The Old Guy Bicycle Blog

Last Updated: November 28, 2025 Quick Take: Cycling isn’t my escape—it’s my confessional. The road knows the version of me no one else sees, and every mile strips away everything but the truth. Cycling Is My Mistress Some people chase hobbies. Some chase goals. I chase the road. I always have. Not because I’m running from anyone—and not because I’m unhappy. My wife knows me better than anyone alive. She knows I love her. She also knows there’s a part of me she can’t compete with, and I don’t say that lightly. Cycling is my mistress. Not in the way people whisper behind closed doors. In the way something calls your name, long after you should’ve outgrown it. In the way a quiet obsession becomes a second pulse. She’s the one who wakes me before sunrise. She’s the one who pulls me out the door when logic says “not today.” She’s the one who knows the version of me no one else sees—the tired, hurting, stubborn, grateful, alive version. My wife sees the man. Th...

Last Updated: December 8, 2025 As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Quick Answer: No — cycling does not raise testosterone. Light riding has little effect, and long-distance endurance riding can actually lower T by increasing fatigue, stress hormones, and calorie deficits. Saddle pressure doesn’t reduce testosterone, but it can cause numbness and ED symptoms that make riders think it does. Here's what a 70-year-old long-distance cyclist has learned the hard way. Does Cycling Raise Testosterone? Short answer? No. Cycling doesn’t raise testosterone. If anything, the more miles you stack up every week, the more likely your testosterone is to dip. Long-distance cyclists — especially men over 50 — tend to see lower testosterone for two reasons: High training volume spikes cortisol, and cortisol suppresses testosterone. Many cyclists under-eat, and calorie deficits lower hormone levels extremely fast. B...

Last Updated: November 28, 2025 The best cycling bib shorts for long rides offer a mix of comfort, fit, value, and support—especially for senior riders. Here are the top bib shorts worth considering. Quick Answer: The best cycling bib shorts for long rides combine comfort, fit, and long-distance support. Top choices include the Assos Mille GT C2, Pearl Izumi Attack, Velocio LUXE, Castelli Espresso, and SUGOi Evolution. These options offer a range of budgets and comfort levels suitable for everyday riders and seniors who want to stay comfortable in the saddle. The Best Cycling Bib Shorts for Long Rides (Chosen for Comfort, Value & Senior Riders) When you reach a certain age—and especially when you’re riding thousands of miles a year—comfort becomes non-negotiable. A good pair of bib shorts won’t make you faster, but they will keep you riding longer, reduce pressure points, and prevent the chafing or saddle discomfort that can derail a ride. This guide uses ...

Last Updated: December 2025 These 10 cycling books have stood the test of time. Whether you're a new rider or a 70-year-old cyclist like me who has spent decades on the road, these books offer the best mix of stories, adventure, history, humor, and hard-earned wisdom you'll find anywhere. 10 Timeless Cycling Books Every Rider Should Read I've ridden more than 150,000 miles in my lifetime, and these are the books that have stayed with me. They’re the ones cyclists still talk about decades later — because the writing, the stories, and the truth inside them never wear out. The Rider — Tim Krabbé The greatest cycling book ever written. A deep dive into the mental game of a single race, told minute by minute. Every cyclist eventually finds this book — and it changes how you see the sport. French Revolutions — Tim Moore A hilarious, brutally honest attempt to ride the entire Tour de France route. He suffers. He laughs. You laugh. It’s cycling mis...

Last Updated: November 24, 2025 Cyclling’s Bad Rides Suck Factor Guide Quick Answer: Every cyclist has bad rides—but some hit harder than others. I use a blunt 3-level “Suck Factor” rating to describe how far off the rails things went: from tough-but-manageable rides… all the way to the ones that end with a walk home or a rescue truck. Why We Need a “Suck Factor” Scale If you’ve been riding long enough—especially as a 70-year-old senior cyclist—then you already know this truth: not every ride is magical . Some are fine, some are irritating, and a few are so miserable you question every life choice that got you onto two wheels. Instead of pretending every ride is sunshine, I started rating my bad rides using a simple, brutally honest 3-level system. Here’s how I measure how badly a bad ride really sucks. 🚲 Suck Factor 1: The Ride Just… Sucks This is your garden-variety “something’s off today” ride. Nothing catastrophic. Nothing dramatic. You’re jus...

Last Updated: December 2025 Quick Answer: Yes — you can lose weight riding an e-bike. You burn calories every time you pedal, and most riders go farther and ride more often on an e-bike than they do on a regular bike. The key is using lower PAS levels, staying consistent, and tracking calories. Can You Really Lose Weight Riding an E-Bike? If you're a senior cyclist — or someone getting back into riding after years away — the idea of losing weight on an e-bike may feel almost too good to be true. I get it. I’ve been riding for decades, and even I used to think e-bikes were “easy mode.” Here’s the truth: an e-bike still requires effort. You are pedaling. Your heart rate goes up. Your legs work. And because the motor helps when you need it, you end up riding longer, more often, and with far less joint pain or discouragement. That’s why e-bikes are exploding in popularity — especially for older and heavier riders who want real exercise without suffering thr...

Last Updated: November 28, 2025 Quick Take: Some people write poems with pens. I write mine with pedal strokes. Long rides strip the noise away, leaving the kind of clarity you can hear in your chest. These are the verses the road gives me. How Poetry Found Me on the Bike Some people write poems with pens. I write mine with pedal strokes. I didn’t set out to be poetic. I set out to ride. But somewhere between mile 30 and mile 70, between sunrise and sunset, I started hearing the road differently. Not just as terrain, but as verse. The hum of my tires was meter. The climbs and descents, line breaks. The miles, stanzas. Sometimes the words come on the ride itself. Sometimes they come when I’m lying in my tent or sipping juice the next morning. But they always come. Because long rides strip the noise away. What’s left is what matters. Against the Wind and With Myself Here’s one I heard once, rolling solo through West Texas: No music but b...