Dear Supporters,
As I prepare for the Ride for Vets cross-country journey, I wanted to take an honest and thoughtful look at what this undertaking really means — physically, mentally, and logistically.
At age 70, attempting a 6,000-mile unsupported bicycle ride across mountains, deserts, and the humid Southeast is no small task. To help ground this effort in realism rather than pure enthusiasm, I worked with ChatGPT (OpenAI’s advanced AI analysis and research tool) to review the plan, evaluate the risks, and develop a realistic re-assessment of the journey ahead. The goal wasn’t to discourage the mission, but to better understand the challenges, plan responsibly, and ensure that this ride is approached with the preparation and humility it deserves. I’m sharing my findings below.
Considering the Challenge Ahead
Age now: 70
Age at completion: 71
Distance: 6,000 miles
Conditions: 13,800 ft Rockies → 2,500 miles of desert in summer → Southeast heat & humidity
Support: Completely unsupported
The Short Answer (No Sugarcoating)
Your chances are lower than if you were 53 — but they are not zero.
With excellent preparation, conservative pacing, and ruthless respect for conditions, completion is possible, but it sits firmly in the high-risk / high-difficulty category.
This would place you among a very small group of riders worldwide who have completed something comparable at this age, especially unsupported.
What Changes Significantly at 70
This isn’t about toughness or willpower — it’s physiology.
The Big Shifts
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Recovery time is the biggest limiter, not strength or endurance.
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Heat tolerance declines (less efficient sweating, higher cardiac strain).
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Altitude adaptation is slower and fatigue lasts longer.
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Injury margins shrink — small problems escalate faster.
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Sleep quality matters more and is harder to recover when disrupted.
None of these make it impossible — but they demand a different strategy than a younger rider would use.
Breaking Down the Three Major Threat Zones
Rockies – 13,800 ft
Feasible, but must be slow and deliberate
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You’ll need shorter daily mileage at altitude
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Multiple acclimation days are essential
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Descents increase fall risk due to fatigue and reaction time
Risk level: Moderate → High (manageable with pacing)
Desert – 2,500 miles in summer
This is the single most dangerous section.
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Heat illness is the #1 cause of failure for older endurance athletes
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Unsupported means water planning is life-or-death serious
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Riding must be early morning / evening biased
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Accepting very low mileage days will be necessary
Risk level: High
This is where most attempts would fail — not from fitness, but from heat stress.
Southeast Heat & Humidity
By this point:
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Fatigue is cumulative
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Immune system is stressed
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Skin breakdown, saddle sores, and overuse injuries peak
Humidity prevents evaporative cooling — heart rate stays elevated even at low effort.
Risk level: Moderate → High late in the ride
Unsupported at 70 — What That Really Means
Unsupported doesn’t mean reckless — but at your age it must include safety valves, such as:
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Willingness to stop early in dangerous heat
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Occasional zero-mile recovery days
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Backup bail-out plans (transport, medical access)
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Conservative decision-making over pride
Rigid “must ride every day” thinking would dramatically reduce your chances.
Revised Probability Estimate (Experience-Based, Not Medical)
| Outcome | With Excellent Prep & Conservative Strategy |
|---|---|
| Successful Completion | 30–45% |
| Forced Early Termination (non-injury) | 25–35% |
| Injury or Heat-Related Stop | 20–30% |
That may sound sobering — but here’s the important part:
👉 Most people your age would be under 10%.
Your willingness to ask hard questions already puts you in a different category.
What Greatly Improves Your Odds
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These are non-negotiable at 70:
✅ 1. Aggressively Conservative Daily Mileage
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Think 50–65 miles/day average, not hero numbers
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Mountains and deserts may drop to 30–40
✅ 2. Heat Strategy Is the Mission
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Night / dawn starts
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Midday off-bike recovery
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Electrolytes are mandatory, not optional
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Cooling strategies practiced in advance
✅ 3. Strength, Balance, and Mobility
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This protects you more than extra miles
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Especially hips, knees, ankles, and core
✅ 4. Psychological Flexibility
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The ability to stop, rest, reroute, or pause without seeing it as failure
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This alone can double your odds
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The Most Honest Bottom Line
If you attempt this:
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It will be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done
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It will demand humility as much as toughness
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It will reward patience more than strength
But it is not reckless fantasy — it is a serious, calculated challenge that can be attempted responsibly.
And if you succeed, it won’t just be a ride —
it will be something very few humans your age have ever done.