I got my first C&V ride (Motobecane Mirage) back in '09 because I was tired of riding my old BMX for fun and fitness. I wanted something that felt like my dad's 80s Peugeot--fast and smooth. I was bit by the wrenching bug right away. I've always been a casual history buff, so for me researching this stuff is as much fun as wrenching and riding. The folks on these forums are a serious asset to my learning--I can't overstate that.

These days I'm just trying to get as many miles in the saddle as possible--working towards my first century on my '85 Ironman and planning to do some cycling in the Smoky Mountain National Forrest in July.

In the "real world," I'm a designer / art director at an ad agency in Tampa, FL. I do everything from packaging design to digital, broadcast and print work a variety of clients. I'm still relatively young--retirement is a long way off. That is, if the world doesn't end first.