What's wrong with riding a bike at 81?
 

Seth Meyers, apparently a host of a late night television show, cracked, ‘President Biden yesterday publicly addressed the recent uptick in drone sightings and said, “We're following this closely, but, so far, no sense of danger.” Well, no offense, but you haven't been great at sensing danger. When it comes to sensing danger, I'm not sure I trust an 81-year-old man who still rides a bike.’
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/a...ht-drones.html
What's wrong with that?

Didn't watch the video. However Seth Meyer's is a comedian first and foremost. So he's always looking to for a way to put things together to get a chuckle or laugh. I wouldn't put too much in to it other than that.

There's healthy 81 and then there's dementia Joe......
Last year I looked at some cycling participation with accident stats videos for Holland, 75% of the fatals were over 75 yo for most years.

I would have to hear the joke in full context before I can comment. Maybe it's funny as hell or maybe it's insulting, IDK without seeing it.





:foo:

I doubt there's 1% of 81 year olds that can and do ride a 2 wheel bike. My dad and uncle did.

I rode a century with an 80 year old. He was more spry than most of the folks in the C&V forum sound.

We have some old codgers in their 80's doing century ride too. Both the real 100 mile and the metric century. Perhaps it's their Lynskey's that kept them in good health and able to continue riding into their 80's. <grin>

I wasn't in to good of shape for last fall's ride in 2023 and one of them put me to shame.

I'll be riding at 81 and beyond:ride:

102-Year-Old Man Breaks Record After Cycling 16.7 Miles In One Hour

Some old codgers still ride their bike as often/far/fast as they wish because they still enjoy riding a bicycle and still can; and aren't concerned about their mileage or speed stats.

Don't care of his politics but Dubya is an actual cyclist and apparently can hurt some people on his XC course at his ranch though he is a young and spry 78 I believe so that may help.

I posted it firstly because it was a joke about bicyclists - we usually don't get that attention. Mr Meyers seems like a nice fellow; I don't think he intended to be mean. That he used bicycle riding as a punchline shows that it's a safe target, which says something about its status. I dated a minister who was proud of a poll that showed that Presbyterians were a safe target for jokes.

I'd rather die riding than give up riding.

How do you determine if a cyclist is an "Actual Cyclist" vis-à-vis a cyclist who is not "actual"? :rolleyes:

At a coffee shop stop, met an 82 YO doing a 52 mile ride. He was witty, sharp and in great shape. He informed me he had ridden coast to coast 5 times in his younger years and now has no intention of stopping riding. He attributed his age due to steady riding. Quite a guy and inspiration.

Bush is noted for riding quite a bit (in fact an old co-worker of mine worked on Bike Force One) and having actual trails he built (or had built), John Kerry (another one I could care less for) is noted as a cyclist and has a lovely (or had) Serrota and goes riding frequently. Biden has a cheap hybrid in casual clothes and isn't known for riding. He has ridden bike but you don't hear about him riding bikes often or having a passion for bikes, at least I haven't. Also should be noted I did not capitalize the "a" or "c" in actual cyclist.

Personally, I've noticed degradation in various aspects of my cycling as I've aged. Balance (it's harder to keep going straight when I turn or tilt my head), vision, quickness of reaction, endurance, "snap"/acceleration, etc. All of this is somewhat compensated for by experience and increased caution/less risk taking.

At some point, the risks and/or cost must outweigh the benefits. I would suppose that the point at which it's no longer "worth it" to ride would vary widely from person to person. I know only one thing for sure: I'm closer to the end of my cycling "career" than the beginning.

My mom rode until a crash at 86. Didn't think she could ride fast enough after to feel comfortable in traffic so she stopped.

I carry a note on my wallet labeled "to Emergency Responders". It tells them that if I was riding, I died doing what I love and that it is not a tragedy. That said, my eyes are not what they were, my reflexes slower, strength less, more bones break crashing and I heal slower. The day will come when it is time to stop. Whether I am alive the next day is to be seen.

Biden has a cheap hybrid and rides in casual clothes! :eek: Oh the horror of cheap bikes and riding in casual clothes! No advocacy for that kind of unworthy low life cycling, eh?
No wonder an advocate for Real Serious Cycling does not consider anybody who doesn't meet his standards for displaying sufficient "passion for bikes" an actual cyclist. :lol:

So he gets on a bike once and is now a cyclist? Explain that to me, he rode a bike on a vacation he has made no indications of being interested in cycling beyond that.
I have no issue with people riding a bike in casual clothing but to consider someone who rarely rides and is not interested in cycling, a cyclist is odd. Would you consider someone who played chess once to be a chess player or if someone microwaves a hot pocket a chef, I pressed a key on a piano once am I musician? Most people wouldn't. None of this has ever said you cannot ride a bike but if you just ride once in a blue moon and aren't really interested in it why would you call someone a cyclist if they aren't?

Also you seem to have this thing about CaPiTaLiZaTiOn that makes no sense as you have some terms that I am not subscribing to in your repertoire that you think are so important that you capitalize them when nobody else would.

I don't regard Meyers as a prime source for either insight or comedy. However Meyers busting on Biden is dripping with chuckleworthy irony. Who to root for here?

There was an 80 year old at the start line of Paris Best Paris in 2023. Given the requirements to complete a 600km qualifier in 40 hours, that's no small feat. IIRC he didn't finish, and surely he's an outlier in many ways, but still.

Any 80 year old on a bicycle is an outlier.

And a very inspirational outlier indeed. May we all be cycling at 80 - I know I intend to be.

Note:Some language may not be suitable for work.

Is this the passion that a cyclist should display and advocate to be considered a member of the "actual cyclist" club. How much riding is an 81 YO man required to document to satisfy your requirements to be considered an actual cyclist while riding his bike? Can he get by and maintain credibility as an actual cyclist with less miles/lower avg speed if he spends more money at an LBS on high end bicycle equipment and cycling specific attire?

Any person pedaling a bike is a cyclist. However, the specific person or group of person's being talked about is what gives the term cyclist, additional meaning. Sometimes good and sometimes bad.

I can think of worse ways to go.