Hello. I just started the hobby of road biking about 3 weeks ago, but I am already addicted. I started riding to get in shape and lose some weight. 14 years as a desk jockey has caused me to fall apart physically. I truly was not expecting to actually have fun, but I have been pleasantly surprised and find that I cannot wait for the evenings to hop on the bike and head out for a new destination. This forum appears to have a wealth of knowledge so I look forward to hanging out here to grow my knowledge and hopefully shrink my waistline.

A good place to hang out and peel of the pounds at the same time! Cycling is addictive, as you've already seen. Welcome to the group, browse around, ask lots of questions if you need to. Plenty of helpful people here with a wealth of experience.

greetings & welcome. there is a nice guy on the forum named "chipcom" who seems locally-famous out that way.

Keep riding, and you waistline will shrink ... no question! What kind of bike do you ride? Any pix? We love pix here.

Oh yeah, welcome to BikeForums!

... Brad

The best thing about cycling is that it's fun! There are a lot of other benefits--better health, more money in one's pocket, etc., but it's FUN!

Even if you don't lose weight, you are still getting out there and enjoying life more than you did three weeks ago .

What bike are you riding?

Welcome to BF, and feel free to PM me with any questions !

East Hill
Forum Moderator

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!! Not knowing if I would like / stick with riding I took the cheap route to start. The question of sticking with it has already been answered though so I am already eying a Trek at the LBS, not sure of the model but it is only about $700 so I'm guessing an entry model of some type. Anyways my current ride is a Wally world special and pictured below. Having only owned BMX and mt bikes as a kid I am completely surprised with how light this thing is as well as how much speed can be built on a road bike. The only thing that I don't like about it is the grip shift. Even if I do not get the Trek soon, I think I will change the shifters. Got just shy of 200 miles on it so far.

Is that the GMC Denali?

We've had a couple of interesting threads on the Denali. I do seem to remember that the biggest complaint was about the shifters...

East Hill

Yes it is. I just read about an hours worth of that huge thread. It seems that this bike has really stirred the pot of the biking community. Oh well, good starter bike to make sure that I will stick with the hobby. It seems the general consensus is that the frame is good, but the components are questionable. I guess I could just upgrade the components as I wear them out or break them.

BTW, did my longest ride yet on it yesterday. 20 miles. It took my fat out of shape arse 2 hours to do.

^^^
Yes, I would say you've grasped it in a nutshell! It is a good starter bike if you take care of it, and it's reasonably cheap.

You will probably upgrade soon if you decide that cycling's for you, but the Denali would make an excellent backup beater bike.

East Hill