From the Telegraph, Tuesday 10th August 2010
By Richard Alleyne
"Midlife crisis? Get on your bike"
Two-wheelers replace sports cars as men try to pedal back the years.
THE sight of a man going through a midlife crisis had become depressingly routine.
Sitting behind the wheel of a sports car or astride a Harley davidson, with his belly sucked in and his hair dyed an unnatural shade, the middle-aged male spending big to recapture his youth was more likely to attract pity than a girl half his age.
But, according to retail analysts, men seeking adventure in their autumn years are turning in their droves to a healthier and more environmentally friendly mode of transport to reignite their passion for life.
They are spending thousands of pounds on the latest “Tour de France-style” bicycles and spending their weekends pedalling around the countryside.
Despite growing waistlines, hordes of men of a certain age are squeezing into Lycra shorts and fluorescent jerseys and setting out to emulate cycling stars such as bradley Wiggins and Sir Chris Hoy.
The retail analyst Mintel said that record bicycle sales were being driven by affluent 35 to 45 year old family men who would once have treated themselves to a sports car or motorbike in the hope of hanging on to their youth. A report, Bicycles UK 2010, describes the craze as “the noughties’ version of the midlife crisis”.
A desire to stay active, a return to families enjoying activities together, concern over the environment and the success of British sports cyclists in international competitions have contributed to one in three Britons owning a bicycle.
As a nation we will spend £700 million on bikes this year, up eight per cent since 2008, according to the report.
Seven out of ten purchases will be adult bikes.
Those wanting to replicate Tour de France riders can spend upwards of £7000 on a bike and hundreds more on the “bib shorts”, replica jerseys and cycling shoes.
Halfords, Britain’s biggest cycle retailer, has reported a big rise in interest in all cycles, particularly top-of-the-range products.
Premium sales have risen by around 54% over the past two years.
Their limited edition Carrera TDF bike, featuring a lightweight aluminium frame and 16 gears, sold out during the Tour de France. Steve Marson, the cycle manager at the company which sells one in three bikes bought in Britain, said: “We have seen a massive interest in cycling, particularly on the premium side, although our rapidly growing customer base ranges from parents wanting to buy a first bike for their youngster, to those returning to cycling, to hardcore bikers who are now prepared to leave the car at home”.
Mintel said that the biggest growth in bike ownership was among those approaching middle age who tended to opt for more expensive road bikes. Top-of-range mountain bikes and hybrids also remained popular, it reported.
Halfords has seen sales of road bikes rise by more than 30% in a year.
A Mintel spokesman added: “The level of interest in cycling has been unprecedented. Cycling is on a definite high”.
Its reported details how rising interest in cycling is reflected in a growing number of national and local initiatives.
Local councils are introducing more cycle lanes on main roads. The Sustrans National Cycle Network now has routes covering 12,000 miles.
There are also several 'sportives' and time-trial events around the country inspired by the Etape du Tour in which amateurs follow the route of the Tour de France. Bikeability, the national cycling proficiency scheme which teaches road craft to 350,000 children per year, has set a target of topping 500,000 by 2012.
Higher fuel costs and congestion charges have all added to the boom in getting back on a bike.
About 25,000 companies have signed up to the government's Cycle2Work scheme which gives tax breaks to workers wanting to buy a bike for commuting. Mintel disclosed that some 3.2 million bikes were sold last year with spending on bikes topping £665million.
It predicts this will increase to 3.6 million this year and reach 4 million by 2015.
The number of households with a bike has risen to 34.2%, up from 31.2% in 2008.
A quarter of adults claim to be occasional cyclists and 10% cycle almost everyday.
