Cycling has become serious senior leisure

Cycling seems to have become a serious recreational retirement pastime in Green Valley over the past few years, taking its place alongside golf, tennis and swimming among seniors who want to stay in shape as they age.

Its exploding popularity prompted us to put together a series of cycling stories this summer to try to give readers some more insight into the people and their passion for the sport.

Fueled in part by higher gasoline prices, limited traffic, a great Southern Arizona climate and a “go green” attitude sweeping the country, Green Valley residents have discovered the pleasures of street, back road, and mountain biking, with groups getting together for organized rides, or singles and couples who prefer to pedal to the gym, courts or pool — or just want to get some fresh air while they exercise.

There are two bike shops here now, and several in Tucson, where folks can find comfort, touring, or retro cycles from two or three hundred dollars, to serious equipment for the road or trails in the high hundreds to a few thousand.

Whether it’s a unique low-riding three-wheeler, a rugged full-suspension rut runner, a sleek high-speed road machine, or just a tool-around two-wheeler with no frills, there is something for everybody who wants to get into it.

Cycling can be especially appealing and beneficial to seniors, given its health benefits as a low-impact activity.

It can be helpful for arthritis in lower limbs while toning them, and is considered an excellent contributor to cardiovascular fitness.

Although there are risks, especially on the open road or in town traffic areas, local enthusiasts have lobbied consistently and successfully in recent years to create and maintain bike lanes, and nearly every part of Green Valley has been kept relatively safe for cyclists because of it, plus new equipment has surfaced over the years, including aerodynamic helmets, reflective clothing, shocks and comfort features, and smooth-shifting gear systems that make it easier and safer to ride.

Desert back roads and newly created trails near neighborhoods provide some challenging mountain biking experiences for those who want somewhat more aggressive exercise, and the fact that Green Valley is a community with dozens of homeowners association streets with little car traffic throughout the day only adds to the opportunities for anyone thinking about taking up the hobby.

Lance Armstrong, the only person to win seven Tours de France, has elevated himself to an American sports icon, putting people on more bicycle seats than any advertising or technological advances could ever do, and according to Popular Science, four million Americans ride regularly, and that number grows steadily as cities, towns, and municipalities continue to create bike-friendly areas and adjust road and highway configurations to accommodate them.

Portland, Ore., just recently replaced Copenhagen as the second-most bike-friendly city in the world (Amsterdam is number one). In some California cities, more people bike to work than drive, and even crowded New York has an estimated 100,000 commuting cyclists a day — more than any other city in North America.

There are lots of Green Valley cyclists who will tell you how few miles they put on the cars anymore because a recreation center, tennis court, or even the store is only a short bike ride away. Some fitness enthusiasts, aka gym rats, have abandoned the treadmill or stationary bike inside for the commute from home to fitness room and back in the fresh air.

Athletes in other sports often cross-train with a bike, and their use as a rehabilitative tool for sports injuries, and any physical therapy need for that matter, is now widely known and accepted.

Perhaps one of the articles in the series will motivate a reader to ride.

If so, it’s worth our effort in publishing them, and yours in reading them.

Mike Touzeau is a freelance writer for the Green Valley News.