Introduction
Greetings, all!
I just joined Bike Forums and wanted to give a brief intro. as to protocol. I'm an avid cyclist who has been riding for more than 20 years. I started riding with some coworkers when I first went to work at the New York State Department of Transportation. My first bike was a black, twelve-speed Panasonic DX 2000, which I bought in 1981. My coworkers had a passion for touring and convinced me that I needed a bike with much wider gearing, a rear rack and brazed-ons, etc. Since I enjoyed riding with them, I thought I should follow their advice. So, in the summer of 1982, I sold the Panasonic to another coworker and bought a Trek 620. The bike was a step below the Trek 720, a bike designed purely for touring. The 620, while an excellent touring bike, was also a very good 'road' bike. That bike was stolen several years later in 1987. Since I thoroughly enjoyed my previous Trek, I replaced it with another Trek, a 1987 Trek 620, which I still own. In fact, I still ride this bike today. This bike has been my mainstay throughout the years, whether for recreational purposes or on special events such as the MS 150 or Tour de Cure rides that I do annually. In the last three years alone, I have logged over five thousand miles on this bike.
I also own a Giant Cypress hybrid bike. I use it mostly to run errands and to ride the paths that snake through the City of St. Peters, Missouri where I now live. Occasionally, I ride it on the KATY trail which is not too far from where I live. clearly, my preference is for touring - usually day trips. I would one day like to upgrade to a newer model tourning bike (not necesarily a Trek) so as to divide the mileage between the old and new and prolong the life of both.
I looking forward to reading the cycling experiences and advice of others and sharing mine as well.