Everyone has an ego.
And although that can be a good thing, it is likely to be a downside if you’re 45 or older and peddling your bicycle down the street like crazy.
If that describes you, brace yourself (literally as well as figuratively, if you’re paying insufficient attention to your bike’s braking system): You could be going for a tumble.
And what might cause a bit of additional bruising to a boomer-aged bicyclist hitting the turf is the reality that a 20-something rider with the same on-the-edge proclivities might just avoid that accident entirely.
Or, if not, suffer more minor injuries than you, the rider who just might remember Woodstock.
A California doctor who worked on a study on bicycling injuries notes what is probably obvious to many people (excluding some older riders, who ascribe a sense of immortality to themselves).
That physician says that if a typical 25-year-old bicyclist and a rider who is 60 are involved in a similar tumble or collision, “it’s more likely the older person will have more severe injuries.”
And here’s a direct correlation between older bicyclists and accident outcomes, as noted in the study: As more comparatively seasoned riders take to the streets across the country, the number of injuries being noted in emergency rooms nationally has gone up.
Bicycling is considered, by virtually all accounts, to be an extremely healthy pursuit that brings broad-based benefits to riders. As an article discussing the above study notes, “riding is a great, low impact way to get exercise or to commute.”
Just acknowledge your mortality before you get on the bike, pay due heed to what’s going on around you, outfit yourself safely and, if you’re a boomer, try to avoid reaching a speed that matches your age.
