tom cotter

Hi everybody! My name is Tom Cotter. I turned 50 this year. Having made a sedentary career choice I've decided to start making some decisions for my body before my body starts to make decisions for me. So it's back into biking in a big way. Biking was a part of my life before the days of long meetings, little league and client dinners. I own three bikes, two Trek 520's and a first generation Trek mountain bike. My plan is to do some loaded touring. I'm taking a bicycle mechanics course the first part of next year and want to try buiding a road bike from the ground up. We'll see!

I live in Cherry Hill N.J. with my wife, four kids and our dog.

Tom Cotter

RonH

Hi Tom. Glad to see you found the Introductions forum.

Statements like "Old guy from the Garden State" are not allowed here.
I'm 57 (soon to be 58) and I'm not old. There are several others here who were born before me but aren't old either. Cycling keeps us young.

Have fun touring. Post pix when you can.

Good luck with the bike mechanics course. Wish they would offer something like that around here.

Rich Clark

Welcome, Tom!

Greybearded balding dudes on expensive but sensible bikes are so common as to be an archetype. You're not just not old, you're not even unusual... at least, not with regards to that!

You may *get* old listening to people telling you your not, but that just makes my head hurt.

Why do you have *two* 520's?

RichC

DnvrFox

Hey, if you are "old" at 50, what must I be at 63??

Welcome to the group, "young guy" from the Garden State.

tom cotter

Rich, my momma always told me"It ain't no fun bein normal." So I guess I'll just have to find a way to wick things up a bit.

My reason for owning two 520's is simple, I really like the bike. I bought my first 520 in March of 88 with the intention of doing some light touring. Biz and family obligations got in the way of the touring but not the bike riding. I really loved riding that 520. I started riding with the C crowd and moved my way up to the A crowd. The 520 got some strange looks from the boyz on their expensive racing bikes. A true case of "it's not the bike!" Then one Saturday afternoon in 1996 I took my wife down to the local bike shop to buy her a bike. She wanted what are today known as comfort bikes. As she picked out one she liked I noticed a new 520 with STI shifters. The shifters got me. All the "go fast" boyz had them. STI was a real advance. The frame was the right size. It was a done deal. To win committee approval I told my wife that I would sell my first 520. And some day I may just do that.

To get my wife into bike riding I took her to a local park. She was ungodly slow and I had to keep stopping to let her catch up. After doing this for awhile I asked her to keep up with me as I rode a slow but constant pace. I rode for a few minutes and looked back, she wasn't there! I turned around, rode back a ways to find her lying on the ground. She had fallen off the bike! After that she wouldn't get back on the bike. I told her she was looking at this the wrong way. Falling off the bike wasn't a bad thing. Missing the pile of dog sh** by six inches was a good thing! I finally got her back to riding this past summer with her six year old new bike. She did good!

MikeR

Welcome, Tom. We have a lot in common.

1. I’m 52 and was in your position (getting into biking) 2 years ago. Lost 70 lbs so far and blood pressure is way down.

2. Also, I was raised in Runnemede NJ. I have relatives in Mt. Ephraim and Sicklerville NJ.

3. I did an organized tour last summer that went from the NY/NJ/PA border, down along the Delaware river to Phily, where the tour ended. I kept going by myself, crossing the Ben Franklin bridge and into NJ to visit the relatives. That bridge is great to bike/walk over. If you haven’t tried it yet you probably will if you do any touring into Pa.

I am planning on doing a lone tour from my home near Harrisburg Pa to Sicklerville NJ next year. I’ll be in your neighborhood then.

dougc

Welcome. I, too, live in Cherry Hill. If you like to ride with a group, check out the Outdoor Club of South Jersey . We have lots of rides in the Cherry Hill area at every level. I started riding at the beginning of the year and have racked up about 7000 miles this year. Can you say addicted? My wife bought a road bike this summer and we have ridden together, but she has no desire to be out in the winter weather. My 14-year old son, though, has been riding with me lately and his Christmas present is a used Bianchi bike with RSX and 105 components, which should stop his incessent whining about needing a better bike. Good luck building a road bike. Where are you taking a mechanic course?

1oldRoadie

Tom;

If the touring bug bites REALLY BIG, you can spend a few nights in my extra bedroom (Tulsa, OK) on your way to the west coast.

tom cotter

DougC, I'm taking a course offered by Action Wheels. They're on Rt 45 just outside Woodbury. I'm starting with a 12 hour course that covers the basics. Then on to an advanced course. I think Action offers the advaced course. If not, I find it elsewhere.

Roadie, I'm going to start out with short trips near my home in New Jersey and then see how that goes. I doubt I'll get further than the Delmarva Peninsula this year. Which isn't a bad thing. It's flat! When I get more adventuresome I'll look you up. Thanks.

LET

After seeing your post I was delighted to note that I won't be old for another 9 months. . . I too returned to cycling after too many years just several months ago. I've built up a touring bike based on my rather "generous" size. I just received the last of my Arkel panniers just prior to the holidays.

Anyway, welcome to the group. You'll find lots of people with a common background as yourself.

Lenny

webist

Welcome from a 51 year old who once lived in Moorestown.

trmcgeehan

Welcome from a 64 year old born in Montclair, NJ! I still have a brother and sister in NJ -- one in Belmar and the other in Rumson. They both live within 30 miles of where they were born. They're both in the Mafia.