What made you start cycling ?..and how long for now ?

Toe knee

And do you still love it as much now as when you started, or has anything changed dramatically since you began ?

Thanks tony.

fevmeister

My flatmate at uni road cycled and i liked the idea of it having done mtb through my youth - so I got myself a road bike after a windfall at the bookies and the rest is history!

jagx400

Started in March last year and still love it, Started cuz I was a fat B*****d, now 3.5 stone lighter

VTech

Most guys/gals at work cycle and being overweight it sounded like the right thing to do.
I also wanted to make new friends

Monty Dog

Necessary student transport at university, but was mainly into rock climbing - used to ride out of Glasgow with a rucksack of kit on my back, go climbing for a day and cycle back again. Suffered chronic tendonitis in my elbows so ended up climbing less and riding more. Moved south in 1987 and there wasn't much climbing to be had. Started doing triathlon when it was an adventure sport, with only 200-odd participants. Did an Ironman in 1991 but have pretty well stuck with cycling since. I still race road and CX and likely to dabble in some MTB Enduro this year.

Bozman

At roughly 12 i used to cycle the 14 miles to Donington Park to watch the motorbikes on a regular basis, i made the trip on my hand-me-down Mercian that i also used for rides all over the place with my mates.
Then when i started work in 1984 cycling was the only way i could get there, that was all i used a bike for up until the mid-90s, then after a ride up to the peak with a couple of mates it turned into a pastime, since then it's gradually taken over my life.

john1967

I started cycling to primary school and never stopped.of course this was before all little darlings got carted to school in the people carriers.

backo

grew up on mtb till about 6 years ago...switched to road and not looked back...more into it now than when I mtb..wish I had tried road cylcing earlier to be honest

Brian B

Started off for the first 3 years MTB cause I was unfit and overweight and lost a lot of weight. Moved to the road ten years ago and never looked back. Spent a fortune, thin as whippet(lost even more weight here), and lover of sportives and epic days on the moors and high roads of Blighty.

Also done the big climbs abroad of the Giro and TDF, done the marmotte and watched the pro-peloton abroad and home fly up and compete on roads I had previously cycled - what other sport lets you do that.

CleeRider

Started during TDF in July last year out of the worry of having done no exercise for 20+ years (work from home, behind a desk) and wanting to see my grand kids (I'm 38 with 3 little ones). Had previously tried on 4 previous attempts but always gave up after 2 weeks.
I think the difference this time was finding Strava and this very forum - always helpful people.
Cycled throughout the winter, weather permitting, and became more and more addicted. I went out in the hills in temperatures around zero and enjoyed it - so I'm gonna absolutely love the Spring/Summer!!!!

I've gone from 11mph on a mtn bike to 18mph on a road bike in a matter of months and got my fitness back!
Cycling probably saved my life.

cheaterkiller

Dont remember when I started. I have had bikes since I could walk. It got more serious in the last few years, particularly with regard to me buying a £1600 bike. As a result I find my riders are over longer distances and just enjoy being out on a nice bike. I particularly enjoy those country single lane roads with sod all traffic. With regards to speed I had a much bigger kick out of doing 50mph on my bicycle than I did doing nearly 160mph on my motorcycle.

andy9964

After turning 45, I started to get "invites" from my GP's surgery to one of those "Well Man" clinic things with the nurse every year.

Last time I went, the following words and phrases came up - 'cholesterol ' weight' and 'I might put you on Statins'

So, having had a MTB about 15 years ago, I went out and bought another. Rode it on and off for a few months, but nothing regular, then wimped out around October when the sh1tty weather set in.

Then, after the new year, I decided to get my arse into some sort of decent shape. Started commuting to work - 14 mile round trip - and apart from one week of bad snow, I've managed to get a minimum of 4 days a week, every week since.
Also lost 16lbs in the process without any real form of 'dieting'

Love every minute on the bike, and often take a longer route home after nightshift or dayshift. Now looking for a road/CX/lightweight hybrid bike when my company C2W scheme opens in April

andy 3654

Well I started cycling when I was in school was all mountain bike but never really went off road, I just loved being out on my own on the bike. I do remember at one time I had an old Peugeot road bike which I treated as a mountain bike taking it on local dirt jumps.
Only really started cycling again last year which I'm not ashamed to say was due to the Olympics but not looked back.
Love my road bike and being out as much as i can.

jagx400

Am I the oldest bloke on here, 53 this year. Never been so fit since starting cyclng

nunowoolmez

I started due to chronic knee injuries from running meaning i couldn't run more than 10K before runners knee set in & effectively bring me to a shuddering & excruciating halt. I was gutted at the time, but had to accept my running days were over. So a mate at work in 2009 recommended I get a ride to work bike to keep my fitness up, which i did.

4 years on & i am absolutely loving it! I have come a long way since being daunted by my first 50 mile ride! Love doing long sportives & challenging myself against tough climbs & last month did my first 2 week 'training camp' in Majorca. Basically a nice cycling holiday! Also have 2 weeks in The Alps booked for July where i hope to get climb some of the Cols & also take in 2 stages of The Tour.

Don't miss running one jot, & riding is so much more fun!!

chrisaonabike

jagx400 wrote:

Am I the oldest bloke on here, 53 this year.

Aha, so I'm not then! (Just turned 50 myself).

For me it was a combination of

- getting sick of getting injuries while running (shin splints, calf tears)
- watching the Olympics (I'd never heard of Cav or Wiggo, or even Armstrong beforehand :shock: )
- borrowing a bike to get back from a mates after being too p!ssed to drive and missing the last train

.. and most of all, having a fab OH who bought me the bike for my 50th birthday.

Got the bike last October. Still loving it, except when my feet freeze.

tlw1

Always cycled and got my first decent road bike when I was 13, then used it on and off for years. Bought a mountain bike at uni and tended to do that more.

Aged 30 I was driving more than cycling and my belly proved it, then got rid off the sports car with kids plus side i could carry bikes and started cycling again. Over the last 10 yrs done more and more and love it

cyclingfury

jagx400 wrote:

Am I the oldest bloke on here, 53 this year. Never been so fit since starting cyclng

No, I'm 57 in May!

Vanmanmatt

Hi all, first post.
Road cycled a lot at school, then mostly mountain biking & running for the last 20 odd years.
40 now & got a Canondale caad 8 last may & not been off it since.

pride4ever

My dad was an absolute cycling nut, I didnt really have a choice lol. Started seriously in 1980 and still going strong today at 44.

dodgy

It's just something I've always done (I'm late 40s). I've never needed role models to be winning the TdeF/gold medals to give me a passion for cycling, it's always just been there.

Seen friends come into cycling for a while, then leave. I've seen some of them come back in again!

I'll always ride a bike.

cheaterkiller

matthew h wrote:

Always cycled and got my first decent road bike when I was 13, then used it on and off for years. Bought a mountain bike at uni and tended to do that more.

Aged 30 I was driving more than cycling and my belly proved it, then got rid off the sports car with kids plus side i could carry bikes and started cycling again. Over the last 10 yrs done more and more and love it

How much did you get for the kids?

gubber12345

only got into cycling about 7-8 months ago mainly to try and lose a bit of weight and try and get a bit of fitness back.used to play football and then 5 a-side but when that all stopped i put on a couple of stone.

so when a mate who had been cycling for a while had an old road bike for sale i bought it off him.had it a couple of months and decided i really loved this cycling thing and splashed out on a forme edge axe carbon bike(bought the cheap bike to start with just in case it was one of my fads)and havent looked back.i aint no wiggo by a long way but just love the cycling fullstop.

and since i live out in the sticks its loads of quiet roads without any real hassle at all.

ademort

My mates Dad was in a cycling club and had 2 bikes, a mercian and a pete matthews. i,d recently bought a raleigh scirroco racing bike 10 gears and steel wheels and had started building up the miles. One day my mates dad was just going out on his bike when i arrived at the house but my mate had to go to his granmas house to do something for her so my mates dad said if i wanted to ride with him i could do he was doing a fifty miler but didnt think i,d be able to keep up.He fitted a cage and filled a water bottle for me and off we went.
No worries for me , not only did i keep up but when we had a sprint after about 45 miles i won. After that my mates dad allowed me to use his spare bike and we went out regularly together. I then joined a club. That was in 1977-78.
Ademort

VTech

ademort wrote:

My mates Dad was in a cycling club and had 2 bikes, a mercian and a pete matthews. i,d recently bought a raleigh scirroco racing bike 10 gears and steel wheels and had started building up the miles. One day my mates dad was just going out on his bike when i arrived at the house but my mate had to go to his granmas house to do something for her so my mates dad said if i wanted to ride with him i could do he was doing a fifty miler but didnt think i,d be able to keep up.He fitted a cage and filled a water bottle for me and off we went.
No worries for me , not only did i keep up but when we had a sprint after about 45 miles i won. After that my mates dad allowed me to use his spare bike and we went out regularly together. I then joined a club. That was in 1977-78.
Ademort

What a fab story, how an encounter with someone else off the cuff changed the path of your life.
Like sliding doors There is a book in that story

marylogic

I cycled with my parents as a child and went on a few touring holidays. I always promised myself once I was working I would treat myself to a good bike.

So I wandered into my LBS and asked for a touring bike and they basically told me that what I actually wanted was a road bike. It took me a while to get out the tourist mentality and to start with I had a beam rack and carried loads of stuff. It was my first sportive last year that made me strip all the excess off the bike and get a proper road attitude. My husband keeps buying me hill climb books as well which fuels the addiction.

thefd

I got into cycling after my bike got stolen!! I bought a Trek 1.5 about 18 months ago (second hand) with the intention of doing some cycling. But never did much.

12 months ago my garage got broken into and it was stolen. I made the decision to buy another bike, (wasn't insured) but in my mind this meant I had to use it.

I have done 3000 miles in my first year and totally love it. Off to the Alps this year with 5 mates! Alpe d'Huez and Col de Galibier here I come!

Lost 1.5 stone (wasn't too over weight before, but needed to lose something)

ademort

VTech wrote:

ademort wrote:

My mates Dad was in a cycling club and had 2 bikes, a mercian and a pete matthews. i,d recently bought a raleigh scirroco racing bike 10 gears and steel wheels and had started building up the miles. One day my mates dad was just going out on his bike when i arrived at the house but my mate had to go to his granmas house to do something for her so my mates dad said if i wanted to ride with him i could do he was doing a fifty miler but didnt think i,d be able to keep up.He fitted a cage and filled a water bottle for me and off we went.
No worries for me , not only did i keep up but when we had a sprint after about 45 miles i won. After that my mates dad allowed me to use his spare bike and we went out regularly together. I then joined a club. That was in 1977-78.
Ademort

What a fab story, how an encounter with someone else off the cuff changed the path of your life.
Like sliding doors There is a book in that story

By the way the difference between my Raleigh and my mates, dads mercian was incredible. I felt like i floated over the tarmac. Of course when my dad bought me my first real racing bike it had to be a mercian king of mercia. I,ve loved cycling ever since.As all forum members will testify "once you get the bug it never leaves you" I will be 50 this year.
Ademort

BelgianBeerGeek

dodgy wrote:

It's just something I've always done (I'm late 40s). I've never needed role models to be winning the TdeF/gold medals to give me a passion for cycling, it's always just been there.

Seen friends come into cycling for a while, then leave. I've seen some of them come back in again!

I'll always ride a bike.

^this. It's how I get around, go to work, spend my leisure time. I couldn't imagine my life without cycling.

tlw1

cheaterkiller wrote:

matthew h wrote:

Always cycled and got my first decent road bike when I was 13, then used it on and off for years. Bought a mountain bike at uni and tended to do that more.

Aged 30 I was driving more than cycling and my belly proved it, then got rid off the sports car with kids plus side i could carry bikes and started cycling again. Over the last 10 yrs done more and more and love it

How much did you get for the kids?

not enough

hjghg5

As a kid we used to always be out on our bikes round the local lanes. I cycled to university for a while until I got taken out by a dozy pedestrian and drifted away from it.
In 2007ish I bought a hybrid and cycled to work on and off. Then bought a car and the bike went in the garage. I was mainly a runner and would dig it out if I was injured, but nothing regular.

I then met my oh who is much more of a cyclist. We went out on a few easy rides with me on my hybrid and him on his carbon roadie... it hasn't taken me long to build up a collection of bikes to equal his! First road bike was purchased in july 2010 I think, and I've built up from there with a bit of a backwards step last year after being hit by a car and losing my confidence for a while. The insurance money mainly went on new bikes