Cycling in Mid and Later Life: Involvement and Benefits Sought from a Bicycle Tour

Abstract

Countering the trend that sport participation decreases with age, there are a number of physically active mid and later life adults who take part in sports events. This study investigated involvement in cycling and benefits sought by participants of an organized bicycle tour. Life cycle and gender analyses were used to frame the study of 417 participants who were surveyed online and by mail after the tour. Both men and women were equally involved in cycling, with mid life participants showing the highest levels. Mid-lifers sought relaxation and later-lifers sought new experiences. There were no significant multivariate effects, but life stage shaped benefits sought among the more highly involved cyclists. Event planners are advised to leverage participant benefits by age.