jungna01

I was just wondering how you guys/gals all got started in this wonderful sport? I know for me one of my friends rode and one day I took his old bianchi out for a quick 20 mile ride, after going down a hill at 35mph I knew that I would have to start riding more seriously.

Psimet2001 

Came back from Taiwan in 1986 and was spending a week with one of my old friends in Bloomington, IN. He got into the idea of road cycling somewhere and proceeded to drag me to every bike shop he could. I specifically remember Bicycle Garage because they were THE Trek dealer and he wanted a Trek or Nishiki.

After looking at the catalogs and magazines he got during the week the bug was caught. It took a year or two to save enough for my first road bike (Schwinn World Sport ), but quickly after that I started getting Winning and Bicycle Guide and saw the pictures of Andy Hampsten riding through the snow on the Gavia on his way to winning that year's Giro.

That was it.

For the record I had my Schwinn for about 2-3 days before I started to take it apart. Learned about crank arm extractors, pin wrenches, and left-handed threads all at the same time as well. ahhh...the good old days....

EventServices

In 1968, I was eight years old when my cousin brought his ten-speed racing bike to my grandmother's house one summer day. It was the most foreign thing I had ever seen with its crazy handlebars, skinny tires, tiny seat, and angry-looking cogs. I looked at that bike like it was from Mars, and though the top of my head barely came up to the tip of the saddle, I knew right then and there that this thing "fit" me.

badkarma

I used to Mountain bike a decent amount in high school, but then I gave it up during college. Come grad school, I just decided one day that I wanted to get a road bike, and I was instantly hooked.

cmsuter

I was a 9 yr old kid who just rode his little bmx bike around with no purpose. One day I saw my parents old nishiki rode bikes. It was the summer and my parents werent home so i thought i would go for a short 2 mile ride on my moms bike. I was then hooked. My dad and I started riding together and i finally got my first road bike 2 years later.

Mariner Fan

I moved to Indiana from Washington State. There isn't much snow skiing or water skiing around here so I took up bicycling for outdoor recreation.

Jerseysbest

I mountain biked all my life, up tp 5 or 6 times a week during the summer in high school and early on in college. Then while in college, I started riding my bike to class (very spread out school, bunch of different campuses) cause the bus system sucked.

Got an old ten speed which started to fall apart after a few months, and converted it to fixed gear. Then after college I started riding the fixed gear for recreation but wanted to start doing longer distances and more hills so I bought myself a dedicated geared road bike.

ryanspeer

Got my first BMX bike for my 5th birthday, got dozens of skinned elbows and knees, but eventually learned to stay upright. I outgrew that and bought a Bianchi MTB from an uncle of mine in the early '90's and put more miles on it than were even worth keeping track of. I eventually bought an old Peugeot from the same uncle as my introduction to the road and quickly replaced it with a steel Trek (from the same uncle). Fast-forward to '96 and I got my first car, which eventually took the place of my bikes. They pretty much gathered dust with a few un-noteworthy exceptions. Last summer the urge to get out on my Trek early on July Saturday morning brought it ALL back and then some. Both bikes were quickly sold to finance a new un-obsolete road bike, a prized acoustic guitar was sold to finance my Tarmac, I joined a racing team, and the rest is history. Barring injuries preventing me from riding, I don't ever plan to stop again. Next Spring I'll be buying my wife a bike as well as a trailer to cart the kids around in as well.

float

Friend of mine convinced me to try a triathlon. I procrastinated as long as possible on getting a bike while i suffered through the run training. I had already decided to drop the swim and do a duathlon, but I quickly realized I hated running once I got the bike and now I'm just biking, with occasional runs. Biking is just more fun. Can't put it any other way.

I still plan on doing a triathlon, it'll just be next year.

LowCel 

I bought one of these god awful torture devices to train for mountain biking. A few years later and I am constantly on my roadie. So far this year I have only been on my mountain bike ten times.

yak

About the same time as my knees started hurting from running, I started working with a bunch of racers, bought one of their bikes, raced a little, kept riding with happy knees...

redtires

I've always had a bike since I was old enough to ride. When I was in my early teens, my friends and I would constantly be taking bikes apart, mixing and matching parts, etc... When I saw my first copy of "Winning" magazine in the mid '80's, even the hottest girl in school couldn't get my mind off the total sexiness of bike racing, and so on and so on...

tpelle

Was diagnosed Type 2 diabetic. Started walking for exercise and weight loss. Soon reached the limit of how much I could benefit from walking, and looked for something else to do. Had a chance to pick up a new mountain bike using frequent-flyer points, and also got my 30-year-old 10-speed out of the barn and fixed it up. Been riding every day that I can - weather and work travel permitting - and have seen real benefits. Also having a ball!

Lenore

I wanted to do a triathlon but I only had a hybrid commuter so I went road bike shopping. I didn't know anything about roadbikes (I didn't even know how to fix a flat), but I ended getting a good deal on a Jamis Quest.

Ryleeryno

Early 2006 I was obese so I started doing the gym deal but got really tired of the repetitive workouts on stationary equipment. So I remembered how I rode everywhere on my old bike until I was 16 so I figured I would get a Hybrid to start out again. 1.5 years later I'm uber hooked and lost tons of weight since.

n4zou

I have a severe form of arthritis and after being on pain medications for a couple of weeks I knew I needed pain control without dope. I was so doped up I could not even enjoy watching TV as I would forget what I was watching during the commercials. A doctor suggested a YMCA pool program for arthritic people but at $300 a month and my insurance refusing to pay for it I went for a bicycle. My doctor said that would be fine as its low impact and better than walking or jogging. Consequently I am pain free without dope. I ride the occasional century and with some of the local roadies and keep up even being 51 years old and they're all in there 20's and early 30's. I ride everyday but they only get to ride twice or if they're lucky three times a week.

Urbanmonk

I've been riding since I was a kid; nothing serious, ya know. In the last 5 yrs. I purchased 1 roadie, 1 tourer, and a cyclocross to drop my high blood pressure--Doctor's orders. It's been a great ride.

caloso

I was already taking the drugs so I figured I might as well.

twocoasttb

Four years ago I was in a slump, at least 40 pounds overweight, had recently finished treatment for lymphoma. I needed a lifestyle change. I still golf once in a great while, but that's not exercise and it's too frustrating. I used to play volleyball (sand and hard-court), but my overly competetive nature kept it from being fun, especially for poor teamates.

Now I go out and compete against big hills. It's perfect.

Bici3

After returning to the States after playing football professionally (American) in Italia, I found few choices other than bar league softball to satisfy my competitive vice.

Bought a Bianchi Alfana. Consistently upgraded from there. Now happily guiding cyclists back to, and through the three regions of Italia in which I lived.


https://www.bicitreregioni.com

blonduathlongrl

I bought a 5 dollars bike at a yard sale to get me to where I wanted to start my run withought fighting traffic, I was training for a marathon.
i started to go further and further in distance because I liked the feel of biking.
the next summer I bought a fugi and started brick work outs( biking and running)
the following year I bought a tt bike and started racing.

FIVE ONE SIX

my tri friend mentioned to me that a few local events needed volunteers, and i had some free time, so i figured what the hell. it ended up being a great atmosphere, with great people, so i went shopping for a bike the next day. it did take me 6 months to get a bike though, because i heard the famous 2 weeks like about 12 times, literally...

v1k1ng1001

Was a mountain biker in college and after college I started managing a shop down in the twin cities. Ordered a Cannondale R1000 a year later.

jbmadtown

I played team sports almost year-round from my childhood through college. Once I finished college it took me a while to figure out how to exercise on my own without someone blowing a whistle first. My legs can't handle lots of running, so I got into Mountain biking first. It wasn't hard to get motivated at all and I was soon riding 4 or 5 times per week. Then I moved to Madison- not so good for mountain biking but great for road riding. I started with an old 12 speed Motobecane and finally purchased my first "real" road bike last June. I still play team sports every now and then, but road biking satisfies my competitive nature and my desire to stay fit. I've definitely found my groove and a week where I don't get 100 miles in is rare.

thejanitor

When I was about 8 (around 1994), my older brother and I bought an Ironhorse mountain bike together (It's still hanging in our garage right now... hasn't been ridden in a long time). I probably payed for less than 25% of the bike, but he was nice enough to let me use it probably more than half the time After sharing riding that thing with him for several years, and going off some sweet jumps and thinking I'd never be able to have kids when I got older, I really grew to like biking.

Fast forward to right after I graduated high school and had lost a ton of weight (2004), I bought myself a Specialized Sirrus hybrid and rode that until last week, when I got my first road bike, a Jamis Ventura Elite!

I absolutely love riding a full road bike now, but it has definitely taken some getting used to. My arms are sore, my butt hurts (saddle isn't even remotely broken in yet), and my calves hurt from using clipless pedals finally, but it is so worth it. The speed is incredibly addicting, and I am now officially hooked.