Hospitals see surge of middle-aged male riders

[Ross]

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MIDDLE-AGED male cyclists in Canberra are turning up to hospital almost as much as teenage boys and blokes in their early 20s.

Nearly 80 per cent of the 1040 cyclists taken to Canberra Hospital in the past three years were men, and ACT Health figures suggest large groups of them were MAMILs - or Middle-Aged Men in Lycra.

The increasing number of injured middle-aged male bike riders is one of the main reasons there has been an 18 per cent increase in the number of cyclists admitted to Canberra Hospital in the past three years.

There were 151 men aged 35 to 44 taken to the hospital with cycling injuries, and another 138 aged 45 to 54. The number in each category is not much less than the 166 lads aged between 15 and 24 admitted to the hospital with cycling injuries.

Advertisement Dr Michael Hall, clinical director of the hospital's emergency department, said cyclists could be injured in a variety of ways.

''This includes cuts, abrasions, fractures, sprains, broken bones and head injuries,'' he said.

Men are riding bikes and injuring themselves at a much older age than previously.

Even men older than 85 are turning up to the emergency room with cycling injuries.

Several of their slightly younger colleagues, aged between 75 and 84, also turn up to hospital.

No women older than 74 have turned up with cycling injuries in the past three years.

Of the 1040 cyclists taken to Canberra Hospital, 276 were discharged without a procedure being recorded, while 138 had fractured bones.

More than 100 fractured forearm bones were fixed, and 48 broken collarbones needed repair.

Broken bones in the hands and on the upper arms followed.

When it came to women riders, those aged 25 to 44 made up 45 per cent of all injuries.

Earlier this year, Fairfax Media mapped the crashes involving cyclists across the territory, showing there were 220 recorded crashes a year on average.

[sogood]

Not surprised and foresaw the surge. Orthopods are having a field day with all the collar bone surgeries.

[beanspropulsion]

No surprise.

Meanwhile.....

Middle age men are dying less of heart disease, obesity and diabetes related conditions.

At least I hope so!

[sogood]

Meanwhile.....
Middle age men are dying less of heart disease, obesity and diabetes related conditions.
At least I hope so!

You are too optimistic given the data.
1) Heart disease/obesity/diabetes are chronic diseases that takes years to effect. Effect of 3-5 years of cycling boom won't show its effect for a good while yet.
2) There's no data to indicate that the cohort of MAMILs weren't exercising before they took up cycling, possibly just moving to a sport of higher risks.

[mrgolf]

They should have done a breakdown of MTB vs roadies. That stat would have been interesting...

[rkelsen]

And in other news, many middle aged men overestimate their ability to control a bicycle at speed.

[sogood]

They should have done a breakdown of MTB vs roadies. That stat would have been interesting...

Just a personal observation. The recent MAMIL uptake in cycling seemed to be proportionally concentrated in the road pelotons. Much more limited on the MTB side. Is this what MTBers are seeing too?

[mrgolf]

On the contrary, it seems a lot are opting for the 'safety' of riding off roads in my experience... But I agree, most would probably end up riding road.

[casual_cyclist]

They need to toughen up and ride it off. When I broke my knee in a crash in '09 I didn't take up a hospital bed or emergency room resources. Two weeks rest, some anti-inflammatories and a few pain killers and I was back on the bike. *









* sure my first few rides back were the most painful of my entire life but I made a full recovery so...