Hi all,
I am brand new to this forum, and have enjoyed what I have read, but not to riding.
I've raced for 18 years before forced retirement...bad bike/car accident...and have been riding for close to 23 years now. I am 52 now.
I now ride for pleasure and love it. While I miss racing dreadfully I do not miss pushing my heart rate to 185bpm and trying to hold it as long as possible...LOL never long enough.
My favorite bike is my current Merlin Ti...it rides very comfortably but is very fast. My old Colnago Corsa was my first real "racing" frame and was a great racer but was retired after a great mass sprint crash that crumpled the top tube at the head tube. It is close to 20 years old now and hangs proudly in my work shop. My favorite racing frame of all was a Basso Ti. It was indestructible...well was until the crash mentioned at the start of this...carved some very tight corners with great dependability and never rear wheel skipped during a hard sprint.
I spent my racing life and most of my riding life in Southern Massachusetts and was fortunate to have met, rode with and raced against some of the best and nicest people you could hope to meet.
Many taught me what it means to be a rider and racer with class and for that there are no thanks enough but the obligation to pass it on to newcomers.
Whew too wordy for me but having been out of circulation for a long time it feels like a drink of cool water to a person dying of thirst.
I look forward to enjoying this forum thoroughly.
Thanks,
Kai