If you are at the age of 60 more/less, and you want to ride a fixed-gear bike or at least you want to get the feel of it then you are in the right place.

Riding a fixed-gear bike at the age of 60 builds a lot of questions in other people’s minds, cause the majority of fixie bike riders are in their youth age or middle age but as a senior citizen is it ideal for you to ride a fixed gear.

Yes, Seniors citizens can definitely ride a fixed gear bike, but it depends on their physique, fitness level, and are they able to perform basic exercises, considering you are active and fit at the age 60-year, then riding a fixed gear bike will not be a problem for you, but you must install front breaks on your fixie for safety precaution. 

If this is the first time you are riding a fixie bike then stay away from traffic roads or hilly roads for your safety purpose, always have your front breaks attached to the bike.

In this article, I will discuss everything you want to know about senior riders riding a fixed gear bike.

Is it safe to ride a fixed gear for senior citizens?

Riding a fixed-gear bike is the same as riding other shift bikes or single-speed bikes, but riding at the age of 60 makes a huge difference.

Wearing a helmet, shoes, elbow/knee guard, hand gloves, goggles, and having front breaks on your fixed gear bike is enough to keep you safe even for senior citizens, but it can get tricky on descending roads and corners, running front brakes really comes in handy in a situation like these.

In the beginning, while you are getting some experience riding a fixie bike try to stay away from traffic roads, hilly roads. try riding on flat roads, or cycling parks, at least till you gain some experience, confidence, and knowledge about fixed-gear bikes.

Since it is a fixed gear you cannot stop pedaling. try to maintain a normal cadence of 60 to 80 RPM (rounds of pedal stroke per minute) going too hard on pedals can cause some minor knee problems so go slow in the beginning.

And maintain an average speed of 9 to 12 miles per hour, as a senior cyclist it is an ideal speed to ride in for you.

Is it hard to ride a fixie bike for senior citizens?

Riding fixed gear is a little tricky but not hard for senior cyclists, the only difference is that you can’t cruise on fixie since the cog is connected to the back wheel of the bike, it was makes riding fixed gear so fun.

Things that you might consider hard to ride on a fixie:

Stoping your fixie: for beginners running breaks (front and back) is easy and you can totally put trust in your brakes, you can use them in any unpredictable situations, and another way is to stop by forcing your backpedal to stop the rear wheel, a personal recommendation for a senior cyclist is slow down by simply slowing your pedal of motion, it is the best thing to do for senior cyclists.

Controlling speed on descending: fixed gear pedal will keep on rotating on descending roads, so in order to slow down on descending roads is to slow your pedaling motion, and gently applying front breaks can lead you to control your fixie bike’s speed.

When you learn these skills your fixed-gear riding experience will automatically increase and it will be so much fun to ride

How many miles is ideal for senior citizens to ride a fixie? (in a week)

On average you can cover 4 to 8 miles in a day and still have energy left throughout the day if you ride 3 or 4 times a week which adds up to 16 to 32 miles of riding in a week, this is enough to keep you healthy and fit.

If you can push a bit further like 6 to 10 miles is also totally possible for senior cyclists, even if you don’t have much experience in riding a fixed-gear bike.

In the beginning, don”t try to cover like 15 or 20 miles in a day this can make your body fatigued and this might result in not wanting to ride fixed gear bikes ever again, so remember riding a small distance is a way to start for senior cyclists.

As you build your energy level and stamina it will become easy for you down the road.

What are some safe places where senior riders can ride fixie bikes?

When you are riding a fixed-gear bike for the first time or you have experience riding other bikes when learning to ride a fixie is always a better idea to start somewhere there are no people around, the places might be like:

Cycling parks the best place to learn how to ride a fixed-gear bike is in cycling parks, especially for senior cyclists, you don’t have to worry about somebody running in front of you.

Falt roads flat roads are also the best option to get used to riding a fixie, in flat roads you can control your speed and your pedal motion, so basically are in full control over your movement of the bike, and flat roads consume less energy compared to climbing uphills roads on a fixie.

An empty parking lot can be helpful to learn fixed-gear bikes or an empty field, 

Just don’t start riding in an area where there is a lot of traffic and pedestrians for your safety, not until you build the confidence to take in on roads or highways. 

Health benefits of riding a fixie for senior riders?

Riding a bicycle can bring a lot of health benefits to you like it can boost your physical health, mental health, it helps to slow the aging process,  and overall it can increase your well-being.

Riding a bicycle for a few minutes a day can help you to brighten your mood by releasing dopamine.

Riding in the early morning from 7 to 9 am gives you vitamin D it helps you to keep and maintain healthy strong bones,

Several studies suggested that cycling for 15 to 20 minutes a day can be very beneficial for a healthy heart.

Riding your bike in pristine nature feels like a meditation, for some people, it is an addictive healthy hobby and it can help you lose some extra fat, riding a fixie bike or bycycle, in general, is the easiest way to get healthier, improve your well being.

Conclusion

In simple words, senior cyclists can absolutely ride a fixed-gear bike but need to invest some time and effort to get the hang of it.

Riding a fixed-gear bike comes with a lot of health benefits too, it helps you live a healthier and happy life.

Now you know that senior riders can also ride fixed gear without a problem, but there are some examples of senior cyclists doing braking records at the age of 60 

Frenchman Robert Marchand at the age of 105 broke the record of riding 14 miles in an hour

Carl Grove at the age of 91 set the hour world record by riding 21.44 miles in velodromes

Mohinder Singh Bharaj at the age of 67 years old man, rode 2236 miles (3600 km) from Srinagar to Kanyakumari, which is Srinagar at the top of India and Kanyakumari is at the bottom, in 12 days, 18 hours, 57 minutes. 

The reason I am mentioning these people is to say that age is just a number, don’t let your thoughts hold you back from doing what you want to do, have fun, live life, and be safe while riding fixies.

Key takeaways 

• Yes, senior cyclists can ride a fixed-gear bike with front brakes installed.
• Wear a helmet, shoes, elbow/knee guards, and hand gloves, and make sure to install a front brake to be safe while riding a fixed gear.
• Practice riding for 4 to 8 miles a day.
• Riding a fixie comes with a lot of health advantages too.
•  Your mindset is holding you back, so break free, and be safe.