Not Many Sports
It was brought to my attention on a recent group mountain bike ride in Ringwood State Park, that the age difference in our group was 55 years. The youngest riders were 12 years old and the oldest, well you do the math. And guess what? The kids were not always in the back of the group often towards the front on the descents. How many sports can you think of that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages together as a group activity on a close to equal level?
Cycling is a sport that is special to us for many reasons. Let’s examine some of them:
You only need a bike and a helmet to participate.
You can do it alone.
You can do it with friends.
You can leave straight from your home and do not need any facilities or dedicated space.
You can ride almost anywhere on multiple surfaces.
You can do it as a kid.
You can do it as a senior.
There are two major things we have seen in the bike industry that have leveled the playing field as far as age discrepancy and rider ability:
The first is the improved quality of kids’ bikes these days. Those parents who want to give their kids less of a disadvantage can get them scaled-down versions of the bikes they ride themselves. The bike industry has made significant strides to offer better bikes for younger riders. In the mountain bike industry specifically, manufacturers make bikes and components for little hands, feet, and backsides. SDG Components was the first company to recognize that for a little kid to hold a set of adult grips was the same as an adult holding grips the size of a soda can. This severely lowers the ability to control the bike. Just adding new smaller bars and grips to my son Noah’s bike, immediately made him a better rider. It reduced his hand fatigue and prolonged our bike adventures together. Bikes and suspension have also been improved by many companies. Reducing overall body fatigue through lighter weight tuned forks and shocks also prolongs the time we can spend outside and ride.
With the advent of eBikes, the aging population of cyclists can now participate well past our prime. We can now keep up with the younger riders and ride for longer and still get to physical therapy in one piece. E-Mountain bikes have come a long way in a short time. There are now lower-weight bikes with multiple settings that allow a rider to tune the bikes to the experience they want from the ride. For example; If Noah is tired from a long day of school, I can run my eBike on a lower setting which forces me to exert more effort to ride at the same pace as him. If he’s feeling sprite, I can turn it up and chase him. As he gets faster through age, I will still be able to keep up and can add a range extender battery that will allow me to ride with him all day on any terrain (that I don’t crash on). Descending? Well, no technology will level that playing field. He’s just too fast and fearless for my aging reflexes.
If you bring those two factors together, you can see why cycling is an extremely diverse sport and can be enjoyed by so many people of different ages. As a parent, this strikes a chord with me. As my 12-year-old son continues to progress as a cyclist, I too can dedicate more time to staying fit, and when my age becomes a challenge, I can rely on the available technology to make sure that we can prolong our cycling journey together. Get outside with your kids as much as possible and cherish the time you can do it together.
