Fifty Plus (50+) - observation of male 50+ cyclists

I have noticed, here in pictures on the forum and on the road in the area in which I live, that there is a predominence of cyclists that sport a white beard. So often, in fact, that I have begun pointing it out to others. I know that not all of you do, but it seems a majority do; something I don't see in the general population. Is there some sort of secret brotherhood or does it make you more aerodynamic? What's the deal with the white beard? (not that there's anything wrong with that). I'm just curious.

I have noticed, here in pictures on the forum and on the road in the area in which I live, that there is a predominence of cyclists that sport a white beard. So often, in fact, that I have begun pointing it out to others. I know that not all of you do, but it seems a majority do; something I don't see in the general population. Is there some sort of secret brotherhood or does it make you more aerodynamic? What's the deal with the white beard? (not that there's anything wrong with that). I'm just curious.

Do you have any idea how many times a 50+ male member of this forum has had to shave his face? It's time for a break.




Now the white part..............well, that just happened.

Good point, though I could say the same about a 50+woman taking a break from shaving her legs. Try and get that image out of your head. Bleech

Interesting point.

Right after I broke my elbows I couldn't shave myself so I decided to take the opportunity to let my beard grow out and see how I'd look.

Early on I noticed that I have a couple of bald spots in my mustache so that had to go. Without the mustache I looked like an Amish elder so it was either shave off some more beard or buy some suspenders and a straw hat.

I'm down to a bushy white goatee. So far all of ladies in my life have said they like it. The men haven't said anything but then, who cares.

Like I said, it is rather white.

I used to know a woman with sideburns longer than mine...I decided to stay clean shaven.

What's the deal with the white beard?

Because most of them can't grow a brown one anymore :p!

BTW, I never could grow a beard and have plans to start now.

I absolutely hate to shave. But one thing I like less is how I look when I don't. Sometimes I will skip a day or two on a weekend or vacation but I just don't like all of that white on me. My hair is still plentiful and most of it is still brown so the white just doesn't match on me. My wife, who I think has excellent taste in men:D, says I look better clean shaven so who am I to argue with that.

A goatee does a pretty decent job of hiding a double chin.

It's white because I choose not to dye it.

I think that's it.

[QUOTE=Retro Grouch;9663293]Interesting point.

Right after I broke my elbows I couldn't shave myself so I decided to take the opportunity to let my beard grow out and see how I'd look.

Early on I noticed that I have a couple of bald spots in my mustache so that had to go. Without the mustache I looked like an Amish elder so it was either shave off some more beard or buy some suspenders and a straw hat.

I'm down to a bushy white goatee. So far all of ladies in my life have said they like it. The men haven't said anything but then, who cares.

FUNNY!

Reason I have a white beard is age. Reason I have a beard is that I broke my razor in 67.

Real reason is that I was in the forces and had to shave 3 times a day or get put on jankers for not shaving. First thing I did after leaving the Marines was stop shaving.

A few years back, there was some sort of a 50+ poll on the subject.

As I recall, you are correct. A lot of 50+'rs have beards according to the poll - but not I.

Here is the previous poll:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=331938&highlight=beard

Never had a beard but I have been known to sport a 4 or 5 day scruff on a regular basis.

I've had a beard since I was 22 years old. It's only become a white beard recently.

...Is there some sort of secret brotherhood or does it make you more aerodynamic? What's the deal with the white beard? ...

Considering road cycling in general and road racing in particular are traditionally clean-shaven, I would have to say the 50+s are just getting sick and tired of shaving, as some have mentioned. I'm pretty mangey looking if I don't shave beyond several days so I think I'll keep shaving until I don't care if I look mangey or not. :)

As an aside, maybe we're a forum full of Christmas Santas-in-training?

The beard, I take full credit for it and I have since April of '83.

I credit 38 years of shift work and the five kids for the white.

Simple: White beards or goatees go great with white bikes! :love:

About 3 years ago, I got serious about my Spring training. Two months on the trainer, Riding Base for an additional month. Long Slow Distance Rides to build my engine (LSD). Spin Classes, Group Rides, Lots of high end work. All ended up beating my immune system up enough that I got a cough. I ignored it, it turned into bronchitis. I went to the doctor for drugs, kept training hard, trying to lose weight. Next thing I knew............................. I went to the doctor, pneumonia. He gave me two choices, two weeks in the hospital or two weeks at home in bed. I chose the latter. Grew the first beard of my life, my wife loves it. So do most other women I ask.

P.S. I am not too proud to dye my beard blonde, and will continue to do so until I'm 99.

A goatee does a pretty decent job of hiding a double chin.

I agree with Link. Also, lots of guys who are losing their hair shave their heads and grow goatees.

When I started to get some sagging in my chin a few years ago, I elected to try plastic surgery. I bought a plastic bike and had it surgically attached to my rear end. Seems to have worked, so far.

I am retired. Ride much, Just to lazy to shave.
But, who cares, I still get hugs.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/The%20Real%2042%20South%20Ride/HugBug.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/The%20Real%2042%20South%20Ride/franMeBayla.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/The%20Real%2042%20South%20Ride/6209_161259594656_830494656_3345373.jpg


http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/The%20Real%2042%20South%20Ride/9020_561833359635_35400469_33554214.jpg

No beard, although it would be mostly white if I chose to grow one.

Not having one at 50+ is doubly odd considering that I ride a recumbent.

Excellent responses, Gentlemen. I am a student and I am making a mental note of this thread. What with the bar graphs, then and now photos, testimonials, and precise hair length reports, I know I have collected enough data here to write a decent research report on cycling and men's beards. When I can figure out the class I need it for, I'm going to jump right on it. :)

The money saved on shaving equipment paid for the bike.

So, Miss Kenton, how much time do you spend observing 50+ male cyclists?

You don't see any white facial hair on the face in my avatar, do you???

I don't have a white beard.

Mine is a rather distinguished salt and pepper affair.:D


Is there some sort of secret brotherhood...

That's classified information... need-to-know basis only!

So, Miss Kenton, how much time do you spend observing 50+ male cyclists?

Sir, a good cyclist is aware of everything that is going on around her on the road and I strive to be the best cyclist I can be. ;)

I happen to like the salt & pepper goatee look. Just sayin'.

No beard and no hair on my legs. Beards on old guys must be a Fred thing plus some kind of compensation:roflmao2:.:D:roflmao2:

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Esparto%20TT/6589lowrescropped.jpg

I don't have a white beard.

Mine is a rather distinguished salt and pepper affair.:D



That's classified information... need-to-know basis only!

Oh so, first rule of "White Beard Biker Brotherhood": There is no White Beard Biker Brotherhood.

You don't see any white facial hair on the face in my avatar, do you???

Yabut, judging by the relic on your head, that avatar picture is something out of the last millenium.:D

Hi,

I guess I'll play. My other obsession is photography and because of that I am generally behind instead of in front of the camera. This is one of the few photos of me this year. A high school buddy of mine (on the right in photo) was visiting and I took him to the Home Depot Center Velodrome so that he could see a world class indoor track. This was taken with my Blackberry:

http://www.pbase.com/cleavel/image/115363876/medium.jpg

BTW, we are both 52 this year. I do have facial hair but I would look like a crazed serial killer if I let it grow. I think that some of my facial hair would be gray. Also my sideburns are turning gray but I don't let them grow out either. However, there are only a couple of gray hairs on my head (for now). :D

Don't let them kid you. They have beards to collect pie crumbs. Which they continue to eat while finishing the ride.

BTW, we are both 52 this year. I do have facial hair but I would look like a crazed serial killer if I let it grow. I think that some of my facial hair would be gray. Also my sideburns are turning gray but I don't let them grow out either. However, there are only a couple of gray hairs on my head (for now). :D

One of my riding buddies is 64 and has coal black hair. He lets his beard grow out once in a while, and same deal - not a gray hair to be found. I hate both of you now. :)

Sir, a good cyclist is aware of everything that is going on around her on the road and I strive to be the best cyclist I can be. ;)

OOOOooohhh, she is good!!!

I happen to like the salt & pepper goatee look. Just sayin'.

She's pretty good, too:thumb:!

Oh so, first rule of "White Beard Biker Brotherhood": There is no White Beard Biker Brotherhood.

We can't even tell you if you're not right.

No beard and no hair on my legs. Beards on old guys must be a Fred thing plus some kind of compensation:roflmao2:.:D:roflmao2:

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Esparto%20TT/6589lowrescropped.jpg

Like I said to miss kenton:

"I'm down to a bushy white goatee. So far all the ladies in my life have said they like it. The men haven't said anything but then, who cares.

...or does it make you more aerodynamic?...

Absolutely. I use a full beard in combination with a long ponytail.

At the tremendous speeds I achieve, a vacuum bubble can form on my back, increasing my profile drag coefficient. The beard initially trips the laminar flow around my face, then further turbulation of the air occurs from the ponytail, which moves freely around my back, preventing the bubble from forming.

This only works at sub-sonic speeds. At higher speeds, an aluminum balaclava is in order.

The lack of pigment is a weight-saving feature.

Absolutely. I use a full beard in combination with a long ponytail.

At the tremendous speeds I achieve, a vacuum bubble can form on my back, increasing my profile drag coefficient. The beard initially trips the laminar flow around my face, then further turbulation of the air occurs from the ponytail, which moves freely around my back, preventing the bubble from forming.

This only works at sub-sonic speeds. At higher speeds, an aluminum balaclava is in order.

The lack of pigment is a weight-saving feature.

:lol::lol::lol::lol: I KNEW it had something to do velocity!

So, Miss Kenton, how much time do you spend observing 50+ male cyclists?




:lol:

I've had a beard my entire adult life. Switched to a goatee about 10 years ago, I think. I thought a little less white would make me look a little less old. It didn't work.

But I have commented on this same phenom. One sees many white beards on century rides.

I've had a goatee for a while now, but try as I might, it just won't go white, though I managed to coax a couple of tufts of it to do so. But I won't give up, and with time and determination, I may get it to become completely white. ;)

No beard, although it would be mostly white if I chose to grow one.

Not having one at 50+ is doubly odd considering that I ride a recumbent.

Poseur!:D

I've had facial hair since 6 months before I left Trickie Dickie's Royal Air Farce in '72. It seems that if you dry shave about 3 times in an hour you can develop something like pseudofollicolitis, which can only be treated by not shaving:D which led to a waiver from the base doc.

For the past 15 years I shaved my head, but kept the goatee and mustache. As part of my retirement plan I stopped shaving my head (to save time and $$ for bike parts) and just this last week stopped shaving the sidewalls as well. My wife cuts my hair about every 10 days - trimmer on "0" - and it doesn't take any care at all! I look the same before and after wearing a helmet! (That's not necessarily a good thing. One of these days I'll post a picture and you'll understand.)

Yabut, judging by the relic on your head, that avatar picture is something out of the last millenium.:D

I would like to think that I look exactly as I looked 29 years ago.

I am posting this picture to prove that 10 Wheels is not the only gray beard who can get hugs from pretty . . . uh, women.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k87/tomfrady/123aGingerTomcrop.jpg

I found that I get more hugs when I wear the safety vest.
They think they are Safe. Haha

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/The%20Real%2042%20South%20Ride/9020_561833359635_35400469_33554214.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/The%20Real%2042%20South%20Ride/9020_561833354645_35400469_33554213.jpg

Without the mustache I looked like an Amish elder so it was either shave off some more beard or buy some suspenders and a straw hat.


There is another type of person who shaves the mustache when they grow a full beard: SCUBA divers.
Having a mustache causes leakage around the lower edge of the mask, requiring frequent clearing of the mask.

Incidentally, Amish men generally shave until they get married, then grow the beard.
I have no idea why they continue to shave the mustache.

I found that I get more hugs when I wear the safety vest.
They think they are Safe. Haha

Where the h*ll are you finding all these cute babes to squeeze!!!:eek:
Do you need any help?:D