53 years old

I currently ride an older Iron Horse mountain bike. Purchased it new around 15+ years ago. It's great for camping and off road, but sucks for road riding. Am currently looking for a road touring style of bike.

Was diagnosed with arrythmia around 6 years ago, and just got diagnosed with diabetes a few months back, so yea, I'm taking a few more meds than I used to.

If anything, I am speeding up rather than slowing down. I used to be a real couch potato(it wasn't all that long ago that I rode fairly regularly, and loved it) but since being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I am in the process of changing my eating habits, my couch potato lifestyle, and my exercising. The main reason for my looking for a decent road bike is due to the fact that I really enjoy(ed) biking, and I absolutely need to get back into it for the psychological and physiological benefits that I always experienced from it.

I have been biking, off and on, for several decades. I was really into biking in high school and college, and for several years beyond that. I had an absolute piece of crap 10 speed Vista,(bought it brand new from a lbs when I was 15 years old....the lbs owner insisted on me buying something 'American made', even if it was a piece of crap...lol) but it got me around, and was enjoyable, as long as I adjusted the gearing every couple of weeks. It took a lot of abuse, from fully loaded paper routes to long distance camping trips with my friends. Plus it spent most of its life on the Oregon coast, so it eventually succumbed to rust, as it spent most of it's active life out in the coastal elements. I got away from biking in my early 30s, as I got busy with my job and being married. Bought my 18 speed Iron Horse mountain bike around 15 years ago. It got some good use, as we camped a lot back then. Nothing special in the way of a bike, but it's built like a tank(chunky chromoly frame, no shocks) and is still going strong to this day. Don't think I have ever had to adjust the shifting, and it still shifts quickly and accurately to this day. About 6 years ago, was able to borrow a road/hybrid straight bar bike from a family member, and I biked every day for almost the entire year......lost 40 pounds in the process(got back down to 215), and enjoyed the absolute heck out it!!!!

Unfortunately, that bike was finally sold by the family member that I had borrowed it from,(I was given the chance to buy it first, but I hated the grip twist shifters) and instead of putting out some of my own money for a decent road bike of my own, I went back to my ways of couch potato, and gained all the weight I had lost, plus more back.

Fast forward to today, where I am finally making a lifestyle change because of the diabetes diagnosis. I have been walking, eating much, MUCH more healthy, and finding out that my old Iron Horse just isn't going to cut it for road bike cycling. I've already lost 25+ pounds...down from 289 to around 260...6'-0" tall, and I am looking forward to plunking down some cash for a real road bike, again. I have truly missed it, and there are some wonderful bike trails in our area, that I used to use 6 years ago.

I'm truly looking forward to using those bike trails again, on a real road bike.

Sorry for the novel. Guess I just had to get that all out. Hopefully not too many people went to sleep reading it.....lol.

Love this site, and glad I joined.....my goal is at least 10-20 miles of riding a day within the next 3 months.

Kirk(aka Teon)

I suppose I should also post this in the Clydesdale forum......