What's one activity that is growing among Americans 45 years and older, while it declines among the population as a whole? Bicycle riding.

The finding is in a report entitled "Global Aging and Sports: The Impact of Aging of the World's Population on the World of Sports." It was prepared by The Consilience Group, LLC, for SBRnet, a Princeton, New Jersey-based sports marketing research firm.

I'm a little surprised in the findings that bicycling has declined among the population as a whole since the early 1990s. However, the National Bicycle Dealers Association reports that the peak participation year for cycling was 1992 with 54.6 million participants. The most recent estimates available are for 2002, when 41.4 million Americans took to their bicycles. Sales figures, however, show steady growth. ...   more »