You guessed wrong! I biked for sport in France and the bay area. But also for commuting in San Francisco (so dangerous), and Palo Alto for many years.
My reaction was to the 50 km/h, as if the person was cycling at that speed. edit: maybe they meant that below 50 years old you don't need gears.
By the way, France has switched to a 30 km/h limits in towns. Pretty nice for cyclists feeling of safety.