How Many of You People Are Baby-Boomers?
03-29-19, 11:26 PM
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How Many of You People Are Baby-Boomers?
It's like every guy I see out on my local route is like 5o+ with a USPS shirt on. What Gives? Why are you all so old?
Also, when did you people start cycling? Will my friends ever start, or will they always think this sport is ridiculous?
Also, when did you people start cycling? Will my friends ever start, or will they always think this sport is ridiculous?
03-29-19, 11:47 PM
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GenX. I started cycling in 1973. I don’t know about your friends, but thankfully at my age, I don’t care.
03-29-19, 11:58 PM
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Proud Boomer
At 64, (can't remember when I started on 2 wheels). The question should be: how many non-boomers are out there cycling? My son, at 24 has no desire to get on a bike, too much work, too slow. None of his same aged friends bike either..
Last edited by Ptcycles; 03-30-19 at 12:44 AM. Reason: doesn't make sense
03-30-19, 12:29 AM
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Ahhh... we all get older.
I just missed the Baby Boomers (1946 and 1964)
My parents were born slightly on the early end, pre WWII.
My brother would have been born just at the tail end of the Baby Boomer gen, although I don't think that could be attributed to WWII, more likely attributable to Vietnam. And, I came just after the end.
Still... as mentioned, life happens and one gets older.
Been riding off and on since a kid. First road bike would have been about age 9 or 10.
I just missed the Baby Boomers (1946 and 1964)
My parents were born slightly on the early end, pre WWII.
My brother would have been born just at the tail end of the Baby Boomer gen, although I don't think that could be attributed to WWII, more likely attributable to Vietnam. And, I came just after the end.
Still... as mentioned, life happens and one gets older.
Been riding off and on since a kid. First road bike would have been about age 9 or 10.
03-30-19, 12:55 AM
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What are the age groups for the "generations"?
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03-30-19, 01:20 AM
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I'm a member of the Silent Generation. (Pre-Boomer) Started cycling in the early '50s.
03-30-19, 04:40 AM
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How Many of You People Are Baby-Boomers? Likely because we were in our vigorous 20’s in the 1970’s, and thankfully kept up this beneficial lifestyle. See this thread, "Anyone around during the Bike Boom of the 1970s? Tell me about your story!"
… Back in the 60’s in the Motor City, I had an “English Racer,’ and longed to tour at about age 14, but then joined the car culture. In Ann Arbor MI in the 70’s I really realized the utility of bicycles for commuting, and began touring on a five-speed Schwinn Suburban, but soon bought a Mercier as did my girlfriend, later my wife.
We toured in Michigan and Ontario. In 1977 we moved to Boston on our bikes, as a bicycling honeymoon from Los Angeles to Washington, DC and then took the train up to Boston. We have toured in New England and the Maritime Provinces, and one trip to the DelMarVa peninsula.
After the birth of our son in 1988, I have pretty much been a year–round commuter only, but in the past few years I have done a century or two a year...
We toured in Michigan and Ontario. In 1977 we moved to Boston on our bikes, as a bicycling honeymoon from Los Angeles to Washington, DC and then took the train up to Boston. We have toured in New England and the Maritime Provinces, and one trip to the DelMarVa peninsula.
After the birth of our son in 1988, I have pretty much been a year–round commuter only, but in the past few years I have done a century or two a year...
...I can vividly remember that beautiful day of my epiphany in May of 1970, when I borrowed my roommate's Schwinn Varsity to go do a few scattered errands around town.
Actually though, as noted above that while I may have had a predilection to get involved in cycling, the boom was already in progress, and did not necessarily entice me to become one of the small percentage of those who bought bikes at the time to become a life-long cycling devotee.
Actually perhaps a stronger prompt might have been the Aerobics phenomenon (by Dr. Ken Cooper) which I recall preceded the cycling boom in 1968.
Actually perhaps a stronger prompt might have been the Aerobics phenomenon (by Dr. Ken Cooper) which I recall preceded the cycling boom in 1968.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 03-30-19 at 05:43 AM.
03-30-19, 04:55 AM
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Wait, baby boomers are old? I was born smack in the middle (1953) and I don't remember stepping over the threshold into old people territory.
Of course, there is lots of things I don't remember any more, so maybe.
Of course, there is lots of things I don't remember any more, so maybe.
03-30-19, 05:09 AM
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Speaking of old, it dawned on me yesterday while out for a ride that my wife and I are empty nesters. Both of our children are avid cyclists, one races and serves as a lead-out man for his team, and the other likes the freedom that riding brings. Neither one of them is into video games, although my boy is a computer engineer. They are both avid readers, my girl loves novels, especially the classics, and the other more technical and brainiac thought-filled books.
They were raised with very limited exposure to TV, were outside with us all of the time, and we always had projects to do with them. Projects that accomplished goals, not just time fillers, but still had fun doing them because they were right there along side mom and dad.
Not surprised they are both eager cyclists.
They were raised with very limited exposure to TV, were outside with us all of the time, and we always had projects to do with them. Projects that accomplished goals, not just time fillers, but still had fun doing them because they were right there along side mom and dad.
Not surprised they are both eager cyclists.
03-30-19, 05:36 AM
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I'm a Boomer!And I work part-time in a bike shop. My observation is very few Young people coming in to buy bikes. Not a good outlook for the industry.
03-30-19, 05:44 AM
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I'm a boomer! 'been riding for ages... I'm enjoying it more than ever over the last few years. Thankfully I've been blessed to remain bicycle-capable as the years pile on!
03-30-19, 06:27 AM
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Boomer born in 1947 and riding since 1954. It would be nice to see more young people riding.
03-30-19, 06:43 AM
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1950 born here. I see teenagers out on their Canadian Tire mountain bikes going to school. Drop bar gravel bikes and spandex crowd are mostly young men, and my fellow seniors seem to be mostly on various hybrids with a smaller percentage on drop bar bikes I put my 1969 Raliegh away in 1972 after switching to motorcycles for commuting and dirt bikes for fun. Did not get back on a bicycle until last year. Reminds me of riding the motorcycles, great fun.
03-30-19, 07:08 AM
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03-30-19, 07:37 AM
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Boomer here, born in 62. I started when I was 6 and have been on bikes ever since. Bicycling isn't a sport unless you are racing. Otherwise it's just an activity. Please tell me you don't think golf is a sport!
03-30-19, 07:40 AM
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I'm 58, born in 1961. Not including the miles upon miles of bike riding I did in my youth...I became "a cyclist" (Oops sorry..."a person that rides a bike") in my early 20s and have been ever since.
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03-30-19, 07:42 AM
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Boomer - 1958.
Cycled a lot 1970-74. A little til 81 or so. Then not at all till 2013, started again. Back at it a lot now, ~ 6800 miles/year. Lots more time available when we became empty-nesters. Wish I had kept at it more all those years.
Cycled a lot 1970-74. A little til 81 or so. Then not at all till 2013, started again. Back at it a lot now, ~ 6800 miles/year. Lots more time available when we became empty-nesters. Wish I had kept at it more all those years.
03-30-19, 07:44 AM
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I agree. Not enough young people cycling. Also not enough women.
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03-30-19, 08:10 AM
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I'm 57, born in 1962, been riding since I was 4 or 5. Been bike commuting to work since 1992.
I think there is less "need" for kids to ride bikes in the internet/social media age. "Back in my day", the late 1960s and early 1970s, outside of school, if we wanted to interact with other kids we had to both occupy the same physical space. Sure, we had telephones, but only a few privileged kids had their own line, and there was no "group calling" so to communicate as a group, we all had to bee together. Also, if we wanted to read comics, magazines, read books or see movies, we had to travel which meant walking or biking, unless your folks drove you, but then they'd know where you were going and with whom.
I suppose those who grew up in big cities had buses and trains, but in the suburbs and more rural areas, bikes were essential.
Bicycles provided a tremendous amount of freedom and were a big part of many kids lives before the internet.
03-30-19, 08:15 AM
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I approach this tangent with some degree of trepidation. I live in an area where whites are a minority, yet we represent the overwhelming majority of cyclists. I got passed by a group of black riders the other day and it made me smile. Blacks often dominate the sports they participate in. I'd love to see more in competitive cycling.
03-30-19, 08:38 AM
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Nicely said
Interesting observation. Especially personally
1950 born here. I see teenagers out on their Canadian Tire mountain bikes going to school.
Drop bar gravel bikes and spandex crowd are mostly young men, and my fellow seniors seem to be mostly on various hybrids with a smaller percentage on drop bar bikes
I put my 1969 Raliegh away in 1972 after switching to motorcycles for commuting and dirt bikes for fun. Did not get back on a bicycle until last year. Reminds me of riding the motorcycles, great fun.
Drop bar gravel bikes and spandex crowd are mostly young men, and my fellow seniors seem to be mostly on various hybrids with a smaller percentage on drop bar bikes
I put my 1969 Raliegh away in 1972 after switching to motorcycles for commuting and dirt bikes for fun. Did not get back on a bicycle until last year. Reminds me of riding the motorcycles, great fun.
Help with choosing a bike.
…Now here’s where I’m coming from. I have described myself as a decades-long, year-round lifestyle cyclist, and my favored bike is a high-end carbon fiber bike.....
I also have a aluminum beater road bike ... and for me that was a minimal road bike, to be used in bad weather.
FWIW, I also have a Giant Escape hybrid bike that I recently bought for rehabilitation, because I was having trouble with my neck and shoulders riding the drop bars...
…Now here’s where I’m coming from. I have described myself as a decades-long, year-round lifestyle cyclist, and my favored bike is a high-end carbon fiber bike.....
I also have a aluminum beater road bike ... and for me that was a minimal road bike, to be used in bad weather.
FWIW, I also have a Giant Escape hybrid bike that I recently bought for rehabilitation, because I was having trouble with my neck and shoulders riding the drop bars...
... on my daily commute, it seems that female joggers outnumber males by a large margin, at least 5 to 1, if not as high as 10 to 1.Among the cycling commuters that I see I would say the men outnumber the women by a greater ratio, [at least 5 to 1, if not as high as 10 to 1] though in much fewer numbers, maybe about one cyclist for every 40-50 runners.
My estimates of joggers and cyclists are a general observation made over the seasons, though I do "guesstimate" the gender during the cold weather.
[
My estimates of joggers and cyclists are a general observation made over the seasons, though I do "guesstimate" the gender during the cold weather.
[There are a large number of female recreational roadies around here. I was dropped by a female pace line once.
Urban commuting does seem to be predominantly male, but the numbers are small in any case[
Urban commuting does seem to be predominantly male, but the numbers are small in any case[
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 03-30-19 at 08:47 AM.
03-30-19, 08:40 AM
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Just at the edge boomer, 1964. Have always ridden since I was a young kid. I love outdoor sports and being outside so maybe that's why I've always loved riding. Amongst 4 of us siblings, I'm the only one that has ridden this long into life.
My daughter is 21 and not into cycling and neither are her friends. She rides at school but not often. Must be that Millenial thing. lol
My daughter is 21 and not into cycling and neither are her friends. She rides at school but not often. Must be that Millenial thing. lol
03-30-19, 09:07 AM
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