Bikes Are Back......Bigtime

By Francine Russo

Remember when you pedaled that first bike down the block? When you took off on your own--faster and farther than ever before? Freedom and fun: that's what people most remember when they return to cycling later, says Dave Glowacz, author of Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips. In the seniors' riding courses he teaches at the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, Glowacz has seen a burst of 25% to 30% in over-50 riders just in the past year. Nationally, more than 7 million riders who are over 50--including 3 million over 60--have taken to two wheels, according to the League of American Bicyclists.

Cycling suits both the gung-ho exercisers whose knees can no longer take the shock of running and the flabby layabouts who are finally heeding doctors' advice about the heart-protecting, cholesterol-lowering benefits of aerobic exercise. Gabe Mirkin, a sports-medicine physician in Kensington, Md., testifies that pedaling's smooth, rotary motion is safe for your knees. "I used to be a marathoner," he says. "Now that I'm 65, I can't run 400 yards. But I can still ride 20 to 25 miles."

While bikes are back, they're not your father's Schwinn or Raleigh. Since his day, bikes moved from the road or racing models, with their skinny tires and hunched-over riders, to mountain or off-road bikes on which cyclists in a half-upright position rolled on fat, nubby tires, cushioned by front and rear suspension. Then came the hybrid, combining tall, medium-width tires and a broad seat with springs, allowing for an upright riding position. Now comes the ultimate body-coddling machine: the "comfort" model. It marries the seat, tires and upright ride of the hybrid with the shock absorption of the mountain bike. The industry's fastest-growing category, comfort bikes now make up 40% of the line at Raleigh and are becoming standard for other makers. "They've combined the technology of mountain bikes with the surefootedness of the Eisenhower-era models," observes Paul Rinehart of Spoke Bicycles in Williamstown, Mass. Some companies even make comfort tandems, which boomers are buying in droves, often to lure less fit partners into riding along while fostering togetherness.

Comfort bikers ride at a 70[degree]-to-90[degree]angle and pedal easily. Many models offer shock absorbers on both the front and the seat post for a smoother ride. Some let you make stem adjustments to change the angle of your ride and your reach. Most glorious of all for riders who remember the pain of pedaling on those narrow racing saddles: new wide contoured seats, available in a variety of body-fitting configurations. Since people's sit bones are in different places in their pelvises, each saddle has its own fervent fans. "Comfort," says Spoke's Rinehart, "is in the butt of the beholder." For ease of body and mind, many new bikes are equipped with easy-grip handlebar gearshifts and an easier-to-read gear display mounted right in front.

Even more improvements are on the way for this expanding market. Roger Minkow, M.D., who created the Body Geometry saddle for Specialized bike and component maker, will soon be offering another ergonomic design: a rubber grip on handlebars with a built-in suspension system to eliminate vibration on your ulnar nerve, which extends from the underside of your forearm to your pinkie and ring finger. When you grasp the handlebars long and hard, you pinch this nerve. Result: ouch!

Even now you can get an awfully cushy ride--on one of the new high-tech recumbents, which are suddenly taking off in popularity. On this baby, you ride low, spine against a backrest, legs raised to pedal. It does take some getting used to, though, because you depend more on your leg muscles, and the steering and balance can be a bit tricky at first. Recumbent fans swear these roadsters can eliminate every physical obstacle to cycling, from neck pain to sciatica. They're also easier to pedal, Dr. Mirkin explains, because they use the higher, more muscular section of your hamstrings, which is less susceptible to injury. One believer is Dave Glowacz, who raves, "It's like riding in a lawn chair." Perhaps next year's version will come equipped with a mattress and those magic massage fingers--to cure our aches before we even have them!

--With reporting by Anne Moffett/Washington

With reporting by Anne Moffett/Washington