How old are the newbies to road cycling?

Thebigbee

And what are your reasons for picking the sport up?

Also what cylcling / exercise / fitness history do you have?

Finally what bike have you bought / now use?

Interested to know your thoughts - answer as many as you want and give as much history as you want.

Cheers

Bigbee

mrobbie

Age: 31
Took up cycling to avoid the tube commute to work. It's faster and theoretically cheaper... At the moment it is definitely more expensive. Getting fit and losing a stone or so will be an added bonus.

Previous cycling experience... Used to cycle round my paper round as a kid and do the occasional cycle with the family on hol. Again, this was 15+ years ago so very much just getting into it.

Just waiting to pick up a Trek 1.2 then get stuck into this game properly!

Airbornerodent

Why? Are you conducting a survey? I'll tell you if you let me enter a free competition.

Dmak

30 going on 12!

unixnerd

43 going on 21 :-)

Thebigbee

Airbornerodent wrote:

Why? Are you conducting a survey? I'll tell you if you let me enter a free competition.

Am just interested as a newbie myself and generally it seems like one of the more friendly and lucid internet forums.

I can offer you a prize if you really want it and are that protective about a number though?

TomParker1

I'm 18. I just sort of stumbled into it, went on a bike ride with some friends to enjoy the weather and loved chopping about the country side on a road bike so i'm looking to take it up with a bit of advice from the friendly guys on here.

I used to play a lot of rugby but that died with injuries. I've been doing weights since January 5 times a week but my cardio isn't brilliant so the cycling is as much to improve that and shrug some bad weight then it is just for pleasure.

I'm on the verge of getting an old Peugeot Equipe, though i may blow the bank for something more modern... the problem with being a student; i've got no money!

Tom

GPierotti

I'm Gary.......i'm 23........and i'm addicted to cycling.

I do both mountain and road cycling, used to cycle my old mountain bike as a kid (12ish) to local towns to see my mates as i live in a rural place.

Got a Carrera Virtuoso (it's not the best road bike in the world but it's mine)
Love the exercise and the journeys about the countryside as you get a chance to actually see the scenery!
Also love the speed of it on a good smooth road, just feels awesome!!

optimisticbiker

53, been commuting by bike on and off for 10y, mainly to avoid using the tube every day. Used to run, but knees arent happy with that any more... Ran my first marathon at 40 having never run or done any sport before.. got addicted to being outdoors... cant stand gyms... cycling satisfies that urge... and now have a road bike

Wheelspinner

Hmm... first bike at age 5. Practiced on local tennis court. Nearly a short career not realising the net is strung up on a wire, which was right at neck height as I whistled through.

Second bike at about 9. Still have the scars on the knees from about 473 crashes to and from school every day for years. Rode it till it disintegrated. Bought another with pocket money saved at about 15. Crashed it on day 1. NOT happy.

First racing bike at 19. Did maybe 50,000 miles on it. Found an old pic of it a while back somewhere, what was I thinking - PINK bar tape??? :shock:

Second proper racing bike at 27, big budget finally. Lightweight, very fast, and the most uncomfortable thing I ever rode, just effing horrible. Bought an MTB for fun, quit racing bikes for a while.

Third racing bike in early 40s. Reminded me what I loved about road riding again. Fourth followed soon after, then fifth and sixth. Restored an old steel frame for number 7, which a friend has borrowed and won't return it's that damned good. Bought a TT bike for some stupid reason as number 8. Rode it for 3 months and sold it. Bought another MTB, lotsa fun. Built a single speed to try as number 10, which is a hoot. Still have numbers 3 - 10, except the TT disaster, and assuming one day I get Old Steely back.

No longer race anything, just ride because I love it. Some commuting occasionally, lots of coffee shop tours on days off, and long rides in the hills early on a Sunday morning, because there really is no better way to spend a nice day, is there?

If there's any justice in this world my funeral costs will be paid by Campagnolo. Lord knows they've made enough out of me so far!!!

Thebigbee

Thanks for all the lucid and intelligent / honest replies guys.

I think the responses so far just prove how eclectic and inclusive this sport is. And once you get the bug it is pretty darn addictive!

I guess on any internet board you will always get 1 troll.

I thank the guys who are interested in the sport and are willing to show their history and age - great job!.

I don't get the Internet when morons bother to read a reasonabke, no threatening query - then seem to take offence and start criticising people.

What is that about?

Rigged

Age: 21

Background: I've been into my sports all my life having played football 4 days a week for two separate teams (2 training sessions and 2 games) and then also played almost every breaktime at school and evenings at home as well as various athletics activities and other sports on the side for fun. That was until I was 13 and developed problems with the cartilage in my knee. Initially doctors/physios felt it was at first growing pains then tendon/muscle imbalance so I first rested for 6 months which meant leaving my teams and then began physio to try and address the muscle imbalance. At 15, having had to stop sports all together, I had my first knee operation to remove a fragment of bone loose in the joint and to try and smooth off the damaged cartilage. Just before my 17th birthday I had a similar operation to remove more cartilage. My knees (i've developed similar problems in my left knee but surgery has offered little benefit to the right knee so won't be going through that again) are no longer able to take the impact of running/jumping, if i do these things for a short time i'm left in significant pain and have even resorted crawling on hands and knees later that day to get around the house. I've been going to the gym frequently the last 3 years to try and improve general fitness and well being but recently developed pneumonia twice and have been left with some damage to my lungs meaning reduced capacity and strength as well as having weak leg muscles from the absolute lack of exercise for years. This has given me the recent impetus to get into some serious cardio exercise and to try and maximise the remaining of my lung function and get the muscle back on my legs. I'll never be Mark Cavindesh, nor will I probably even be able to keep up with a local bike club, but I'm pretty determined to be as fit as I can get.

Bike: Currently in the throws of buying my first road bike. Still unsure about how much money to throw at it and whether to self-build for the satisfaction or to buy ready made.

Hopefully that's enough frankness and detail about my situation

Rigged

oops, double post! Can't get used to this forum layout :oops:

Pigtail

Age 49

Started as part of a weight loss regime and the bike has become more important than the weight loss.

I have always cycled, had a big old-fashioned traditional bike as a teenager that I hated. Road bike as a student that was my main means of transport.

Various bikes, mainly mountain bikes over the last ten years or so. Used for family cycling, generally pretty flat and off-road, often canal paths and converted railway lines. In October I built up my mileage as part of my changed lifestyle and bought a road bike.

I've done a mix of exercise cycle in the gym and road cycling over the winter as training and have entered two sportives, first one the Etape Caledonia. In February I sold my car, added mudguards to my mountain bike and started commuting. (only 2 miles each way)

Bikes a 2010 Specialized allez elite and a 2007 Carrera Vulcan.

James

pauldavid

I'm 39

Started to gain fitness and lose weight, not that this is a necessity as I am perfectly in shape, it's just that this years shape is pear.

Rode a bike as a kid and that's abput it really, not exactly sport billy.

Just bought a Giant DEFY 3.5 and am very happy with it. Just need to get faster now.

noiseboyfeetman

Aged 34, had my road bike just over a year. Used to have a "racer" when I was younger and in a cycle club for a very brief period and entered a few races however wasn't all that keen on the competitiveness side of it, if anything I think that put me off at that age.

Then moved to mountain bikes, purely for pleasure.

As previously said, I got my road bike for commuting when I don't need the car for work and for exercise as basically I hadn't done any for the last 5 years or so and only minimal before that.

I'm really enjoying the cycling again do a 14 miles round trip to and from work a few times a week and 7 miles to work and 35 miles home at least once a week.

nmcgann

Pigtail wrote:

Age 49

Started as part of a weight loss regime and the bike has become more important than the weight loss.
....

+1, 49 now. Started aged 43, overweight and very unfit. I hadn't touched a bike since I was 16 and had no history of sport.

I bought a Spesh Sirrus hybrid triple, lost a bit of weight, joined the old Cycling+ forum Built a road bike (planet-x kaffenback) and joined the local cycling club riding with the slowest group. The first ride out with them was the first time I'd done over 50 miles :? I did a bit of audaxing up to 200k, got a bit fitter, but still only rode mostly at the weekend.

About 4 years back the obsession really took hold. I decided I needed to be lighter and fitter so I bought a turbo trainer and started doing 3x 1hour sessions after work midweek. I lost 3 stones in 6 months doing that (+ eating a bit less) and the combination of weightloss and training made me quite a bit faster on the bike - I moved up a group with the cycling club 8)

Things then got worse when I did a 10 mile TT with the club. I can't remember exactly what I did, probably around 28-29mins, but it really hooked me and inspired me to start training seriously. I got a coach who taught me about structured training and the various sessions I needed to do. I did lots of training :? Moved up another group with the cycling club 8) 8)

....fast forward over the last 2 years.... I've got a Planet-X Pro Road Ti as my nice bike, a cheapo ally road bike with mudguards as my winter bike (an Ambrosio Guido frame with 105 bits), an old Giant TCR Aero as my TT bike (plus a s/h Planet-X Stealth SL carbon frame that I will transplant in at some point) and the good old Spesh Sirrus as my town bike when I want to wear normal shoes. All my bikes are still 9-speed (which helps with swapping wheels around) as I have never really felt the need for more and I don't suffer from "shiny toy" lust :roll: [apart from the Ti - although I did damage the previous frame and the Ti frame was on special offer, so I have an excuse]

I love being fit and slim, so that is still my main motivation for cycling. It's all to do with riding a bike fast for me, touring or just pottering about just doesn't appeal. I probably train 8-9 hours a week all year round and race open TTs most weekends may-september. I can pretty reliably get myself into the top 50% of the field in ordinary opens, but I can see where I lie in the cycle racing ability scale - just average club level.

It'll do though

f_rederik

Turning 32 I splashed out on a carbon cyclocross as a bike upgrade last fall. Previous bike was a really old hybrid and I 'treated myself' with a bit of excessive spending.

Wasn't that into cycling, but do some running and squash.

Using the carbon wonder for commuting when it's nice and dry and occasionally some longer rides with friends - for fun :-)

Not really using it as a cyclocross, since I ride mainly on roads, and pretty fast changed the tires into slicks rather than the 35mm studded once that the bike came with.

Too worried about the bike to use it during winter / bad weather with grit and dirt and everything, I have just bought a single speed road bike as a wet weather bike ;-) Fitted it with mudguards, lights etc so it is no longer café chic, but really a steel machine workhorse. With a relatively flat journey it works a treat. And of course, it is much more fun to overtake other commuters without gears! Let the legs do the talking!

Still struggling hard not to give it a full throttle during my commute, but finding it great to avoid the queues. Although temperatures in Norway aren't that great, as long as there is no ice it's just a matter of putting some extra clothes on!

shane r

40.

See my recent thread 'out of the boat and onto the road'

Seems like most of the blokes I know who have just hit 40 have bought a road bike- particularly ex-footballers.

MarcBC

49.
Started again properly 4 months ago after a 30 yr lay off. Former track and time trial racer.

I have a lot of time on my hands and needed something to get fit, lose weight (that has not worked yet) and improve mental attitude.

Current bikes: 2011 Trek Madone 5.9; 2011 Orbea Aqua T105 and 2008 Scott Scale 20 MTB (with about 200 miles on it since new :oops: )

I have joined the local cycling club and get out about twice a week with them. First sportive last Sunday.

esudfu

27 for me.

Again, started as part of a new fitness regime. I used to be very fit, playing rugby at county level for U19's and for university 1st team...

Then uni stopped, exercise stopped and I sat at a desk for 8 hours a day for 3 years and my fitness fell apart (and I put on 2 stone).

Started at the gym in January, then signed up for the Bristol half marathon. Lost 2stone so far, and now summer's getting near I want an alternative to being inside at the gym or out and bored stiff running, so I bought the road bike as the 3rd training option.

My next 'challenge' after the half marathon is going to be bike-based 100miles by the end of 2011...

AndyF16

I was 39, had a heavy MTB stolen so replaced it with a decent hardtail, went on holiday to Belgium with the family and (obviously!) saw lots of roadies so splashed out when I returned and haven't looked back since.

Having sold my company after 15 years trading I needed something to fill some time while on 12 months 'gardening leave' which was a condition of the deal, now almost half way through....

Apart from a 6 month spell of jogging around 10 years previously I had done sweet FA in the way of proper exercise since my schooldays, and was around 115kg - now down to 93 which I'm chuffed with. As for tackle, see my sig' below

markpotts147

Age 22.

Went on the booze and pizza diet at 18. Eventually got myself to a porky 18 1/2 stone (I'm 6' 2"). This time last year I decided enough was enough. Changed my diet slowly but surely and started road cycling in January (2011). Now 14 stone and loving the cycling.

Joined a club a few weeks back and now doing the 100+ mile runs on a Sunday with a view to race in the coming years.....

meanredspider

46 and been riding on-and-off since before I can remember (little trike, then big trike with boot, then stabilisers etc etc). Used to ride 2 miles to primary school and was even stopped by the rozzers for cycling too fast on the pavement (trying to see how bright my dynamo light would go!). Only when I moved away from Cambridge did the riding get less often in my 20's. Started commuting on a BSO again when I started working in Cambridge again. Then bought a Cinder Cone (great bike) as I could commute the 5 miles into the centre of Cambridge almost entirely off-road.

Moved to Scotland and stopped for a while but kept thinking I should try the 15-mile each way commute but worried about the up-hill, into the prevailing wind, return ride. Last year just started (on the old Cinder Cone fitted with Ice Spiker tyres) in the middle of winter (I must have been insane) and not stopped since. Bought a ex-demo Focus Variado from Wiggle for £350 for when the ice went. Then my son got cancer so stopped for a couple of months. To cheer myself up and get back in the saddle, bought a second-hand Cayo and still riding (between his treatments). Planning on racking up 4000 miles commuting this year despite this.

Also have a Cube Reaction Race MTB now and just started fun racing with my youngest son (11) and bought him a Islabikes Bienn to encourage him.

bianchimoon

52, have been mountain biking on and off for years, then started going out on the road every wed night on a MTB with a mate just doing 12 miles for the exercise to justify going in the pub afterwards.Then one day decided to do the c2c taking 3 days on road with a MTB, after that decided to get a hybrid to do the next c2c taking 2 days. The bug had bitten, went out and bought a road bike (bianchi 928 C2C) This years C2C will take 1 day, eventually the wed evening rides become 24 miles taking not much longer than the 12 miles on a MTB used to take. Now I get stressed feeling if i can't get out every other day. First sportive coming up in May. Where to after that, who knows!

OwenB

I'm 36, been MTBing for a few years now which I got into with an ex girlfriend. Started going out on weekday evenings with my workmates but that soon tailed off and I wanted to be able to get out straight from the house rather than drive 20 miles to the hills with the MTB.
I used to be a keen roadie in my mid teens and did a few crits and time trials but my bike got stolen, parents didn't have it insured and couldn't afford to buy a replacement so it kind of faded away for me.
I'm riding a Defy 3.5 which I bought about this time last year and am building into it because I just never found enough time last year. I'm getting there and am back up to 30-40 mile rides now and get out a couple of times in the week early and do a quick 10-15 miler before work.
Really getting into it again and am already contemplating a bike upgrade for next year, hoping to get some weight off which I know will help my speed and fitness but just now I'm enjoying just being out there.

Zoomer37

37

Been riding fixed and single speed road bikes for years, but fancied something with gears as I live in hilly Bristol so got my first racer last year.

west green

44 - commuting to save on crap underground service and cost. Now addicted and spent about the same on bikes and clothes, but will be saving as of this year. Last weeks blood pressure readiing was best in 5 years - so health benefits are amazing.
Used to go to the gym but kids stopped that for 6 years and didn't do anything except the occasional run until I started commuting by bike. Now go in early twice a week to do extra laps around Regents Park, pretty much doubled my weekly amount from 60 to 120miles. Itching to get out on the weekends asap.
Bianchi via Nirone, Brian Rourke and ridgeback Rapide, all second hand.
Will treat myself once i've got over the initial euphoria and really worked out what I want, as I was like a kid in a candy shop for the first 8 months. Plus I'm not allowed another bike anyway, even my kids give me grief about it.

scoob49

27 and been cycling since last April and fell away a little since September before having knee surgery again this year. Just getting training going again, motivation is key as I want to lose a little bit of weight and get fitter! Never been massive, but never been proper trim. I want to do my first 100 miler at the end of August, start of September.
Love it, absolutely love it!
Not got the best kit in the world but finding out cheaper ways of upgrading what I have in time when I am a lean, mean, cycling machine!

g7tmu

I think I am the Ancient Mariner amongst the company here, having returned to cycling a few months ago and I'm well into my 60's!

Quite by chance I was given an old Trek mountain bike, which although old was almost unused and otherwise destined for a skip. I now do regular runs of around 10 - 20 miles on it, 3 or 4 times a week. My previous cycling was in the Fens, but now living in the South Downs it's a bit more strenuous. I hadn't even ridden a bike for at least 25 years.

As my cycling is largely on the road I have decided to get a road bike, which is more what I was used to in the past. A Specialized Secteur is what I have my eyes on, but any advice from other oldie cyclists would be much appreciated.

Victor

thegreatdivide

39.

Used to be a very keen road cyclist in my 'youth' but gradually lost interest due to my job (music business). The spread took hold and I was starting to suffer from stress, asthma and high blood pressure. Decided to buy a bike to get fit and was persuaded by a friend to get a road bike. Bought one and it all came flooding back :-)

I've now lost the weight, have better than average blood pressure, no longer suffer from asthma and I live for the climbs. The only downside is I'm now substantially poorer.

Some people find God…I found cycling :-)