do each of them on different weeks? Or does he mean something else?
* Why "Tempo ride in 2 to 4 zones if riding with a group, 3 zone if riding alone"? What type of "group" does he mean? Most of my group rides string out so far that I often can't even see another rider for most of the ride - the closest riders are too far ahead or too far behind. How would they affect me? Or is a group a pack of similar level cyclists following the training program?
* Heart zones are basis for every type of training in this book. The exact percentages supposedly matter, according to Friel. But I couldn't find "Heart Zone" or "Zone" in the index. After finding it by thumbing through the pages, I realized he calls it "Training Zone" - and there it is in the index, the last entry under "Training."
* Friel also seemed to present various subjects in inappropriate places. Chapter 3, Basic Training, starts off with Cardinal Rules of Training (ride consistently, ride moderately, rest frequently), F.I.T. for Riding (Frequency, Intensity, Time), and then Periodization (5 pages on training so you can peak at a particular time - Olympic Trials, anyone!) before he concludes the chapter with The Heart of Training (his core tenet about heart beat zones). Few people over 50 reading an introductory book are going to be concerned about "Periodization."
* And then he goes into racing, multi-day rides, injury, eating, psychology, and socialization.
Since the Book is so Bad, Why Would I Choose a Plan from this Book?
The book has a training program, designed by a true expert, for old geezers (like me) for the specific goal I decided to focus on - improving my speed for a century (100-mile ride). Here are a few thoughts I reached as I extracted the training plan -
* Riding six days a week appeals to me. This is possible, despite the importance of rest, because those six days include:
*** Two days with recovery rides - zone 1 on a flat course
*** One day (day 1) with a medium effort - 60-90 minutes in zones 2-3
* The three hard days seem to offer a nice variety of hard effort:
*** Intervals - repeatedly (3-5 times) going as hard as possible for a specified duration (6, 8, 10 minutes) with a specified recovery after each hard effort (usually 3 minutes)
*** Hills - since he doesn't specify what he means, I am comfortable playing around with the options he discussed for moderate, long, and steep hills. Hills abound in my area.
*** Tempo run - hard 2-4.5 hour rides in zone 4 to end the week - zone 4 riding has me breathing very hard, regularly panting and gasping.
* I have only spent one week trying this so far, but it seems like I can should be able to (mostly) adapt my riding to conform [and adapt the plan slightly to accommodate my desires, like slightly longer rides].
My recollection is his Bible was presented much more professionally - this seemed really slapdash. WHY NOT 1 OR 2 STARS? Because I judged the actual content valuable, even if the presentation was terrible.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Surprising, February 6, 2008
By Philip J. Bohlken (Caldwell, Idaho)
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I expected some discussion of problems people over 50 have keeping their weight down. There is almost no mention of weight or weight loss, except to say that losing weight slowly, as advised, consists of not eating the equivalent of a small piece of cake each day. A lot of the book is for people who want to do more aggressive cycling than I will likely do. Still, it pushes the rider to be more aggressive for more improvement. The chapter on psyching is very good and highly recommended. The book also discusses using a heart rate monitor to know when a period of recovery has done its work.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Good for young and not too young, March 6, 2010
By En dos ruedas (Caracas Venezuela)
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Many tips and it will make you feel not old but quite young as you notice how far you can go with those advises
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Excellent Guide for Improved Biking, December 23, 2008
By vjf2001 (Southeast Florida)
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This book is an excellent resource. Filled with great info to help you train and improve. Not overly technical like some other books on training, but provides detailed info to help you understand your training needs and initiate different training methods. Read this book with a highlighter. You will want to refer back to it as your biking progresses. Well worth the money.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Cyclying Past 50, May 31, 2008
By Old but slow
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Very informative book about training and riding for those of us over 50. Uses the theory that your maximum heart rate decreases a very small amount over your lifetime (if you remain active) and doesn't not rely on formulas to figure out max heart rate. Offers specific training regimens in order to ride farther and faster (if you want to). This book confirms other information about max heart rate and training especially in the book Heart Zones Cycling by Sally Edwards.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Cycling past 50, February 7, 2009
By cyclist
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Very helpful for us oldies out here. A book I'd recommend to anyone cycling past 50. I use a lot of the information on a regular basis.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
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 disappointing, May 23, 2009
By Chavie Fiszer (Paris, France)
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Most of the book dispenses obvious biking advice. I had hoped for more, such as good exercises to balance the leg muscles to keep knees and joints healthy.
3 of 9 people found this review helpful
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This training information works!, June 22, 2010
By cb (Littleton, CO United States)
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I'm a fit 51 year old that has worked out my entire life. Last year I did the Ride the Rockies, a grueling multi-day road bike tour through some of the most challenging terrain in Colorado. I followed the training recommended by tour and did fine, maybe in the top 30% of riders (passed 7 riders for every 3 that past me). A friend recommended this book which I used to modify my preparation for this year's ride... a much more difficult 535 mile ride with an average of 3,000 to 5,000 feet of climbing to do each of the 7 days. I had never followed a periodized training routine before, nor focused on several training techniques mentioned in the book like low heart rate training workouts to build pulmonary efficiency (or more accurately, low threshold workouts... read the book). In the months before the ride, my resting heart rate went from 62 to 48. The results during the ride were amazing. I blew past 99% of the riders and the same group of riders that did the ride with me last year, some on the same level some faster, could not even come close to keeping up with me. Everyone was asking what the heck I did. I pointed them all to this book which I followed closely. In fact, their is so much information in this book which includes other terrific advise on nutritional fueling, etc., that I read it a second time with pen and paper in hand.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Cycling Past 50, February 8, 2008
By Donald L. Heili
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an excellent book for those of us they may be advanced in years, but young at heart, and enjoy bicycling.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Good source of info, January 17, 2008
By feeley (pa)
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Book was excellent, highly recommend it. The book contains lots of info and tips on how to stay motivated and proper conditioning/training. Liked it so much, I gave it as a gift this year.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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information everybody should read, December 10, 2007
By GRR (Willmar, MN)
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The information in this book is vital to anyone that leads an active life. It dose not matter if you are over 50 or not, you should read this book it's very helpful. I wish that I would have found this book ten years ago. It could have saved me some pain and comfort.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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GO 50!!!!, March 16, 2007
By Chloe
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All data in this book is relevent for those riders who "keep on bikin'"!
Very useable material!!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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 Not what I needed, September 11, 2010
By A Seeker (San Jose, CA United States)
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This might be a good book for someone interested in road racing, centuries, and the such. That ain't me. I was looking for a book to help get back in shape. I found little in this book to help me.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful
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helpfull, January 9, 2007
By C. Murphy (Paradise, South Australia Australia)
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have only browsed at the moment through certain sections, but have lerned new thing about riding, that i didn't know before
1 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Very Good Plans, VERY Poorly Presented, May 23, 2011
By Wood Loon (Acton, MA USA)
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Why "Train"?
I think improving my cycling will make it more enjoyable, so I've decided to experiment by following a training regimen. Last year I simply rode my bike as often, fast, and far as possible. I did get faster and able to ride longer, but it plateaued. The logic is obvious - specific steps designed by very, very experienced people for a specific goal are more likely to achieve that goal than random effort. Will it be too much or a PITA? Time will tell.
My First 12 Months
From past experience I knew I needed some days to rest, so I started off mostly following a riding one day with a rest or gym day - I had started my "get back into shape" effort by joining a gym two months before I started riding. I also joined two cycling clubs in my first month cycling, the Charles River Wheelmen and Nashoba Valley Pedalers and discovered that they had rides every week on weekends, most of which had very well-designed routes. Immediately I started doing club rides every Saturday and Sunday - scratch the ride/rest idea. After two months of riding, I added Wednesday Wheelers, a group within CRW. Then I had regular rides on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday every week. Most of these club rides had options for two or three routes of different length. Naturally [in my mind, anyway], I would always opt for the longest ride option. Add in a couple of solo rides and there weren't many rest days in the week. By the end of six months, I was riding 5-6 days a week.
Find a Plan
The two most prolific authors on training for cycling seem to be Joe Friel and Chris Carmichael. Shortly after I started riding I read Friel's The Cyclist's Training Bible (skimmed), Cycling Past 50, and Carmichael's The Time-Crunched Cyclist. Too much detail, a lot of it too difficult for me to grasp, and generally it just seemed too complicated to try an implement. Of course, I was still working out cycling basics. As the months passed, I did a lot of internet research, including BikeForums.org (lots of knowledge and a willingness to share). I read most of Friel's web pages - he's very technically oriented, very competition oriented, but his conclusions seemed sound.
I decided to re-examine Friel's Cycling Past 50 . This time the lessons made a lot more sense but I found I had to really dig to extract the nitty-gritty details. No wonder it was so hard to comprehend a year ago. Examples:
* His "Weekly Training" plan broke the weeks into Buildup weeks and Recovery weeks with detailed instructions for each day of the week. But he doesn't identify what weeks are Buildup or Recovery. Unless you figure it out yourself from a "Weekly Progression" chart two pages later.
* The "Weekly Progression" is broken into 4 Periods, each 3 weeks long. Each week shows 2 lines of info - e.g., "4 x 6 min (2 min. RI), flat" and "2:30 tempo ride"[more on these below]
* But the "Weekly Training" specifies "Cruise Intervals" on Tuesday for both Buildup and Recovery weeks, but "Tempo ride" only occur (Saturday) on Buildup weeks - Saturday is a "long ride in 2 and 3 zones only."
* It turns out the Cruise Intervals and Tempo ride are easier every third week in the second chart. Ah, so it's two Buildup weeks and then one Recovery week. And I infer Friel simply calls the Recovery week Saturday ride a "Long ride" in one chart and a "Tempo ride" in the second chart.
* "Cruise Intervals." "Tempo Rides." and "Threshold Rides" are key elements. You will need to refer to the detailed descriptions when you try to implement any of the training programs. But they don't get headings - each of the three terms is highlighted by being italicized at or near the start of paragraphs under "Muscular Endurance."
* Hills - Every Thursday in Buildup weeks calls for "60-90 min on a hilly course in all zones." What kind of hills? A 5-mile grind or 1-mile at 10%? There is a page labeled "Climbing Workouts" that identifies three types -
*** Moderate - "a course with several climbs of up to a 6% grade... Go no higher than heart rate 5a zone." [I need details! Are 3 climbs on a 20-mile ride OK? What if one of the climbs lasts 5 miles?]
*** Long - "a long hill with a 4- to 6% grade that takes 4-8 minutes to climb. Repeat this hill several times until you've accumulated 20-30 minutes of climbing with coast-down recoveries after each....Raise heart rate into the 5a zone on each climb."[Now that is specific - I know exactly what he wants]
*** Steep - "Do repeats on a short, steep hill of 8% or more that takes 90 seconds to 2 minutes to climb. ... Climb in and out of the saddle, alternating positions and experimenting with technique." [How long between climbs? What zone? How many repeats?]
*** So which of these should I do for the Thursday ride? Or do each of them on different weeks? Or does he mean something else?
* Why "Tempo ride in 2 to 4 zones if riding with a group, 3 zone if riding alone"? What type of "group" does he mean? Most of my group rides string out so far that I often can't even see another rider for most of the ride - the closest riders are too far ahead or too far behind. How would they affect me? Or is a group a pack of similar level cyclists following the training program?
* Heart zones are basis for every type of training in this book. The exact percentages supposedly matter, according to Friel. But I couldn't find "Heart Zone" or "Zone" in the index. After finding it by thumbing through the pages, I realized he calls it "Training Zone" - and there it is in the index, the last entry under "Training."
* Friel also seemed to present various subjects in inappropriate places. Chapter 3, Basic Training, starts off with Cardinal Rules of Training (ride consistently, ride moderately, rest frequently), F.I.T. for Riding (Frequency, Intensity, Time), and then Periodization (5 pages on training so you can peak at a particular time - Olympic Trials, anyone!) before he concludes the chapter with The Heart of Training (his core tenet about heart beat zones). Few people over 50 reading an introductory book are going to be concerned about "Periodization."
* And then he goes into racing, multi-day rides, injury, eating, psychology, and socialization.
Since the Book is so Bad, Why Would I Choose a Plan from this Book?
The book has a training program, designed by a true expert, for old geezers (like me) for the specific goal I decided to focus on - improving my speed for a century (100-mile ride). Here are a few thoughts I reached as I extracted the training plan -
* Riding six days a week appeals to me. This is possible, despite the importance of rest, because those six days include:
*** Two days with recovery rides - zone 1 on a flat course
*** One day (day 1) with a medium effort - 60-90 minutes in zones 2-3
* The three hard days seem to offer a nice variety of hard effort:
*** Intervals - repeatedly (3-5 times) going as hard as possible for a specified duration (6, 8, 10 minutes) with a specified recovery after each hard effort (usually 3 minutes)
*** Hills - since he doesn't specify what he means, I am comfortable playing around with the options he discussed for moderate, long, and steep hills. Hills abound in my area.
*** Tempo run - hard 2-4.5 hour rides in zone 4 to end the week - zone 4 riding has me breathing very hard, regularly panting and gasping.
* I have only spent one week trying this so far, but it seems like I can should be able to (mostly) adapt my riding to conform [and adapt the plan slightly to accommodate my desires, like slightly longer rides].
My recollection is his Bible was presented much more professionally - this seemed really slapdash. WHY NOT 1 OR 2 STARS? Because I judged the actual content valuable, even if the presentation was terrible.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Meh!, December 23, 2011
By David Dennis (USA)
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This is a great book for people who want to continue or start racing their bikes past 50. So if you're into racing, this book is for you. I'm more of a fitness/touring/commuting rider and have no interest in competing (I complete and race through work everyday all day, when I ride it's to burn off stress and enjoy myself, not prepare for more competition.) So it's great for that, but I would like to see a book designed for the casual athlete who wants to be in great shape, but has no delusions of winning the Tour de France or Podunk 100 or anything. Despite that fact that I figured out early on the book wasn't for me, it is interesting and has some great points on why it's important to stay active and the positve effects, but I kinda already knew that. The training details and nutrition information are also good.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Not what I needed, September 12, 2010
By A Seeker (San Jose, CA United States)
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This might be a good book for someone interested in road racing, centuries, and the such. That ain't me. I was looking for a book to help get back in shape. I found little in this book to help me.
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Good Info for the old fart, August 15, 2010
By Tigger (Salem, OR USA)
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Lot's of information on aging and training. I really won't know the full story 'til I personally implement the program. 4 rides a week will be tough as I used to be able to improve significantly on just 2 a week. The joys of aging...
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great answers for senior cyclist, August 10, 2010
By rhunt811
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this is a great book to give you a plan to train and enjoy bicycling as you grow older. Very technical with answers to why you should train correctly for you age.
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Very Good Plans, VERY Poorly Presented, May 23, 2011
By Wood Loon (Acton, MA USA)
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Why "Train"?
I think improving my cycling will make it more enjoyable, so I've decided to experiment by following a training regimen. Last year I simply rode my bike as often, fast, and far as possible. I did get faster and able to ride longer, but it plateaued. The logic is obvious - specific steps designed by very, very experienced people for a specific goal are more likely to achieve that goal than random effort. Will it be too much or a PITA? Time will tell.
My First 12 Months
From past experience I knew I needed some days to rest, so I started off mostly following a riding one day with a rest or gym day - I had started my "get back into shape" effort by joining a gym two months before I started riding. I also joined two cycling clubs in my first month cycling, the Charles River Wheelmen and Nashoba Valley Pedalers and discovered that they had rides every week on weekends, most of which had very well-designed routes. Immediately I started doing club rides every Saturday and Sunday - scratch the ride/rest idea. After two months of riding, I added Wednesday Wheelers, a group within CRW. Then I had regular rides on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday every week. Most of these club rides had options for two or three routes of different length. Naturally [in my mind, anyway], I would always opt for the longest ride option. Add in a couple of solo rides and there weren't many rest days in the week. By the end of six months, I was riding 5-6 days a week.
Find a Plan
The two most prolific authors on training for cycling seem to be Joe Friel and Chris Carmichael. Shortly after I started riding I read Friel's The Cyclist's Training Bible (skimmed), Cycling Past 50, and Carmichael's The Time-Crunched Cyclist. Too much detail, a lot of it too difficult for me to grasp, and generally it just seemed too complicated to try an implement. Of course, I was still working out cycling basics. As the months passed, I did a lot of internet research, including BikeForums.org (lots of knowledge and a willingness to share). I read most of Friel's web pages - he's very technically oriented, very competition oriented, but his conclusions seemed sound.
I decided to re-examine Friel's Cycling Past 50 . This time the lessons made a lot more sense but I found I had to really dig to extract the nitty-gritty details. No wonder it was so hard to comprehend a year ago. Examples:
* His "Weekly Training" plan broke the weeks into Buildup weeks and Recovery weeks with detailed instructions for each day of the week. But he doesn't identify what weeks are Buildup or Recovery. Unless you figure it out yourself from a "Weekly Progression" chart two pages later.
* The "Weekly Progression" is broken into 4 Periods, each 3 weeks long. Each week shows 2 lines of info - e.g., "4 x 6 min (2 min. RI), flat" and "2:30 tempo ride"[more on these below]
* But the "Weekly Training" specifies "Cruise Intervals" on Tuesday for both Buildup and Recovery weeks, but "Tempo ride" only occur (Saturday) on Buildup weeks - Saturday is a "long ride in 2 and 3 zones only."
* It turns out the Cruise Intervals and Tempo ride are easier every third week in the second chart. Ah, so it's two Buildup weeks and then one Recovery week. And I infer Friel simply calls the Recovery week Saturday ride a "Long ride" in one chart and a "Tempo ride" in the second chart.
* "Cruise Intervals." "Tempo Rides." and "Threshold Rides" are key elements. You will need to refer to the detailed descriptions when you try to implement any of the training programs. But they don't get headings - each of the three terms is highlighted by being italicized at or near the start of paragraphs under "Muscular Endurance."
* Hills - Every Thursday in Buildup weeks calls for "60-90 min on a hilly course in all zones." What kind of hills? A 5-mile grind or 1-mile at 10%? There is a page labeled "Climbing Workouts" that identifies three types -
*** Moderate - "a course with several climbs of up to a 6% grade... Go no higher than heart rate 5a zone." [I need details! Are 3 climbs on a 20-mile ride OK? What if one of the climbs lasts 5 miles?]
*** Long - "a long hill with a 4- to 6% grade that takes 4-8 minutes to climb. Repeat this hill several times until you've accumulated 20-30 minutes of climbing with coast-down recoveries after each....Raise heart rate into the 5a zone on each climb."[Now that is specific - I know exactly what he wants]
*** Steep - "Do repeats on a short, steep hill of 8% or more that takes 90 seconds to 2 minutes to climb. ... Climb in and out of the saddle, alternating positions and experimenting with technique." [How long between climbs? What zone? How many repeats?]
*** So which of these should I do for the Thursday ride? Or do each of them on different weeks? Or does he mean something else?
* Why "Tempo ride in 2 to 4 zones if riding with a group, 3 zone if riding alone"? What type of "group" does he mean? Most of my group rides string out so far that I often can't even see another rider for most of the ride - the closest riders are too far ahead or too far behind. How would they affect me? Or is a group a pack of similar level cyclists following the training program?
* Heart zones are basis for every type of training in this book. The exact percentages supposedly matter, according to Friel. But I couldn't find "Heart Zone" or "Zone" in the index. After finding it by thumbing through the pages, I realized he calls it "Training Zone" - and there it is in the index, the last entry under "Training."
* Friel also seemed to present various subjects in inappropriate places. Chapter 3, Basic Training, starts off with Cardinal Rules of Training (ride consistently, ride moderately, rest frequently), F.I.T. for Riding (Frequency, Intensity, Time), and then Periodization (5 pages on training so you can peak at a particular time - Olympic Trials, anyone!) before he concludes the chapter with The Heart of Training (his core tenet about heart beat zones). Few people over 50 reading an introductory book are going to be concerned about "Periodization."
* And then he goes into racing, multi-day rides, injury, eating, psychology, and socialization.
Since the Book is so Bad, Why Would I Choose a Plan from this Book?
The book has a training program, designed by a true expert, for old geezers (like me) for the specific goal I decided to focus on - improving my speed for a century (100-mile ride). Here are a few thoughts I reached as I extracted the training plan -
* Riding six days a week appeals to me. This is possible, despite the importance of rest, because those six days include:
*** Two days with recovery rides - zone 1 on a flat course
*** One day (day 1) with a medium effort - 60-90 minutes in zones 2-3
* The three hard days seem to offer a nice variety of hard effort:
*** Intervals - repeatedly (3-5 times) going as hard as possible for a specified duration (6, 8, 10 minutes) with a specified recovery after each hard effort (usually 3 minutes)
*** Hills - since he doesn't specify what he means, I am comfortable playing around with the options he discussed for moderate, long, and steep hills. Hills abound in my area.
*** Tempo run - hard 2-4.5 hour rides in zone 4 to end the week - zone 4 riding has me breathing very hard, regularly panting and gasping.
* I have only spent one week trying this so far, but it seems like I can should be able to (mostly) adapt my riding to conform [and adapt the plan slightly to accommodate my desires, like slightly longer rides].
My recollection is his Bible was presented much more professionally - this seemed really slapdash. WHY NOT 1 OR 2 STARS? Because I judged the actual content valuable, even if the presentation was terrible.
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When it's too rainy to ride...book two, April 18, 2011
By Richard Hunt (Cincinnati OH)
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Perhaps the real reason I didn't want to pick up this book was because if I did, I was outed as the target demographic. Truth hurts, as they say....more Perhaps the real reason I didn't want to pick up this book was because if I did, I was outed as the target demographic. Truth hurts, as they say...but it doesn't hurt as bad as over-training injuries, and that might be one of the most important reasons to pick up this book.
The other truth is that 80% of this book applies to readers and riders of every age. Essentially, by making the first two chapters uber-focused on cyclists pedaling through their/our fifth decade, the author sets the stage to talk more broadly about physiology, the body's adaptation to stress (also known as regular exercise, interval training, and planning for peak performance) and more.
The only way someone would find real fault with this book is if she or he expected that every page would carry specific 50+ instruction. The good news is that the human machine isn't that fine-tuned; honestly, once your body stops growing (early to mid-twenties), maintaining your fitness level is paramount and very achievable for every age, all the way up to your seventies and eighties.
A second dollop of good news is that for cyclists (and the "cousin" activity of distance running), endurance performance can improve as you age.
So this book works great as a pat on the back for all readers: keep riding. It also provides a solid base of coaching guidelines, especially key if your riding is tied to a race in the not-so-distant future. Riding every chance you get is wonderful low-impact exercise...but if you are indeed looking to achieve a new PR, especially if you're over 50 and don't recover/recuperate as quickly as you did half your lifetime ago, then you are the reader who will benefit most.
Otherwise, Cycling Past 50 is filled with lots of reminders and other good-to-know info. I learned, for instance, that like many others benchmarks, my VO2 tapers off with age, just like decreases in heart rate max and fast twitch muscle. But endurance capability can be sapped more dramatically as blood volume decreases due to less liquid because when you're 50+ you have to pee more often. Who knew? But with this factoid now burned in my brain, keeping the water bottle handy is elevated to the same priority level as getting more sleep the night before any ride of 20+ miles because, as is also often said, there's just not enough in the tank to hang with the youngsters.
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Insightful and Full of Information, February 4, 2011
By raspell (Memphis, TN USA)
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This is an excellent book about cycling. Note I didn't say anything about cycling over 50 although I bought it because I started cycling and I'm over 50. So I found myself in a quandry: how can I recommend this to my young cycling friends? They won't want to read this as it's not meant for them. As I was reading I recognized that this had to come from a regular cycling book and to write a new book, the author had just added about 15 pages with mention of being older. Sure enough, Friel is the author of The Cyclist's Training Bible. I haven't read that book but assuming it is similar as the featured reviewer said, it will be a great book also.
Look, once you've read one of these training books they all start to sound similar. The advantage of this book is that it simplistically states its case in a manner where the lightbulb goes off in your head. For example, when he talks about climbing he gives statistics about pro cyclists: the best pro climbers have a weight (in lbs.) to height (in inches) of 2-1 or, a 72 inch cyclists (6 feet) would be 144 pounds. 2.2 and 2.3 are exceptional ratios. And then the point: no pro cyclist has had a ratio of 2.5 to 1. Do your analysis and see your ratio. It will tell you that most body types are going to be elite cyclists. Simplistic but really important info.
I strongly recommend this book for older cyclists and younger cyclists also for the book layout, simplicity and quickness of read.
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Happy Fiftyish Cyclist, August 6, 2011
By YB
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It is often said that there are two types of cyclists: those who have not crashed and those who have. I would add to this cycling wisdom there are those who are over fifty and those who are not. This is a pretty good book if you are an over fifty cyclist who is relatively new to cycling. It is well written and to the point. The training suggestions are well grounded and clearly thought out for the benefit of the over fifty cycling group. If you are over fifty and cycling, I am happy to suggest this book. If you are a younger cyclist, I suggest the Joel Friel's other book, The Cyclists Bible. One of the knocks on this book is that it is a watered down version of The Cyclists Bible for the over fifty set. I don't think so. The Cyclists Bible, which I also have, is focused for a different athletic group of cyclists and the content clearly reflects that. Cycling Past 50 is equally focused but for older cyclists. Friel's thesis that older cyclists should train differently is spot on, I think. This book will be helpful for those who are cycling past fifty and need good advice in order to reach their cycling goals, and/or to enjoy cycling all the more, which is why I bought this book-for the love of cycling. I really hate going to health clubs where I live, but often you have to lock me away from my bike to stop me from spinning off into the countryside. I cycle for the love of cycling. Cycling is not something I have to make myself do. On the contrary, I have to make myself not to overdo it, which this book is very helpful at helping me to do. Good cycling to all of you.
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Excellent!!, October 8, 2011
By RS
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Just bought our first road bikes and have started training for the MS 150 in Texas. This book has given us the knowledge we absolutely needed to train properly. The author has given insight into what to expect and many things to think about in training at "our age" which has been priceless. The information is solid and good for all ages in my opinion. It is easy to read and understand, though technical in some places which is needed. I have combined it with Base Cycling for Cyclists and between the 2 books I feel I have an excellent knowledge base to train.
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biking 50 +, October 3, 2011
By Scars
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This is the perfect book for anyone choosing a return to riding a road bike as well as those riding one for the first time. It's much more than "how to ride" because it instructs on how to prepare, in healthy ways, your body physically for bike riding. It applies to those looking to exercise a little or a lot, casually or competitively. They say "see your Doctor before starting any new exercise program". If it's bicycling, read this book first as well. Frank of Denver.
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A little dated, May 1, 2012
By GrittyGoober
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The book is a bit dated, but the information is still valid. It is well written, and covers the aspects of training I was looking for. It is primarily based on heart rate. If you are looking for a book for training with power, you may not get what you want from this book.
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