jppe

It’s probably just my perception but it seems there are a lot more folks 60+ posting than 50-55-60. It would be interesting to see the distribution of ages in 5 year blocks, 50-55, 55-60 and on up. Heck maybe the admins even have that information. Maybe it could be of some value in evaluating the direction of the forum????

It just seems in the days of the Diablo’s, Digital Gee, BillyDonn, Stapfam etc. there were more “youngsters” than our more mature members. Just based on population numbers you’d think the bulk might be under 60 but who knows. I do know that I seem to be progressing through all the age groups!!!

I’m not sure if there’s any interest or heck, in today’s sensitive environment maybe it violates way too many rights!!! Maybe I just need to go ride????

Iride01 

Probably goes in cycles. Not a pun either. Maybe you got in at a time when there were the most 50 year old's that moved into this sub-forum. And there fore even with normal attrition rates there are still more of you here.

Or am I misunderstanding...

MNBikeCommuter

I don't know what cycling groups there are on Farcebook, but that has sure killed forums for other hobbies. It's the younger folks flocking there.

And it could just be denial of the sub-60 folks on BF that they're really aging. I'm 58 but sure don't feel it. Most of the time.

pdlamb

I think of the 50+ forum as the "not as young as I used to be" forum.

Given the way the powers that be have started fracturing groups to more and more forums, I'd hate to lose the "not so young" group to make up more forums. "Do I need to post question X in the early 60s or late 60s forum? Or might there be more of a response from the early 70s forum?"

gobicycling

Stapfam got cancer, now involved with VW caravans. Billydonn died. Digitalgee moved to Reno and tried to get back into cycling, but seems to have failed. I admin a thriving FB group of 65-100+, and there is a new thriving FB group of 80+. Dan left this forum and started a 50+ FB group with over 30,000 members. Along the way there have been many conflicts with mods which detracted from the group, which is partly why Twospoke was started.

Skullo 

Long time member who has been mostly a lurker. Sixteen plus years and my post count is in The 160s. I have spent a heck of lot of time reading here.
I built fitness on the bike and rode long distances. Never got real fast but fast enough to make centuries and week long tours doable.
I recognize all the names mentioned.
I remain fit and feel I could still easily train my way back up to century rides but don’t have that much desire.
I will remain here and read some posts most every day, am heading towards 71 years.I have learned a lot here so far.

BobbyG

I'll be 60 in January.

OldRailfan

I'm closer to 80 than 70.

CAT7RDR

58 in February myself.
I do not care much for FB.

Carbonfiberboy 

76. I'm a member of what was a very active real life road cycling group. We'd get 50 riders sometimes, had to split it into subgroups by climbing speed. We had a sorting hill. Now I'm one of the few remaining members who shows up. There are about 130 riders on the email list but they don't unsubscribe, just don't ride. I think it's kinda like that. People move on. And as others have said, the lower end of this group (in age) gets sucked up by FB. We are living in an anachronism.

cyclezen

sad to hear about those 3... BF seems to perform it's function reasonably well... and it's very specific...
I very much dislike FB, because of all the ancillary BS stuck into the things you might possibly have interest in. CHronological is only important when there is specific subject/content.
Random Chrono stuff is just too unconnected - I know there are 'threads' for posts, but not as scan-able as in a forum list.
I like having the separate forums of BF - makes an easy transition from one area to another.
I do 'dip' in and out of BF, but that is often determined by 'life', sometimes by focus on the real world. But time here is more entertaining, more informative than than most US news broadcasts... LOL!
As long as many of you still show up, I'll prolly do the same...
Started here in 2005 ??? I think... at age 56, now 72. We'll see how long the run becomes...
Ride On
Yuri

jppe

Very similar here, late 2004 and age 52. There was a stretch there where 50+ was really entertaining!!!

I was able to attend the inaugural 50+ ride in Glenwood Springs and have ridden with several whom I’ve met here. Also, several were real lifesavers on my cross country ride. Especially Jim Foster getting me through Boston and Doug in Oregon giving me the idea of using Route 20.

gobicycling

I was at that 50 plus inaugural ride in Glenwood. Complaints to the mods shut down the entertaining conversations in the 50 plus years ago.

Chuck M 

There is only two facebook cycling groups that I really look at. One of them is Cycling Past Fifty and I think one of the admins is a BF member that posts in the Classic and Vintage forum a bit. I like it because it isn't an endless stream of people trying to sell their bikes and gear. Either it is well moderated with posts downing e-bikes and recumbents removed or the membership just doesn't post those sorts of things. What I see mostly there is folks over 50 enjoying bikes.

But for the most part I like BF for most things. BF is divided up into enough sub-forums that one doesn't have to wade through things that may not particularly interest them. I would suppose younger cyclists would feel the same about BF as me in that regard.

caloso

Why don’t you post a poll?

Wildwood 

70 yo.
Nearly a 17 year member here.
Was on Bicycling forum before that.
roadbikereview dot com has disintegrated (as a Forum)
not a FacePlanter. Ever.
CR isn’t me or my aspiration. But respect is due.
thepaceline never caught on with me.
theCabe is a bit too focused on cycles I could never ride from my mountain house.

Things change over time.
It’s the reality of Life.
Hang on, Move on = eternal questions of Life.
I’m a BF hangeroner.
Love the colorful diversity of this place.



Clear your handlebars and your mind will follow.


edit: relative to 50+ = lots of BF members meet the age requirement, but rarely or never post. My guess is personal bandwidth limitation, more than age denial. But I’ve been wrong before.

I have met many PNW members, from whom I have benefitted.

Trsnrtr

I need a 70+ jersey.

rsbob 

`I will be happy to post a poll. I will borrow your first two sentences.

Gonzo Bob

Reminds me of that classic Mitch Hedberg observation that "every picture of you is when you were younger." RIP, Mitch.

canklecat

63 for a few more weeks. Started back cycling in 2015, after joining here to ask a few questions because I hadn't ridden since the 1980s and bikes had changed just a bit.

At the time I intended only to get a folding bike for errands. Couldn't find one I liked locally so I started with a heavy comfort hybrid, which suited my busted up back and neck. That's now my occasional errand bike. Although a year ago I switched to mostly walking for grocery errands. Nothing like carrying 50 lbs of cat food and litter up to a mile to strengthen the core and legs without "exercising."

By 2016 I switched to a somewhat lighter, sportier hybrid, which I still like and ride for casual group rides. I converted that '93 Univega MTB-lite into a proper city bike and all-rounder.

By 2017 I was ready to try a road bike again, with an '89 Ironman. Took longer than I'd expected for my neck and back to adapt, but now it feels second nature again.

Each year I've added another older carbon fiber road bike. I like 'em. They're fun. But if I was forced to pare down I'd keep the Ironman and sell or give away the carbon fiber bikes. No mountains here so the weight savings doesn't translate to speed differences. Although they're lighter to lift and carry if I had to.

Eventually I might get that folding bike I intended to start with in 2015. But now I'd prefer a carbon fiber frame folder, since I'll use it for cyclocross. Friends keep trying to talk me into riding cross. And I threaten to run the entire course carrying the lightest bike I can carry. I still can't figure out the purpose of cyclocross. It's like parachuting for "fun." Why jump out of a perfectly good airplane... (says the guy who rappelled Aussie style face-down a dam for "fun" because the Marines I served with dared me to).

bikemig 

I've been riding with a few breaks here and there since high school. I did a heck of a lot of riding in my 20s, racing, touring, and wrenching. I haven't raced in a long time and my tours now tend to be multi day, organized rides though Covid has complicated things. I still wrench on bikes and I like fixing up and riding the bikes I couldn't afford back in the day as they are all now on deep sale, : ). Maybe old bikes are slower than new bikes but then I'm slower than I used to be so it all comes out right in the end.

The weather is finally turning colder in Iowa. I like riding fat tire bikes once it gets colder. I like old MTBs as I start riding the local offroad trails this time of year. I like the new MTBs but the local trails aren't very technical so a rigid MTB with 26 x 2.0 tires is just fine.




1993 Bridgestone MB 1

1992 Stumpjumper

qcpmsame 

Been here since back in ‘08, remember all the folks Joe mentioned. Know the alter-egos that still mean a lot to me as friends. Some are gone on to a better place, a few are dealing with serious health issues.

As Gobi said, a really grouchy member went to a passed Admin about us being “too friendly and familiar” with each other. Probably had to do more with his attitude and personality than our closeness as friends here. Worked with some long timers here on different projects, enjoyed every minute of it too, especially managing two 50-Plus group kit buys.

I tend to spend more time in the C&V Forum, just what interests me the most. But I have met up with folks from 50-Plus to ride, or have stop by our place to share a meal when they were in the USA for a bit (Hi Rowan and Machka &#128513! The place is a fantastic group, mostly, just like real world can be.

Bill

gthomson

53 years young and been a member for a little more than a year. I think like most things, interest groups are cyclical and come and go like the fashion. I am not new to cycling but used to just think it was about riding my bike but never really drank the Koolaid until a few years ago. Once I started to want to learn more about the history of my old high school bike and fix it up, the forums became really important to me. Then it spread to every other aspect of cycling like what to wear, what to eat, why does this body part ache, etc....

This group is great and I hope it stays. i came here because I hate getting cynical or arrogant answers to questions or comments from other forums with people that seem to think they know it all and mock those who don't. If you've been in the industry for 30+ years, share that with newer people who want to learn and keep the interest going! don't shut it down making someone feel dumb when they ask an obvious question.

Regarding age, 50, 55, 60? are they that different? Not really and once I reached 50 i started to think how much longer do I have left to keep cycling? I would have never thought people still cycle at 80 but I learnt that here in this forum. Cool.

Oh, and whenever I start to talk bikes with friends and family they all start rolling their eyes and walking away. Thankful for the forums

gobicycling

There may not be many differences between 50 and 60 years old, but I can guarantee there are differences between 60 and 85. My wife will be 84 in November, and she still rides a bicycle. I will be 82 in November and still ride. But I and she just don't have what we used to have. I started riding when I was 58 and in my inaugural year did several centuries and the Ride The Rockies. No way I could do that now, nor do I desire to!

gthomson

Won't disagree with you there and that's why I stopped at 60. Kudos to you and your wife for keeping it up. Inspiration for us to try and get there too. I want to be able to still ride at your age but only the maker will determine that.