Road Cycling - When did you know you were a cyclist?

Taken from the back page of this months "Bicycling" mag...

Mine was the first time an automobile (Suburban) voiced it's opinion of sharing the road with a cyclist... I took all of my "being" not to give a verbal or sign language reply... I remember saying to myself, "so that's what it's like.. I'm in the club now... I'm a roadie:beer:

When I was a kid growing up in Werris Creek, occasionally we'd take long car trips to visit people I knew living on the coast. Every time we crossed the Range, I'd get carsick. Dizzy spells and headaches at the very least, vomiting at the worst.

When my parents split-up, we no longer had a car. I had to do all the errands on a bike. I have never been bike sick in all my life. Now I'm 25, I still haven't bought a car. I don't think I ever will.

I never check out the "cool", lightning-fast cars zooming down the road...but I always check out the extremely cool, lightning-fast bikes zooming down the road... :D

velo

If anyone has ever been inside a smog-box on a hot summer day, the last thing you'll think they are is cool.

When I'm feeling stressed at work, I don't think of tropical isles etc, I think of loading up my tourer and heading into Europe. That lets me know that if I had to give up everything material, the last thing to go would be my bike.

When I wanted to ride again with a local racer after I "Bonked" HARD on my first ride over 20 miles ( it was 40). We rode together for over 25 years after that day.
Ride Till You Drop
Pat

How about the first time I had the nerve to stuff this "Wide Load" into shiny lycra? :D

Actually, it was well before that, but that seems to be some kind of point of no return. Once you've taken that step, all hope is lost. Oh, geez, you don't think I'll be shaving my legs some day, do you? :eek:

For fifteen years, when I write up a "To Do" list, RIDE is at the top of the list.

You'd think by now I would just go without writing it, but it always gets in there.

When I have the ocassional few days without riding- my mood gets pretty sullen. My wife says go and get in your ride; just be back before dark.

The realization came when I was at the University of Florida (Go Gators) and my roomate and I decided to go for a bike ride. 8 hours later we made it home. We hadn't intended to go that far, but it was a glorius day and we both felt strong and we figured why not! I realized then, if I can ride my bike for 8 hours, and not die in the process, I must be "into" it!

I figured I must be a cyclist when I spent $950 on my "first" bike (at the age of 50+).

Recently I bought my second bike (http://www.litespeed.com/english/road/tuscany.html). :thumbup:
My wife still questions my need for two bikes.

The clincher was spending more on headlights for my commuter than most people spent on a "high end" X-Mart bike.

BTW: both bikes "sleep" in the living room. :) :) :)

:)


when my school bus made its usual stop outside a bike store and i saw a long sleeve wool colnago jersey that was mostly black with red yellow and orange trim. i knew at once that i had to wear that item of clothing and was too insecure to do so without a bike at least to begin with. of course it had "colnago" emblazeoned in large white letters accross its jersey and i was sure that chicks dug it.

yes its true vanity was my motivation initially and still helps me along to this day. and yes, for some stupid reason i sold it and to this day i haven't been able to buy anything remotely as sexy. but i did eventually pair it with a new colnago in the time that i had it and somehow i even managed to sell that as well.

master piu with complete c-record and campy rims.

Nice bike Dupe!!! You sold that bike??

One day in Late July (years back) I received a post card from a friend riding during RAGBRAI. At first I thought he was nuts!!! The thought of his participation in a week long ride across a state slowing worked on my mind. Before I realized it I was facinated by the adventure! A week later we found a Bianchi road bike (Cmpone D'Italia I believe it was) at a yard sale for $100.

I realized I was a bicyclist the first day I commuted to work eight miles away.......I had begun training for the next RAGBRAI.



http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Usersmilies/Rafael/03/Bicicleta.gif

It was when other riders began to look me up or stop and we organizied rides together.

Erik

I didn't self-define as a cyclist until I was 45 and started commuting. Before that time my wife and I would have hybrids and occasionally ride into town for dinner and a movie, or visit relatives, but it wasn't until I started riding enough times per week to not have a sore butt after 13 miles that I began to think of myself as a cyclist. I averaged about 1500 miles per year for five years, and then bought a touring bike, after which I started putting in more miles beyond commuting and errands. So now, with a road bike and a tandem added to the stable, I am averaging between 5000 to 7000 miles per year and wish I could use a time machine to go back and tell my 23-year-old self to get on that orange 10-speed Volkscycle and ride the hell out of it.

Originally posted by UncaStuart
......wish I could use a time machine to go back and tell my 23-year-old self to get on that orange 10-speed Volkscycle and ride the hell out of it.

If you were anything like I was at 23, you wouldn't have listened!!!!

http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Usersmilies/Imperator_J_S/LBJohnOttomS.gif

I have always ridden a bike, but never considered myself a cyclist. It was just getting around. I lived in a rural area 5 miles from town, and used my bike to get to the shops and holiday jobs.

In 1992 I went on holiday to Ireland and ended up hiring a bike and touring around the SW. That converted me to being a cyclist, and I kicked myself that I hadn't explored the posibilities of a bike earlier.

I knew I had "arrived" when I was able to spin after peaking a significant hill, rather than coast and rest.

Also the first century ride (7 hrs.) was a marker of some kind for me.

Louis

I knew I was a rider when I was first allowed to bike out of the court we lived in and ended up 30 miles south.

When I realized that after I ordered my last new automobile and had to wait 2 months for delivery, it didn't bother me a bit. But after recently ordering a new road bike, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It's all I had hoped for.

When I saw a cyclist gracefully sailing down a long grade on the Blue Ridge Parkway. "Gawd, that looks awesome," I thought. It was actually a couple of years later that I got my first bike (as an adult).

I knew it when I was in 6th grade. At one football practice I had enough of that type of sport and proceeded to throw my football equipment, uniform, helmet etc at my coach, hopped on my BMX bike and rode away to spend the REST of my life spending as much time as is fair in my life riding. I'l never forget how exilerating that day was!

Surviving my first Tecate to Ensenada ride back in the early 80's. I finished somewhere near the back of the pack, maybe somewhere near 5785, but at least I didn't finish in the 5786th spot. It was glorius, 75 miles in 12 hours....a year later I was able to ride a tweaked out Olmo 185 miles in 9.5 hours......so sweet. I was hooked.............

I don't know my mom use to tell me I was born with a bike beside me on my crib:beer: :beer: :beer: :D :D

My original response was pretty much in jest. Actually I really started to feel like a cyclists one day about a year ago when for some reason, either weather or fatigue, I thought maybe I should drive to work and shudddered in revulsion. I have not gotten to work any way other than by bicycle ever since.
Regards,
Raymond

How about:

"When you're having a bad day and you realise that the one mistake you made was coming home from your morning ride at all". :mad:

I finally realized I was hooked when all I can think of when driving somewhere is this would be a great road to be cycling on,or I cant wait to get home and take a ride. RIDE ON PEOPLE!:)

As I lay in the dirt after the first major accident I had, and the first thing out of my mouth (after the teeth and blood of course) was "hows my bike?"

When I was in college in Oregon in 1990. I was riding and it was 23 degrees farenheit outside, I got a flat and had to fix it. It was so cold that my rims actually stuck to my fingers as I was changing the tire. There never was a point in that experience that I wasn't enjoying myself :D

that and the fact that I don't mind bouncing off of cars while riding in LA.
:)



And I know this is going to be unpopular to some of you, but I adore my car as well! What can I say? I'm a multi-faceted Human Being!)

when I had my 50th birthday my wife wanted to go to Europe, I wanted a new bike. Guess I figured I was hooked.:D

It's 8:00 on a Sunday morning, and as I lean over to fasten the zipper at the ankle of my tights, I happen to glance out the window. The sun is barely showing itself through a heavy curtain of clouds, and I think it is unlikely to break through, making the possibility of even a 30-degree day seem slim . . . At the moment it is about 15 degrees. My riding partner for the day wants to do some hill training, and I hope against hope that my shifting won't be impaired, as it often is by low temperatures. - My husband is still sound asleep under our nice warm comforter, and I wonder for a moment if I am, perhaps, just a little crazy. Yesterday I rode in only slightly warmer conditions . . . or perhaps it only seemed warmer because that lovely sun was shining . . . But, then, there was a rather stiff wind for most of our ride . . . The day before, though it rained too hard to attempt a ride, after doing weight work at the gym, I spent a happy afternoon with another riding partner, who helped me take my bike apart to clean it, checked my position one more time to ensure efficient pedaling, and regaled me with stories of when he used to race, some forty years ago . . . That night I watched hours and hours of cycling tapes to see the pros spin and sprint and climb, with the hope that I could learn something . . . and for the pure pleasure of watching them . . . To paraphrase an old song . . . "You asked, 'Girl, are you a cyclist?', and I said, 'Sir, I am tonight.'"

:) Just now because I'm reading threads that are at least 1 year old.Almost got lost back in those threads.

I think when I realized that no matter how rotten a day I've had or how bad I feel, when I get on my bike and ride, after a few miles, all that bad goes away.

When I noticed muscles forming in my legs that I never knew existed... Now, 16 years later, those legs are shaved!

Mike

When I came back from my first fairly long "real" ride and I just couldn't wait to go again, I still can't ride enough! :)

When I started wearing bibs.

Like everything else in life cycling is a progression. From a supermarket bike to a fair Mtb to a roadbike and the clothes improved as well, but I can still remember wondering why anybody would wear something like a cycling bib.

Now I know:)

I think cane knew he was a cyclist the moment he broke the shell of the egg he was hatched from.(just joking!!!)