Older Americans are Cycling More
A recent nationwide survey of older Americans who ride bikes might surprise some who assume that bicycling is only for “the young and fit.” Older Americans are riding more and the growing popularity of electric assist bicycles (e-bikes) is sending those numbers even higher. The trend has even increased since COVID, as many older adults reported that they started bicycling again or are riding more since the pandemic.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) notes that these survey results challenge the myth that older Americans don’t cycle and underscores the importance of safe streets for bicycling in cities like Pasadena. Cities that promote active transportation, AARP argues, will be healthier for people of all ages and enable older Americans to stay active and age in place longer. Indeed, the survey found that older adults prefer to bicycle in communities with a high-quality bike network that enables “everyday cycling” to shop, work, and socialize. Many older adults consider bicycling to be a staple of their lives and cannot envision a time when they would stop riding a bicycle.
The survey results also show that the emergence of e-bikes enable riders of different abilities to stay active as they get older. I can say from a personal perspective that e-bikes enable my wife and I to ride together despite osteoarthritis, even in hilly terrain in the foothills of the San Gabriels. They’re also great for running local errands, as it requires little extra effort to haul groceries or other cargo home (with the e-bike, the rider adjusts the assist level for the desired amount of exercise). For my wife and I, our e-bikes enable us to replace car trips and get low impact exercise without strain on our joints. Since the pandemic, we’ve seen more folks our age riding e-bikes around town, an anecdotal observation supported by the growth in the popularity of e-bikes reported by the AARP and by bicycle retailers.
The growth of cycling among older Americans should prompt city leaders to recognize one more reason for safe bike infrastructure that enables people of all ages and abilities (“AAA” infrastructure, or “complete streets”) to use their bikes for everyday trips. Let’s dispense once and for all the myth that cycling is just for the “young and fit,” and make our streets safer for all.