I was riding around on my neighborhood bike (sears free spirit) in 1989. The bike wsa green, air in the tires, seemed ok to me. Bought a newer Schwinn for daughter. Everything about her bike was better. Went out and bought a Schwin Traveler with cool wrap. I thought i was fine. Then, guy on my bowling team said you should ride with us...so i did and went on an 18 mile ride that went out beyond the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Greg was nailing it on the TDF. Went out the next day and bought a Bianchi road bike. I was fine for a few months and then realized...what would it be like to ride a bike like the pros ride.

Did not know much about bikes but knew that i had to have an E. Merkcx (7-11) or Serotta (Coors Lite). Davis Phinney was cool. Went with Serotta and never looked back.

I was an Air Force firefighter in Florida the mid 90s and was a workout/gym rat. Golf had been/was my previous passion and I carried a 2 handicap. Cycling would later completely cure me of my Golf obsession.

A good friend of mine, who has since past away, started taking me out on MTBs and beat me like a red headed step child every single time we went out. I would learn to appreciate that Eric was a very good MTBer, and an even better friend. Anyhow, I was hooked and being the obsessive personality I was dove headlong into the sport, racing MTBs for 5 years... until being introduced to road bikes. The accessibility of rides, speed of the bike, number of miles traversed, and dynamics of group rides and races hooked me line and sinker.

At the end of the day, other than spending time with my boys, nothing brings me the joy or release of a bike ride. Whether hammering alone at the limit, or sharing a slow ride with a good friend, talking the hours away.

Like many, used the 10 speed as a main mode of transportation for much of HS (I didn't get my license until the summer after I graduated). I rode a lot on that bike to jobs, and around the neighborhood, and trying to get a glimpse of a cute girl who lived 4 or 5 miles away...

Rode a bit during college - but not too much, except during summer jaunts (nothing too long or serious).

Started riding more when I moved back to NH a couple of years post college - usually lunch time riding with people at work, but some commuting during nice summer days.

First long distance rides came about 5 years post college, when a work buddy convinced me to do RAGBRAI ('93, I think) - and then followed up in '94 with DW and a couple of other work folks.

Never raced (except for a few triathlons), and never really done any more long distance touring - but I'd say I've put 1500 to 3000 MPY pretty consistently on the bike for the last 15-20 years from spring to fall.

Spin Class
 

3 years ago after years of sedentary lifestyle, I joined 24 fitness to lose weight. 3 months later I was 20 lbs. lighter. The instructor recommended that we join her on the Tour de Poway a month away. I thought I was super fit so I bought an aluminum bike 27 lb triple (too long of a top tube I found out weeks later). I rode the bike to the gym about 5 times; a 5 mile round trip. I rode to the start with lights blinking, a white cotton long sleeve shirt over a borrowed 5 year old jersey and spin shorts with thin padding. I also had chocolate bar, wrapped pastry and snacks in my jersey pockets plus 2 full water bottles.

I was signed up for the 50 miler. I've never seen so many cyclists, I was excited. I cramped on mile 17 and could not pedal out of the saddle from then on. Except for the descents and flats, I was in the granny for over half of the ride. Many people passed me. I never stopped at the aid stations cause I was ignorant and didn't know any better. I didn't stop till Carlsbad and only because I ran out of water. I didn't eat any of my food cause I was scared to steer with one hand. I stopped again at the next aid station cause I was hungry. I ate my chocolate bar which was melting and tried some of the food they had. My shirt was drenched and heavy.

I cramped so badly on the hills I was tempted to call my wife to pick me up but I somehow convinced myself that if I finished, I could do anything. My neck hurt, my butt ached, my back was in pain and my toes were also cramping. Anyway I ended up riding almost 9 hours 103 miles cause I didn't know where to go and just followed people. I was never so happy to see the finish line. All the suffering I endured seemed to go away. When I got home I took some ibuprofen and slept till the afternoon the next day.

I'm happy to say that was the turning point of my life in regards to my health and cycling. From zero bike miles to about 6000 miles a year did wonders for my speed. I can now do the same ride in about 6 1/2 hrs and at 123 lbs I can climb a little bit faster.

To me this is Ive worked in bike shops, to get people to get fit, stay there, and have fun doing what we love-pedalling our butts off. Good on you, keep it up.

Great stories!! Thank you for sharing. :cool:



William

I was always the super skinny quiet kid on the soccer field...I developed reasonable ball skills but never had much endurance or speed in spite of periodically running for fitness.

I had a track coach really help my speed while training me for 100 meter high hurdles, but it all came to a stop when I broke my toe (the first of many).

In an effort to hang onto speed and fitness, I started riding my bike, a three mile loop that exhausted me at a 15 mph pace.

Then it was six miles. Then twelve. Then twenty. Soccer season rolled around and I opted out, instead kept riding. My dad, sensing the change, finally relented on soccer and bought me a racing bike, a Motobecane Jubilee Sport.

Twenty a day tuned into thirty, and by a miraculous coincidence a kid in my high school raced for a local team. He and I started riding together.

My first taste of racing was getting my doors blown off in a local Tuesday Night crit series. I was hooked. There have been periods in my life when I dabbled in other sports, but I've always come back to cycling.

BL

Love....
I fell for a girl who lived many miles away. I couldn't afford a car.
So I bought a Raleigh and rode over to just hold hands and then ride back.
Then I fell in love with riding. It keeps me grounded.
Also I have two brothers who fell in love with riding.
Maybe it is the Dutch genes?
We still ride a century together every fall.
Was luckiy to be schooled by excellent racres in the 80's.

I grew up in the Berkeley CA hills riding a 1960 Royce Union, English 3 speed. We could keep up with traffic on the down hills.

Went to college at Chico CA. Everyone had a campus cruser 10 speed. I borrowed one and rode in that amazing park by the creek. I couldn't believe 10 miles could go by so quickly.

Bought a Campy-equiped Falcon and road one Summer all over South Lake Tahoe. Spent two years in the Army and rode all over Marin County CA.

While sprinting in traffic I met a CAT 1 racer who encouraged me to come out and ride and then race.

That was 35 years ago. There was no turning back.

Bump!

That time again. Any of the newer members want to share?







William

Did not read back to see whether i had already posted. Anyway -

It was 1989, Bought daughter a bike at a good shop. Her bike was nicer than my sears ride around the neighborhood bike. So, got a nicer ride around the neighborhood bike. Then, Tour de Trump came to downtown Baltimore. You could hear the chains whrrrrrrrr when the bikes rode by, I had seen good stuff before, but had never seen anything like that (Sebring, etc.). Fell for it. Sold the neighborhood bike and bought a Bianchi. Wanted sonething better and had to decide...went for serotta over merckx. Did not look back. No regrets.

In the mid-60s to mid-70s we were just kids and we just road our bikes. Sting-Rays then three-speeds and one day Dad spent a good part of his take home pay buying me and my older brother new 1973 Schwinn Super Sports in Opaque Blue. We rode these everywhere and all-day long if possible. We'd just get together with buddies and ride to the nearby small towns in the area. We called these "bike-hikes".

My Super Sport was stolen within six months in broad daylight as it was locked on the front porch (my brother still has his to this day -- he kept his locked in the back) so I was on my own for a replacement. I was swayed by the vibrant lime green color of a mid/lower level Motobecane Mirage. Rode it on a 100-mile overnighter to Stockton Lake with a buddy who had a 15-speed Lambert. It was heavy, but what did I know? I finally discovered that cranks weren't supposed to be the one-piece Varsity level or cottered steel. I picked up a used Fuji Special Road racer that was a bit too tall and rode the heck out of it. No racing ... just riding.

A buddy in high-school had a nice bike and knew all the buzz words (some were magical like Campagnolo ...) so I saved my busboy pay and bought a new 1975 Peugeot PX-10. Since I had no interest in racing, I left the sew-ups with wired/soldered spokes at the shop and ordered some "touring" wheels from Bike Warehouse (now Nashbar). I rode that bike everywhere for almost a decade -- long road rides, to work, in all weather -- I just loved it.

I eventually met "the" girl, we got married and moved way out in the country far from paved roads. I sold the Peugeot to a buddy at work. This was in 1983 and mountain bikes were new at the time here in the Ozarks. The only one I borrowed and tried to ride offroad was an '82 Univega Alpina Sport with a geometery that left something to be desired.

So ... I had kids and got fat.

In the mid-1990s I was into vintage VWs and found a nice Schwinn Sting-Ray at a car swap. I bought it for my son ... well for both of us really. This started me on a mid-life attempt to recreate my youth by progressing through the bikes I had as a kid until I finally stepped up to that Schwinn Paramount that I lusted for in 1973 when picking out the Super Sport.

I rode it some, but not really that much. I bought a few other nice vintage lightweights (top end Schwinns, Raleighs, Motobecanes, Peugeots, Treks, Specializeds, Bridgestones, Ritcheys, Mercian, Tesch built John Howard, etc.) and though I did ride them, I didn't really put too many miles on any of them -- I was just a collector. At this point I was really fat and having some health issues. My wife and I decided to lose the weight so we started riding. I had found us both mid-1980s Schwinn Voyageur touring bikes and we started out on the local rail-trail, then moved out on the rural roads as the miles accumlated.

I was finally getting back into the joys of road riding and was dropping lots of weight. I lost 130 pounds (down to 169) and my wife lost 85.

A couple of years ago I found a 1999 Seven Axiom in my wife's size for $600. Once on this she would not look back at her Schwinn. I was still a holdout. I loved steel, lugs and my old Schwinns.

Last year I ran across a 2000 Waterford 2200 for a great price. I drove from Springfield, MO to Madison, WI to pick it up. It was a dream bike for me as it was steel, lugged, pinstripped and the evolution of the Paramount! I put many miles on it in 2010.

I loved this bike, but (as I consistently marvelled at the weight of my wife's Seven when loading it in the pickup) found myself lusting for a ti bike. You know ... just to see what it was like.

Last night I finalized the purchase of a 1997 Holland with Joe Bell paint. I won't be able to ride it until June as it's in San Diego (in my brother-in-law's garage) and I won't be visiting them until then (I don't want to risk shipping).

So I'll keep riding (and loving) the Waterford and will get back with a ride report on the Holland ... down the road. :)

Bob

san francisco in the 60's
 

i lived in san francisco (off of geary avenue near golden gate park) when i was a little kid from 1967 to 1970. i had a very little, very rusty red tricycle, that i could spin very quickly around the block. it was a magical time, and haven't changed one bit from then...still ride a red fixie. well, i did get taller and older, but that's about it.

the joy of racing other kids got me hooked.

I grew up around 4 neighbors:

#1: former Pro Road Racer from USSR (this was the 80's after all)
#2: former National Track Racer
#3: five-time RAAM competitor
#4: USA Junior BMX Champion (Patterson Bikes)

I HAD to ride a bike, I had NO choice, it was MY destiny!

A healthy addiction.
 

From the Big Wheel, training wheels, to BMX and later F1, then to Mountain Bikes, on to Road bikes, then to Track bikes, and now to Cyclocross. Been into some sort of bike ever since I can remember.