How old are the newbies to road cycling?

tazmon

I've just turned 40 and my first road bike in 25 years is on it's way. 2011 Scott CR1 Elite should be with me by the end of the week.

Plan to use it for commuting 3 times a week (10 miles each way) and a longish weekend ride too.

Cheers
Rory

Bimmer

I'm 36, been mountain biking for years, just bought my first road bike (2012 Felt AR5)

I have always enjoyed bicycling, but got into road riding because I was tired of loading up the bike, finding someone to ride with, driving to a trail, etc... I just wanted to be able to open my garage and ride.

Additionally, bicycling has helped tremendously with my bad lower back. When I ride my back pain levels drop drastically, and so far I have managed to delay my 3rd back operation because of my riding.

kaptainscoot

Just turned 28 in March.Played sports growing up nothing special but did run in school finished 4th in the state in 1200m

Defyand

I'm 44 and have just bought my first proper road bike (why didn't I do it before.....?)

dav3e

44 myself. Started running about 12 months ago for fitness, got the running bug, but picked up an ankle tendon injury in February that affected my running (still hasn't gone). Consequently I bought a hybrid to maintain my fitness. Running bug changed to cycling bug, and I bought a road bike a couple of weeks later. Will now be saving for something a bit more 'luxurious'.

Millerman007

im 38 and have been riding again for about 10 months , when i got back into riding i was 21 stone and very unfit
I'm now 19.1 stone and riding 20 odd miles daily averaging 17 mph and 40-60 at the weekends and loving it best thing i have ever done

lofty102

Just got my 1st road bike and I'm 31. I got a 2012 Moda Stretto. I've been mountain biking for 10+ years but to get to decent trails I need to drive for an hour or so, where as there is a road outside my house!! Wish I'd got a road bike sooner!!

waky

turn 30 on monday, bought my first road bike today

binsted

Started seriously a year ago at 60 so probably won't trouble the Olympic selectors but really enjoying it at my own pace, got my sights on a first sportive in September if the training goes well........

fragglekfc

I'm 37, cycled on and off for years but due to knees letting me down, i'm stopping running and taking up cycling. I have a Specialized Crossroads hybrid just now and have been out last week or so-strava is great! Ordered myself a Boardman team with the cycle2work scheme so looking forward to collecting that and getting right into it!

jagx400

52 at the end of the month.

Bought a Giant Seek 3 on the cycle to work scheme last year, after a half arsed attempt to get fit by cycling to work I knocked it on the head over the winter.

I decided that at my age I had to do something as I was up to 18st 6lbs. So out came the bike again and have really gone for it, I work 2.5 miles away, but cycle a minimum of 8 miles to work and 10 miles home Monday to Friday.

I visited the local bike shop Friday and came home with a Focus Variado 1.0 (thank God for credit cards, could'nt wait for the CTW scheme to finish ). Went out with my brother in law today (he is into road racing big time) and did 30 miles. Loved every minute of it, I ache but it feels good. Cant wait to go out again.

I live on the edge of town so the countryside is on my doorstep, cant ask for better than that.

By the way weight, has dropped to 17st 2lbs.

str1ker1212

Im 35 and took up cycling 4 months ago due to a mate of mine nagging me for the past 3 years!

Wish i took it up sooner as it's virtually changed my life. Ive lost weight, got much much fitter, feel great and my wife likes my ever growing quads/hammies! - Ive always been active playing football twice a week as well as running etc but cycling suits me down to the ground as i have always suffered with shin splints.

Bought a Cannondale CAAD8 Tiagra through the bike to work scheme and love it! - Im already eyeing up a full carbon job as my riding buddy has just bought one and it's fantastic.

I'm amazed how the hills that used to kill me are now no more than lumps in the road and how quickly you get fit. My wife now calls me a bike geek as ive well and truly been bitten by the bug!

rowynne

49 for me .

Used to do racing and touring when I was younger. My new road bike was stolen when I was 21, the one I had saved two years for. So I gave up

Moved to Lincolnshire a few months ago and spotted a lot of cyclists flying about and thought I would give cycling another go and to help fend off the middle age spread

Got a heap of kids so my budget was tight. Did a fair bit of research and decided on a B'Twin Triban 3 from Decathlon.
Not high end spec, but it does have carbon forks for only £300

I also invested in a set of nice Shimano pedals and shoes and got rid of the toe clips. Took some getting used to and had a few embarassing moments falling over when stopping :oops:

Had to buy all the gear too, my old team shirt barely fits me these days. Total spend around £600. Decathlon have a huge range of bike gear and start at fairly reasonable prices.

Love the bike, big difference from the ones I used to race in the 70's and 80's. So light and the gear changes are fantastic, much better than down tube shifters.

If I get my fitness and stamina up , may try a sportive or maybe just a skyride to start. Also joined the LVRC the other day.

First ride after all those years nearly killed me, ( Messingham Hill omg ) but after three weeks I'm doing 25-30 miles when the weathers good and training in the gym every morning to build muscles I have not used in years. Getting there slowly. Ended up in the middle of a time trial the other day on the Kirkton Road by accident and it was a little disheartening to have people flying past me on carbon TT bikes every two minutes :shock: , but hey we all have to start somewhere :P

clickrumble

58. I bought my first serious road bike last year, got a Specialized secteur elite, then found one road bike is not enough so ordered another from Ribble; audax/winter trainer (with mudguards!). I've always been interested in cycling but only in the last 4 years or so have I been cycling regularly. Usually go out Sat and Sun mornings for 25-30 milers while my wife goes swimming or to the gym. Most of my rides are fairly hilly as I live in the South Downs National park. Managed to come off fairly spectacularly last Oct and broke my shoulder so now have some impressive metalwork holding my upper arm together, just finished the course of physio and on the mend now. Didn't put me off though, although may be a tad slower going downhill now. I have a mountain bike also but mainly prefer the road as I can go further. Since getting the first road bike last year I have noticed that my fitness level has significantly improved.

Mark Alexander

Was 26 and am now 34. Wish I'd started when iy was 12.

harrydaisy

37
Took up sport 18 months ago on a second hand board man 105. Fell in love almost immediately and upgraded to a carbon wilier 5 months later. Have lost 2 stone ( without changing diet ) and now up to about 80 miles a week

I want to continue to improve but for myself. Not fussed about clubs ect as it all seems to clicky!

Mikey23

just past 60 and a former roadrunner. got bored with running and not competitive any more so discovering the delights of cycling. like the fact that you can go further for less effort. have a hybrid and a roadbike. have been touring on my hybrid in france and done a couple of sportives on my roadbike ... and wasnt last. both bikes are giants cos my local shop sell them and i like them

RideOnTime

chap I was chatting to the other day has just started road cycling at the age of 81.

dazzlers82

1st post so hi all I'm 30 just bought myself a claud butler San remo 2012 to start commuting on its only a couple of miles to work so not far, I have not managed to ride it yet due to a fractured foot but I bought myself a turbo trainer to put my old mountain bike in to get some exercise, it's my second road bike, the first one was when I was about ten.
I'm hoping to get into some reasonably long rides as an when I can.

naomi168

im 20 starting because I always loved cycling when I was younger really and it will be cheaper to get to uni

Cheshire Celt

Back in the saddle at 44

Pantera_Standish

Evening all ..... yet another newbie join the fray ........

And what are your reasons for picking the sport up?

I'm picking it back up again, at 43 .... after 24 years out of the 'road' saddle
Used to be in Newark Castle CC in my late teens - then moved away with work and have never indulged since.
I've biked to commute and for leisure, but not road biking.

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

Recently ... not nearly enough
I piled on the lbs a plenty of the last two decades.
I'm now shedding it, but wanted to embrace a sport I enjoy - that does NOT include running .... and I've indulged in some exercise biking at home and in the gyms when in hotels away on business (often)
Strength wise, I have plenty - stamina is my enemy.
I know I'll enjoy my biking, lose weight and build up the stamina
I fully intend joining a local CC (Wigan or Chorley) once I feel fit enough.

Finally what bike have you bought / now use?

I've just got me a nice Specialised Secteur - due for delivery in 7 - 10 days
Got some nice Specialized shoes with Shimano pedals and a matching (the bike) Specialized bonnet.
Like I said, I've been away from road bikes for a looooong time .... gobsmacked at how light the bike is compared to my old eddy merckx frame and gear I built in the late 80's
The sport is just as expensive as it always was .... so I'll be spending in the next couple of weeks kitting myself (and the bike) out.
Can't wait to get some miles in ..............

I'm off for a biking ad hiking holiday in Switzerland in July .... just in time to get my a##e used to a saddle again

Cheers

Seany

james273

I'm 22 had my allez a couple of months

Rahario183

Am 27 and just finished rebuilding a Specialized Allez. Been a mountain bike since my early teens and was commuting on a Ridgeback 603SLX mountain bike with some Schwalbe City jet 1.5 tyres when not on my Kona Stinky '02 at weekends.

Commuting on my Allez will be faster, (bigger gear ratio) and also more aerodynamic. I thought I may as well get into Road cycling if I'm living in London ( not many big mountain bike trails near me).

tordis

Hi all, I'm 30 and I've been cycling for over 3 years now. I've done some challenging routes on my heavy hybrid bike and now I'm in the process of choosing the right road bike for me.

velogee

28 and feeling grr.. rather unfit actually!

JockeyWheels

43.

Never cycled since childhood.

Bought a Specialized Hybrid. Loving it. Trying to get thin.

I particularly like traffic free routes.

Birdybiking

Just taken up this up at the age of 46...

I am still a committed runner ( 4 marathons and counting) but was "told" to participate in a tour with some customers. They did Paris to Barcelona, whilst I did three days with them from Poitiers to Toulouse including a 100mile+ day. All this was one week after doing the Manchester Marathon and about 150 miles of training on my first ever drop handle bar bike.

I'm in definite danger of catching the bug...

twoshots

I started at 31.

It's only been a year since I climbed on my ebay special but at 1800 miles in the last year the rate of improvement has surprised me. This year I'm hoping to be closer to 5000 miles but we'll see.

It's been a fun year. Everytime someone would ask me what was the longest ride I'd ever done it was usually whatever I had done the previous Monday night. Adding a few miles each week and now 50+ miles after work seems like a nice night out these days.

samhedges

I'm just getting into the sport at age 16 so I've got something to do this summer and also for the long term.

Previously I've done mountain biking and biking with my hardtail on the road but I've decided to make the leap and get myself a nice new roadie.

I was going to buy a 2012 Allez Elite in a LBS after it was reduced by £290 but it turns out the racy geometry doesn't suit my long legs and short torso so I'm looking for more relaxed bikes. So far I'm thinking the Ribble Sportive, Specialized Secteur or Giant Defy 4 or 3.