The Midlife Cyclist

With the help of medical experts, leading coaches, ex-professionals, and pro-team doctors, cycling biomechanics pioneer Phil Cavell produces a practical guide for mature cyclists who want to stay healthy, avoid injury, and maximize their achievement levels. Midlife Cyclist offers a gold standard road-map for the mature cyclist who aims to train, perform and even race at the highest possible level. Cycling has seen a participation uplift unprecedented in any sport, especially in the 40, 50 and 60-year-old age groups. These athletes are the first statistically significant cohort to maintain, or even begin, genuine athletic performance beyond middle-age. But, just because we can continue to tune the engine into old age, does that mean that we should? And, what do these training efforts do to the aging human chassis? This book answers those questions and offers a guide to those elongating their performance window. Using case studies and expert contributions from all aspects of the sport, Midlife Cyclist looks at cycling as an aging person‘s exercise of choice, the physical implications of hard training, and the use of sport medication and specific training in combating them. It also considers the age-specific questions raised, including what happens to performance as we mature? Will the bike specifications alter as our bodies change? Should we refine our riding technique and how do we best deploy the psychological advantages of being older riders?