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As a follow-up to my series of blog posts about how to get more seniors into mountain biking, I’ve got a new post up widening it to newbies of all types.
5 ways to make mountain biking more attractive to beginners
http://mountainbikegeezer.com/5-ways-to … beginners/Comments welcome, here or there.
A question for anyone who introduces mountain biking to newbies:
What’s your thinking about protective gear like gloves, knee/shin pads, and elbow pads when introducing them to mountain biking?
On the one hand, it could be argued that if people are wearing protective gear, they’re less worried about getting hurt if they fall and therefore they’re more relaxed, learn more quickly, and thus even LESS likely to fall.
On the other hand, it could be argued that if a ride leader/instructor is wearing protective gear and/or urging that the new riders do likewise, it says that this sport is very dangerous even at the beginner level, and therefore they’re more anxious, learn less quickly, and thus even MORE likely to fall.
Gar29, I hadn’t thought about the possibility of riders dropping out after 60, but it seems more likely that there just aren’t that many who got into the sport back in the 1980s or 1990s who would now be riding in their 60s. If you’re seeing of lots of those in their 40s and 50s now, I guess we’ll know in another decade or so if most keep it up.
"gar29" wroteGriffinjay, I see tons of 40 and 50 something bikers here in Northern California. This is, arguably and in my opinion, the fastest growing segment of our sport. I have ridden with a 65 year old, but I would have to say, from my unscientific view, that the number of riders 60 and older does drop off. It is a good conversation though, as you say. Is this because people are afraid of being hurt? I don’t believe it is the physical activity, as I see a lot of senior road cyclists.
Great topic. I’m currently trying to figure out why there aren’t more seniors mountain biking.
It seems to me that relatively few of my recreationally-active, age-related peers (AARP crowd, baby boomers, seniors) are mountain bikers. I just don’t see many out on the MORC trails in the Twin Cities area where I mostly ride.
Skiing seems to be a close cousin to mountain biking, with elements from both cross country and downhill skiing. And when I’m XC skiing or snowboarding here in the Midwest, I see plenty of seniors.
Is it fear? Cost? Areas to ride? Image?
Never mind. I found a place:
http://www.diamondcycle.com/Page.aspx?P … nd_Rentalsand rented for the weekend. yay!
