Yesterday I met a very nice man called James who told me that he was a Mamil.
‘A Mamil?’ I said.
‘Yes,’ replied James, ‘I’ve become a Mamil – a Middle Aged Man in Lycra!’
James is a very keen cyclist, spending his weekends out in the country, lycra clad, cycling around the highways and byways, thinking nothing of riding 30 miles or more. Apparently, this is a growing trend.
Research by Mintel shows that there has been a surge in the number of middle aged men like James who are forsaking their ‘midlife crisis’ sports cars, designer jeans and younger women and buying a bicycle instead. According to Mintel, the past few years have seen the rise of the ultra techno, full carbon fibre, sexy looking road bike. The market for these bikes is expanding rapidly, helped in no small part by the Beijing Olympics and some smart marketing. And Mamils are leading the way.
It’s a very healthy option, I’m sure. Not an inexpensive one, though. James has spent nearly £4,000 on his bicycle and accessories - his new lycra wardrobe, cycling helmet, gloves etc have set him back another few hundred pounds. He loves the look and loves the freedom of the open air and mixing with other Mamils.
As a spokesperson for people in midlife, will I be joining James? Er, probably not. I think I’ll stick to riding my mountain bike to the pub occasionally, on sunny days and leave the lycra to the Mamils!
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Rob Horlock has established The Mid Life Opportunity (www.midlifeop.com), a community for people in Midlife. Advice and Guidance is available from The Mid Life Coaching Panel. It’s free to join - click here
What a fun post. It's sometimes fun to see others express their passion so openly.
ReplyDeleteI've moved into "maturity" with a more subtle approach... without a lot of fanfare. However, it doesn't mean I'm without passion for new experiences in my life. I'm just the quiet sort.
A better pursuit than the other midlife crisis bikers.
ReplyDeleteIf they dont kill themselves, its someone else