My first bike was a tiny BMX-style thing for tots. Rode it without training wheels for the first time and careened into a neighbor's yard that was always full of dog poo, which taught me the importance of turning.

Continued on a BMX until around '86 / '87, when I got my first "ten speed." It was kind of a junior hybrid flat bar setup, don't remember the brand. Dad finally relented and gave it to me for Christmas to keep me off his Peugeot. I immediately crashed it at top-speed into the back of a parked car. It was cold and my stocking hat landed in a puddle. Pride was bruised, but the bike was okay.

Went back to BMX for a long time (GT, Robinson) then in '09 I got the hankering for the fast feel of that old Peugeot, so I went and got a mid-80s Motobecane. The C&V bug bit.

Now I've got a few decent road bikes ('84 LeTour, '87 Ironman, '85 Pro Miyata). I try to ride everywhere I can (errands, etc) in addition to racking up miles on the local roads and trails. I'm getting more addicted to riding every day. Hoping to do my first century on the Ironman in 2013.