plantrob

Hi all,
It's exciting to jump into a new sport! After years of running, I decided to spare my knees and jump on a bike instead. Being a Dutchman, bikes have always been an important mode of transportation (I've been commuting a short distance to work on various Walmartmobiles and more recently a Trek hybrid for years now), but up till now, never a sports endeavor. Trying to keep up with my lunchtime warrior cycling colleagues on my Trek proved to be a losing proposition, so I went looking for a "real" bike. Entry-level, since I wasn't sure I'd stick with it (I'm getting convinced I probably will, though ). Was looking at Specialized Allez Sport or something similar, but as it happened an annual Bicycle Flea Market happened just down the road from me earlier this month, and I found a Raleigh Competition, C6FT carbon/aluminum fusion with higher-grade components than new-model bikes I could afford for just a little more $$ than the bikes I'd been looking at. A risky proposition: the bike had obviously been sitting around in the shop for a long time (several year old model), had no documentation, a couple of scratches - but I decided to take the risk. So far, so good - I've been riding every opportunity I've had since the purchase, and discovered it's not so hard to keep up with those colleagues after all . Everything else I bought to go along with the bike is bargain bin stuff - I'll upgrade to better pedals, shoes, and other gear after exploring the basic experience for a while. Now I just need to figure out what I'll do over the winter months...
Rob

10 Wheels

Hello Rob,

Put on layers of bike clothes and ride this winter.

RobE30

Hello from Topton! Take it easy and see you on the road....--ROB

plantrob

Thanks Rob - you ride with a group around here? I've mostly been riding with Air Products colleagues so far, or solo. My wife wanted a better bike too (she's had a single-speed huffy for a few years, not too much fun), so we're getting her a Trek fx 7.2 - it'll be a while before the kids (esp. the 7-year-old) are up to speed, though

RobE30

I usually ride solo due to non traditional work schedule (I work 0700-1900). I've ridden w/ a couple of groups but mostly they are guys from the Classic and Vintage forum. The newest bike I ride is an '84 and the oldest is a '72. I do more cruising riding, than RIDING, but I'm always open to ride with new people! The Mennonite women that pass me up hill humble me on a regular basis....