Upon looking at my profile I realized I registered some time ago but I never made an introductory post. I'm trying to correct that with this post.

I live in the rural Northeast(even the dimmer internet sleuths can probably guess which Northern New England state from my username). I used to really be into motorcycling, having had a motorcycle most of my adult life. Becoming a father has been a major contributor to changing that(hard to find time/money to justify something that I can't take the wife and kids on). Another contributor has been taking up running, which has resulted in a lot of soreness and anxiety related to all the other serious runners I've known that have developed joint issues that also switched to cycling.

Anyway, from a long hiatus I've come back to cycling. Cycling has been my long-hidden guilty pleasure(cycling is a more hardcore and rebellious lifestyle than the motorcycle, amiright?). More free of a feeling that even motorcycling(though motorcycling has its own pleasures and massive advantages), an oft overlooked advantage is the dollar value.We're the engine after all and the true cycle forces us to appreciate the terrain more as the more eloquent Hemingway reminded us. The cost and fitness value is also far easier for us simple barely-middle-class family men to justify to ourselves. The lack of insurance, registration, tag, gas, and massively lower maintenance costs also helps.

I enjoy trail riding with a pretty typical lower-end hardtail. I'm blessed to have a pretty technical trail that connects to a public(that's right, free to use but tips appreciated) mountain bike park within a mile of my home but I do most of my riding on typically broken and poorly maintained rural northeastern asphalt on a flat bar bike converted to a drop bar gravel-esque bike sporting slick 700cx35 tires.

Long winded introduction, I'm sure. I also want to note I've never been a typical cyclist. I've never been involved with cycling groups/events(though I would be interested in group rides in the future and know the local contacts to follow up on it). As such, I'm probably quite bohemian compared to most reading this. Though I have some cycling experience(I used to ride an older French 10 speed older than myself), I never got the appropriate cycling education. I'm a millennial that was brought up on substandard department store bikes(I used to think shifting issues were typical and NOT malfunction).

My typical cycling clothes involve track pants, a t-shirt, and yes, a proper helmet(at least I don't have that wrong). I could use guidance on proper cycling clothes. I'm a committed pants-wearer and don't wear shorts except when swimming so if you cant guide me toward proper undershorts or more preferably cycling pants(though I'm sure a limited market), it would be much appreciated.

I plan to ride through this upcoming New England winter by outfitting my trail bike with studded tires and fenders and letting my road bike take the winter off.

In conclusion I appreciate you reading my post and hope to converse with you all more in the near future.

If it helps, MUP's are foreign concepts in this part of this country(they really don't exist), so you won't hear any related mundane gripes from me. I guess this also proves I've perused the forum a bit.