Lifetime Sport

Cycling is a lifetime sport, right?

"It's like riding a bike" pretty much covers it, no?

Golf usually makes most lists of lifetime sports as well.  A few days ago my Dad turned 70.  My gift to him was a round of golf.  My parents picked up golf about 30 years ago and continue to play a lot, usually more than once a week.  They are both really, seriously, good.  Dad shoots right around par from the whites with mom not far behind from the red tees.  They've both always been good but my mom in particular seems to be playing some of the best golf I can remember.  In no way has age slowed them down or affected the way they golf, beyond that they now do usually ride in a cart.  Even that is forced more by Mom's previous sports injuries than by age per se.

I 'used' to golf, the way I ride bikes now.  I learned how to play from Dad and have played thousands of rounds with him over the years.  That said, I have only averaged 3-4 rounds a year with literally no practicing over the last 5.

After a couple of holes on Dad's birthday we were both under par.  Recently when we play we've made a game where we play match play on the back 9 with a handicap based on our relative scores on the front.  The match was close.  We both hit great shots that worked out and some that didn't, rolled in some birdie putts.  I got robbed on 14 when the green didn't accept the shot as I expected with a pitching wedge and fell 2 down in the match, but responded with a birdie on the 15th.  The 17th was a 170 yard par 3 and I was one down with two to go and the honors.  I hit a decent shot to the middle of the green then 70 year old dad hit it to 1".  We didn't play 18.  Instead, we skipped back to number 3 and played 3-9 again because we were having so much fun.

Does cycling match up to that definition of 'lifetime sport'?  As much as I want it to I don't know if I see it.