Some of the most "satisfying" bike-related experience

[993rs]

Finishing the 2016 Marji Gesick 50 with my youngest boy. Taking a dnf with him trying to finish this year's MG 100 after telling him it was ok to tap out after 9.5hrs. He put up a good fight. We did a boy's trip to Pisgah this summer with all three of my sons. Great trails facilatated by a great guide.

[Ti Designs]

The first time I watched one of the riders I coach race. I ride with my riders all week long, but being in retail I've always worked both weekend days, so I never got to see them race. The Tufts race was in the morning before my shop opened, and I had worked with Julia for two seasons so I was looking forward to see what she could do. The NEBC team had managed to get 3 riders into the break, and I knew their best sprinter (because I had loaned her my track bike). I had talked to Julia before the race about finding a landmark where she needed to start her sprint, so I kinda knew how it would play out. I've always considered my coaching to be an extension of my own racing career, but I don't remember winning anything like that.

[weisan]

.

Originally Posted by Ti Designs

The first time I watched one of the riders I coach race and win!

[d_douglas]

1) Seeing the photo of my Speedvagen as it was posted on a NAHBS-drool thread years ago. I hadn't seen it before hand and didn't know what it would look like. It was my first custom bike, so it was the product of lots of thinking about what to do with it. I still love that bike.


2) Getting back into MTBing and hitting my first XXtreme trail on Vancouver Island in years. It was scary, but once I made it through a few hard sections, I knew that middle aged MTBing could be a good match for me!

I took a friend to the same trail a year later. He had just moved from Vancouver to Victoria (boring hick town by comparison) and we ripped down this trail. At the end of it, I asked what he thought and he wildly proclaimed, 'that was a f**king ten outta ten!!!" with a massive grin on his face. That made me happy.

3) Cheesy, but watching my two kids roll away from me when I finally got them up and pedalling. That made me tear up a bit .

It wasn't long before I got to watch my 5yr old round a corner and wipe out on gravel covered cement, so that was not fun. She was fine, but verrrry angry because I 'made' her do it!!

[pinkshogun]

Bike touring....and dealing with the pitfalls and problems that one encounters.

[velomateo]

Runnng along side my daughter, on her first bike, after removing her training wheels. She rode off and left me wondering if she was ever coming back.

The call I got from my oldest son that made me tear up with pride. He called to tell me he had won his college B race by lapping the field solo. I have pictures, but I would given anything to have been able to see that first hand.

[quickfeet]

-back before college I was working as a bike courier in CO and there were many days where it would rain all day and just about when I would get off work the sun would start to set. The clouds always seemed to break up right around that time and just the most vibrant reds, oranges, and purples would come through with these amazing rays of sunshine and I would just keep pedaling for as long as I could, instantly forgetting what a crappy day it had been

-night riding with friends on the Katy trail back home with the moonlight so bright we didn't need lights. We'd spend hours dicking around skidding and playing games on the bikes with no one to scold us or care

-the literal thousands of hours spent riding around town with friends on our Bmx bikes as kids. The first taste of freedom.

[Cicli]

Road RAGBRAI with my son and father. That was special.

[Matthew]

Winning a Cat. 5 state crit championship in the 90's. Only Cat 5 but a state champ none the less!! Finishing the One Day Ride Across Michigan feeling almost as strong as when I started! Pulled for miles that day and was told by my buddy I did a great job. 148 miles, and most of it in wet conditions with a head wind. And as others have said, not getting dropped on those fast group rides anymore. And finally, buying the two brands I lusted after the most: a Moots and a Serotta!

[TDot]

Just the other morning a homeless guy rising to his feet with a can of beer in his hand, cheering me on, yelling, Go, go, go. Come on man, push! A great sense of humour on an unfortunate man. humbling and he gave me an unexpected laugh.

[bjf]

1) Winning my first local, non-USCF, race wearing lycra shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. The favorite was wearing full racing kit, but I had the advantage of inexperience. Having read about racing, I determined that I would start to accelerate before the next-to-last corner, then just go as hard as I could. Much to my surprise, the favorite didn't or couldn't respond, and when I came around the final corner I completely silenced the crowd which was waiting to cheer the favorite. My only win until I entered a couple of masters events decades later, and won those for lack of competition.

2) A 200K "fun ride" of about 1000 people, which was not a race (these days it likely would be called a fondo). They did keep track of order of finish in various categories, and they also kept track of overall club results. I finished in 7.5 hours, having been pulled through the first 100K in 3 hours by three strong, young racers from my club. Though the second half took me a lot longer, I finished 7th among all women (about 200 total), and thus contributed valuable points for my club, which "won" the overall event. It was a good ride in itself, and really satisfying to contribute to the group result.

3) Several long-ish tours, including one solo across the state of Nebraska.

[pdonk]

As a child bombing around cow tracks in the field by myself.

Working really hard for a summer to get my first real bike. A Ritchey.

Working really hard to get my first made for me bike. My brodie.

Working really hard to organize a bike race in 1999 in middle if nowhere new Brunswick. From that race cane catherine Pendrel and Christian Meier.

Swing Christian at world's in Hamilton. Seeing catherine at multiple world cups and championships.

Doing unsupported unplanned centuries on a whim

Lots of great mountain bike rides.

Riding the track in Milton. Lots more.

[RoadWhale]

October, 1960 Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico
My Father was helping me try my first ride without training wheels on my birthday bike. My Father was rarely home so the thrill of having him all to myself was compounding the excitement I felt to be riding my new shiny blue bike. As he guided me along and asked if I was ready to be a "big boy" a B-52 Stratofortress had just taken off and was rapidly roaring our way. My Father shouted out "fly Son fly!" and he let go of me just as the B-52 passed directly overhead. I felt for a moment I was somehow a wing man with that huge, loud, shiny aluminum bird above me and I yelled with glee as I continued down the street. 57 years later and having lived a very full life, I still consider that moment one of my best.

[CPP]

It happened while riding with a neophyte buddy of mine . I was trying to explain why bibshorts were preferable to non bibshorts.

After failing to get him to understand any of my arguments, I grapped a handful of his shorts near his lower back and yanked them down and tucked them under his seat.

Unable to react and astonished that all could see his ass, my buddy could only watch me breeze by as I said "That's why bibshorts are better!"

[weisan]

Some of these really personal stories that have been shared are simply heartfelt and deeply moving. Thank you for sharing them.