Any other Mamils?

[avalon]

It's a shame that when a middle aged man decides to persue a new interest he is considered to be having some kind of mid life crisis. I've been cycling for most of my life and have been riding motorbikes for 31 years but am now seen as somebody who is having some kind of psychological issues. I took up rock climbing in my mid 30s and now, close to 50, hope to take up canoeing, horseriding and several other persuit. It's not about age, it's about having the opportunity and when in life that opportunity comes along. I intend to continue to try new things for as long as I can, some of which I have had an interest in from a very young age.

 

[G2EWS]

Avalon, I personally only see it as a laugh, but if you are genuinely having grief from people then personally I would see that as their problem not yours. Indeed I would find it quite laughable if someone was genuinely indignant about what I did at my age.

At 58 I have done most things I want to do. Having taught mountaineering at a young age. Been successful at most sports I attempted and was picked for the Olympic boxing team in the 70's at Light Middleweight (never made it there)

Tried mountain biking a few times, even riding the 50 miles from where I lived to my cruiser on the Thames at Mapledurham near to Reading most weekends with everything in my back pack to make a roast dinner!

I have had powerful fast cars, own one now and own a classic convertible Mini that took two years to build and about 50 times the cost of the car when new!

The thing is as we get older we are more relaxed, perhaps have more disposable income to do the things we wanted to do when where younger but where probably too busy to take up. Take a look at the average Ferrari/Maserati/Bugati etc driver. Apart from the obvious footballers they tend to be Men in their 50/60/70's because they can now do it!

Personally I love it all and love the laugh that being a MAMIL creates. Cannot wait to tell my motorhome friends when we all meet up for lots of beer, singing and all night partying this weekend!

Regards

Chris

 

[JtB]

won't have the motorbike otherwise it would kill me!

Same here which is why I’m looking to get a mini convertible instead which can be my 4 wheel motorbike. Went for a test drive last week and when the salesman asked why I was thinking of changing my car, I responded “mid-life crisis”.

 

[GBC]

Come on ladies, there’s nothing wrong with lycra, a few discrete bulges (middle age spread etc.) and going commando in cycling shorts. Nobody is forcing you to look if you don’t like what you see are they? ;-) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10965608

Very readable and enjoyable article, but I dream of a 36" waist again!

 

[Fnaar]

So whats the female version of the Mamil called?

A MAWIL, surely? Or possibly a MAMILFIL

In that pic, though, 2nd from the left is actually Billy Bragg.

 

[Linford]

A certain female member here took me to task over my original 'member name' - Linford Lunchbox

I changed it after that to LLB back it he day as I didn't want to offend her sensibilities

Didn't work though - she doesn't like emoticons either

 

[Peteaud]

To be honest yes i have got some lycra, and if i am out doing a good long ride on the road bike then yes i wear it, call me a mamil if you like i dont really care..

 

[bicyclos]

IMO lycra is not a good look fullstop...

It is if you have got the London look legs ive got (so the wife says)....

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

So whats the female version of the Mamil called?

I don't see why we need to be gender specific about this. I used to be a LLAMA until I grew out of it (Lycra-Loined And Middle Aged).

 

[Sandra6]

So whats the female version of the Mamil called?

My son calls them wamils -it doesn't make any sense but it makes me laugh.
In the article the cyclists actually seem to be, well, cycling.
I thought the downfall of the mamil was that they rarely went further than the park on their ridiculously expensive bikes??

 

[Drago]

Being one myself I got no issue with Mamils. However, there is a subculture of Mamils that insist on wearing Lycra covered in adverts that I can't understand. We all know they ain't Bradley, so they're not fooling anyone there. Ok, I might wear a Ferrari T shirt, but the Ferrari is flash and aspirational. No one grows up devoting their life to aspiring to own a Sky digibox. Paying vast money to advertise someone's everyday product is a World gone tipsy turvey, and this sub species of Mamils is a classic example.

 

[captain nemo1701]

I figure I'm a proto-MAMIL, in that I'm only in my late twenties, but trying to shed some of my 110 kilos (unrelated to my cycling - I've always loved that but I love food even more, alas.) Lycra's just damned comfy, and doesn't look at all weird to someone who grew up watching Star Trek: TNG.

I agree, it's comfy and washes 'n' dries in record time.
Anyone wonder how male ballet dancers feel about things like this?. Their lycra is a lot tighter than cycling kit!.

Trekkie trivia: The ST-TNG first couple of seasons featured a one-piece uniform made out of spandex with the shiny side inwards. This caused problems on set as it made the cast to sweat profusely and would ride up onto their throats whenever they sat down. Patrick Stewart would pull the front of his unform down when he sat down to avoid the material choking him. This became known as the 'Picard manoeuvre' (a jokey reference to an epsiode of the show in which he was supposed to have saved a ship with a clever manoeuvre). When the show moved to using two-piece uniforms, he kept doing it as he felt it had become a captains' mannerism.

Good grief...I AM a geek

 

[JtB]

My lycra is “Bianchi” branded which for me was aspirational, recently turned reality.

In addition to the “comfort”, there’s also the “feel good” factor with lycra. When I first returned to cycling four years ago it helped me to lose a lot of weight and so wearing lycra while cycling makes me “feel good”. Now whether I actually look good is a different matter all together, but why should “feeling good” be the exclusive right of those detestable people lucky enough to actually be good looking?

 

[Accy cyclist]

Lycra is slagged off just like football shirt wearing is in older men, but if you look good in it, or not that good, what's the problem? I've recently started wearing cycling shorts to work, under my ordinary ones. They feel comfy, keep me warmer in certain areas,and are a good conversation starter about cycling, when someone asks me why i'm wearing cycling shorts while not cycling!

 

[Drago]

My lycra is “Bianchi” branded which for me was aspirational, recently turned reality.

In addition to the “comfort”, there’s also the “feel good” factor with lycra. When I first returned to cycling four years ago it helped me to lose a lot of weight and so wearing lycra while cycling makes me “feel good”. Now whether I actually look good is a different matter all together, but why should “feeling good” be the exclusive right of those detestable people lucky enough to actually be good looking?

I'm damnably good looking