Can you have a flash cycle in your forties without appearing to be a ….?

Discuss.

mamil?

I hope so. If not I’m a ……….

It’s a Five isn’t it? Go on, admit it

Yes, but unlike cars the flasher the bike the bigger your knob…. 😀
I have two flash bikes and a fiat panda…….

But like other expensive and visible consumer items, doesn’t the purchase of such a flash bike at that age imply some sort of mid-life crisis? A trying to postpone or compensate for the inevitable decline of athletic prowess?

Yup, so long as you ride it in sandals, casual clothes and leave the helmet at home. If you must wear lycra and a helmet the bike should be at least 10 years old and a French/Italian/Spanish name. The easiest way not to appear to be a … is not to ride a Trek.

As long as you are out there doing it, it really doesn’t matter what you ride. Oh, and there are many 40, 50 and 60 y.o’s who put the fitness of guys half their age to shame.

Anyone who’s slower than me but rides a more expensive bike than me is obviously a fool….

I suspect it’s only expensive Italian bikes that need to be backed up with some sort of ability.

If you race it, you can ride whatever you want!

We had a sportive go past our house last weekend and all but a few of the hundred or so bikes was a Trek, Boardman or Specialized. Now I know all these companies produce excellent bikes but I couldn’t help but think they’d all been bought on the back of the TdF as the riders weren’t generally svelte or young.
But then again, like a lot of people on here, I have to stop myself from being a complete bike snob and realise that anyone riding anything is better than no one riding at all.

Older people ,with money,spending it on things they like.
How very dare they.

If you race can afford it, you can ride whatever you want!

I don’t think I’ll be able to afford to buy a fully flash bike until I’m 40.

It relates more to your skill than age

Best not ride a down hill machine if you need to get off to ride over a curb

Best not ride 6k of road bike if you get dropped on a friendly cafe run.

😉

jonba

I agree about the downhill bike as it’s not being used for it’s designed purpose. On the other hand, you don’t have to be fit to ride a flashy road bike.

I’m all for ride what you want to afford, you just look a bit less silly if it is somehow in keeping with what you use it for.

I say of course you can..

But whether MTB or Roadie.. it simply has to be grimey, dirty in a way that you’ve ridden it for weeks, the chips on the downtube are earned and the splat up the seat stay and chainstays are so filthy, they never wash out and the seat, well that has to be covered in a mix of grey/brown hue.

Tyres simply have to be worn in the center of tread, grips/bar tape covered in snot and swaet/grime and rims covered in a matt grey or matt carbon grey that only hard riding knows.

Then you can ride ‘spensive bikes, then you’ve earned a ‘spensive bike.

So long as you kill it.

Can you have a flash cycle in your forties without appearing to be a …. being judged?

But like other expensive and visible consumer items, doesn’t the purchase of such a flash bike at that age imply some sort of mid-life crisis? A trying to postpone or compensate for the inevitable decline of athletic prowess?

No. It’s not a crisis. It’s called “enjoying the fruits of one labour”.

Can you have a flash cycle in your forties without riding it like a ….?
Based on what I’ve witnessed at trail centres/sportives I’d say……. Unlikely.

OP –

yes

Well, I’ve got an Orange 5 which probably doesn’t rate as “flash” although I do have a 2012 Specialized Secteur “Elite” which looks a bit flash but on the other hand forty is so long ago it’s long since dissappeared from sight so I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer…

I’ve allways had flash bikes.

Should i have stoped buying them and started buying On Ones four years ago then?

What’s the definition of ‘flash’; XTR or is SLX enough?

As someone who likes to lol at the people in question,I think there’s an unwritten algorithm that includes : Minceness/radness, outright speed/abandon, level of over-bikedness, level of fitness/grit, propensity for colour-matched anodised bits, lack of any visible dirt on the bike, addition of fancy euro components/ accessories (bos shocks, urge helmets etc), getting a mince train going with your go-pro.

If you’re on the right side of all that you’re good with the flash bike but if you tick the boxes in the wrong way I will continue to lol.

“mince train”, like it 🙂

My bikes are often filthy and fair dinged with use
I lack fancy euro components and accessories

I tick all the other boxes. Lol-away.

theblackmount – Member

As long as you are out there doing it, it really doesn’t matter what you ride. Oh, and there are many 40, 50 and 60 y.o’s who put the fitness of guys half their age to shame.

Fixing That For You

70’s

Jon Woodburn at 75
http://cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Default.aspx?gv484__gvff0=57787&gv484__gvfl0=0&language=en-GB&tabid=109

P.S that’s (another) record for Dr Hutch

80’s

Ray Dare at 86 😯
http://cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Default.aspx?&ge1246__geka=zDDQ-6ZV33MzjqeBwbmQr0ELd7vY1GJQywTngQ2oPU-2R7Wo4ht6aSrM95O4UZpI&ge1246__gevi=hn50pnX47Ed9d6Nz8qP81Q&gv484__gvac=2&gv484__gvff0=57803&gv484__gvfl0=0&language=en-GB&tabid=109

the answer is several. Nf + 1. Nf = whatever number of flash steads you have now. Never ever let age limit your bike asperations your going to be dead soon, you know that it would be a failed life if you have never owned (insert whatever number and type of bikes you like).

I’m 14kg lighter at 41 than I was at 31 and am planning on being faster at 51 than I am now.

Anyone WHO ACTUALLY RACES knows that while you might get a few racing snakes amongst the young the lads, the Vets is full of loads of quick blokes.

I hate all this Mamil bullsh1t. 50% of the population is fat and horrible yet there’s this sneering about 40+yr olds getting fit doing something thats great in every way.

So long as you regularly ride your flash bike.

And don’t just admire it in leaning against the fence as you sip your half-fat machiatto in the trail centre cafe.

I’ve got a mate who does a bit of ski-ing and he’s calls the kind of people that turn up at the slopes with lots of expensive gear and never do anything bit sip coffee at the cafe “Rossignol’s”

Cycling no doubt has its equivalent probably “Pinarello’s” for the roadies and “Scott’s” or “Specialized’s” for the MTBers.

mcboo –

People under 53 can be so rude. Their jealous, still paying a mortgage, can’t afford a Colnago C59disc (soon) or even have days off to get those mid week miles in. Also they are a lot fatter due to beer consumption, they have not got to the “I need get up in the night after a pint stage”.

edit spelling again, going senile.

zactly right mt.

and I dont go to trail centres because they are a bit boring. multi-day mtb stage races across European mountain ranges are where it’s at. If you’re 30 and cant afford to do those it’s not because you are too young, it probably because you are lazy and stupid.

It nearly makes you feel sorry for them……No it does not. There all gobs..ts who don’t understand the quest to be as fit as you were (not) back in the day.

Do you have to sell any flash cycles you already own when you get to 40 in order not to appear to be having a MLC?

One of my fave pastimes now is watching all the young Cocks bucks, trying to pull the wool over my eyes doing stuff they think they’ve invented that i was doing thirty years ago…
True freedom is only achieved when you get past forty….

😆

@aracer, I hope not, else there’s gonna have to be an almighty clearout in 13 years at Howard towers…

err… can someone define ‘flash’, cos I’m 56 & am confused.

can someone define ‘flash’