New to cycling!

[albal]

I'm a newbie to the forum, and have only rediscovered cycling again in the last 18 months. I have got to agree with you totally.

My decision to start cycling came from the sheer lunacy of driving around East London. I spent one lovely, sunny saturday afternoon creeping forward in a queue of cars travelling less than walking pace to the supermarket, to then have to park on a meter which overran and I got a parking ticket approximately 10 nanoseconds after the meter went to penalty.

Thus my conversion to pedal power began. I use my cycle for nearly every shop, and even if I have to make multiple trips to get all the shopping, I still do it quicker than by car. And I gave up smoking around the same time, so as well as saving time and stress, I reckon I must be fitter now (though still no less thinner..)

So I should really thank that over-zealous traffic warden for extending my life-expectancy, reducing my stress, and generally improving my quality of life. But I bet they get people saying that to them all the time...

Well done stowie
there IS more like you appearing all over
Why make 'darling' a happy mp
filll up tank once a month & get feel healthier in the process
Admire you guys anywhere in south/east. Far too busy for my liking.

 

[Randochap]

Respect!

Im too slow now though so i'd have no chance.

There's always hope. That's what these guys give me! the eldest (70 y/o) member of our Wednesday ride, started racing in Lancashire in the 50s and has not missed a season of cycling since. You might say he's the "star" of the video on the page linked above as he gets the most "air time." He's the little chap on the green bike, blue booties w/ red stripe. That pace line is travelling between 30 and 40 km/h.

The guy with the two big reflective triangles is one of the most renowned randonneurs in the world. At 65, he holds the NA annual distance record, at 50,000 km, as well as countless other records. He usually does every 1200 km brevet in NA ... every year, has completed Paris-Brest-Paris 5 times, as well as London-Edinburgh-London, etc. He doesn't just complete them, either; he usually posts the fastest times. Last year, he outrode all the youngsters to post a time of just over 50 hours, in the Rocky Mountain 1200! He averages over 30,000 km a year.

Everyone in the group is over 50 y/o and I'm one of the "youngsters" at 57!

We certainly all weren't t born with his kind of genetic gifts (abnormalities?) but we can certainly cycle strongly well into the years that some consider geriatric.

Of course, we should look after our engines properly.

 

[buggi]

welcome... but stay out of the commuting forum and don't watch Magnotom's video's... or you'll be put off in no time LOL (only joking! nothing put's us off)