Are you a MAMIL?

[Louis]

Middle Aged Men In Lycra

BBC Story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10965608)

First few lines of the story:

Flashy sports cars are out, now no mid-life crisis is complete without a souped-up road bike. Why?

Every weekend, across the nation's rolling countryside, watch out for the Mamils: middle-aged men in lycra.

And ladies, if you have a man at home taking an unusual interest in how you shave your legs, you may have a Mamil in the making too.

Research conducted by the retail analyst Mintel suggests there has been a surge in the number of middle-aged men choosing to get on two wheels.

Given the number of men aged 35-44 who are buying fancy-pants road racing machines, is this a 21st Century mid-life crisis? Has the silence of skinny tyres and carbon fibre framesets replaced the thunderous noise of motorbikes?


http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48726000/jpg/_48726205_cyclists_464.jpg

[tv_vt]

Yeah, I qualify, no doubt about it.

[snah]

Count me in too. :beer:

[bumpin]

my Mom sent me this from the BBC early this morning, - absolutely no point denying it coming from a sound source like that. . .

[gearguywb]

yep, I'm in.

[joelh]

I keep wanting to make a joke about "mamil"ary glands :rolleyes:

[Mike748]

In my younger days I wore wool.

[dogdriver]

Guess so, though I'm too old to qualify for the 35-44 YO target population. Does this make me an OMIL?

However, I think the lycra look beats the "gold chain speedo fake tan potbelly" crowd that seems to be another popular embodiment of the "midlife crisis".

[Johnny P]

OMIL is a better fit for me than MAMIL given my age too.

Good article.

[SEABREEZE]

Doesn't Power Lifters also wear to support thighs when liffting.

What about speed skaters, and ski racers.

[Onno]

"Has the silence of skinny tyres and carbon fibre framesets replaced the thunderous noise of motorbikes?"

Wouldn't it be great if this were true??!! It still seems to me that in the good 'ol USA, there are many more FFHs (Fat Freds--or whatever--on Harley's) than MAMILs. We may look goofy, but they--with their stupidly loud machines--are well and truly obnoxious.

[Dekonick]

Doesn't Power Lifters also wear to support thighs when liffting.

What about speed skaters, and ski racers.

I use TK knee bands when lifting heavy (heavy for me is leg press 4-5 sets of 8-12 @ 720 lbs... nothing like what Tidesigns does (1K leg press if I remember correctly) but without the knee bands I doubt I would be able to continue lifting heavy weights. I know that was not what you were referring to but similar principle. Also use a weight belt for the really heavy sets, then do a few sets at 2/3 or 1/2 the weight w/o the belt to make sure the core stays strong.

So - yes. When you lift you should use proper equipment, just like cycling.

http://www.prowriststraps.com/tk_knee_bands_tommy_kono_knee_bands_support

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . because I've been riding for over 25 years. For me cycling is not a solution to a mid-life crisis. It has been the solution to, solace from, and therapy for just about every crisis in my life in these 27 years so far.

In a world and a life where it seems as I get older there is less and less of my life that I truly have control over, going out for a ride on my bike is a constant where I am in control of my performance and my time while I am doing it. If I have a bad ride there's nobody to blame but me. But if I have a good ride that victory need be shared with no one. Not with co-workers or a boss at work. Not with a family. Not with the tax man or assessor or some faceless customer service department that keeps me on hold for 57 minutes, listening to that recording over and over assuring me how important my call is to them even as the hold time stretches longer and proves my satisfaction doesn't mean sh*t to them.

When I ride it's mine, all mine, as it has been for many years now. To all the Johnny-Come-Lately MAMIL's, welcome to the club. But there are those of us who were lucky enough to be here long, long before you!

BBD

[SEABREEZE]

I use TK knee bands when lifting heavy (heavy for me is leg press 4-5 sets of 8-12 @ 720 lbs... nothing like what Tidesigns does (1K leg press if I remember correctly) but without the knee bands I doubt I would be able to continue lifting heavy weights. I know that was not what you were referring to but similar principle. Also use a weight belt for the really heavy sets, then do a few sets at 2/3 or 1/2 the weight w/o the belt to make sure the core stays strong.

So - yes. When you lift you should use proper equipment, just like cycling.

http://www.prowriststraps.com/tk_knee_bands_tommy_kono_knee_bands_support


Yepp, I couldn't agree more, knee wraps and belt when in serious weight territory.As you said, I was referring to supporting gluts and thighs, to a certain point.

I was a power lifter for many years. No longer.My routine was 10,8, 6, 4, 2 twice, then 1 set of ten, at that point it fills like a feather. Week after week, month after month, you continually get stronger and bigger.

High School and Colegiate wrestlers, I beleive like to use it, as well as Gymnastics.

[SEABREEZE]

BBD "some faceless customer service department that keeps me on hold for 57 minutes, listening to that recording over and over assuring me how important my call is to them even as the hold time stretches longer"

Just read recently in this economic world , the companies that get more personal with there customers , have a better chance to hang around

All we can do BBD is hope it catches on, it may bring you back to the days when you spoke to a real person at customer service.

[rwsaunders]

Great article. I've been out of town for a few weeks and my riding has been limited to the spin cycle in the gym....snore. I was able to get out late this afternoon for a solo jaunt in the heat and the feeling was nothing short of exhilarating.

Ride on, bros and sisters. :cool:

[Dekonick]

The killer issue is:

How to get people riding bikes and KEEP them riding.

Yesterday I had a haircut (for what hair I have left) and the lady who cut my hair was a plus size model type - lets say 250 or more. In conversation SHE brought up biking.... She and her boyfriend 'ride bikes...' I assumed she meant Harley's or similar... NOPE. They are into cycling. THAT is great news! They ride rail to trails, probably 5-10 miles a pop... flat... but it is a start!

I remember in the 70's and early 80's I was a young kid/teen and 10 speed bikes became the rage. I had my first 10 speed bike at age 13 and rode the wheels off of it... freedom! Today the roads and society leave kids with a different reality - it ain't safe out there folks... not like it was (or how it was perceived then...) 'back in the day' so to speak.

I see fields that grew corn turning into housing developments... I see more and more roads becoming congested... and I DO NOT see any shoulders added... bike lanes... etc. My fear is this 'mid life crisis' will fade and cycling will fade with it. We need to lobby for better laws, understanding, and development. Roads that were fine for rural farms need improvement with developments, including shoulders, bike lanes, etc...

What we need is a cultural mindset like we have in Europe, where the bike is part of life. Everyone from the 5 year old to the grandfather uses it for some general use around town... as seen in the Netherlands.

I dream...

And... yes, I fit the profile, except that I have had a 'high end' road bike since my early 20's... including my first Serotta bought in 1993 for $2k... Ultegra 600 STI... still own the F/F...

Still a 'Fred'... always will be. I don't race, or even group ride much... but love the bicycle and will ride until I die.

:beer:

Now - speaking of farms... go buy and plant some milkweed seeds and save some butterflies!

[cmg]

cool article. i qualify as a OMIL. too bad Mamils or Omils are still seen as an oddity instead of the norm. i talk about riding to friends/family and co-workers as they roll thier eyes.

[tuxbailey]

Guilty as charged.

[legacysti888]

Mamil:

http://www.dumex.com.my/our_products/mamil_mama

:rolleyes:

Anyhoo.. great article, thanks!

'Doesn't really apply to me since I have been riding since I was 13 and competitive from 15.

[fiamme red]

How many of you have been shouted at by a passing motorist, "Hey MAMIL! Get off the road and on the sidewalk where you belong!" :rolleyes:

[Keith A]

I'm in BBD's camp on this one. I may fall into the middle-age category, but I too have been riding a bike for a long time. At first it was freedom and transportation during my childhood when I rode my bike to school (and everywhere else) for almost all of my pre-high school years. Then there were the dark years for my cycling, when I discovered (and could drive) cars and more importantly...surfing. I don't think I pushed a pedal for all of high school and the first two years of college.

But then cycling came back into my life...again as transportation. There is no better way to get around a large university than on a bike and I fell in love again...and I didn't even realize it. It wasn't until I was getting ready to graduate that I realized how much I enjoyed riding my bike...so my sweet wife bought me a real road bike (Trek 560) for my graduation present. I think she might now regret doing so :D That was almost 25 years ago and I've been wearying lycra ever since. But by doing so, I've never had the middle aged spread that many men acquire. I'm probably only about 10 lbs more than I was when I graduated high school.

Oh yeah, and despite being teased and taunted, I still don't shave my legs :no: and when it comes to surfing vs. riding, sorry but the bike looses most of the time.

But that was a great article...thanks for sharing.

[tkbike]

How many of you have been shouted at by a passing motorist, "Hey MAMIL! Get off the road and on the sidewalk where you belong!" :rolleyes:

I guess I'm a OMIL also, usually when a passing motorist shouts at me its not as nice as that!