Bike Forums - Howdy from Memphis

Hi y'all! It looks like I've been registered on here for a year now and have never posted. Seems like a good time to say 'hey' haha.

A little background on me...

I've been a runner since the age of 15 or so and ran competitively in track and XC all through high school. Didn't run in college, though I regret that these days. After years and years of running, I got burnt out and got married and gave it all up for a long time. When I tried to get back in the swing of things, I had a lot of issues with my knees. I figured getting a bike might be fun and help with getting back into shape.

I picked up my first "real" bike back in February 2009. It was a mountain bike; a 2009 Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc. I have ridden the wheels off of that bike (literally haha) and have so may mods (mostly due to braking components) on it they probably sum up to twice what I paid for the bike itself. About a year and a half later, I still have it and it's my only mountain bike. I even race it in XC and endurance races. My latest and greatest accomplishment on it was a dirt century I did this past June.

I loved riding so much that I entered the local MS150 ride here in Memphis last fall, and at the time I intended to ride the Rockhopper. So, I started doing some longer training rides with a local team and after a few 50-mile road rides on the Rockhopper with some slicks on it, I decided I was really enjoying road riding too.

So, last July I broke down and made a second bike purchase in about a 5 month span... A 2010 Specialized Allez Comp road bike. One week after I bought the Allez, I was entered in a 50-mile road race. Road racing was not my cup of tea, as I was too new and inexperienced at what clearly took more than physical ability. It was clear that stuff required some good strategy as well as even maybe a good team. I had a team, but we were by no means a roadie team. We did mostly MTB races and made our way into the multisport world doing some off-road tri's and du's, and eventually road tri's and du's.

Since then, I've done all sorts of group rides and races. I really enjoy a nice group ride, be it for training or not, on road or off. Lately, I've been really getting into some longer (75 mile+) road rides. I've done a few centuries over the past year, one of which as I mentioned above was on the mountain bike. I also intend on doing one tomorrow morning on the Allez again.

Race wise, I've done some 6-hour and 12-hour MTB races as well as some XC MTB races. On the MTB, my lack of technical skill lends well to the fact that I enjoy the endurance races much more, and that is what I focus most of my race time and training towards. I tried my hand at a road race but was not really feeling it (however I am in much better bike shape than I was back then, considering I had only been on a road bike for one week haha). My main focus race wise is now multisport, as I have been getting back into running form. I have been doing a lot of duathlons, and intend to get into triathlon soon (I'm not a strong swimmer, but I'm gonna work on that). I have also gotten much more into running again, racing numerous 5k's, 10k's, and have a few half-marathons coming up.

Some riding and racing goals I have include doing plenty of century rides and someday delving into some of the longer distance rides. I am registered to run a marathon (my first one!) this December. If there is a duathlon of any distance within a reasonable drive, I'm there. I intend to develop my swim and start doing more triathlons, with the ultimate short-term goal of doing a half-Ironman in 2011. My biggest long-term goal is a full Ironman before I turn 45. I am 31 right now.

So any way... Great forum you all have here. I look forward to reading it more and gaining as much knowledge as I can from y'all. heck, maybe I can even contribute haha, wouldn't that be ideal? ;)