Meet the Retirees Cycling Into Their Golden Years

15.03.2024 - 16:01 / cntraveler.com

Morag Mottram, 67, and her husband Jim, 69, of Alberta, Canada had no plans to retire in South Florida and fill their days with bridge and pickleball. Nor did they intend to drive off into the sunset in a shiny Airstream trailer when it came time to hang up their work badges. Instead, this graying, convention-flouting couple set off on two wheels. A pedal-powered approach to life based on many days and weekends spent cycling led them to a small group adventure with Wilderness Scotland, riding across the Outer Hebrides, a scenic cluster of islands off the west coast of Scotland known for rugged hills, barren moorlands, and wind-swept beaches. It was just the start of many such trips to come.

Morag and Jim are far from alone. According to AARP's 50+ Cycling Survey, more older people are biking, and most who cycle do so at least three to five times per week. This 2020 survey found that COVID-19 motivated many older adults to start bicycling more often. Tour operators are taking notice, says the owner of Senior Cycling, a bike tour company catering to riders age 50+.

The rise in e-bikes, meanwhile, has made it easier for these bike-loving retirees to travel greater distances—including on multi-day itineraries. According to Backroads, 25% of their guests opted for e-bikes in 2019, which led the company to add e-bike only tours. Today, Backroads offers 11 dedicated e-bike tours in North America and Europe. As demand has ticked up, particularly among older adults eager to stay active later in life, Backroads has grown their fleet of e-bikes to more than 4,500. Wilderness Scotland, meanwhile, offers dedicated e-bike tours, on trips to the Orkney Isles and Outer Hebrides.

According to AARP's 50+ Cycling Survey, more older people are biking—including with tour operators such as Backroads.

But there are many retirees who are passionate about cycling in any form, electric or old-school. At home between travels, the Mottrams may ride their bikes 5 to 10 miles on any given day—a bike trip, by contrast, allows the possibility for 20 to 50 miles logged daily, amid ever-changing scenery. “We’ve always liked exploring on bikes,” says Morag. “You’re in the fresh air and you’re experiencing the landscape first-hand, as opposed to being behind the windshield of a bus or a car. You’re getting more of a sense of where you are,” adds Jim, finishing Morag’s thought.

“You can see a lot of things when you’re walking, but when you’re on a bicycle you can see things that you just never knew existed."

Guided trips mean you pay for a near seamless adventure, and importantly, do not have to be the one in charge. It's a welcome change after years of work. While the Mottrams enjoy planning two-wheeled adventures, they also appreciate