Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
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Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby uart » Thu Jul 26, 2018 2:18 pm
Not sure if this a recent surge in popularity, but I do seem to notice quite a lot of cyclists well over 50 yo these days. Particularly where there is good safe cycling infrastructure like shared paths, I see a surprising number of cyclists well into their 60s and 70s.
As someone approaching that age range myself, I think it's great. I'm certain that it must give good health outcomes and save a lot of money for the health system.
Has anyone else noticed what a large proportion of cyclist that this age group makes up these days.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby fat and old » Thu Jul 26, 2018 2:27 pm
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby human909 » Thu Jul 26, 2018 2:43 pm
My mother took up regular cycling once she retired as a concious decision to stay active. It certainly helped having a great network of shared paths on her doorstep. Once I finally convinced her to treat and replace her bike from the 80s she also realised that gears are great! She can tackle moderately steep hills and also rides to the local shops every now and again.
Keep building the infrastructure and you'll see plenty more cyclists of all ages about.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Arbuckle23 » Thu Jul 26, 2018 2:55 pm
Did my first Around the Bay (210km) when I was 60.
Stating racing this year and loving it. 61 now.
And don't call me elderly
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Ivanerrol » Thu Jul 26, 2018 3:12 pm
I was surprised to find out that 3 out of 5 friends were back on the bikes. A fourth will be joining soon by order of his doctor - not allowed to run but recommended to cycling.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby fat and old » Thu Jul 26, 2018 3:20 pm
As I pointed out, there are heaps of them down here in retirement haven. All on the road, no issues. Actually heaps of even older cyclists along the beachfront path/track too. By that I mean 70's + You need to realise that cycling down here is as or more common than inner Melbourne, and that the locals are used to it. Also, the older slower folk get a degree of respect that their younger, faster brethren don't.human909 wrote: The road is hardly a friendly place for the young and fit let alone those older and less agile.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby bychosis » Thu Jul 26, 2018 3:39 pm
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Newcastle Dave » Thu Jul 26, 2018 4:08 pm
Surely you know serious roadies drink espressos or macchiatos only ?bychosis wrote:...... or racking up the kms at pace on the roads before going for a latte.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby RobertL » Thu Jul 26, 2018 4:30 pm
So going back to using a bike for "normal" riding, as well as a bit of exercise, is not something new to them.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Jmuzz » Thu Jul 26, 2018 4:33 pm
E-bikes becoming more affordable help a lot too because even bad knees/heart/lungs can keep up with the group's.
The folding e-bikes open up access to more paths because they are easy to take on the train plus easy step thru frames.
The e-bike "revolution" will probably keep a lot of aging people out of mobility scooters and reduce reliance on driving.
Even the established cycling countries haven't seen the e-bike impact yet.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby fat and old » Thu Jul 26, 2018 7:26 pm
My uncle was one of them. Raced track before marriage, commuted by bike for many years to the same workplace from the same house (45 years or something at the same place). Stopped then started again post retirement at almost 70. Kept at it until falling off became a common thing ( late 80’s). Died a few years later. Good riddance to the prick.RobertL wrote:Remember, too, that people of that age probably used bicycles as transportation when they were younger. They certainly grew up in households where their parents would have used bicycles as transportation.
So going back to using a bike for "normal" riding, as well as a bit of exercise, is not something new to them.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby bychosis » Thu Jul 26, 2018 8:21 pm
Being neither serious roadie nor coffee drinker I had no idea!Newcastle Dave wrote:Surely you know serious roadies drink espressos or macchiatos only ?bychosis wrote:...... or racking up the kms at pace on the roads before going for a latte.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby opik_bidin » Thu Jul 26, 2018 8:44 pm
then came MHL, which dropped cycling participation and cut a generation from cycling,
But now, as they're retired, needed to do something, and in Sydney hear and see the cycling promotion and how bike friendly the situation are, more and more of his friends are cycling back, and he also plans to do some rides around the area
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby uart » Thu Jul 26, 2018 9:02 pm
Also it's something that you can do at your own pace, and get the fresh air and to see the sights which is so much better than indoor stuff at a gym.
So I can see why it's a popular pass time for many older riders.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby mikesbytes » Thu Jul 26, 2018 9:26 pm
AgreeNewcastle Dave wrote:Surely you know serious roadies drink espressos or macchiatos only ?bychosis wrote:...... or racking up the kms at pace on the roads before going for a latte.
Accessibility to a save pleasant environment is the key [yeh I know I'm preaching to the converted]
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby RobertL » Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:33 am
That escalated quicklyfat and old wrote:My uncle was one of them. Raced track before marriage, commuted by bike for many years to the same workplace from the same house (45 years or something at the same place). Stopped then started again post retirement at almost 70. Kept at it until falling off became a common thing ( late 80’s). Died a few years later. Good riddance to the prick.RobertL wrote:Remember, too, that people of that age probably used bicycles as transportation when they were younger. They certainly grew up in households where their parents would have used bicycles as transportation.
So going back to using a bike for "normal" riding, as well as a bit of exercise, is not something new to them.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Scintilla » Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:17 am
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby gorilla monsoon » Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:59 am
a few years after we stopped, the strawberry kisses pointed-out that we were becoming "generously proportioned" and should either go back to walking or buy bicycles.
I was a cycle hater but preferred the idea to walking. Bought K-Mart MTB's, loved the riding, destroyed the POS MTB and bought a real bike.
Really enjoy the exercise factor but also the speed. I am a car nut but can't go fast in a car anymore but can go flat knacker on a bike.
And yeah, don't call me elderly. Sixty-three is the new 35.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Thoglette » Fri Jul 27, 2018 12:30 pm
A while back on a family picnic, I watched an old gentleman carefully getting off his rather nice, if vintage, bike before slowly making his way to the tap, where I was, to fill his bidon. On noticing his audax top I struck up a conversation. He recollected that he had loved the long rides, but commented that he wasn't really up to them any more, now that he was "past eighty". Today, he told me, he was "just doing a gentle hundred" instead.gorilla monsoon wrote:And yeah, don't call me elderly. Sixty-three is the new 35.
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Arbuckle23 » Fri Jul 27, 2018 12:31 pm
Yup. My brain stills thinks I'm 25. The body does remind it when things get too hard thoughgorilla monsoon wrote: Sixty-three is the new 35.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Scintilla » Fri Jul 27, 2018 12:58 pm
I had a call from a friend of mine from the 1980s who I have not seen since about 1990. He is now 80, and was an Audax rider in the 80s. He told me that he is on-track to complete his 30,000 kms of riding for this year, which will make it the 30th year of this annual distanceThoglette wrote:A while back on a family picnic, I watched an old gentleman carefully getting off his rather nice, if vintage, bike before slowly making his way to the tap, where I was, to fill his bidon. On noticing his audax top I struck up a conversation. He recollected that he had loved the long rides, but commented that he wasn't really up to them any more, now that he was "past eighty". Today, he told me, he was "just doing a gentle hundred" instead.gorilla monsoon wrote:And yeah, don't call me elderly. Sixty-three is the new 35.
Yes that IS 30,000 kilometres!
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Daus » Fri Jul 27, 2018 5:28 pm
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Jmuzz » Fri Jul 27, 2018 5:36 pm
I grew up with the beginning of MHL and my group of friends used the bikes every day. I saw the full bike racks dwindle to empty and now not even there at old schools.opik_bidin wrote:As I chatted to a friend who was in his 60's, he talked about how australian kids used to cycle everywhere, at least to and from school. He told the story on how they go to adventures, got lost with no map and then try tracing back their home as a game (GPS and smartphone wasn't in their hands at that time), and all the fun times
then came MHL, which dropped cycling participation and cut a generation from cycling,
In my experience I couldn't say MHL had any impact at all on the declining popularity.
I think it was more about the "bubble wrap" generation setting in, which helmets are a symptom of but not the cause. More kids weren't allowed to hang with us free on the streets and bush, had to be at a house or shops or somewhere with a parent.
I remember we also got banned from taking our bikes on the train to school. I don't remember if it was because they claimed our train passes didn't cover the bike and we had to buy a ticket, or if it had something to do with misbehavior such as launching bikes down the station stairs (bmx were tanks in those days).
Also the school went anti bike due to community complaints while in uniform. I think they may have banned riding in the school shirt/jacket at one point and would patrol outside the school to get us in trouble.
Nintendo and the other consoles and computers also became mainstream in that era and that had a huge impact on outside activity.
That's the start of the couch potato problems in society.
The town I went to primary school in really hasn't become any busier and being a smallish detached town traffic is still about the same and people still know who most people are with that small town feel.
But the bikes to school still died, it's no less safe, but bubble wrap society now needs to drop their kids within 20m of the gates and escort them safely inside while raging at all the other parents (my classmates who used to ride to same school) in their way.
We were never bothered by the helmets, didn't have dork helmets there were plenty of cooler helmets, the right styles and stickers or paint were a coolness benefit.
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby Thoglette » Fri Jul 27, 2018 6:31 pm
Bubble wrap was part of it (originally "stranger danger") but most of this was blatant anti-bike attitude.Jmuzz wrote: I remember we also got banned from taking our bikes on the train to school....
Also the school went anti bike due to community complaints while in uniform...
Of which MHL was a part. If not by the original (misguided) proponents then certainly by those eagerly enabling its roll out.
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ
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Re: Popularity of cycling with the elderly (and moderately elderly).
Postby uart » Fri Jul 27, 2018 9:28 pm
Yes MHL was only a part of the problem, and it didn't instantaneously change things either. But over time I believe it did contribute to the increase in perceived danger and reduction in popularity of the bike for general transport.Thoglette wrote: Bubble wrap was part of it (originally "stranger danger") but most of this was blatant anti-bike attitude.
Of which MHL was a part. If not by the original (misguided) proponents then certainly by those eagerly enabling its roll out.
It's interesting to look at some of the old NFSA archives to see how different things were in the past.
I know this one has been posted here recently.
I also happened on this even older one while searching for the above.
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