Cycling Over 50

by Beau Grant on September 17, 2021

ZiZZO folding bike for age 50 and overFifty is just a number, right? But for some reason we seem to find certain age groups and put our own definitions to what can and can’t be done when it comes to sports and exercise. We all know father time is unescapable, but it doesn’t have to stop us from feeling good having fun and getting in better shape.  

I really think that ZiZZO cycling might be the best form of fun and exercise after 50 or any age group for that matter.  

ZiZZO folding bike winning

Coming from a racing background in the late 80s as a teen I still remember those “glory days”. No, I didn’t win any big races but at 5 ft 10 145 lbs., I could climb the mountains and ride long distances for days. It was good to be young. I could power down a whole large pepperoni pizza, soda, chips, candy and all forms of garbage like food and not gain a pound.  

At age 21 I was done with racing and let myself go. The bike collected dust as I collected fat. It took a while but by 30 I was in the 210 lb. range. By age 43 I had hit 285 lbs. I looked at that old racing bike from 1988 that cost $3000 back then and decided I needed to do something.  

Maybe that bike was “outdated” with its downtube shifters and steel frame but I needed to hop on a saddle. Doing 15-20 miles wasn’t too bad until I hit the hills. I remembered dancing on those pedals many moons ago but now I was pulling over stopping to gasp for air. My body was sore but it was a good sore.  

ZiZZO fun ride like a rollercoaster

It has been a rollercoaster ride mainly due to changing my eating and drinking habits. My goal was to get to 200 lbs. by my 50th birthday and a year ago it was achieved.  

Maybe I'm not as fast anymore but I love ZiZZO gravel, and road biking. It really is a no brainer that cycling is a great form of exercise; but it's also a great way to see nature and visit places from a different perspective! With a proper fitting bike and clothes that provide extra comfort you can ride as little or as far as your body will take you.  

I've tried jogging and playing soccer with friends and my joints always hurt after. Cycling is such a low impact form of exercise that I have never hurt in those places even when I was at my heaviest weight.  

ZiZZO folding bike social gatherings fun

The other part of cycling after fifty is the social aspect. Cycling can have its prickly kind of people but don’t give up if you think that’s how all of them are. Group rides with local clubs can introduce you to like-minded riders with similar abilities so search them out.  Most people are very welcoming to new riders you just have to weed out the ones that might seem a little unfriendly.  

So, get out there and give ZiZZO bikes a go! All rides count whether it’s a stroll around the block or a hundred mile organized “century” event. Cycling has no age limitations and I for one am so happy that cycling came back into my life after a 20-year long layoff. Happy pedaling! 

3 comments
by Tony on January 23, 2023

Hi John!
Thank you for your comments on the blog posts! We love hearing about your riding adventures!
Thank you for sharing your inspirational story and the “moral” of the story I take is that you are never too old nor are there any obstacles that can stop you from riding!!!
Thank you again and keep riding!
Tony

by John Shuey on January 23, 2023

I was big into bikes as a kid. But I stopped riding for a period of years during my thirties. When I restarted, it was startling how I huffed and puffed after two miles. LOL, it would be another fifteen years before I learned that I had a coronary birth defect! By now I have had that defect fixed and once I restarted biking I never stopped. My heart surgeon told me not to do the customary post-op rehab because its modest exercise regimen would interfere w/ my heavier exercise. At 74, I ride 1500 to 2000 mi/yr and up to 50 mi/day.

One of my bikes is a 29+ that I ride in the high desert wilderness. It rolls over lava rock gardens supernaturally. Another is a classic (nearly 40 year old) road bike; it’s got that ancient technology that I love, such a work of art.

But I wanted a folder for the RV – and to take along whenever I put a vehicle in the auto shop so I can get back and forth when I drop-off and pick-up. It’s a Zizzo Forte, now in the bike shop getting a 36T low gear which , truth be told, is a pretty extensive operation.

I expect it will be pretty cool.

by Mark White on January 27, 2022

Beau,

Nice article and reflection on what cycling has done for you early and later in life. My first Zizzo arrived today, and I was super impressed with the value in this bicycle. I’ve never owned a folding bicycle, and was considering all sorts of vintage options, but glad I discovered this company. Keep riding, because there’s plenty of pedaling to do over 60, 70, and 80.

Mark (turning 66 on Oct. 26)

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