How old are the newbies to road cycling?

djfleming22

I am 47 now... stopped cycling at the age of 21 as usual got car and motorbikes etc threw bike in the back of the garage and forgot all about it.. i have just bought Pinarello fp1 (British cycling colours) in December and also got a tacx flow to keep me going when the weather is crap live in Scotland... so enough said.

Decided in January to get into it again, stage by stage brought my mileage up and up and last week did my first 102 miles up all the hills of the highlands round Inverary and Dalmally took just over 7 hours ... it brought the biggest smile to my face for a long time and the words into yourself...." i did it "... now cycling every other day between 50 to 70 miles and loving every minute of it .... just wish we had spent more money on some of these roads instead of on great bloody windmills maybe we would be greener if the roads were smoother ... rant over so sorry... anyway just to say great site and from what i have read a great bunch of members... thanks all

hmm

42 years young
Taken up to get fit and out and about
1989 kelloggs pro-tour metal framed 12 speed leviathan. Twas actually quite slick in it's day, still has both original wheels, back one slightly wonky, and the original front tyre. Gear change levers on the front drop tube bit. Retro.

I've been salivating over some nice new bikes at my LBS lately, but the more I look the more confusing it gets. I like the look of a cannondale CAAD8 105, but everything is pretty similar anyway. Tchoh, decisions decisions. Getting the right bike is more of a science these days.

RT8

19, took up road cycling to commute to college. Realized I loved it, and as I live in such a picturesque and beautiful area it has since become a large part of my life. And to be honest, I have rather also rather got addicted to the energy boost and the euphoria of setting goals and smashing them

The only exercise history I have is a vague interest in martial arts.

I currently have a battered Raleigh mountain bike I've had since I was 14, that I share with my girlfriend half the week! But I am looking into upgrading to a specialized Allez. Hopefully within the next month.

CrouchingPig

And what are your reasons for picking the sport up?

I bought a free ride bike on a C2W scheme, had it about 2 months, it was stolen. Decided to give a sale 2011 Specialized Allez ago. Turns out I wish I bought a roady in the first place! I commute and do the occasional leisure ride - looking to do more.

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

From early teens I was into Dirt jumping and BMX probably til the age of 21.
As mentioned I thought I'd get something I could hoon around on and commute. It was stolen
Cycling used to be my only real excercise til the age of 21 when I stopped altogether really, now 24, commuting by bike to work for the last 15 months rain or shine. I noticed my fitness improving minimally again, now a member of the local gym and its paying off by me attending 4-5 times a week.

Finally what bike have you bought / now use?

Currently have a 2011 Allez 16. However, as bike is may main mode of transport (Mrs always has the car!), thinking of buying a Ribble Stealth/Planet X Pro Carbon very shortly and getting rid of the Allez, would then like to do long weekly rides to improve my stamina and get the most value for money out of the new bike.

alidaf

I took up cycling after struggling through my Kung Fu black grading. I thought it would be a way to get a bit fitter for my black 2. I started with a mountain bike, which was my first ever bike on my 40th birthday. A few years later I switched to a road bike and now commute a couple of times a week and do sportives. I'm up to 67miles but aiming for 100 by September. A hell of a lot fitter, probably than I ever used to be.

declan1

I'm 16, so pretty young in comparison to most members on here I think!

What are your reasons for picking the sport up?


A friend of mine, who is a marathon runner, has a Cube Aerial (2009 model), and I instantly loved it and decided to get myself a road bike.

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

Mainly many hours infront of a computer. I'm not overweight, but I'm not the fittest person around. I did a fair bit of mountain biking a while ago though.

Finally what bike have you bought / now use?

Got a Viking Giro D'Italia the other day - Absolutely LOVE it. Even though it's pretty heavy (12KGs), and made of pretty cheap components, it's very fast (in comparison to my MTB) and it's awesome on the roads!

TheEnglishman

46 - gulp! Grey hairs and all

I had a big off on a motorbike last year - broken leg, arm and hands. 20 years of riding with no more than stationary drops and bam - some idiot does a U turn right in front of me. I guess I had it coming. The doctors/physios said to build up my leg muscles in the hope that a strengthened knee joint may help avoid a knee replacement around retirement age!

I bought a Condor tourer with my first paycheck and toured Ireland and the UK on it in my 20's - it was fantastic and I've just had it refurbed - I'm still deciding whether to keep the frame and buy a new groupset etc for it or keep it 80's old school with the biopace and the downtube shifters etc. I got flabby in my 30's as I'm a carer - just finding the time to do anything outside of home life is impossible - or so I thought. But now with some additional help at home I have some 'me' time and cycling's it. Although for a few years I commuted on a Brompton, which I've started doing again.

So with the insurance (no point in sitting on money, is there? ) I've just taken delivery of this



I got a Specialized BG Setup which was a great idea - cycling without corrections was painful and disapointing. Now it's fun. I'm just not quite fit enough to start racing, but maybe by the autumn I'll be looking at time trials and then next year starting Cat4 races? Who knows. And I'm cycling to work on a Brompton which is actually fun - despite the rain. I just wish I had a 100bhp 'go' button, like the bike did :twisted:

I'm really not sure about wearing lycra. I'm currently happy and comfy in shorts and a T shirt. I had to go with clip on pedals to make my foot line up properly. That's my only concession to the 'right' clothing so far.

TouchingCloth

Hi Folks,
I am almost 49.

I am returning to cycling after over 25 years away. I was recently diagnosed with blocked arteries, where the aorta splits into the iliac arteries feeding each leg. This blockage meant I could not walk 50 m before the hip and thigh muscles were so starved of oxygen they acted like I had run a marathon. I had 2 stents inserted at Easter and the relief was immediate and miraculous. However the years of hardly walking has left my leg muscles and joints in a very sorry state. Hence the low impact fitness of cycling seemed obvious.

I used to cycle a 20 mile round trip to work 5 days a week before I could drive. Pleasure cycling was not on the list at week ends I was usually too tired. I underwent several operations to fix ruptured ligaments from soccer injuries so learning to drive came first and the cycling stopped. I kept reasonably fit in attempts to get the knees working again but once I reached the age where I was never going to reclaim my place in the soccer team the TV took all my time.

I still have an old Carrera MTB that's very heavy but got me going by cycling to work. Its seen better days and the gears were very hit and miss so I applied for a cycle to work scheme voucher. I managed to pick up a Merida Road ride 93 at a discount as it was the 2011 spec, plus the cycle scheme discount means I will pay less than £500. The bike looks great, and that's all the motivation I need to look great on it too. I’m sure the hills will get easier, the mountain bike may weigh 3 times as much but at least the gears are friendly.
I also have a strava app for my phone which provides great incentive to explore and compare, not only with others but against myself. The blood flows at such a pace now I’m sure the arteries will have trouble blocking again. Just cant wait for the legs and joints to join the party.

photomcbeth

Just turned 40 ladt week. The old hips have put an end to running and loads of folk in the village are into cycling so it was a natural progression. Finding it tough on the legs though.

tom340

Age 45 not been on a bike for 15 years got a urban mountain bike for commuting and getting fit.

Decided to take it up again as i had a heart op just over six months ago.

Really enjoying it. Got the bug as they say.

Think i won't be long before i get a road bike.

kleinstroker

Funny.. thought I might be the only one over 40!! I'm 47 and just started to get back into a cycling again after I stopped mountain biking about 15 years ago. Have three road bikes, one ready to rock and two on the boil!! I started riding my old Klein Quantum again about a month ago, and already have a De Rosa Merak alu frame to build up as my next road bike and also a Moda Stretto frame and forks that needs a bit of TLC to get looking good, but hopefully that will be my ride this time next year.

Definitely been bitten by the bug again

thecryof

44 here. I had ridden before in the USA when I was about 20 something, but didn't know much about it and didn't meet anyone to share this interest so I lost touch with it. Now, some time later I find myself moving to Belgium and WOW.... there is HUGE interest in cycling here and many, many, many great routes. Also the people are very helpful so this has sparked my interest again. I simply love it.

sebbyp

just taken up road cycling and I was 28 the other week. Being a competitive runner but not having a good season , I decided to branch out into duathlons and possible Tri's. However bought a road bike last week and its rather alot of fun which has results in a week of 0 miles running, cycled 65miles. more miles than Ive covered in my whole life on a bike. let the fun continue ...

daveski12

I'm 28.

Been fair weather commuting for the past couple of years on my MTB but this year have been doing more miles and picked up an old 80s road bike last weekend. First time on a road bike and first time with SPD pedals so taking me some time to get used to, the brakes especially!

Mikelancs

Im 32 been mountain biking for years and after a few years 'off' i came back to it earlier this year.
Dont have the 'downtime' now to play with - I mean loading the bike up on the car going to the trail riding a few hours pack up come home clean back pack it away - so going the road route and then i have the beauty of coming home and going straight out.
Still looking at being a bit competitive and doing some TT's but wether i go the whole hof and get a decent TT bike or a really good road bike im still undecided.

Tottenham21

Hey all, I'm 40 and just started road cycling last November after 20+ years away from it, I'm just loving the idea of getting healthier and in better shape, it will take some time but at the end it will be all worth it..

roadbikes

Age 24
Finally after lurking and reading a lot about road bikes here I registered an account here. I did developa lot of interest in road bikes thanks t this forum and now i am quite confident about writing and speaking about road bikes . I have also started reviewing road bikes for beginners. Currently the bike i use is GMC Denali. I have also joined a cycling club along with my friends and definitely enjoying the experience

weeksy59

40, although i am an avid MTber. But the mud is getting me down so bought a road bike to keep me going. I can only take so much mud, crap and dirt day after day.

simon_masterson

I'm almost 23.

I got into cycling when my father-in-law (himself an avid cyclist and dab hand at bicycle maintenance, thankfully for me!) bought me a bike for my birthday, last year. It was (and is) a cheap and very plain old Raleigh, intended for commuting, but that didn't put me off (it's not a bad bike, actually ). I had (like most people) cycled as a youngster, even up to my late teenage years, but the last bike I had was the one I had on my 11th birthday, so I didn't exactly have the best equipment to work with!! I also spent most of my teenage years delivering papers and getting punctures. I've been blessed for most of my life with the gift of asthma so I have lungs of iron, I'm a bit of a beanpole, and I've always enjoyed running, so getting into 'proper' cycling didn't take much.

What really got my interest off to a proper start though was when I 'inherited' my dad's old Falcon. He hadn't ridden it for years and had already essentially given it away to a friend once (who gave it back), and it's not the kind of bike he likes riding these days anyway. It had been sitting unloved in the shed gathering dust, and I needed to borrow a bike; he said 'I don't want it back', and the rest is history... It's a bit of a restoration project, but I love riding it. Now that it's got some modern brakes that actually work, some comfy aero levers and a decent saddle, anyway!

Essay over!

billyryanwilliams

I'm 20 and just getting into cycling.

I'm probably of the age where British success in the Olympics in 2004 got me interested in cycling, and my focus has shifted to road in the last 3 years. In the process of buying my first roadie (ebay be kind!) and signing myself up for numerous charity races before attempting lands end to john o groats for charity in about a year and a half!

sandian

Hi all,

I took road up in May of this year, 39th birthday to be exact.
A pal has done it for a couple of years, so decided to give it a go!
I used to love my BMX as a youngster and got into motocross years back so thought i would be more of a MTB type!
I purchased a 2011 Scott Speedster S50, got the bug instantly!
Purchased a 2011 Scott CR1 Team 2 weeks back what a bike!
Not very fit, but have clocked up a few miles now.
Done the London-Southend 15th July, 53 miles, loved it.

differentstrokes87

On the cusp of turning 25 here.

I've commuted the last 3/4 years on a mountain bike and recently decided to take to road cycling as there's two routes I can take and the quicker is all road/Tarmac so makes sense to be riding a road bike.

josehernandez

41. Non competitive mountain biker for the last ten years.
Wanted to improve my fitness further before I become OAP. Tried running for a while and found it hard on the joints.
Decided to return to try road biking instead and have been loving the fresh air and getting to see my local area in a way I have never before. Got my bike around three weeks ago and have been doing some light to moderate training on my own for the last two.
Had my first run with the local cycling club today and found it extremely demanding. Running up the rear rammed home just how much work I have ahead of me. Still loved it though.

BlakeysFC

I'm 23 in October.

Used to cycle quite a bit when I was a kid, given up for probably about 7 years.

Earlier in the year I'd been getting into it at the Gym again using the Tacx machines (that simulate Road biking tracks from around the world on a PC sitting on a real road bike) and pedalling away. Until recently I wasn't able to do anything about it due to lack of funds, but sold my old mountain bike and some old gadgets lieing around the house and managed to stump up enough cash to get a Giant Defy 1 today (Put on a deposit, collect it on Monday).

Haven't had the best record in the past with staying motivated to do things like cycling etc. so I'm pushing myself this time to reach my goals of 30 miles by September 30th and 50 miles by November 11th.

macker71165

been cycling 6yrs just commute to work via a mountain bike am now nearly 47yrs old son bought me a raleigh equipe road bike enjoying it only for some probs with flats (see my previous post road bike nightmares) like the speed of the road bike feels like am getting somewhere for the effort compared to my mountain bike! also thnx to biking for keeping my weight down and the health benifits !

dgp1957

Hi folks, my age is 54 been driving cars etc most of my life, my last wee car died a couple of months ago leaving me with no transport, and as I am a volunteer Coastguard officer I needed a transport method to get me to the fire station quickly. One of the guys suggested a bike, so I'v now got hold of a 2nd hand Lanutti bike and am attempting to make my way around the town just now. I am not the fittest person in the world so I am finding the going quite hard (if anyone stays in Greenock, Scotland they'll know what I mean) there are hills everywhere :oops:

I also find cycling in traffic quite daunting, though I suppose things will get better the more I cycle ( I hope).
I really enjoy it and hopefully it will be getting me a bit fitter

David

Boxster

I've always cycled, to school, work etc but I only took it up as a pastime/sport at 56. Next month I'm 60 (going on 39) and feel that I've found something really fun and enjoyable. I started with a Raleigh Airlite 400 with Tiagra gears and that's still my winter bike. I graduated to a Spec Roubaix with 105s, a truly great machine for sportives. On that note, my first sportive was the Ryedale Rumble (you'll know that if you live in Yorkshire, if you don't please come up here and enjoy our hills). Last week I did the Big G, again a Yorkshire event, and I'm averaging 2-3 spotives each year. My wife now cycles too (Spec Dolce Elite) and the Big G was her first sportive. Next year we're taking our bikes to Europe for four weeks. So, my conclusion is taht age doesn't matter, but if you have th echoice, get on a bike as early as possible......and wear a helmet!

sean.moore

Bought a Pinarello and thats my story..

Gav-La

Hi,

I'm 35.

I started doing triathlons and really enjoy the cycling element, although it is my worst disipline but a long way.

Fitness history - 20 years of karate and martial arts. My body is now knackered and so have to do something else. I have also ran marathons in the past.

I am currently looking for a new bike. Currently a very old Falcon Classic Tourer!

edschof

I am 16 and my friends dad is mental about cycling. I run professionally as a sprinter so my endurance is terrible! Always liked cycling and I love going fast (can't stand jogging!). I have always liked cycling but decided to take it up as an endurance/strength builder plus the speed is great. I bought a Specialized Allez and absolutely love it! Although like other people have said this sport is very expensive... It took me 3 months to save up the money to buy my bike, doing odd jobs and helping people. And I've no kit to go with it!

That's my cycling history in a nutshell.