Cyclist age

[flecc]

I wonder if ebikes will eventually shrug off the feeling that they're mainly used by people who aren't up to date on their mobile ringtones and don't know who's at number 1 in the charts.

I doubt if the young will ever take up e-biking very much. With prices for the mainstream from £500 to £1400, they can get a moped for that, put on a full face helmet and fly around at 30 mph making loads of noise and looking the business. Alternatively they can buy an e-bike, run around silently at up to 15 mph and not look at all cool pedalling up hills. There's no contest.

Once they've got the IC engine and speed bug, only a tiny minority will go to e-bikes while young, and it's most likely in retirement when they have the time to burble around at low speeds and have lost the desire to treat every trip as a race.

The best chance our movement could have is if the silly lower age restriction could be removed so that 12 and 13 year olds could have the option. Many of those who had access to the finance would probably grab the chance at those ages, some possibly then staying with e-biking. Fourteen is too late, the boys getting more involved with girls and neither wanting a solo transport then.

As one who was still young in the golden age of the birth of pop Haku, today's derivative music doesn't give me any desire to know who's where in the charts, or even who's in them!

And as for mobile ringtones, I can listen to other people's free, and I remain determined to be the last person on the planet to own a mobile phone. Getting close now it seems, with even South American jungle Indians sometimes with them, probably demanding to know why they haven't got 3G access yet!
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[FatPete]

Word of warning

When my son was 14 I bought him a hurricane (same as a tornado). He had it a few weeks before he was attacked by three much older and bigger boys who took his bike from him. He limped home and I phoned the police. The Policeman said (thanks Ealing Police station), "well what do you want us to do about it". Three years later we still haven't got the bike back and the police never even visited us. £550 lost and a boy who terrified to go out for weeks after. So people don't set your kids up as targets!

 

[coops]

Time for another 'bump' for this thread (from page 36 of the forum threads index this time! ) for any members who may not have seen it & wish to add their stats to the poll, to bring it up to date & make it more fully representative .

P.S. if you are 41-50, in order that you can still poll I'd suggest you ignore the obvious one digit mistake in the age grouping & poll as "51-50" .

Stuart.

 

[rooel]

"When my son was 14 I bought him a hurricane (same as a tornado). He had it a few weeks before he was attacked by three much older and bigger boys who took his bike from him. He limped home and I phoned the police. The Policeman said (thanks Ealing Police station), "well what do you want us to do about it". Three years later we still haven't got the bike back and the police never even visited us. £550 lost and a boy who terrified to go out for weeks after. So people don't set your kids up as targets!"

The reason for the police non-response here was that the poster presented them with a probably unsolvable crime, ie one which, if it was accepted as a reported crime, would have to be declared in the annual statistics as "unsolved". This embarrasses all police forces who want to present themselves to the public and policitians they claim to serve as being as efficient as possible. They will therefore pursue shoplifters who are fairly easy to catch and investigate persons hanging about outside schools (usually with good innocent reasons), but not reckless drivers (who have endangered but not actually injured anyone). In fact even where injury has occurred they are often reluctant to report the matter to prosecutors (too much bother for the police and the prosecutors too busy with other more fashionable prosecutions).

With regard to the original topic I can contribute two teenagers from my family who use (but do not own) my Dahon Sram Sparc conversions to climb some steep hills to reach their part-time evening jobs.

 

[Footie]

I'm 45 this year but because of a heart attack four years ago I am medically counted as being 46 (a year older)

The reason for the police non-response here was that the poster presented them with a probably unsolvable crime, ie one which, if it was accepted as a reported crime, would have to be declared in the annual statistics as "unsolved".

Not sure it's fair to blame the Police all the time. From my own experiences, when our campervan was broken into (last March) the Police were great and tried really hard to nail the git. They got fingerprints and DNA from blood (*sswipe cut him self on the broken glass) - it was the CPS that let everyone down. The CPS decided there was not enough evidence even though the Police were able to name a suspect and search his parent’s house.
So fingerprints, DNA and a name and address don't mean squat, especially if the little basket won't admit it.
All he has to do is claim he was drunk, was passing by, noticed the van was broken into and decided to get in it and wonder about in it
British justice at it's best - what a laugh.
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[nigel]

My son who is 21yrs old thought my torq looked ok BUT he thought it was to exspensive and still was to heavy so things still need to improve in that direction. nigel.

 

[JohnofCambridge]

Justice. That is a new thread in itself - the view from this 57 year old flatlander

 

[Capn_Phil68]

Pushing forty, but no-one (yet) has had a dig, just the opposite. Smart and cool popping up.

 

[Steveu]

Yikes!

Yikes! I've just crept into the top category - or rather I have zoomed though on my superspeed ebike conversion! My other half does not understand it but my teenage sons think its cool to zoom up and down our track on it. Not sure if they'd have thought the same if I'd bought an e-bike rather than converting existing bike with a kit - but that's another thread.

I intend cycling to work on it when the weather's better and the daylight longer - can't see how anyone can complain that Im being lazy or showing my age when that involves cycling 20 miles+ per day (even if with a little assistance) rather than guzzling fuel at 20mpg or less (urban driving) and getting to work feeling like a grumpy old man.

My theory is that the 1st 50 years was just practice for learning how to enjoy the next 50 properly and that includes more fresh air, more cycling, more excercise, less stress (I could go on bit won't!) and feeling sorry for all those 'youngsters' who are still trying to work it all out!

Steve

 

[flecc]

My theory is that the 1st 50 years was just practice for learning how to enjoy the next 50 properly and that includes more fresh air, more cycling, more excercise, less stress (I could go on bit won't!) and feeling sorry for all those 'youngsters' who are still trying to work it all out!

Steve

Exactly my philosophy Steve, which is why I packed in work at 54 to ensure the no stress bit and have time for the rest of the list.
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[jimmyengland1000]

I'm 49, fit and healthy thanks to my first e-bike which got me cycling for the first time ever. I've been using a normal mountain bike after getting rid of my Wisper and awaiting the arrival of my Agattu sometime soon. I'd never have cycled at all if it hadn't been for e-bikes.

I wouldn't describe myself as an old fogey and work in a non-boring, fogey-esque job (see Heart of Glass, Blondie and Debbie Harry)

 

[jimmyengland1000]

ps is that website link in my previous posting allowed? If not, I'll remove it...

 

[mk1]

I wouldn't describe myself as an old fogey and work in a non-boring, fogey-esque job (see Heart of Glass, Blondie and Debbie Harry)

I think that qualifies as a non boring job Jimmy!. I am impressed

 

[flecc]

ps is that website link in my previous posting allowed? If not, I'll remove it...

Since the intention is information relating to the thread and not advertising, I think it's ok. Innocuous compared to some of the blatant promotion we've seen!
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[Steveu]

young at heart

It certainly helps if you've got a job you enjoy. The tribute band looks great - although i guess you're not the lead singer

I used to enjoy work but after years of sitting behind a desk most of the time, and the hassle of management/in-house politics, it wears you down (even if the subject matter can be interesting at times). I'd have probably retired by now but it looks like I've still got to fund 3 children though school so am carrying on for a while longer (although down to 4 days a week now - and about to try out 3 days a week - yippee). As indicated in my previous post, turning 50 has given me the incentive to ensure i enjoy life - and getting back to cycling is one aspect of that (I used to cycle a great deal in my teens - both racing and touring - and carried on cycling at uni and then commuting into central London) and doing with an e-bike is a natural way of extending that by making longer trips more practical.

 

[carpetbagger]

i am 46...put it in the 51-50

 

[fishingpaul]

I am 48,and i find my 21 year old daughter and 17 year old son,see electric bikes as very uncool,i asked my son to hold my bike to help make an adjustment,he said it was ok, so long as it was done indoors.

 

[jimmyengland1000]

A certain 5 year old boy and his brother who is 3 years old are absolutely fascinated by my electric bikes. In fact, the 5 year old insisted that I print a colour picture of one to stick on his bedroom wall. I put a child seat on the crossbar (hence waiting for one of the diamond frame Agattus to arrive) and we go absolutely everywhere on it. He even asked me if it was possible to charge the battery with a solar panel! The 3 year old says rubbish goes in the 'cycle bin' (he means re-cycle bin!)...... I suppose it's start...

 

[jimmyengland1000]

I think that qualifies as a non boring job Jimmy!. I am impressed

The best of it is that it leaves me loads of spare time to go cycling and enjoying the countryside of Lincolnshire. That and recording my own music between gigs. If any of the forum members fancy a free 22 track album, much of it inspired by cycling, just drop me a line!!!

 

[jimmyengland1000]

It certainly helps if you've got a job you enjoy. The tribute band looks great - although i guess you're not the lead singer

I used to enjoy work but after years of sitting behind a desk most of the time, and the hassle of management/in-house politics, it wears you down (even if the subject matter can be interesting at times). I'd have probably retired by now but it looks like I've still got to fund 3 children though school so am carrying on for a while longer (although down to 4 days a week now - and about to try out 3 days a week - yippee). As indicated in my previous post, turning 50 has given me the incentive to ensure i enjoy life - and getting back to cycling is one aspect of that (I used to cycle a great deal in my teens - both racing and touring - and carried on cycling at uni and then commuting into central London) and doing with an e-bike is a natural way of extending that by making longer trips more practical.

I'm the synthesiser player and not the sexy blonde! Actually, I took voluntary redundancy at the age of 41 after enjoying my work for a long time and joined the band straight away. I've been there ever since! Year 8 now... totally legit, taxpaying musician after a lifetime in logistics, transport and distribution in an office (exactly like you mentioned). For me too, that's what the biking is about.... enjoying life. On lovely days, I can go out for miles and miles and it's absolutely great!