I would like to know who here on these message boards cycles or mountain bikes as a hobby or often.
ANY form of biking is appreciated and encouraged.
Please post here stories or why you bike or the info on your rig.
I mountain bike with a Specialized Stumpjumper 2003 stock everything cept the seatpost.
Who here enjoys biking as much as i do? whenever i have a rough day at school or have a shitload of projects and work to do the next day, i hop on my bike and forget about my problems (kinda like alcohol, but hey-im not old enough :rolleyes: ).
I just recovered from a broken wrist which i broke…playing frisbee… :wally
ah well, i have plenty of time to do some damage on my bike.
Wanting to get back into it for my health. FWIW my stumpjumper is nearly nine years old. Pre-suspension. TheLadyLion is having knee problems so we’re both going to start doing some level ground cycling and swimming to get some exercise in without stressing knees.
When I was a kid my family lived in a subdivision and the only way to get around was on a bike. School was a about a mile-and-a-half, and I had a paper route for a few years, too; I put thousands of miles on my old ten-speed.
Once I could drive I didn’t ride much, but I got back into it a few years ago. I’ve ridden the Seattle-to-Portland three times, Seattle-to-Vancouver once, the Five Borough Bike Tour in New York a couple times. I haven’t found any really good organized rides since I moved to Boston (well, there was an all-nighter architectural tour last August, but that was only 30 miles), but I try get around my neighborhood for exercise. And last fall I rode to the start of the marathon, took the course to the finish and back home, so I can still do 50 miles without killing myself.
I’m thinking of taking a summer off one of these years and going coast-to-coast. My current ride is an REI touring bike (21 speeds).
[sub]And you will trash your knees at least once when you first get clipless pedals.[/sub]
While I don’t go mountainbiking for pleasure much, I’m a total bike commuter (31 with no licence, actually, and still finding life perfectly do-able). I like the feeling of knowing that I am in total control of my technology and transportation and if something breaks I can fix it myself with a rock and a stick if I need to, and in the worst case scenario I can pick it up and carry it the last mile. I like having a grasp of exactly what points in my journey are uphill or downhill, being aware of the wind patterns and weather and knowing what the local bird calls are and being able to stop and pet cats. I like riding on paths 2 feet away from herons and bunnies and not spooking them too much.
I’m pretty much car free. Bike everywhere. I keep two bikes: A converted mountain bike with big panniers and slick tires. I refer to this baby as a workhorse. I also have a Lemond road bike for when I’m biking not to go anywhere.
Helpful hint: You can make old bike inner tubes into handy, stretchy bungie cords. Cut off the valve part and they tie to your bike frame or pannier frame with ease.
I do triathlons. I ride a Kestrel Talon road bike and train with it on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings before work, and then I do a long ride on the weekend.
I love riding. Especially lately when it’s warmer and lighter in the mornings and I can enjoy some of the surrounding scenery as we ride.
Biking is my source of stress relief as well. Nothing better to take my mind off of work/relationships/bills/whatever. At least now it is. A few years back, I think it was causing more stress than anything else in my life, so I quit for awhile to regain my sanity (and my health). But it’s back to being fun, so I’m enjoying it while it lasts. I ride probably 6 days a week, give or take. In fact, I’m about to go take my signature 2 hour lunch brake and do a few hill repeats right now (did I say I had fun on a bike? I think I’m insane)
Let’s see, my bikes: newest to oldest
Santa Cruz Bullit (freeride monster, almost looks like a dirt bike without an engine. I still waiting to kill myself on this. This was my treat to myself after getting a “real” job). I have this great preserve/park right outside my front door with some insane places to fool around on this thing.
Ritchey Project 20 - my 21lb race bike. It should probably get replaced soon as it’s definitely showing it’s 4 seasons of XC racing abuse… I’ll hang the frame on my wall, next to my broken DeRosa road frame. I love well crafted bike frames even after you can’t ride them anymore - they’re so purdy.
Finally, a hand-me down Bob Jackson road bike with a bastardized mix of dura-ace and record components. This will also get replaced/retired soon since I want to move into road racing and get a lighter more modern frame (I really like Calfee’s carbon frames - sub 16lb road bikes are so nice on climbs).
Just getting back on the bike after being off for 3 years due to various surgeries and gaining about 40lbs. Ugh. I’ve been riding since '85 or so, and spent much of those years racing. I miss the health benefits and social component to group rides, but don’t miss the long road trips for the dubious pleasure of having some pro rip my legs off and beat me about the head and shoulders until I threw up a lung.
Current stable:
Road bikes: Mid-80’s Tommasini and a 1998 custom Marinoni (steel, of course), both with Campy bits and pieces.
1990 Giant mountain bike with the first version of Manitou shocks. Pretty much a POS at this point.
Late 90’s Redline Cyclocross bike. Mucho fun, this bike is.
Mid 80’s Basso track bike. Never was ridden very much since the closest velodrome is about 6hrs away.
Early 80’s Trek sport-touring frame built into a frankenbike. Trying to admit that I should get rid of it, but it was my first and I’m a sentimental bastard.
I haven’t been biking for awhile, I need to get mine fixed. My mom was going to get it fixed for me for my birthday. Last year. Never happened. Sigh. Some things one just has to do for herself.
I got into biking so I could go on a trip to Mexico with a group from my high school my senior year. We went 1100 miles over the course of a month around the Yucatan–visiting Maya ruins, practicing our Spanish, and learning to live without hot water. Very cool experience. Although I’m glad to have done it once, I’m not sure I’d want to do something quite that intense again. But I do miss my bike. I was walking on one of these rails-to-trails things recently, and all the bikers passing me really made me want to ride. I really prefer biking to any other kind of exercise, and like being able to get out on a trail or a fun road.
Before leaving Anchorage mountain biking was also my primary form of stress relief, exercise and excitment. I had access to some great trails about a ten minute ride down the road from my apartment (Campbell Creek trail system, you can get to them right off of Tudor, a few blocks from UAA if anyone reading is from Anchorage) or some great paved multiuse trails that could get me pretty much all over town it was great. During biking season I’d bike to work also, so I didn’t usually bother to head home right away, just head directly to the trails for a couple hours of hill climbing, root hopping and, of course, downhilling (Again for those of you playing from Anchorage - Rovers Run and Blackbear being two of my favorites)
Sadly I’ve recently moved to Houston, which has a distinct lack of mountains to ride on, and general not very good biking condiditons. I’m reduced to weekly rides since to get to anyplace decent and safe to ride I have to drive first, which I don’t enjoy doing
Oh yeah, I ride a 2002 Specialized Rockhopper Pro, all stock 'cept for the saddle since Specializeds seats appear to be designed by sadists
I cycle to get from Point A to Point B because I can’t/won’t drive, public transport here is poor and I get bored walking. I actually find it more terrifying (this isn’t a bike-friendly city) than relaxing. But I’d hate to lose it anyway.
I used to ride my road bike pretty regularly before my knee surgery. I’m trying to get back into it now.
I did BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia) a couple of years. I did my first century the day after I turned 40, and my second one on my 41st birthday. The most I’ve ridden recently was 68 miles on the Silver Comet Trail in GA.
I ride an older Cannondale touring bike refitted with Shimano components. (It came with Suntour stuff – that’ll tell some folks how old it is.) I do my own maintenance too.
I ride a 24" Schwinn unicycle, and I also have a 36" Coker “The Big One” unicycle back home. I haven’t gotten much use out of the Coker, but the Schwinn I ride whenever I can. Which isn’t often, but with the weather getting better, I hope to get back into it soon.
Several weeks ago, there was an article about that place in the New York Times: Escapes section. Although the article itself focused on mountain biking, most of the photos featured the mountain unicyclists they found there.
I ride on roads regularly to get from A to B, run errands, go shopping and just head to quieter open areas for exercise and fresh air. Though I keep on the road most of the time, I use a mountain bike (a four-year-old Cannondale with semi-slick tires) to keep my options open. On good weekends I ride on-road for a couple of hours to reach my favourite mountain biking trail, head onto singletrack and into the hills for a while, and then pedal home feeling terrific.
I’ve always had a bike since I was around 5, but didn’t start ‘serious’ riding until knee surgery kept me off the volleyball court. I’ve done BAK (Bike Across Kansas) twice, the Crested Butte Fat Tire Festival, and after moving to England, Land’s End to John O’Groats. These days I do 3 or 4 one hour sessions off road on an Airborne Lucky Strike (titanium rocks!). I’ve got a 10 year old Univega that I’m going to sell or give away, and a Cannondale R800 road bike that I’m converting into a ‘fast commuter’ with racks and flat bars.
