stapfam

There are only 12 Houses in my road. First there was Nathan-A fit Kiwi that wanted a way of keeping fit in the summer when he wasn't playing Rugby or Football. He is a fitness fanatic and down the gym most mornings for an hour before going to work. I advised him on a bike- he won a good one on E-Bay and I don't ride with him often. We may start out together but that is the last time I see him.

Then there was Mick. For years he had the offer of borrowing my old OCR and I set it up for him and told him to take it out whenever he wanted. It sat in the shed for a Year without him using it till July last year when he took it out up a local mup and it hurt him. He enjoyed it though and he persevered and eventually got fit enough to do 30 milers with me and find a few 15% slopes to see if his legs worked. They did and his Christmas present was a C.F.-105 equipped bike and he rides 4 times a week and does Metrics just to keep fit.

Then last night- I walked up the road and a Neighbour I am friendly with was trying to change his brake pads on his car in the dark. I loaned him my Bike torch and while I was showing him how to switch it on-we went into his garage. There sitting up against the wall was a bike. Not just any bike- A "Whyte" mountain bike. Now Whyte make some of the best top end mountain bikes in the UK and anything made by them would be my dream bike. Apparently he bought it last month and has not even had time to take it for a test ride. Subject to weather- that is going to be this weekend as you can't have a bike of that quality and not ride it.

So 4 of us are out next Saturday (Or Sunday) but knowing this lot-I will make it an offroad ride and loan bikes out to Mic and Nathan. Never know- I might get my butt kicked by 3 youngsters and play on the excuse that I am old- Or my old MTB skills will come into play and I will show them how it should be done.

Wonder what it will be?

El Segundo

“Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill” (Usually)

Glad to see your neighbors are getting involved. I am sure they will respect your skill.

DnvrFox

I've got 4 neighbors who also ride, plus about 16 million kids on bikes, scooters, electric motorcycles, skate boards, skates. You have to be really careful when backing your car out!!

Timtruro

My neighbor was a casual rider, riding 15-20 miles on mup's with his wife on weekends. He does do some jogging and goes to the gym fairly consistently. We road a few miles together and he was amazed at the speed and agility of my CF versus his knobby tired, heavy mountain bike. Next thing you know he buys an aluminum road bike. We did a 56 miler shortly thereafter and he was hooked. He then bought and returned a carbon bike that he thought was too stiff. He now has a titanium road bike that he loves and it is not unusual to see him out doing 30 and 40 miles on the road. Next his wife got a flat bar road bike so she could keep up better! I won't take credit for his conversion but I think I may have had something to do with it. In addition to riding with him, I have let him use my stand, tools etc to work on the bikes. He's off to Florida in January and I'm sure I will be getting regular ride reports from there.

qcpmsame 

Sounds like you are the neighbourhood pied piper of bicycling, Stap. How are the club rides going lately?

Bill

NOS88

I'm guessing FUN is what it will be.


So you're the local recruiter into this decadent lifestyle?