2ndGen

2ndGen

I haven't ridden this much this year.

Between taking a hard hit earlier this year with a pair of jobs I lost big money on
and then catching up with a great job I got in the middle of the year,
somewhere along the line, I lost the "need" to ride I used to have.

But for some reason, I kept building my bike. That was very therapeutic for me.
I guess there is a time to ride and when you can't ride, a time to build.
Correction, when you "choose" not to ride, the opportunity to build.

Without making any lame arse excuses, I just didn't feel like riding.
I was very caught up in work and with catching up in life.

But once I got through 3/4's of building my bike up,
something began stirring in me (especially after test riding it).
I got it back last weekend and basically, I have a new bike.
I went from a CAAD9-7 to essentially a CAAD9-1 (but better).

Now, I look at my bike and I want to jump on that female dog
and ride her like she's my getaway vehicle after a bank robbery
(which I will do on this beautiful Autumn day in New York)!

I'm going to start getting geared up for the winter months coming up.
I remember riding in 8 degree weather last year. It was awesome.
In a way, I feel like *****e for not riding this great summer,
but I'm not going to wallow in my failure to mount up.
I'm going to start riding today and I'll try to ride everyday.

When I first began riding after a leg injury, I went from
247lbs (@ 5'9") to 200lbs in a couple of months.
Now, since I haven't ridden that much this year,
I'm back up to 220lbs which means I have another
40lbs to lose before I'm satisfied with my weight.

Once again, cycling is there to pick me up...my "magnificent obsession".
It used to be tools before when I had my business, now it's bikes.
As it should be...as it "used to" be when I was a kid building
hard core premium race BMX bikes from scratch.

In the works for 2011:

• Purchase a KK Road Machine
• Outfit a Park Tool Shop
• Gear up to ride in Old Man Winter's face!
• Pick up a Turner 5 Spot MTB for the Spring
• Research my next road bike (full carbon über build or purchase)
• Goals: 1st Century, drop 40lbs and be able to ride with a fast group.

Ideally, I'd love to complete my CAAD (wheelset, post, brakes, pedals)
and be ready to pull the trigger on a really nice plastic rig for Spring.

In a while, I'm going to do something I haven't done in
a month or so; I'm going to go ride my bike all day.

Especially to all my fellow North Eastern riders,
enjoy the great day we have today!

2G

ADSR

Between work and school I have almost zero time to ride. My goal is to keep myself on the bike at least 45 miles a week. Not much I know, but small goals are a lot more doable when I'm exhausted and don't want to leave the couch.

2ndGen

I've tried to incorporate riding in my daily life by commuting, but it was pretty dangerous to do in NYC.
I know I can get in some ride time on Sundays for sure. Saturdays I'm "on call" if my company needs me.

Daily? What can I do? I'm thinking if I can just manage to get in 30 minutes to an hour
in the cold frigid night air then that'll be okay and much better than "not" riding at all.

Problem is, when I try to take the bike out for a quick spin,
I don't come back for an hour or two.
I just keep going and going and going.

Even after I haven't ridden for a while,
my muscles just snap right back into shape.

I guess riding a bike is like...well, "riding a bike".
You never forget that thrill once you're underway.

bikerjp

I got back into riding this summer when my weight and cholesterol were both too high. In 4 months I went from 220 to just under 200 (seeing a 1 for the first time in a decade was a great feeling). I now want to keep it up and hopefully lose another 10-20. Winter finally hit Colorado though and while I can ride in the cold, not my most favorite thing, I don't like riding in the dark. By the time I get home it's too late to ride so only chance I have is on the weekends if the weather is decent. I'm buying a road bike so hopefully the new bike will be a motivator and it easier to drop in the trainer to "just do something" on those dark nights. Definitely understand about life - job, kids, a wife who thinks all bikes are the same - interfering with life though. I feel too good now though to let it all slip away so I'm off to test ride one more time before I pull the trigger on this bad boy.

https://www.bowcycle.com/bc10/images/...-4-c-black.jpg

2ndGen

Very hot!



Also, consider picking up a Mountain Bike (used if necessary) for some nice riding in the snow.
I'm going to be looking for something really cheap until I can get a Turner 5 Spot next year.
I'll be spending my winter in West Virginia and we just picked up a place that boarders a
State Park with guess what...a Mountain Bike Trail literally in my back yard!

patentcad

I don't do it for the thrill. I do it for the endorphins. But I've only been doing that daily for the better part of 20 years, I'll have to see if that lasts and then get back to you.

bikerjp

I actually have a fairly nice mtb. It's a trek fuel and is capable of way more than I am. It was my one and only nice mtb and I sold my commuter bike and a bunch of other stuff to buy it when I started working a lot further from home. It's all I have right now and what I've been riding to get in shape. I'm just not enjoying it much as a road bike and why I'm getting the caad. I should probably sell it to buy the road bike but I'm not going to. I want one of each Plus, I've probably spent close to 3g on it with upgrades and the cost of the original bike and I'd never get much of that back nor would I ever be able to get something like it again.

StephenH

Whee ha! Rode out to White Rock Lake and around the lake today. Passed everyone in sight, yes! Before they even knew it was a race, swoosh, I was around 'em and on my way! Roadies, grammas with trailers, didn't matter! Even passed two pickups! Bwahahahahahaha! The thrill is here!

rouleour

Excellent!

2ndGen

Awesome!

2ndGen

After that video I saw on CNN today of the CXrs riding through blizzard conditions,
that definitely got me hyped up and has worked towards braking me out of my spell
of complacency. In my defense, where I'm living, it's no where near as nice as where
I used to live for riding which as luck would have it, I had to ride through today and
it just bought back tons of memories.

If you can't be in the place you love to ride,
ride the place your at and learn to love it.
Or not. But just ride that female dog!

Looks like rain downstate for the next day or so in NY P-C.

Next good day, I'm going to start putting in the miles.
Goal this week...100 miles by next Sunday.

logdrum

I like it when someone has the balls to be honest. Not 140 lbs and 24 mph ave speed. I hope you reach those goals. Not far off. just keep on pedalling