The rising population of middle-aged men in Lycra has led to a spike in hospitalisations and a doubling in the number of deaths for cyclists aged over 45.
The study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed the number of cyclists aged 45 and over taken to hospital grew by nearly 500 per cent from 728 to over 4000, more than a third of all cycling incidents.
Injury expert Professor James Harrison from Flinders University says the data could be explained by a rise in the participation of older cyclists that are more susceptible to injuries and are less able to bounce back from them at an older age.