Introductions - Howdy from Plano, TX

Hi all. Just a quick note introducing myself. My name is John and I'm a new rider in my fourties looking to get in shape and lose some weight while having fun. Over the past two months I've ridden about 100 miles (I know, I know, not even a single day's ride for a lot of you) including 4 commutes into work - which I hope to do more of once the rain stops.

Thanks to all for the wonderful info on this forum - I have a lot to learn and I'm sure that I'll be able to pick up a bit of knowledge here.

Ultimately I'm thinking that I'd like to do a few centuries - not as a serious competition but more for competing against myself to improve my distance and time. Maybe in four or five months I'll pick up a road bike to go with my cheap comfort bike I picked up used from a LBS. Right now all I'm thinking about it when I'll get to ride next. :)

Hi John, Welcome to Bike Forums.
Ride slow for the first 1000 miles.

Hi John. Good to see another rider in Plano. Enjoy the new bike trails going in...

Ah, Plano, Texas, my stomping grounds for the last 25 years.

I'm mostly a street&road cyclist but there are some nice trails for new riders.

http://pdf.plano.gov/parks/2009%20trail%20map.pdf

Arbor Hills is nice, as is Bob Woodruff/Oak Point. The Shady Brook Trail between Midway and the city limits is an absolute hoot, and if you don't mind riding about a block and a half on the streets (from the west end of the Bluebonnet Trail to the YMCA) you can ride all the way there and back from Harrington Park on the trail system.

When you get that road bike, there are organized rides of all kinds. The little back farm roads of northern Collin and Grayson counties are a cycling paradise. I'm hoping the world class cycle touring found on the little back roads of Parker, Hood, Somervell and Bosque counties don't get "discovered" and ruined.

tcs

10 Wheels, Langly and tcs - Thanks for the welcome.

Yeah, so far I'm loving the trails in Plano...or I guess I should say "trail" since I've only been on one. I pick up the Chisholm Trail where it intersects with the Bluebonnet Trail and ride that south all the way to the end at 15th just west of 75. That's the majority of my ride to work - the rest of the commute is a couple of miles from my house to the trail and a couple miles from the end of the trail to my office.

Anyone local have anything good or bad to say about the RBM Saturday rides? I was thinking about going on the beginner ride next weekend - maybe I can pick up some tips to help me improve.