Bike Forums - Newbie commuter, road biker from Fla

Hello! I'm happy to finally be on Bikeforums. I've lurked now and then over the years, but recently I contacted noglider while I was working on putting CR18 rims on my 63 Rudge Sports and he encouraged me to share my story and I will do so in the appropriate forum.

I've been riding since college, when I bought a 1978 Raleigh Grand Prix from a housemate and I grew up working on bikes with neighborhood kids. I really love the idea of rebuilding old bikes and getting as much performance out of older bikes and then riding with my friends on their Specialized go-fast bikes. I often get their hand-me-downs, like an Ultegra groupset which I put on my Grand Prix and then moved to a 1986 Trek 300 Elance, and like the Dura Ace groupset I recently inherited which I am building into a 1993 Trek 2100 Composite. I've rebuilt a 1963 Rudge Sports 3-speed as the ride for my 3.5 mile work commute, and I rescued a rusty 1972 Raleigh Twenty which I upgraded with high pressure tires, alloy wheels, and an 8-speed derailleur rear wheel.

Around Tampa Bay, I'll ride the Pinellas Trail north to Tarpon Springs or south to St. Petersburg or over some bridges and down the beaches. Sometimes I'll ride over the Courtney Campbell Parkway or on the Suncoast Trail. Longest I've ridden was a cancer fundraiser a couple years ago called Cure on Wheels where I rode 64 miles for a 100K after getting lost. My usual ride is 30-35 miles on the weekend. Strava says I average about 16.5 but it usually says about 18-21 when I'm looking at the speedo.

I credit cycling with helping me deal with chemotherapy when I was fighting lymphoma four years ago. I would ride on my off weeks (and sometimes a couple days after chemo) and it kept me fit and gave me a way of blowing off stress and sweating out some of the poison.

Thanks, Tom, for the advice and for encouraging me to join!