Hi, I'm Cliff,
I rode the Steel is Real ride on 8/30 and the Mt. Hamilton ride on 9/1, so I've met some of you.
I started riding about three years ago when my son started riding for his college team (UCSD). Cycling has been great at letting me cut back on my running and still keep the weight down.
I also like how much you can spend on it. There's nothing better than spending money on sports equipment. I thought golf was bad, but cycling spending is quite addictive.
I live in Moraga and only ride on the weekends, mainly in the Berkeley-Oakland hills.
My new bike is two weeks old and I'm very pleased with it. It's amazing how much faster it is on the descents.