[UPDATE: The recording is available here]
I have some exciting news to share. On April 22nd at 11am PT, I will be joining Phil Cavell — author of The Midlife Cyclist — and Derek Gehl, CEO of Modern Elder Academy (MEA), for a webinar titled “Ride Smart, Stay Healthy: A Midlife Road Map for Cyclists 40+.” Whether you’ve been cycling for decades or you’re just starting to wonder if now might be the right time to get on a bike, this free live session is designed for you (registration).
Two Books That Changed My Life
If you’ve read my earlier post about why a Google executive became a bike guide, you know that my transformation wasn’t spontaneous. It was sparked by a handful of books that fundamentally shifted how I thought about the second half of life. Two of them were Chip Conley’s Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder and Phil Cavell’s The Midlife Cyclist. So it’s genuinely meaningful to me that I get to bring these two worlds together in a single conversation. I recently met Chip at MEA’s Baja Campus, and we got to talking about why a cycling workshop might fit beautifully into MEA’s curriculum. This session is where that conversation led.
What We’ll Cover
Derek, Phil, and I will explore a range of topics that I think will resonate whether you’re a serious cyclist or someone who hasn’t been on a bike in years:
The physical, cognitive, and longevity benefits of cycling in midlife. What does science actually say, and why is now such an opportune time to get on two wheels?
How to avoid the pitfalls. Many midlife cyclists train the way they did in their 30s — and pay for it. We’ll talk about the right intensity, why recovery matters far more than most riders realize, and how to maximize benefit while minimizing injury risk.
Myths and facts about the metrics you actually need to track. Not everything that looks scientific in a training app or your cycling computer is worth your attention. How to understand Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV).
Choosing the right bike. Road, hybrid, gravel, or e-bike? The options can be overwhelming. We’ll help you think through what’s right for you, what features matter most and why bike fitting is not to be ignored.
Building community and exploring the world on two wheels. Cycling is one of the most powerful vehicles — pun intended — for social connection, adventure, and experiencing places in a way no car or tour bus ever could.
Cycling safely. The right gear, smart route choices, and habits that let you keep riding for decades.
Phil’s upcoming book, The Cycling Addiction. We’ll get a preview of his new work and what it means for those of us who love to push — but need to be smarter about when and how.
We’ll also reserve the last twenty minutes for your questions, which brings me to a request: if there’s something you’ve been wondering about — whether how to get into cycling, how to keep going strong, how to stay safe, or anything else in this territory — please send me your questions in advance. I want to make sure we address what’s actually on your mind.
About Modern Elder Academy
MEA was founded by Chip Conley, the NY Times bestselling author and hospitality entrepreneur who built Joie de Vivre Hotels and later became a strategic advisor at Airbnb. MEA is built on a simple but radical belief: midlife isn’t a crisis — it’s a calling. Their mission is to disrupt the societal narrative around aging and help people in the second half of their lives build the purposeful, exciting lives they’re craving.
About Phil Cavell
Phil co-founded Cyclefit in London and has spent two decades working with cyclists at every level — from Tour de France riders to weekend warriors — watching what happens when midlife bodies get pushed hard. In The Midlife Cyclist, he distills those two decades of experience, conversations with medical professionals, and an extensive review of scientific literature into a practical guide for maximizing the health benefits of cycling and continuing to ride well into later life. His new book coming this summer, The Cycling Addiction: A Radical Rethink of Pain, Passion and Performance, digs deeper into the psychology of why we ride — and how that drive can sometimes start working against the very healthspan we’re trying to protect. I’m thrilled to have him in this session.
An Invitation
Midlife is one of the best times to fall in love with cycling — or to fall back in love with it. And the science is pretty clear that your body will thank you for it. I hope you’ll join us on April 22nd. Please register here.
And if the session sparks a desire to actually get out and experience the world on two wheels, I’d love to help you plan that. Schedule time with me and let’s talk about the multitude of cycling destinations out there, such as Spain’s undiscovered cycling paradise in Priorat or the gravel routes near MEA’s Santa Fe campus.
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