View Full Version : How old (or young) are you?
Bluetree
02-27-2007, 02:45 PM
I'm just curious. Most cyclists I know are within ten years of my own age (40 soon) and I'm kinda curious why I don't see more of the younger sect. Is it the affordability of bikes? Or would a 20-something be less inclined to spend time on an online bike forum? Like I said, just curious.
I'm going to hold this poll open for a week, so vote away! :D
DrBadger
02-27-2007, 03:07 PM
28 as of Sat. I got into biking (other than just riding my bike around campus) a little over a year ago when I realized that biking was the only way I was going to keep my pos-ACL reconstruction knee strong so i could do the other things I wanted to (ie. skiing). Found a nice Trek 1500 on craigslist, and have been biking ever since. Just now starting to look at upgrading to a nice new bike when i start working next fall (just finishing up graduate school).
I would guess that $$ is part of the reason you don't see a lot of the younger group. This is an expensive sport! and most of us are just getting out of school and doing that whole first job thing.
Kitsune06
02-27-2007, 03:11 PM
I see a lot of younger people on bikes, but not a lot of younger 'cyclists'... the differentiation being the kids on bikes are on mountain bikes wearing baggy shorts etc and hang out on forums like mtbr.com etc, and are teenage boys, and 'cyclists' are roadies in lycra sipping cytomax and caring about clipless and watts and lung capacity etc etc.
I think it's a priority shift, coupled with the $$ factor.
chickwhorips
02-27-2007, 03:21 PM
PABadger - happy birthday a couple days late. the good people of the world have their birthdays right now. ;)
26 as of yesterday. i've wanted to get into it for a while, just didn't have the money to do it. that was my problem. it helps having a SO that was into it, showed me the ropes.
I see a lot of younger people on bikes, but not a lot of younger 'cyclists'... the differentiation being the kids on bikes are on mountain bikes wearing baggy shorts etc and hang out on forums like mtbr.com etc, and are teenage boys, and 'cyclists' are roadies in lycra sipping cytomax and caring about clipless and watts and lung capacity etc etc.
I think it's a priority shift, coupled with the $$ factor.
I've been a roadie since I was about 12, but that was back in the stone age before clipless, lycra and cytomax existed..... (though I admit to liking all of the aforementioned these days) I even had the first Bell hardshell helmet - the big white one with the orange reflecty tape...
7rider
02-27-2007, 03:30 PM
I'm also looking at 40 this year (hey....isn't there a Jimmy Buffet song about that???).
This past summer, when doing our weekly group ride (quit about September for many reasons..plan to go back in the Spring), there were a fair number of young 'uns. And, yeah...you 20-something'ers are young 'uns in my eyes! And, they're outside the 10+/- range of which Bluetree spoke - isn't that scary BT? :eek: But I mean these kids were KIDS...16-18 y.o. On nice bikes that daddy bought, but on them nonetheless.
So, perhaps the younger ones find more interesting things to do online than hang at these discussion forums. They're young yet. They'll learn!
DrBadger
02-27-2007, 03:34 PM
PABadger - happy birthday a couple days late. the good people of the world have their birthdays right now. ;)
26 as of yesterday.
Hey Chickwhorips-
Happy birthday a day late! The end of Feb Pisces are the best Pisces (IMHO :p )
DarcyInOregon
02-27-2007, 03:49 PM
I am 53 and these are the best years of my life.
The strange thing about where I live and bike is that the cyclists are primarily older men in their 60s, 70s and 80s. I rarely see a female cyclist except now and then in a pack. I can say the older men are inspiring and I sure hope I can bike those miles every day when I reach age 70 and 80. I met a few of the old guy cyclists and they all say the same thing, that they ride by themselves and they bike 50-75 miles everyday. They go on tours and event rides to socialize, but they avoid the clubs.
Darcy
Kitsune06
02-27-2007, 03:50 PM
so lonely... so very, very lonely... :( :o :p
I just turned 34 and with my age my taste has changed also. When I was in my 20's I loved mountain biking, now I'd rather just be on the road. I get a much better high now then I use to then when I ride. It's definately different but in my 20's I wouldn't have even considered road biking, mainly because there was NO way I could have afforded it being single and all. I was alot braver then to.:p
I've been a roadie since I was about 12, but that was back in the stone age before clipless, lycra and cytomax existed..... (though I admit to liking all of the aforementioned these days) I even had the first Bell hardshell helmet - the big white one with the orange reflecty tape...
Wait a minute, Eden. I thought you were only 35. You're a youngster. I bought one of those original Bell helmets in 1977 when I was 21.
Wait a minute, Eden. I thought you were only 35. You're a youngster. I bought one of those original Bell helmets in 1977 when I was 21.
Yup - you've got my age right - but that big clunky white bell was still the only one when I got my first - or at very least it was the only one available in my area.... heck it couldn't have been too much later anyway - maybe '82 or maybe even earlier when I got it - (of course I didn't have the 1st one made, but it was that original hard shell) I guess that makes me a roadie since before I was 12 then. I had that big heavy helmet for a long time. When I replaced it I got a cherry red Vetta that was still a hard shell - I think it was made of Lexan.
Trek420
02-27-2007, 06:23 PM
Wait a minute, Eden. I thought you were only 35. You're a youngster. I bought one of those original Bell helmets in 1977 when I was 21.
I thought so too.
On the Ride to Redhook Eden blew past us one way with her team, turned 'round, caught up, rode the 20 something with us and then some after.
She's spinning so easily ahead of us, no hands at some points. Granted I'm slow, real slow, granted I'm on a Raleigh Hybrid (Thanks Mimi, really a great bike) but I thought "well of course she's a way stronger rider, she's a 20 something racer gal".
Do the math and helmet styles folks, Eden does not look ... or ride her age.
Aggie_Ama
02-27-2007, 06:48 PM
26 as of the 17th! Around here a lot of people my age are still doing the bar scene several nights a week. If all your money is being drank away and you don't have much to begin with, well you can't afford cycling. Also I hear a lot of excuse out of the youngsters I work with, they all claim to have ailments that keep them from being active.:rolleyes: I do notice I am about 10 years younger than most of the women I see. Of course many of those 35+ women are dropping me. :)
Interestingly enough I'm probably around the median age on the team (and we have around 90 members), though this year I think we picked up some younger gals. We have several very fast and very talented 50 somethings that can kick my butt and two juniors, both of whom I think are 16 this year.
Trek420
02-27-2007, 06:57 PM
We have several very fast and very talented 50 somethings that can kick my butt.
Well, I'm talented and 51 (as of the 27th next month) but I sure can't kick your butt ;) :cool: :rolleyes:
ah, yes, the stats are all well and good, but how many of us will be moving from one age group to the next this year? I'll be making the 35-39 group a little smaller in October....
H&B
~T~
KnottedYet
02-27-2007, 07:27 PM
I've been a roadie since I was about 12, but that was back in the stone age before clipless, lycra and cytomax existed..... (though I admit to liking all of the aforementioned these days) I even had the first Bell hardshell helmet - the big white one with the orange reflecty tape...
I had that helmet, too!!!!!!
velocilex
02-27-2007, 07:36 PM
I'm 41. Funny how that number keeps creeping up every year. :p
snapdragen
02-27-2007, 08:30 PM
Hey Chickwhorips-
Happy birthday a day late! The end of Feb Pisces are the best Pisces (IMHO :p )
Oh, I dunno....the beginning of March Pisces are pretty cool too....:rolleyes: :D
DrBadger
02-27-2007, 08:32 PM
Oh, I dunno....the beginning of March Pisces are pretty cool too....:rolleyes: :D
well I guess I can agree with that Snap.... 2 of my best friends are early March Pisces.... maybe all Pisces are the coolest :-)
snapdragen
02-27-2007, 08:33 PM
.... maybe all Pisces are the coolest :-)
We can both agree on that!:cool:
hellosunshine
02-27-2007, 10:11 PM
Oh, I dunno....the beginning of March Pisces are pretty cool too....:rolleyes: :D
4o march 10th!!!!!!
but in answer to the question,maybe we have got some things out of our system-love/kids/alcohol/career moves etc etc and are now more settled and able to focus on the bike???(if only)i started to get me through divorce!!!!!!
also is it not an expensive hobby -carbon fiber bling bling?
thinking back to my 20's i was trying to get settled into my career and looking for love,buying my first house,dont think i could have devoted the time to racing.
ive also been told having kids increase your VO2 max,sadly cant have kids but many women are strong racers and they have had kiddies.food for thought.
ive also been told having kids increase your VO2 max,sadly cant have kids but many women are strong racers and they have had kiddies.food for thought.
What I've heard is that when a woman is pregnant her blood volume increases and that it never goes back to pre-pregnancy levels so each time she has a child she ends up with a higher blood volume. More blood = more hemoglobin = more O2 to the muscles
rocknrollgirl
02-28-2007, 01:26 AM
45 for me.....
five one
02-28-2007, 04:54 AM
Added myself to the 55 - 59 group since I'll be turning 55 in a week. I don't feel it, don't think I look it, but I find myself wondering how the years rolled by so quickly since 40...:eek:
IFjane
02-28-2007, 05:21 AM
Added myself to the 55 - 59 group since I'll be turning 55 in a week. I don't feel it, don't think I look it, but I find myself wondering how the years rolled by so quickly since 40...:eek:
I'm with you, five one! I'm 53 & the years have flown by.
I'm a strong rider but not a fast one. Can't climb too well because of breathing - I have exercise induced asthma and climbing is when I really feel it. However, give me enough time and I can ride all day & love every minute of it - including the climbing!
Haudlady
02-28-2007, 05:40 AM
I'm 31, and just started cycling last year. I finally got into it by being inspired by DH (we've been married almost nine years... it took that long for inspiration to hit)!
DH (no, I didn't vote for him) is 35 and has been cycling forever, I think... he was a BMX kid, a Freestylin' teenager, a mountain-biking college student, and now mostly a roadie (but still loves his MTB). I get shivers of excitement (and feel like a teenager myself) when he does freestyle tricks on his road bike. OOOOH. Did I mention that I had a crush on him when I was about twelve? :D (Some crushes you never get over...)
Tuckervill
02-28-2007, 06:07 AM
That's so sweet, Haud.
I'm hoping my riding partner, who is my 13 yo son, will be riding all his life. When you described your husband, it reminded me of my son, too. He skateboards and BMX and mountain bikes. He's building up an old John Deere road bike. He's got his clipless pedals and shoes on his mountain bike now, and he's still adjusting to them. Yesterday he told me that on a ride with his dad, he was going 18 mph
up the long hill by our house!
He wants a baseball career, but I hope I can get him into bike racing, too.
I disagree that cycling has to be expensive, though. There should be a vibe that it's okay to ride on whatever you have and for whatever reason. Of course, there are bikes and then there are BIKES, but that's true for every activity. If we persist in the idea that one should only do it if you can do it "right", people won't want to even try.
Karen
Trekhawk
02-28-2007, 07:34 AM
What I've heard is that when a woman is pregnant her blood volume increases and that it never goes back to pre-pregnancy levels so each time she has a child she ends up with a higher blood volume. More blood = more hemoglobin = more O2 to the muscles
Crikey lucky I had three kids - imagine how slow I would have been otherwise.:D
42 year old Trek - who is very slow even after three kids - hawk.
aggiecorgi
02-28-2007, 08:11 AM
26 here. But in my town I feel OLD (College Station, TX)! I started riding at 18 when I met DH. I raced tons in college and got pretty fast. Grad school came along and slowed me way down. When I started working full time (and not going to school too) I started riding seriously again. Most people around here are male, and either college age or 40-60 range. Me and DH are kinda the odd man out here;)
Ninabike
02-28-2007, 08:34 AM
Going on 63!! I do tend to see more men my age cycling, but I also see a few women. I started cycling seriously in the early '60's, NO helmet, toe clips with cleats, sew-up tires, wool jerseys and shorts with "real" chamois, my bike, a Frejus (Italian) with Campy Gran Sport componants; gave up cycling for a while, returned in the '70's, left again and returned a few years ago. What is interesting to me is that the things I loved as a teenager - cycling being one of them, are the exact things I love now. I don't even feel that I am any older!! Even during the years I wasn't riding, beautiful road bikes always caught my eye. Go "baby boomers"!!
Nina
Yay, Nina! I plan to be you in 25 years!
Hugs and butterflies,
~T~
Ninabike
02-28-2007, 12:25 PM
Alright!! LBTC, I'll be wait'n for you!!
Nina
BleeckerSt_Girl
02-28-2007, 12:52 PM
Oh yeah?....well Nina, I hope to be you in TEN years!!! ;) :rolleyes: :cool:
Aggie_Ama
02-28-2007, 01:27 PM
Aggiecorgi- I hear you about College Station. When we left two years ago I felt so old at 24!! Those college kids will do that to you, even if you aren't far past college.
You know what is funny? I HORRIFIED DH this weekend when I said "I don't know what the big fear of turning 30 is, I am looking forward to it." He said he dreads it because he will feel he is getting old. I became active at the ripe old age of 23 and have loved every minute of it. I was a lazy child, lazy college student (I worked full time) and now I am a busy but active woman. I find myself pitying the people I work with who make excuses to not be active when they are perfectly healthy. Such a sad way to be IMHO.
All of you who have 10, 20, 30 years on me- WOW! I aspire to be out there in those years too.
Ninabike
02-28-2007, 03:38 PM
Hey girls, Just keep riding and you will be far ahead of me when you reach my age. It was those years when I didn't ride that I wish I could have back.
Nina
sbctwin
02-28-2007, 03:56 PM
I am approaching 54. I regret not riding for a number of years after moving to Utah. I couldn't handle the traffic and being in a "big" city. I can't wait till I retire and I can easily ride any day of the week in between my bird watching and volunteer work. Boy, am I ready....
dakay
02-28-2007, 05:18 PM
Going on 63!! I do tend to see more men my age cycling, but I also see a few women. I started cycling seriously in the early '60's, NO helmet, toe clips with cleats, sew-up tires, wool jerseys and shorts with "real" chamois, my bike, a Frejus (Italian) with Campy Gran Sport componants; gave up cycling for a while, returned in the '70's, left again and returned a few years ago. What is interesting to me is that the things I loved as a teenager - cycling being one of them, are the exact things I love now. I don't even feel that I am any older!! Even during the years I wasn't riding, beautiful road bikes always caught my eye. Go "baby boomers"!!
Nina
Nina,
I too had a Frejus in the 70's. Actually, I still have it. My husband just rebuilt it last year before we started riding again. It really never fit me so now I have a new WSD Rodriguez.
Kathy
Brandi
02-28-2007, 06:17 PM
The 45's to 54's are catching up!
luv2ride94
02-28-2007, 06:23 PM
13 in less than 2 months!!
Check it out! TE Forum "represents"
We all rock! :D
H&B
~T~
snapdragen
02-28-2007, 07:54 PM
Eight more days and I will be fffffffifty.
****runs and breathes into paper bag*****
OK.
I'm fine with it. Really. I am. :p
jobob
02-28-2007, 07:55 PM
Hmm, we must do something on Sunday to commemorate the occasion !
crazycanuck
02-28-2007, 07:57 PM
I'm 35 :( ..
I started biking about 4yrs ago...I would love to be as fit as many of the ladies over 60 on TE..If i keep at it, I shall be!!!
C
kelownagirl
02-28-2007, 08:52 PM
Congrats Snap! I will drink to your health and your biking in 8 days. (Any excuse will do. :) ) I'm 46 11/12 and I hope to be biking when I'm 50 and 60 and , well, who knows...
ehirsch83
03-01-2007, 04:49 AM
I'm just curious. Most cyclists I know are within ten years of my own age (40 soon) and I'm kinda curious why I don't see more of the younger sect. Is it the affordability of bikes? Or would a 20-something be less inclined to spend time on an online bike forum? Like I said, just curious.
I'm going to hold this poll open for a week, so vote away! :D
I'm 23 and none of my close friends ride. I got into cycling from my mom and her boyfriend. Most of the people my age, that i know, are more concerned with going out to happy hour and staying out till 4am on the weekends drinking then they are spending time outdoors.(they think i am crazy becaused I prefer to stay home so I can get a 50 miler in the next day)
Hopefully this will change soon though! I am moving from south fl to albuquerque- whole different scene of people :)
Bad JuJu
03-01-2007, 04:50 AM
54 now, but :eek: 55 later this year! Double nickels--seems like grounds for a huge party.:D
To second what Nina said, I didn't ride for a few years in my 40s, and I'm sorry to have missed those years I could've been cycling. But, it makes me more avid now about making time for my bike. And time for me.....
missymaya
03-01-2007, 06:08 AM
I'll be 24 in July. I ride with a lot of women who are older than me (in my group the next age up is early-mid 30's) and they pedal just as hard and fast as I do. I only hope to be like them and the ladies on this forum when Im their age:D
I think that many 'kids' my age dont ride because a). it does cost $$; I had to save for months and work extra hours to get my first bike, which was 'low end' (about $600). b). people my age are too busy partying it up.
I do a little comparison to my twin sister's lifestyle and mine and it kinda proves the point: we're both in grad school, have jobs, live in large towns/cities (she's in Tallahassee and Im in Orlando), have exposure to extracurricular activities, such as riding. But, I go to bed around 9-10 pm on Friday(but cant sleep 'cause Im too excited for the ride) so I can get up on Saturdays at 6am to ride 50+ miles with my group. She, on the other hand, is too busy partying on Friday and then getting over her hangover on Sat. morning. She'd rather spend her money on the beer sale at the local grocery store, while Im again srimping my dough to get a new, higher end bike, which seems like it'll take forever:(
roadie gal
03-01-2007, 07:17 AM
48, or as my dear younger brother put it "4 dozen", last month.
Back in college I had an old Peugot bike (given to me by a boyfriend), but I didn't ride it much because I hated the traffic. I got into mountain biking about 10 years ago because of a different boyfriend. That slowly morphed into road biking, and now triathlons. No boyfriends now, but LOTS of bikes.:p
missymaya
03-01-2007, 07:53 AM
Boyfriends may come and go but bikes stay forever, hee hee:D
Ninabike
03-01-2007, 08:23 AM
Nina,
I too had a Frejus in the 70's. Actually, I still have it. My husband just rebuilt it last year before we started riding again. It really never fit me so now I have a new WSD Rodriguez.
Kathy
Kathy, a little drift here. I don't know how may people even know what a Frejus is. My brother and I each bought our Frejus bikes in 1960 from an LBS owned by a 1956 Olympian tandem cyclist - Don Furgeson. He was a great guy and let us work on our bikes in his shop with his tools. We learned a lot!!He even let me ride one of his Cinellis for a while. When I went away to college, my mother asked if she could give my bike to a girl in our neighborhood who was recovering from rhumatic heart disease (her Dr. said cycling would would be good for her). I said "sure". When my brother went to Viet Nam in 1968, he gave his bike to our neighbor - a pediatrician. Believe it or not, I think he still may have it, although I have lost touch with that
family. Incidentially, my Frejus didn't fit either - at least by today's standards. Nobody talked about "fit" in those days. You just "made do".
Those years are some of my fondest memories!!
Nina
KayTee
03-01-2007, 08:27 AM
I just added myself to the 50-54 group. Although I'll hit the big 5-5 in September, I'm still in that younger category...er, this minute! :D I so wish that I'd kept cycling after college, when I used my bike strictly for transportation. I missed out on so much by not riding. Bought an mtb about 9 years ago and didn't get back on the road until 2-3 years later. Now I'll happily admit to anybody who wants to listen that cycling is truly an obsession. And yep, I got the flat wallet to prove it!
Kitsune06
03-01-2007, 08:50 AM
I think the 20-24 set tends to be very preoccupied finding their way in the world, etc. There's little peripheral available for athletics etc. And... you have to admit, the "I hope I can get a 50 in" mindset is very rare in this given age group. It's like Maslow's hierarchy of needs. At 'our' age, unless we're predisposed or have a specific motivation, we have yet to build our bases. Boozing etc serves as stress reduction while we still find novelty in alcohol and other vices, hanging out with the friends builds that support system we all need for emotional reinforcement. We're still finding our way in the world (aren't we all?) just out of the nest and starting to realize that though Mom wanted us to get married, settle down, etc or go to school, settle down, or whatever- we need to do what we need to do. Oh- and the real world is a freaky amalgamation of being just like high school and nothing like it at all.
As we reach our later 20s and the whole of our 30s to early 40s, we have that support system, or the confidence in ourselves, or both, and boozing has lost much of its novelty, to the point where, having sated our requisite base needs, we are freer to seek out more self-fulfilling and altruistic goals. It's at that point that being able to say "I got my 50 in" is more for *us* than someone else. Also, at that age, we are (generally) out of school and making enough money to start enjoying it. I'm not talking tons, I'm talking not living quite paycheck to paycheck. Here's where it comes in that you can maybe afford to set aside for that entry level or slightly better bike...
30s thru 50s seem to be spent more in self-realization, and there you see more of our cycling demographic, though it's been said "30 is the new 20" as people are living longer, going to school, not getting married as young, etc etc...
I dare not presume too much, though. I'm "not there yet" so to speak. Just observations.
Bad JuJu
03-01-2007, 09:09 AM
I dare not presume too much, though. I'm "not there yet"
I'm 54, and also "not there yet" in many many ways, so don't feel too lonely.:) And, depending on your perspective, "not there yet" could be just another way of saying "ready to go toes-up." And I'm definitely not THERE yet.:D
KayTee
03-01-2007, 11:43 AM
I don't think any of us on this board want to be in THAT place, BadJuJu! :eek:
Kitsune06
03-01-2007, 11:57 AM
Toes and rubber-side down, TYVM :D
I meant that I'm not in my 40s or 50s so I can't really presume much there
KayTee
03-01-2007, 12:15 PM
No offense taken by this 40-50+ person, Kitsune. I though your observations pretty spot on...at least as far as I can remember my own 20-30's (many, many years ago)! :D
BleeckerSt_Girl
03-01-2007, 12:46 PM
A lot of women in their 20's and 30's have small kids at home, making it a bit more difficult in general to get out and ride. Even if riding is do-able, they may have less time to hang out on internet biking forums! ;) I remember how much freer I felt to look into pursuing things for my OWN health and wellbeing once the kids became more independent, when I was about 38-40 or so.
Kitsune06
03-01-2007, 12:47 PM
Ah. I forgot about kids. :p :o
GLC1968
03-01-2007, 12:59 PM
Lisa beat me to it, but I was going to mention the kid thing as well. Where I live, EVERYONE has kids. It is extremely family oriented around here. When we go on group rides, the men are mid-30s and up and the women are mid-40's and up.
DH and I discovered from many, many conversations with these recreational/club riders that these are the 'dads' and the 'moms' are at home with the kids. In fact, more than a few times I hear "she used to ride with me, but now she stays home with our children." The women who are out there with us, are usually past the age where their children are young. And, a couple riding together? Very, very few of us...I could count them on 1 hand and I have yet to see any other couples our age (late 30's).
That might skew the numbers a bit.
BleeckerSt_Girl
03-01-2007, 01:00 PM
Ah. I forgot about kids. :p :o
I tried to, but they kept whining for food.
(just kidding!)
Kitsune06
03-01-2007, 01:03 PM
LOL!:p :D
In fact, more than a few times I hear "she used to ride with me, but now she stays home with our children."
Don't you feel like asking them, "So why doesn't SHE ride while YOU stay home with your children??"
Trekhawk
03-01-2007, 02:58 PM
Don't you feel like asking them, "So why doesn't SHE ride while YOU stay home with your children??"
Well in my case that would be true. My husband looks after our three kids while I ride. Im off to my first Brevet this weekend and as its 3 hours away Im staying the night in a hotel close to the start. My husband will be on babysitting duty all weekend. I know Im lucky to have a husband that is so supportive.:)
As far as young kids go and being in your 20's/30's my youngest is five and I will be 43 this year.
Bad JuJu
03-01-2007, 03:30 PM
Sweet deal, TrekHawk.
GOOD LUCK in your FIRST BREVET!!!
Trekhawk
03-01-2007, 03:35 PM
Sweet deal, TrekHawk.
GOOD LUCK in your FIRST BREVET!!!
Thanks JuJu.:D
alforfun
03-01-2007, 04:57 PM
Yes, yes, as much as I enjoyed my kids (all four of 'em), they do tie you down. Everything is a major event, babysitters ("you got HOW many??"), food shopping, getting to work, getting 'em off to school in the morning. My husband was willing to babysit on the weekends, but my idea of fun was usually putting my feet up. Joining a bike club did not cross my mind. My youngest is now 16, I am "50" and finally getting to do so many of the things that I used to do years ago, like bicycling. Did I wear a helmet back then? Probably not. Also very cheap bike, but I digress....
luv'nAustin
03-01-2007, 05:33 PM
I just turned 45 on the 20th of February. I started riding two years ago and it has been a blast. Love to see the ages of everyone...it is so inspiring.
wurkit_gurl
03-04-2007, 07:26 PM
I am just now looking into the sport at age 26. But I know several young men my age who actually cycle (not just baggy-pantsed mountain bikers!), and who've been doing it for quite some time. I've dated 3 cyclists- one who did it recreationally, one was a former nationally-ranked triathlete in his late teen/early college years, who also mountain bikes, and the most recent one raced both road and mountain bikes in college and still cycles/mtbs regularly for fun and is looking to get back into racing. I think for most 20-somethings though, it's a money issue. Certainly for me; I just finished grad school in May and up until now I've really not had enough income to spend on something like this. Plus, I used to be a dancer (undergrad in theatre), so didn't have time for extra sporty hobbies. And because I used to be a dancer, everyone sees me as some weak, wussy girly-girl, who can't hack a real sport (ie, all of my cycling exes). But I recently got into rock climbing, and am trying to branch out more, because I really enjoy athletic pursuits. Dancing is actually very athletic, just in a different sense.
Laterider21958
03-04-2007, 11:31 PM
I'm 48 and still have my first 10 speed racer, bought in the late 1970's. Got the OGK helmet when Australian road rules changed and we couldn't ride without one. (My 60yo husband has an attractive white Bell helmet, however his has a bright red speed stripe around the rim. ;) ) Back then there wasn't the style choices we have available now. My old 10 speed hasn't had a lot of use, it's never been in a race, and still has it's original (now perished) tyres, which will be replaced soon. It was only ever used as a short distance commuter around our small city and I'm about to start using it for that purpose again. (Saving my new bike for the longer rides.)
Bike riding became less popular here once the helmet law was introduced. Up until then there were many older people who rode regularly to shop and visit etc. Then they seemed to disappear. "Helmet hair" was not popular among the "blue rinse set." I think everybody just became reliant on cars instead.
Now that there is a focus on health and wellbeing many more people are exercising in different forms (jogging, walking etc.), and more cyclists are beginning to appear. That's part of why I'm riding now. I love the freedom and I can go much further quicker than I can walk, and it doesn't really matter if I am by myself. When I ride I'm very much more aware of my surrounds.
Our country regional development board is in the process of promoting our region as a cycling destination for tourists and locals. So, hopefully more people will take up this activity in the future. The more the merrier.
P.S. It amazes me when riders don't acknowledge other riders. It only has to be a nod, especially when you are the only ones on the road and meet face to face, so to speak.:D
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