40yr old on a 20

[4130HUBBS]

I have jus ridden 7 miles on my 20.  I normally ride street late nite not 9am on a monday, but jus fancied taking the Sub 2day, I sure wasnt ready 4 every1 to stop and stare as i manualled my merry way along,  Does a grown man look so out of place on his whip and does this happen 2 any1 else???

[jedi]

i couldnt give a toss what other people think.

2wheels rock!

[Bushwacked]

I get stared at when I ride through town on the way to the park but I love it - who cares what they think especially as their preconceptions means they miss out on so much fun!

I've said this before, I think people stare as no one has seen it before as its not been done before. When we were younger BMX was new and only the young'uns rode, there was no old guys riding as there was no old school. But now the young 'uns from back then have grown up and are the old guys now, everyone is like - "I don't remember old guys riding BMX when I was younger!".  Snowboarding is similar only there are more people over 30yrs doing it so its more accepted for old guys to do it.

[darkersomeday]

I have jus ridden 7 miles on my 20.  I normally ride street late nite not 9am on a monday, but jus fancied taking the Sub 2day, I sure wasnt ready 4 every1 to stop and stare as i manualled my merry way along,  Does a grown man look so out of place on his whip and does this happen 2 any1 else???

dont give a toss what folk think,
there thoughts about you only last for a few moments anyway so dont be afraid to enjoy yourself

think of it like this,
what has the size of the wheels have to do with age anyway!?

fook it.

[Swivel]

Don't worry mate, there's going to be tons of us doing this 3rd of may ride now and i'm sure we'll get some looks but who cares, just enjoy it mate 

[lodge]

I used to go MTBing with a bunch of blokes in their 40's and 50's they were all learning to jump, manual, bunnyhop etc and generally having an awesome time but if you mentioned them having ago at bmx there's no way in the world they would contemplate it, it just makes no sense to me.
BMX deffo has a kids bike stigma to it.
Take my outlaws for example if I say I'm going to a skatepark on my bmx they would say are you not a bit old for that, but if I said I was going off road MTBing they wouldn't give it a second thought.

[Bushwacked]

Take my outlaws for example if I say I'm going to a skatepark on my bmx they would say are you not a bit old for that, but if I said I was going off road MTBing they wouldn't give it a second thought.

Mine are the same! Everyone thinks I'm having a midlife crisis. But if I bought a roadbike (having never owned one) they would just think I was normal!!

[aerostylie]

Well I went out last night on the chrome GT Vertigo, yellow skyways, white wall tyres, old skool numberplate, layback seatpost, , wearing my old skool Yes lid with JT mouthtrap...basically the works.

Got some looks off kids in the park and grown ups and motorists, not sure whether it's cos I's 6ft 2 riding a BMX or whether it 's an unusual sight.  Used to be concerned when I first went out but now I enjoy the buzz (of riding and getting looks   ) and I'm staying fit. No females have chatted me up yet though

I reckon get out and about on your bike enough times and it'll feel like normal

[southern andy]

I went out yesterday with my son. We took two of the old schoolers out through the New Forest and ended up at a little pub called the Beaulieu Rd station for a cider. Then cycled the 5 miles back but i must admit i felt really out of place on it.

Loads of other people were on mountain bikes and there's me on this little 20" kids bike, everyone was staring as if i had three heads. 

[Broggie]

Fook em...I'm 51 and ride Old School BMX and a Raleigh Chopper Mk2, It's my hobby, not theirs...I don't spend all day staring at them just because their partner is ugly 



Ray.

[magna13]

If they gotta problem just tell 'em to jog on basiclly. Would love them to try and ride a bmx good

[firebird4130]

I can sort of understand how it might look slightly strange seeing a strapping great bloke hacking down the road dressed up in a lycra suit and full face straddling a childs bike from the 1980's, could be like seeing a 40 year old woman on a pogo stick wearing a wonder woman costume, boxing gloves and a gumshield  But yeah who cares what people think man

[Swivel]

Quality 

Fook em...I'm 51 and ride Old School BMX and a Raleigh Chopper Mk2, It's my hobby, not theirs...I don't spend all day staring at them just because their partner is ugly 



Ray.

[oldschool rider]

I have jus ridden 7 miles on my 20.  I normally ride street late nite not 9am on a monday, but jus fancied taking the Sub 2day, I sure wasnt ready 4 every1 to stop and stare as i manualled my merry way along,  Does a grown man look so out of place on his whip and does this happen 2 any1 else???

It's normal that the people stare at a 40 year young man on a 20" BMX but it's the perfect age for one.

Let me explain 20"  X 2 = 40 

and the people that stare are just f@@kin jealous that their not that agile anymore, think of it more as a complement and not an insult and just ride, ride, ride.



Steve

p.s I'm not 40 yet but it's only 4 months away. 

[trasher]

had the same thing yesterday ,,,

took my girls down the local park on a new estate ,by the canal

they took there micro scooters i took the kids bike ,,,,i was 13 again ,,popping wheelies ,,bunny hopping every kirb ,,,and some times with a little cross up

its was great to be  rad again ,,the local fishermen where looking at me like i was some sort of freak ,,i say fook em ,,enjoy life 

and to top it off the little park was by some houses still for sale ,and people was being shown around them ,,,,i must of put them off buying one ,,,,seeing a 39 year old flying around on an 80's bmx ,,they must of thought the local nut house was close by 

[Voodoocars]

If I go to the park with the missus and little un I sometimes take the 20"- I'm 41. I bunny hop and whizz around doin 360's on the way and when there I go on the ramps and then do manuals and stuff by the kids play area . I dont feel out of place at all. In fact I feel like I've got something to do while there unlike everyone else just sittin around watching their kids . Everyone looks at me gone out but I notice that a lot of blokes have a look on their faces that says they are dying to have a go... The thing I find now is that the ramps that once were so daunting 2 years ago are completly shite and too small. Kids ramps ha!

[lazychubs]

yep i always get stared at and asked does my son know im riding his bike lol
best was yesterday over rom some kid was trying to jump out of bullet
and his dad videoing him .kid see's me riding ramps and says dad he as old as you lol
he was older .he tried and did the best over the bars ive seen in a while
he did larf and go red

[firebird4130]

funny thing is even when you're 15 on a bmx you get stick from people coming out the pub and stuff saying "do a wheelie" "get a proper bike" and such like so by now I'm used to it. I had some kids saying sh1t the other day "are you mad, do you think you're mad" and all this cr@p, I just thought I'm glad I had something in my life at that age other than going around aimlessly hangin out and dossing, something I still have in my life now

[TwoBobRob]

I've had it forever - I was relatively 'old' when I started at 16 back in 82.  Had the same comments then as I do now. Didn't pay any attention then, nor now!!!  In fact, I'd say I'm prouder of what I do now as it happens.  I work on a building site and there's always a fair amount of raised eyebrows when I say what I do.  Anyone who wants to give me proper grief over it, I just invite them riding with me. They all bottle it. Every one of 'em.

I'm looking forward to manualling around Rom when I'm 50.

[Juju]

Well, when I went out the other weekend for the first time on the almost completed but very rideable resto, a couple of kids - probably about 11 or so in the town centre gave me a thumbs up and shouted "cool bike Mr" as I went past.

Something so old school about a bike in shiny chrome with a gusset and skinny tubing,  with all those old fashioned angles and 36 spoke wheels, that it just looks "retro",  the kids know it isn't some modern cheapo hoffman or goose, hugely overbuild in muddy gothy colours.  They know your not  competing,  but that you were just "there first".

I'm happy to talk to kids about the bike, and most of them don't actually take the piss, becasue you sort of "bridge" the age gap. You can communicate with them as you got something in common, but not so common or close that your infringing on their culture.

Spin them a couple of stories about racing, or how bunnyhopping a few bricks was what you did, they relate to that, and respect the time you spend talking to them.

[jedi]

you only grow old when you stop and the worlds already too full of old people ! 

[Flatcap]

FOOK EM!

Daz. 

[HARODAVE]

I get as many positive responses as i do weird looks ...the great thing about being a 37 year -old on a BMX is that i  don`t care how we`re thought of , as we`re not out to impress at our age ... i went dirt jumping today for the first time in 20 odd years and even though i was nowhere as good as i was b.i.t.d ..i loved any minute of it , despite slamming 3 times ..and i`ll be back out again now i`ve overcome the self-consiousness and the fear of slamming ...i can`t put into words how good it felt to be getting air again .... ..i`m buzzing , but aching and sore , wouldn`t have it any other way  ....sod what people think or say ...get out and ride !!!

[Deano]

I love this thread as everyone is in the same boat and no1 gives a hoot

Me and my mate took my Sekai and my gt dyno out the other day. While riding past a pub alll the people outside smoking were staring and one said "look its the bmx bandits" to which i replied "sorry healthy should i be like you lot and playing 1 arm bandits LOSER"

btw i do still look young enough and im a shorty 33 year old.

[DIRTBIKER250F]

Different sport but same era, the reason i fell in love with Newquay my first time there was because as we drove in some guy must have been 60+ come flying down the side of the van on a skate board with two Tesco bags either side of him. Knew then it was the place for me, been 9 years running now and still love the place