Greetings from Quebec!
 

Greetings from a transplanted NYer living in QC! I've been riding for a little over two years, but I'm not really sure which "category" I'd fall into as far as cycling goes. I ride trails, though I am hoping to ease into some downhill riding soon. The trails here are mostly a combination of gravel, dirt and pavement.

Here's a bit about me:

I started riding in 2005. I bought a Trek 820 because I was convinced that a "low end" bike shop bike would be a better investment than a "high end" department store bike. I really didn't know much about biking at all and didn't have much to spend, but everybody has to start someplace and the guys at the bike store were kind enough to point me in the right direction. I had no idea upon making the purchase that I would rapidly become addicted and end up riding just about every day. :)

During the summer I ride about 10-15 miles on weeknights and farther on weekends. In the winter my bike gets stuck on a trainer and plopped in front of the tv for indoor riding. (It's not the same, but I've got to make an effort to maintain SOME level of fitness since winters here feel about 8 months long!)

This spring I upgraded to a Trek 4500 and can't get over the difference in the weight of the bike. I've also switched over to clipless pedals, and I'm loving them. Here's a recent shot of my bike:

http://i12.tinypic.com/52el5pc.jpg

I'm addicted. I can't help myself. I ride in the pouring rain and come home covered in mud and soaked to the skin - and I love it.

Now if only I could find some decent (and NOT pastel-colored) women's jersey's I'd be about as happy as a clam (well, as happy as a clam would be if clams wore bike jerseys). ;)

I've still got lots to learn, and would love to hear from others who share my passion for cycling. I'm looking forward to getting to know the rest of you.

Hello morea, there are non-pastel coloured jerseys out there, it's just a matter of looking :D .

I should have looked at this thread before mmmadman's, eh?

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

lol, I'm *still* looking! Unfortunately, my recent move means that it is a royal pain to have anything shipped to me... now we have to get into international taxes and duties and all sorts of other headaches.

I wonder how many other female cyclists out there just get tired of sifting through the waves of pink and baby blue and buy men's jerseys. In the mean time, I just stick to black. (As a bonus, mud shows up against black quite nicely!) ;)

Too many! Including yours truly :p .

East Hill

I swear, if I ever win the lottery, I'm going to break down and open a business designing awesome bike clothes for women! (Actually, I'll have to hire someone to do it, because I'll be too busy riding!) :D

The addiction gets worse every day though. In addition to wanting to try downhill, I'm trying to figure out what I need to do in training to complete my first century this year.

It's a little tough sometimes because a sports injury at age 16 has left me with arthritis in both knees. I just ordered some braces online that should help for longer rides. I completed 34 miles yesterday and I'm feeling pretty darned good today, all things considered.

Have you checked out Team Estrogen for jerseys? They aren't all pink or powder blue...

I won a two dollar Lottery last week (on a visit to BC). Not enough to start my own business either :D .

East Hill

I did see a few on Team Estrogen that I liked. It's tough to shop online because of the international shipping rates. I've decided that when I'm ready to order I'll just have everything shipped to my folks in NY, and pick it up the next time I'm down for a visit. :D

Hehehe, everyone's a winner that way (well, except for Canada Customs :D).

East Hill

they're making quite a bundle off me from immigration fees. Believe it or not, until my permanent residence is approved, I'm not allowed to bring my personal belongings up - that includes most of my clothes, DVDs, furniture, etc. - it's all in storage at the moment. When residence is approved, I can bring my possessions over duty free, so in the mean time everything is in storage! (Oh, it's an adventure!)

I'm in love with the trails here though. At home we had a nice long trail, but it didn't provide much variety at all. I ended up riding the same part of the trail just about every day, which was less than exciting. There's an access point to the trail half a block from my apartment here, but there is a lot more to choose from. I can decide if I want to ride pavement or dirt/gravel any given day, switch my tires (knobbies to semislicks or vice versa) and ride what I feel like riding any given day. It IS a lot easier to leave directly from the apartment than to mess with putting the bike on the car, but it's nice to have the option.

The one thing that surprised me most is that the hills here are brutal! I came from upstate NY in the Adirondack mountains, and we had some pretty challenging hills on our trail, but the ones here really mean business. I'm interested to see what my old trails feel like when I get back to NY for a visit. :)

Oh, I didn't know that about the permanent residency. Although that does make sense. How long until you get residency, then? At least you've got a bike...

East Hill

I've got my bike and my computer, so I'm pretty happy. Really, there's not a lot else that I need to entertain myself! :D

The permanent residence depends partly on the number of applicants because there is a lot of paperwork to process. It's looking like about 9 - 12 months at this point.

Can I say, "welcome to the forum", even if I signed up after you?
Is that like a forum "faux-pas"?:D

Welcome to the forum!

Not a faux pas at all! Everyone deserves a warm welcome, just for having a bike. Heck, everyone deserves a warm welcome for even THINKING about having a bike.

The more, the merrier :D .

East Hill