Flashy sports cars are out, now no mid-life crisis is complete without a souped-up road bike. Why? Every weekend, across the nation’s rolling countryside, watch out for the Mamils: middle-aged men in lycra.

Research conducted by the retail analyst Mintel suggests there has been a surge in the number of middle-aged men choosing to get on two wheels.

Given the number of men aged 35-44 who are buying fancy-pants road racing machines, is this a 21st Century mid-life crisis? Has the silence of skinny tyres and carbon fibre framesets replaced the thunderous noise of motorbikes?

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