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 Can Bicycling Help You Become a SuperAger?

You likely know the Rolling Stones, still on tour in 2024, are on the higher end of the age range for rock musicians—their ages range from 76 to 86 years old. Not only do the musicians spend hours on their feet during concerts, they remember the lyrics to their songs (sometimes with a nudge from teleprompters), and how to play their instruments live. The Stones can be considered examples of “SuperAgers.”

 

The term SuperAger refers to an adult 80 or older who exhibits memory and cognitive abilities usually found in people in their 50s and 60s, Marta Garo-Pascual, Ph.D., a biomedical scientist at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, tells Bicycling. It’s a purely cognitive descriptor, unrelated to other aspects of physical health.

“The reason we especially focus on memory function is because the other end of the spectrum is Alzheimer’s disease, and the cardinal symptom is rapid memory loss,” Amanda Maher, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan, tells Bicycling.

While the research hasn’t yet determined the key difference between the brains of SuperAgers and those of other older adults, it appears to involve the white matter in the brain.

 

White matter is part of the brain’s structure and, according to the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, “plays a critical role in helping the body process information.” The brain’s white matter connects the parts of the brain that send and receive signals, which, in turn, affects a person’s ability to focus, learn, solve problems, and balance.

 

A 2024 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that SuperAgers had better white matter microstructure than typical older adults. This quality seems to underpin the “remarkable” memory capacity of SuperAgers.

Both Maher and Garo-Pacual, who was a researcher in the 2024 study, say that while SuperAgers do share certain characteristics, such as better mobility and agility, better mental health, and fewer health problems related to blood glucose disorder and hypertension, there is no current cause and effect relationship so far that proves any one thing can protect memory as you age.

Nevertheless, here, some SuperAgers and experts offer strategies that may help you stay on your bike even in old age.

 

Focus on Friendship When You Ride

Spence Halper, 89, from Freehold, New Jersey, took up cycling in his 70s and almost always goes out with a group. “I ride once or twice a week,” he tells Bicycling. “On my 85th birthday, I rode 85 miles. Since then I’ve celebrated my birthday by riding kilometers, so on my 89th, I did 89 kilometers.” He has plans to do 90K on his 90th birthday.

 

“When you’re cycling you can’t be contrary,” Halper says, adding that he’s always talking to people, both while they ride and when they take breaks.

 

In fact, friendship may be indispensable to living a long life. According to a 2020 study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, older adults who have close friends are not only less likely to be depressed, but they are also less likely to die from all causes, including heart disease and cancer.

 

Wendy Rayner, 81, who lives in Princeton, New Jersey, became friends with a group of people when she went to an indoor cycling class a number of years ago. “I was going on a trek in Bhutan, so I went to the gym to get in shape. I found biking and Spin, and some of those people are still some of my best friends.” Rayner says.

 

This has also worked for Ken Levy who, at 81, just did his 21st Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City. Levy, who lives in California and is in his second career (real estate), still makes time every year for this ride so he can see his riding buddies. “I’ve been cycling for more than 20 years,” he says. “All the people are happy out there. They’re enjoying themselves. They’re congenial.”

Practice Balance, Mobility, and Agility Moves

Studies have shown SuperAgers have bigger motor thalamus, a brain region involved in motor control, explains Garo-Pascual. While this doesn’t explain the connection with memory, Garo-Pascul says a hypothesis researchers may test in the future is whether participants with better mobility are more capable and more motivated to explore the environment and whether that drives better memory consolidation.

In other words, if you are more able to safely navigate the world independently, you are more likely to be adventurous and active. While this is only speculation right now, studies have shown that maintaining mobility is key to independence.

Consider Yourself Lucky

While a positive attitude may seem more superficial than meaningful, in fact, all the cyclists and experts agree that your outlook on life is key to good mental health which, in turn, is associated with SuperAging. “One of the things about our SuperAgers is that they do tend to have a positive outlook on life,” says Maher. They have a high degree of psychological well-being and report having higher quality and warm relationships with other people.

In fact, Maher was struck by the fact that all of the cyclists interviewed for this story considered themselves “lucky” in comparison to friends and relatives who have suffered from illnesses. “Most SuperAgers have a high level of empathy and resilience,” Maher says. They all kept going in the face of physical and emotional challenges, such as losing a spouse.

Don’t Worry About Forgetting Names

Keep in mind that SuperAging does not refer to having a photographic memory, or even superior memory skills throughout life. When asked about their memories, all the cyclists said they often forget people’s names and had done that throughout their lifetimes.

“We hear that in the clinic all the time,” Maher says. Fortunately, it’s okay if you forget the names of new acquaintances. “We tend to only be concerned if [you forget the name of] someone you should know, like your family, friends, and other people you’ve known for a long time,” she explains.

New research has found older adults simply have a lot more accumulated information stored in their brains and when trying to retrieve a detail, such as a name, they have more to wade through. This isn’t a sign of forgetfulness, but a life well-lived.

Keep Going

All four older cyclists took part in other sports when they were younger and, as they got older, they adapted to the changing needs of their bodies. Halper took up cycling in his 70s, and Rayner gave up running and got on a bike.

Rather than fighting age-related changes, they accept them and adapt. “As I get older, my balance isn’t quite as good as it used to be. I’ve had a couple of falls,” says Halper. “My thought is that when I feel unsafe on my bicycle, I will go to a recumbent three-wheeler because I certainly love to be outdoors and out in the sun and look at the sky and the scenery. I love to walk but you can’t cover as much ground.

No matter what activity in which they plan to take part, all the cyclists love being outside, surrounded by nature.

“It’s such a mood raiser,” says Terry Karro, 73, a hiker and cyclist from Winthrop, Washington. “When I lost my husband if I were up on a mountain top I could handle the grief. I would say to myself, ‘If I can have this looking out at my gorgeous mountains, I can make it one more day.’”