Why Most Cyclists Over 40 Feel Stuck (Even Though They’re Training Hard)
May 15, 2026 7:31 am
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as I’ve got older is that training harder isn’t always the answer.
In fact, for most cyclists over 40, it’s usually the thing keeping them stuck.
I realised this myself when I started noticing I couldn’t ride hard every day anymore and keep seeing progress the way I used to. Even when I had a really good training block and my numbers were improving, it almost always ended the same way eventually.
Burnout. Fatigue. Illness. Time off the bike.
I’d push through tiredness, ignore the warning signs, and eventually my body would force me to stop anyway.
And over the years, after seeing thousands of health assessments and coaching more cyclists balancing careers, family life, and training, I realised something:
Most cyclists over 40 aren’t undertraining.
They’re under-recovering.
Have a great weekend
Neil
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