Avearge age of commuting cyclists

[bonker]

I have a theory that commuters are older and not just because younger people can't be arsed to cycle to work.

I'm 47. I've been riding since I was a kid and so have most of the other commuters in this building. I have always cycled as have most of the commuters.

Younger ones don't seem to commute because they didn't grow up cycling on the roads so don't haven't been de-sensitised to cycling in traffic

and assume commuting is taking your life in your hands ( which of course we all know it is).

I have actually spoken to really keen, young, racing cyclist who have told me they wouldn't dream of cycling in traffic every day.

 

[BentMikey]

I have a theory that commuters are older and not just because younger people can't be arsed to cycle to work.

I'm 47. I've been riding since I was a kid and so have most of the other commuters in this building. I have always cycled as have most of the commuters.

Younger ones don't seem to commute because they didn't grow up cycling on the roads so don't haven't been de-sensitised to cycling in traffic

and assume commuting is taking your life in your hands ( which of course we all know it is).

I have actually spoken to really keen, young, racing cyclist who have told me they wouldn't dream of cycling in traffic every day.

Bit of an error there you might like to correct? It's why regular cyclists have a life expectancy 2 years greater than the national average, yes?

 

[Watt-O]

I have a theory that commuters are older and not just because younger people can't be arsed to cycle to work.

I'm 47. I've been riding since I was a kid and so have most of the other commuters in this building. I have always cycled as have most of the commuters.

Younger ones don't seem to commute because they didn't grow up cycling on the roads so don't haven't been de-sensitised to cycling in traffic

and assume commuting is taking your life in your hands ( which of course we all know it is).

I have actually spoken to really keen, young, racing cyclist who have told me they wouldn't dream of cycling in traffic every day.

Tell him to read Graeme Obree's Flying Scotsman - that should inspire him.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I'll have you know I'm 43, young man (assuming you're not a girl or a mature student).

 

[Arfcollins]

58

 

[compal]

50....and loving it.

 

[missgeorgieo]

28 and been doing it for about a year now :-)

 

[skids]

I've managed to keep breathing for 48 years and have been commuting by bike for the last 24.

 

[biggs682]

48 and feel like 58 most days

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I'd expect there to be an uneven age distribution. Older riders will remember when roads were friendlier (56 me), but round about the 90s, bikes became planned out of the road networks. People who became independent around that period would need some persuading to dare taking a bike onto the road. For the older rider, getting back on a bike will be more like getting back on course. For the younger rider, there's a bigger area of space - and possibly a different approach to risk assessment, so you'll see them. I think there's a lost generation - and certainly a lost gender - somewhere in the equation.

Living in London, I'm conscious that bus lanes have been the single most cycle-friendly development since the 90s (slower for cars, more room for bikes) even though they weren't installed for that reason. And improved bike lighting has helped a little though that's a bit of a fight-for-light escalation.

 

[Davidc]

Anyone else find the etymology of the word commuter fascinating?

It means someone who buys a 'commutation ticket', and a commutation ticket is one where a single payment is made for multiple journeys.

Bad Good news is that this means that most users of this forum are thus etymologically inexcluded.

It's just that their one-off ticket has 2 wheels, a saddle, handlebars, pedals and a chain.

FTFY

 

[SquareDaff]

Where I work the average age appears to be mid to late forties and it's mostly people that have cycyled in the past and have taken advantage of the Cycle to Work scheme. I'm 42!

 

[Neilly]

39, been commuting since April and do 22 miles per day..
One other person at my work who commutes is 27 and does about 8 miles per day..

 

[summerdays]

I doubt any statistics would be reliable as tens of thousands of people claimed to be commuters in order to get cheaper bikes via the cycle to work scheme.
The scheme is a great idea very much abused unfortunately.

I was talking to someone yesterday about how many cycle stands they had at their office (they are in the middle of an office move), and he was saying that last year he was one of 2 regular all through the year cyclists and this year its gone up to 10 throughout the year and a lot more in the summer as a result of the scheme. It has definitely had an affect to get bums on saddles though as you say ... not as many as claimed.