How long have you been cycling?

[Browser]

Me? On and off since I was old enough to fall off my first bike. Through school years when I always had second-hand home-fettled bikes, courtesy of dad who used to work in a bike shop as a lad so built his own. Started building my own knockabout bikes from old frames as parents couldn't afford a BMX for me (first time they were all the rage!). When I started work I cycled, 8 whole miles each way (seemed like a lot further then) and bought my first ever new bike with my wages (Emmelle Cortina 12 speed MTB, I thought I was the mutts nuts anyway).
Changed jobs, now and 11 mile ride each way, passed driving test, only cycled sporadically.
Move one several years, now married and getting unfit, rebuild old Emmelle and paint fluorescent orange. Use for a while, several bits need replacing so decide to ditch it and get new bike. Since I knew feck all about what to get and was being tight, bought a Falcon Explorer 15 which I still have. Move on about 8 years, 2 kids, 16 stone 13lbs (even at 6ft 5in this is too heavy), start cycling to work again in conjunction with joining local rowing club. Am enjoying cycling again, might do the Bike For Work scheme (seemed like a scam at first but makes some sense now) and get a decent bike.
There's my potted history, what's yours?

 

[Jane Smart]

Nice story

My story I posted earlier when I first joine here but here goes.. .. ..

I had not cycled for 34 years up till about four weeks ago. A friend cycled past my garden and I thought, there is a bike in the shed here, got it out and had to pump up the tyres but apart from that and it had not been used for 8 years ( it belongs to my husband and he never used it ) it was ok. My first cycle in 34 years was 12 miles. I went to my friends house and back. I absolutely loved it and could not believe that bike had been here all that time and I never even gave it a second glance.

After that, I took it out daily, shops, just a run or anything.

Then guess what?

Hubby decided it is HIS bike and wanted it back, so two weeks ago I bought my very first bike of my very own. I had always just cycled on the "family bike" in the shed as a youngster.

I bought a ridgeback, mans mountain bike, but had pink handlebars put on it to kind of personalise it.

In the past two weeks I have done well over 200 miles and loved every single mile, except when a man shouted at me and I got stung on the face yesterday

Since cycling four weeks ago, I have lost almost a stone in weight, so all going well.

 

[Sittingduck]

Toddler - 15 year old: Cycled almost daily.
15 years - late 20's: No cycling at all.
2005 - 2008: very, VERY occasional 4 or 5 mile ride on a nasty 90 quid MTB.
last 12 months exactly: proper cyclist

 

[ACS]

Road runner from the age of 18 (10k to marathon), aged 22 took up Triathlon for 6 years (destroyed my shins on road running, Dr said a wheel chair could well be my next wheeled purchase ), then 7 years TT, crashed when making up the numbers in a 2nd string club team (read water man) and I didn't get on a bike for the next 15 years deciding to punish my brain instead of my legs.

Having left school with no qualifications I decided to prove a point mainly to myself. Finish education having got all the necessary ticks in the boxes required for a mid-life crisis career change and having put on 3 stone in weight I rescued my 531c road bike from the back of the garage and took to the road again.

Now I’m a frustrated bike person, mind and legs are still willing I just wish that my lungs, energy levels and recovery times would catch up with them.

 

[chirk2000ad]

all me life

age 6 raleigh tomahawk -great bike
age 10 grifter
age 14 pulsar (raleigh) i think was quite good at the time and it felt fast
age 17 marin bear valley first ever mtb went all over on it and loads of touring too and a 531 race bike which I broke and chucked but should of got repaired (doh)

now I don`t mention the age word but have a crusty beard type tourer.

total cycling years 31

 

[Randochap]

45 years, with short breaks dictated by health and other life's distractions.

 

[Bigtwin]

Oh dear - seems to be about 39 years.

Might have a party next year then!

 

[Browser]

age 10 grifter

As I was on my way to work the other morning I saw a bloke on a red Grifter, and it looked mint! I don't know where the hell he'd kept the thing, the crash pad on the handlebars and the rear mudguard were immaculate, and as an ex-owner you can probably appreciate how those bits never normally stayed like that for long

 

[jimboalee]

Got a piece of Super 8 Cine of me riding round the garden on a Triang trike on my third birthday.

So what's that? Forty howmany???

 

[Jane Smart]

Got a piece of Super 8 Cine of me riding round the garden on a Triang trike on my third birthday.

So what's that? Forty howmany???

Haha I have the same, me in a bikini, a home made bikini at that, going around my dads garden on a three wheeler

Had it put onto a video tape a few years ago, now maybe that is one for youtube

 

[LordoftheTeapot]

38 years




Or 39

 

[HLaB]

Not long enough.

I cycled as a teen (as a mode of transport) but when I got my driving licence at 21, it kind of took a back seat. The next bike I bought was in 2001 (I think) a year after I moved to Dublin, this was mainly useed for transport at first a steel framed hybrid latterally for leisure before its retirement. I moved back to Scotland in 2005 and bought my first proper leisure bike (Sirrus Sports '06) a year later I bought the Bianchi, and Ridgeback Commuter and now I'm buying another roadbike. I guess the bug bit in the last 5 years or so.

 

[marinyork]

Four years. Had a bike as a child but had very risk averse parents. Furthest I ever went on it was 1.4 miles away from home (far further than I was allowed). My sister broke my bike and I couldn't afford to get it fixed so that was cycling done for the next ten years, unfortunately.

 

[Jason37]

A chipper I think it was when I was about 5 yrs old then moved up to a yellow rayleigh chopper that was totally destroyed in the latter years as 1. I didn't really like it as I really wanted a Grifter and 2. I used it as a BMX (do not ask me how) until I got a Rayleigh Burner BMX bike.

Rode most days at School but then I just stopped and never really rode again (oh apart from about 7 motorbikes between the ages of 26 and 34) and a couple of cheap mountain bike pogo stick bouncy Halford things (which lasted about 3 rides)).

Then April this year I bought a cheap road bike and have probably covered about 700-800 miles to date (W/ends only no commute)

So as a kid ten or eleven years
8 or so years as a biker
and then when I grew up about 3.5 months on a road bike!

 

[swee'pea99]

Upwards of 40 years since I started, but quite a long break in the middle there - motorbikes from early 20s to mid-30s, then just cars, only got back on a bike about 6 or 7 years ago. Wish I'd never stopped. (Mind, I did enjoy motorbiking!)