If you don't already know, this acronym has nothing to do with overweight mammals but with Middle Age Men in Lycra. Seems in the West, this trend of men in their mid-life crisis years instead of getting that red Porsche convertible, swipe their Platinum Visas for the latest Pinarello Dogma and expensive lycra suits.
The BBC ran an article a few months back about MAMIL
here.
In Singapore, we do see them early on Saturday and Sunday mornings, hitting the Thomson/Mandai route in wolf packs and its quite common here in Perth as well. My take is that so long as people, young and not so young, are discovering or rediscovering the joy of being on a saddle, this must be encouraged and affirmed. Cycling is for everyone but the focus must be fixed on the pleasure of the cycling experience rather than it becoming a one up-manship game on who has the newest and the lightest.
Speaking on behalf of the folding world, I guess we are not as hung up on maintaining that "sporty and cool image." By opting to ride a "circus" bike that sometimes make kids laugh, we already are comfortable with our rock solid self-esteem. But please marketeers, do not call us MAMOF - Middle Age Men on Foldies...