[telemike]

A message to the bike businesses that make all this great and expensive stuff. The guys that started mountain biking as a thing are now getting into their sixties and seventies. We're still riding and hope to ride forever. However, there are lots of companies out there that seem to think all riders are 25 with ideal bodies. There are two products that have been especially problematic for me. You likely have encountered issues too.

Handlebars. There has been thread after thread about wrist, elbow, and shoulder pain in the old farts forum and this one. I've now got Surly Terminal bars on my FS bike to try to match the angle and height of the grips to my hands where they naturally fall on the bars but 35 degrees is too much sweep and my hands still hit badly, just opposite of the stock bars. Too much sweep after too little sweep. Fatback made a bar with 16 degrees of sweep but it doesn't seem to be available. SQ labs comes close. We older folks need a range of bars with sweeps from about 15 to 20 degrees to complement the narrow assortment of swept back bars that typically sweep 25 to even 45 degrees.

Shoes. As people get older, arches fail (from abuse in my case) and feet get longer and wider. At this point, the only shoes that fit at all comfortably are some of the Lake shoes that come in a wide. We need an assortment of widths to fit older feet and there are a lot of older riders - just hit the trails on a weekday and you'll see us.

So, get with the picture and serve this growing portion of the mtb community and make some money while doing it.

Anyone got anything to add to this list?

 

[Taroroot]

and make some money while doing it.

Anyone got anything to add to this list?

Therein lies the rub, to convince a company theres enough of a market to turn a good profit. I think its too small for many to look at. It kind of goes to the small batch one off custom guys who will charge accordingly.
for me currently i dont have much issues. Only thing is my vision, which applies to everytging i do. Last couple years went witg progressive glasses, witg mixed results.
I have issues witg shoe fitting, but thats not an age thing, its a low volume but normal width foot thing all my life.

 

[Scott O]

Bigger scrotums. Someone had to say it.

 

[dysfunction]

Bigger scrotums. Someone had to say it.

Comes in handy on a chilly winter night.

 

[Nat]

Bigger scrotums. Someone had to say it.

Comes in handy on a chilly winter night.

Dammit you guys...

 

[r-rocket]

The ads with 25 year olds with ideal bodies are supposed to make you believe that if you buy their product, you will be transformed into a 25 year old with an ideal body too.....

 

[spaightlabs]

A message to the bike businesses that make all this great and expensive stuff. The guys that started mountain biking as a thing are now getting into their sixties and seventies. We're still riding and hope to ride forever. However, there are lots of companies out there that seem to think all riders are 25 with ideal bodies. There are two products that have been especially problematic for me. You likely have encountered issues too.

Handlebars. There has been thread after thread about wrist, elbow, and shoulder pain in the old farts forum and this one. I've now got Surly Terminal bars on my FS bike to try to match the angle and height of the grips to my hands where they naturally fall on the bars but 35 degrees is too much sweep and my hands still hit badly, just opposite of the stock bars. Too much sweep after too little sweep. Fatback made a bar with 16 degrees of sweep but it doesn't seem to be available. SQ labs comes close. We older folks need a range of bars with sweeps from about 15 to 20 degrees to complement the narrow assortment of swept back bars that typically sweep 25 to even 45 degrees.

Shoes. As people get older, arches fail (from abuse in my case) and feet get longer and wider. At this point, the only shoes that fit at all comfortably are some of the Lake shoes that come in a wide. We need an assortment of widths to fit older feet and there are a lot of older riders - just hit the trails on a weekday and you'll see us.

So, get with the picture and serve this growing portion of the mtb community and make some money while doing it.

Anyone got anything to add to this list?

Sounds like a commercial opportunity for you

Fund it and help some whippersnapper grow it.

 

[wgscott]

It might be helpful to point out that the Boomer generation has managed to hoard most of the wealth in the US and is the only generation capable of paying the insanely exorbitant prices the industry demands in any sort of sustainable fashion.

BTW, drop bars are the answer to your first question, arch supports to the second.

 

[spaightlabs]

It might be helpful to point out that the Boomer generation has managed to hoard most of the wealth in the US and is the only generation capable of paying the insanely exorbitant prices the industry demands in any sort of sustainable fashion.

BTW, drop bars are the answer to your first question, arch supports to the second.

Drop bars on a full suspension mt bike? Interesting idea. not a good idea, but interesting.

 

[dysfunction]

Fwiw, I really do appreciate the sqlabs bars, even at 12° they make a difference...

 

[underblu]

It might be helpful to point out that the Boomer generation has managed to hoard most of the wealth in the US and is the only generation capable of paying the insanely exorbitant prices the industry demands in any sort of sustainable fashion.

BTW, drop bars are the answer to your first question, arch supports to the second.

I‘m not a Boomer but I really don’t understand how an attack on an age group is productive or “helpful” Hording wealth brah? Is that what you call it. Typically wealth accumulates over time: hard work, saving and investing. Therefore typically, the older you get the wealthier.

You can also take a walk around Silicon Valley. Plenty of newly minted millionaire millennials. If you think bike prices are exorbitant, try to buy a modest house there.

The pursuit of financial security for many is part of their pursuit of happiness regardless of age. There are alternatives, Cuba, Venezuela, the former Soviet Union, but things didin‘t work out so well in those socialist utopias where ”wealth hording” was officially frowned upon.

 

[chazpat]

…and they can't take it with them.

Boomer here, btw.

 

[spaightlabs]

For the record - we aren't hoarding our wealth, we are spending it on toys and other fun stuff, but the dang stock market and real estate just keep increasing in value.

Boomer problems regards,

 

[Gasp4Air]

... the Boomer generation has managed to hoard most of the wealth in the US ...
... drop bars are the answer.

May we assume if you had more money you'd give it away? As stated, you save and save and hopefully end up with something to retire on.

Drop bars are not a good answer. Great for sitting and pedaling on road of gravel, but ill suited for wrestling rocks and roots.

 

[D. Inoobinati]

Aren't eMtbs tailor made for the older, wealthy, bonerless set?

 

[chazpat]

Bigger scrotums. Someone had to say it.

Didn't they already fix that for us with sloping top tubes?

 

[Roge]

It might be helpful to point out that the Boomer generation has managed to hoard most of the wealth in the US....

For the record - we aren't hoarding our wealth, we are spending it on toys and other fun stuff....

Hmm, do you see any cause and effect relationship here? Coming from a late Boomer And I have decent toys....

 

[wgscott]

You can also take a walk around Silicon Valley.

That's a quick trip to the Santa Clara County morgue.

 

[BansheeRune]

A message to the bike businesses that make all this great and expensive stuff. The guys that started mountain biking as a thing are now getting into their sixties and seventies. We're still riding and hope to ride forever. However, there are lots of companies out there that seem to think all riders are 25 with ideal bodies. There are two products that have been especially problematic for me. You likely have encountered issues too.

Handlebars. There has been thread after thread about wrist, elbow, and shoulder pain in the old farts forum and this one. I've now got Surly Terminal bars on my FS bike to try to match the angle and height of the grips to my hands where they naturally fall on the bars but 35 degrees is too much sweep and my hands still hit badly, just opposite of the stock bars. Too much sweep after too little sweep. Fatback made a bar with 16 degrees of sweep but it doesn't seem to be available. SQ labs comes close. We older folks need a range of bars with sweeps from about 15 to 20 degrees to complement the narrow assortment of swept back bars that typically sweep 25 to even 45 degrees.

Shoes. As people get older, arches fail (from abuse in my case) and feet get longer and wider. At this point, the only shoes that fit at all comfortably are some of the Lake shoes that come in a wide. We need an assortment of widths to fit older feet and there are a lot of older riders - just hit the trails on a weekday and you'll see us.

So, get with the picture and serve this growing portion of the mtb community and make some money while doing it.

Anyone got anything to add to this list?

Do the custom bar thing. Then you can have what suits you.

 

[Nick_M]

A message to the bike businesses that make all this great and expensive stuff. The guys that started mountain biking as a thing are now getting into their sixties and seventies. We're still riding and hope to ride forever. However, there are lots of companies out there that seem to think all riders are 25 with ideal bodies. There are two products that have been especially problematic for me. You likely have encountered issues too.

Handlebars. There has been thread after thread about wrist, elbow, and shoulder pain in the old farts forum and this one. I've now got Surly Terminal bars on my FS bike to try to match the angle and height of the grips to my hands where they naturally fall on the bars but 35 degrees is too much sweep and my hands still hit badly, just opposite of the stock bars. Too much sweep after too little sweep. Fatback made a bar with 16 degrees of sweep but it doesn't seem to be available. SQ labs comes close. We older folks need a range of bars with sweeps from about 15 to 20 degrees to complement the narrow assortment of swept back bars that typically sweep 25 to even 45 degrees.

Shoes. As people get older, arches fail (from abuse in my case) and feet get longer and wider. At this point, the only shoes that fit at all comfortably are some of the Lake shoes that come in a wide. We need an assortment of widths to fit older feet and there are a lot of older riders - just hit the trails on a weekday and you'll see us.

So, get with the picture and serve this growing portion of the mtb community and make some money while doing it.

Anyone got anything to add to this list?

People have different body shapes, issues with legs/arms/shoulders/etc across any age group due to genetics or past injuries;

In order to address them, people shop around and buy bike that fit them well, and other part of equipment such as helmet or shoes that fit them perfectly well;

there are gazzilion of options;

as an example squab handlebar could pe perfect fit for person on 1 bike and total nightmare on another based on bike geometry etc;

it is not about the age it is about diversity across human being, and properly fitted equipment