rsbob 

Am relatively new here but after reading multiple threads I have encountered a lot of wisdom, some good natured fun and a caring attitude toward furthering each other’s enjoyment of the sport. Or as I like to call it, riding your@$$ around.

Thought a quick roll call of ages would be interesting since I see posters in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s.


I’m a D

Milton Keynes

Darn, lots of old farts here.

cubewheels

Cycling if taken very seriously takes up a lot of time and only older retired cyclists can afford to get serious with the hobby.

CAT7RDR

True. Then, there are the naysayers in the family that do not exercise, get fat, take meds, die early and pontificate on all the bad aspects about cyclists. This just makes me want to get away from them and stay out on rides longer. Only my dog gets it and he is walked daily.

indyfabz

I spent nearly 4 months on the road, riding self contained across the US and then some. I was 34. Between that year and the next I logged close to 10,000 loaded miles. I’d call that serious. I still tour. During normal times I would easily log over a thousand miles of loaded touring/year, with much of that coming in the mountains out west. And I know plenty of people who are not older and retired who ride seriously.

Your assertion is more nonsense. Some do. Some spew.

tomato coupe

Not too surprising, The steel vs. carbon, disc vs. rim, and Campy vs. Shimano/SRAM threads wouldn't gain much traction if the demographics weren't skewed towards senior citizens.

cubewheels

You must be single at that time and nobody under your care.

Most people I know at that age are usually married and/or taking care of their kids or a relative, and working a job they can't leave for months.

BlazingPedals

There are lots of, er, seasoned cyclists on these forums.

friday1970

Fitty. Just turned it two weeks ago.

I dunno 'bout that. I bike 100+ miles a week. Two or three 15-30 mile rides during the week, and usually a 50+ mile ride most weekends. 5000+ miles for the year already, with a full time job, and no time off during peak hype of Covid-19. I'd like to think I take it quite seriously.

Rage

Bikeforums is where guys in their mid-forties go to feel young.
Not being snotty or anything!
It’s just that I feel like a young whipper-snapper here lol.

badger1

I consider myself a 'serious' (whatever that is) cyclist, if by that you mean someone who rides a reasonable amount each year, albeit recreationally, not because I have to but simply because I love doing so.

I am older, but I am most definitely not retired (thanks, 2008/9 and CV19). If by 'serious' you mean cyclists who recognizably 'train', and in many cases compete in road, 'cross, track, or mtb -- I would say that most of the many that I know or know of in my area are neither 'older' or 'retired'. Your generalization does not hold.

genejockey

Retired, hell. This is America. We work till we die.

cubewheels

We have the same miles per week in addition to my 14 hrs per week of indoor training.

HOwever, it's just a scratch compared to what others (many who are retired) are able to do with their free time and resources.

cubewheels

Our poll says otherwise.

Many in the 50 to 70 yo group are probably retired and their kids are now adults and moved out already. Giving the age group plenty of free time and resources so naturally, our poll shows most members in that age group.

Considering only 34% of the population are over the age of 50 in the USA for example. This means that the age group is very highly represented in cycling.

Sure they are plenty of young commuter cyclists everywhere. I do not consider that serious enough, as most are not even serious enough to sign up or actively participate in our forums!

branko_76 

I'm 90 going on 15

indyfabz

This is part of what you wrote:

“only older retired cyclists can afford to get serious with the hobby.”

See the word “only” in that? I do.

My group of 13 included another guy in his 30s, a woman in her mid-50s and four people in their 20s. None were retired.

I have also met countless people out on the road who were not older and/or retired. Many of them were crossing the country.

Your beliefs, assuming they are genuine, must be rooted in a lack of real world experience.

branko_76 

Why, you gonna sell us something?

rsbob 

The way the numbers are looking, it certainly won’t be convalescent care!

What I read most recently is that fit people, as a general rule (<- note qualifier), tend to not end up in With much, if any, CC since we tend to go strong and then die quickly. Rather be put out like a match than slowly drown, so keep it up people.

my apologies to the 80+. Not my intention to exclude you. Maybe you can just respond outside the poll.

Phil_gretz

60 is the new 45...

jack pot 

I always lie about my age

badger1

"Our poll" suggests nothing at all relevant to your original claim. It suggests only that approx. 79% of respondents to date -- a very limited number of members of teh Biek Forms -- are between the ages of 41 and 70.

That may or may not tell us something about the demographic of Biek Forms membership*, but I fail to see how that supports your claim that "only older retired cyclists can afford to get serious with the hobby".

*At present the sample is far too small even for that, and is likely to remain so.

Milton Keynes

Metamucil.

genejockey

Unnecessary in any crowd that drinks as much coffee as cyclists.

Flowmax, OTOH.......

Pratt

It just takes that long adequately to break in a Brooks saddle

I-Like-To-Bike

No, the poll probably doesn't "say" anything about cycling or cyclists in the USA, serious or otherwise, it means that the age group is well represented among the people who responded to a poll on BF that is less than 24 hours old. The sample is unlikely to get much more representative of cycling in the USA no matter how long it remains open for volunteer respondents from BF.

Unless of course the definition of a serious cyclist is a person who signs up and posts on BF and responds to requests from strangers for personal information.