Fly2High

Curious what age cyclists are who frequent this group. The club was thinking about ways to gain membership and I think getting an idea what age groups tend to be largest could shed some light on how we focus.

thanks for sharing.

Machka 

Middle age ... almost ...

Homebrew01

My age varies from year to year.

bt

109

seymour1910

I'm 33, and I think I am one of the youngest in the club I joined. I think there may be a handful of 20 somethings, but they never attend any club events.

VNA

I can't stop cycling because I was vaccinated by a spoke way back when! (can't remember when)

CliffordK

I gave my 8 yr old nephew a road bike.
But, he doesn't have internet access yet

B1KE

I'm in my late 20s but I find that majority of roadies are all 40+. Why is that, who knows.

Reynolds 

I'm 64, not exclusively road cyclist. Also a commuter and MTB (on dirt roads) rider.

Fly2High

Anyone have any idea why the current trend seems to have most road riders reporting in the 40-59 range?

I would think that this range would not be as popular b/c they are involved in their kid's activities and then it is the college years when no one has discretionary money.

After than, I can see people having their homes paid off and college done and their kids have left home for good so free cash is more abundant.

Thoughts???

RPK79

I put 90+ because I'm old at heart if not in years.

rekon

I second this... I'm 28 and I am one of the youngest in the club I joined as well.

Drew Eckhardt 

Kids' activities don't start at sunrise and road cycling itself is almost free.

I spend $80 a pair on tires which last about 10,000 miles (half up front, then half in the back), $40 on cassettes which last at least 20,000 miles; $27 on chains which last 5000 miles, $10 on 10,000 mile bar tape, $4 on shift cables that wear out in 2500 miles, and $15 on shift housing good for 4000.

Adding it up I get $0.022 / mile, or under $5.50 for a 250 mile week.

Nearly all my riding starts at my home, so I'm not spending $0.50 a mile like I would getting to other activities.

Occasionally something more expensive wears out, although $125 for a saddle, $200 for shifters, or $350 for a crankset amortized over a decade is not interesting.

Kids these days are often still expensive after college when you help them approach a middle class lifestyle (no roommates, car, vacation every now and then) which otherwise wouldn't be possible with the jobs available and housing costs.

GlennR

Gonna be 60 in a few months.

RDB

I'll be 69 in September.

indyfabz

You are not sampling a random population.

Not everyone has kids.

If you kid is in college when you are age 59 you started late and/or he/she ain't goin' full time.

I am 50. My home will be paid off this year.

Some people can put their kids through college and still have discretionary income.

All the BD fans on this forum prove that you don't need a lot of money to be a road cyclist.

inspclouseau

I like the spike in 20 somethings. Hopefully its a sign of rising popularity. The popularity with the 40+ crowd, I am guessing, is because the gym is boring and running kills your body?

wphamilton

From late 40's getting some form of exercise seemed to have increased urgency, and cycling is an easy, enjoyable way to go about it. So I don't find it surprising to see 40-60 heavily represented here.

CliffordK

Hmmm....
It could be sampling. But, perhaps there is an issue with the depression in the 30 something group that would have hit the rise of the MTB era of the 80's and 90's.

The 20-something crowd may be more networked than any other group

This cycling forum may also tend to pick up users that experience a major change in their cycling... new bike? And the 30-somethings may not be buying new bikes while the 20 and 40 yr olds may be buying new or upgrading.

RPK79

The 30 somethings might also be sarcastically answering 90+.

link0

32 here. Cycling is not my primary sport though.

Jeremy_S

37, switched to road this year from mtb because my body has taken enough abuse at that and motocross. And I like going straight out my door and riding.

TheManShow

In my mind I am a 18 y/o mean, lean, ready to fight Marine, but my drivers license say 68 years young.

D1andonlyDman

Lots of us - especially those of us in our 50s - are empty nesters, and trying to get back in some semblance of the physical shape that we lost from our youth. Plus, this is the age when, if the kids are now adults, we have discretionary wealth and time to spend on ourselves - maybe for the first time in 20 years. I think that also explains the smaller bar for folks in their 30s here. That's the part of life when kids and career building tend to dominate.

Machka 

No kids
No mortgage
Two adults with full-time jobs
And a desire to ... travel, keep in shape, take on challenges


(I've also been cycling "seriously" (avidly, regularly, enthusiastically) since I was in the 20-29 group ... only now I can afford better bicycles. )