At 70 years old and with a lot of health issues including 2 widow maker heart attacks, I set 5 Texas State Powerlifting Records and 3 National records! 

https://usapl.liftingdatabase.com/lifters-view?id=135035

I can now tour fully loaded in an 85 pound velomobile with my lowest gear at 38 gear inch. I weigh right at 220 pounds. I might be bragging but I thought maybe it would inspire some others to weight train. Not only does it make you stronger but your bones will get stronger and not break when you fall as a senior. You don't have to set records or lift really heavy weights. Ask most doctors and they will advise older people to do weight training. 

If this is an inappropriate post feel free to delete it. 

Jerry

I'm tall and gangly and you are built like a weight lifter - but we are the same age and about the same weight. I can't imagine touring with a low gear of only 38 gear-inches; my low gear is 17.5 gear inches and even so I have to struggle hard when climbing steep grades fully loaded (105 pounds, bike and gear).  Your strength training obviously works for you!

Hi Jerry

About ten years ago a parishioner placed an ad in the church  bulletin offering a strength and balance class for older adults. We use light hand weights and do squats as well as the balance exercises to try and avoid those senior falls. In December 2019 she decided to stop and transferred us to a small local gym so we moved from the Catholic church hall across the road to the Anglican hall which is adjacent to the aforementioned gym. Recently the gym owner upsold some of us to a more intense session involving a circuit on the gym machines.  This is definitely helping me to keep age related muscle loss at bay.

I turned 80 last year weigh 70 kg and stand 1700mm tall and I have always preferred low gears.

Hi George,

I can climb 10% grades fully loaded with my velomobile. The weight of the velomobile, me, and all the, too much, stuff I carry comes in at over 350 pounds! Until I started really training squats with linear progression I had 22 inch gears. After about 1 1/2 years of linear progression, 5 pounds more each workout, I went from squatting 185 pounds to 429 pounds! As I also have deadlifted 485 pounds, it is not a problem picking up my heavy velomobile and carrying it up a very steep grade. But since it has 3 wheels I prefer to push it. LOL.

Hi Mike

Good for you and keep it up. I am glad you had another place to workout when the lady decided to stop. At 80 it is working for you. You truly are an inspiration to me. 

Your post raises a good point - cross-training is important. I think it is, anyway, so do some weight training and walking/hiking to balance things out more. Also keeps me from getting bored and gets me out of the recliner where I take the very best naps.

Balance is the key. I try to walk 2-3 miles everyday. I have a big, fluffy recliner for taking naps. 

Jerry it is an interesting post and directly relevant to cycle touring. Being fit enough to cycle tour is possibly the most relevant topic there is. If our bodies aren’t working, no amount of flash cycling equipment will help.

I don’t lift weights, but I do swim using hand paddles to increase the workload on upper body muscles. This seems to work ok. 

Rightly or wrongly I figure that walking the dog and cycling give my lower body muscles enough training. Last year I did a few stretch & flex classes which seem to help. I’ve not had time recently for the classes, but I still do a few of the basic exercises a few times a week. 

Graham the way I see it any exercise is better than sitting on the couch. Weight bearing exercises are what all doctors say older people should do. I just seem to go extreme on whatever I do. Weight lifting/training are now my addiction! 

Next year 5 new state and 3 national records! This fall a tour to willie Nelson's house and golf course with my velomobile and camper trailer. From there, who knows. 

I won't be setting any state or national records, but every day I do 100 arm curls with 12-pounds on the right arm and 10-pounds on the left arm.  Then I do a few other lifts.  All told, it only takes about 10 minutes, but it does make me feel better about myself.

Then I go out for a bike ride, which is much more fun.