By Charles Pekow — You can keep riding as you age, but you may need to make some adjustments. You might need a different bicycle than the one you have been riding, friends or groups to ride with, or even a different type of vehicle, such as an e-bike, adult tricycle or tandem. Older riders may also need different education and different types of bikeways.
That’s one takeaway from the Mineta Transportation Institute of San José State University’s recent report, Cycling Past 50: A Closer Look into the World of Older Cyclists, Year 5 Survey. The institute surveyed 2,732 adults over 50 who cycle and asked how their habits changed over time.
Like younger riders, older cyclists ride for a variety of reasons, including transportation, recreation, errands and, in some cases, competition. But “Cycling for leisure or sociability and for fitness received the most response,” the survey found. Some people, however, gave up cycling because they feared falling.
Some respondents started or stopped cycling because of family responsibilities. When children leave home, people often have more time to ride. Conversely, caring for an aging partner can leave less time for cycling. The author suggested forming caregiver cycling clubs that could also serve as support groups.
Find the report at https://transweb.sjsu.edu/sites/default/files/2443-Kachadoorian-Cycling-Past-50-Year-5.pdf.
