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Original poster

Is it unusual to be an adult and not have a bike?

115 replies

TheKitchenWitch · 06/10/2023 14:07

It came up at a work thing recently, where we were asked to bring in our bicycles for an event, and I was the only one who doesn't have one.

We live on top of a hill, so there's nowhere I'd easily be able to cycle to (or rather, I could whizz down the hill but getting home again would be a bugger). But even when we lived in a village down in the valley, I would either walk to local places or drive to ones further away. And I've never been one for cycling for pleasure - it's just not something I'd ever do. Had a bike as a kid and then at some point in my teens outgrew it and that was that.
DH i s super fit and goes mountain biking, but that's different - he'll often drive to get to good biking trails, but he'd never just cycle around on roads.

Is that unusual? Do most adults really have (and use) bicycles?

OP posts:
comfyshoes2022 · 06/10/2023 14:07

It’s not unusual where I live.

WombTangClan · 06/10/2023 14:08

I don't have a bike. I have nowhere to store one

Latenightreader · 06/10/2023 14:08

I know quite a lot of adults who don’t have one and I live in Cambridge, cycle central! Technically I do have one, but it is scrap (condemned by the repair man) and needs taking to the tip…

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Cycling
LadyDanburysHat · 06/10/2023 14:09

I live in a big cycling area, and I know lots of people without bikes. I wouldn't have thought it that usually for adults to have one unless they were into biking or used one for commuting.

We do in our house as we like family bike rides, but certainly not the same for friends.

Crabacus · 06/10/2023 14:10

I don't have one either. I find cycling really uncomfortable so have never really done it.
DH has several to make up for my lack!

EfficientlyDecluttering · 06/10/2023 14:15

I've got one, very rarely use it as everywhere I go is too close to be worth getting it out or too far away. No idea if most people I know have them or not.

IsadoraQuagmire · 06/10/2023 14:18

Not at all unusual!

lljkk · 06/10/2023 14:19

It's unusual in some workplaces.

I have a petrolhead colleague who is constantly challenging parking tickets. He rants about the latest or we'd overhear his calls to the would-be-parking charger. I'd be amazed if he owned a pushbike.

theduchessofspork · 06/10/2023 14:20

No

I mean lots of people do but I think more don’t.

needanemptynest · 06/10/2023 14:21

I haven't ridden a bike since I was 16 and can't see I will again.

ColleenDonaghy · 06/10/2023 14:21

Very normal not to have one surely. I haven't since I was about 12.

Needmorelego · 06/10/2023 14:21

I live in a area full of hills, far too much traffic for me to feel safe and I don't have anywhere to store one (I live in a flat).
So no....I don't have a bike.

TheFlis · 06/10/2023 14:22

I don’t, and the only people I know who do either commute by bike or actively cycle long distances as hobby.

Lizzieregina · 06/10/2023 14:24

I’ve never owned a bike in my life!

My kids had them so if I wanted to go for a cycle I could, but I imagine loads of adults don’t have one.

DrinkingMyWaterMindingMyBiz · 06/10/2023 14:26

Not unusual at all! The last time I owned a bike was when I was 13.

specialguest · 06/10/2023 14:26

I dont because I live in a city, and you need to be either mad or extremely brave to cycle on some of the roads here! I used to have one but used it so rarely that I didn't replace it when it died (of rust).

WogansHen · 06/10/2023 14:28

We live near a popular tourist holiday cycling trail. Judging by the visitors it's not unusual to only cycle badly once a year. There's a few solo, all the gear, whipping past then a lot of wobblers on hire bikes, in the wrong gear, with badly fitting hats.
We're in the minority , the casual, no need for a helmet on a cycle only trail, chat and ride one handed group.

WhatNoRaisins · 06/10/2023 14:28

I don't have one. While it's a perfectly normal thing for an adult to own it's odd to assume that everyone has one.

gerteddy · 06/10/2023 14:29

Not where I am is say it's the other way around.

If cycling is ur hobby then yes but I actually don't know any adult friends or family that have a bike.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 06/10/2023 14:30

Most of my friends have them but I think that's because, until recently, we lived in Cambridgeshire so it was very flat, and Cambridge is much more cycle friendly than most towns.

I'd imagine a lot of adults don't have them, especially if they don't have garage or somewhere to store them.

BertieBotts · 06/10/2023 14:32

I'd imagine more adults don't than do in the UK.

Everyone seems to have one here in Germany but in the UK it's not as common to cycle at all.

Graciebobcat · 06/10/2023 14:35

No, it's not unusual, I didn't have one between the ages of about 14 and 28 and it's a bit of a privileged assumption to assume that employees would a) have a bike and b) a place to store a bike or even c) be able to ride a bike as some people can't due to dyspraxia, age, lack of fitness, poor health or other conditions.

I do have one now but don't really use it.

NoraLuka · 06/10/2023 14:37

I have one now but didn’t for years in my 20s/30s. Lots of my friends seem to have bikes but only use them a couple of times a year.

spookehtooth · 06/10/2023 14:41

I don't drive and mostly cycle or walk, most people I know don't own one so definitely not unusual. You'll probably feel a lot less different if you ask them how often they use it. Most people are hobby riders I think. My pair of bicycles are work horses, cheap and reliable, most of my money on them goes into owning a good set of tools, enough to do all the repairs myself.

Not really bikes you'd be showing off. That might change a bit with the ebike conversion kit I've bought for my full sized 26" wheel folding bike. I'm hoping that will be a thing of practical beauty for hybrid bus/train/cycling exploration. I already enjoy surprising train staff who challenge me on whether I got a ticket for it by responding "don't need one, it folds mate"

TerfTalking · 06/10/2023 14:42

I live in a hilly part of Yorkshire, onky sporty people ride bikes. Mum comes from York, everyone has a bike and uses it frequently.