Originally posted by cajunrider
I am 47. Has been riding since 3. Growing up in SE Asia, the bike was my main transport. My best record for cargo is 3x100kg rice sacks x 25km. My best record for human is 6 cousins (1 on the handle bar, 1 on the lower frame with feet resting on the front peg nuts, 1 on my shoulder, 1 sharing my seat with me and 2 on the back cargo seat. We only traveled 3 km and looked like a circus on wheel but hey we talked about it all the time. My best endurance feat is 128km ride on single speed fat tire, 6km ocean swim, and then 128km ride back. Did that over two days because of night curfew during the war. I was one tired teenager after doing it though. All in all, I never competed, never raced, never set any national or international record, but boy did I ever have fun on two wheeled vehicles. I guess that explains why I have 5 bicycles and 1 motorcycle in the house.
How cool is that! 3x100kg rice sacks for 25km
. I'm impressed.
Great thread reading all your stories.
I think most people get a bike when they're a kid, as I did, and did the usual crazy kids stuff with other friends around the neighbourhood. But I didn't start riding some serious distances until I was 13 and had to get to high school which was 10 km there and back. My family never had much money so I got my older brothers rusty racer. I road that for three years, at one stage with only one pedal (trust me you can still ride you just have to squish your foot against the missing pedal stub), and with a broken seat (not so easy when the pole starts to come through the seat when you're missing one pedal).
My family started to realise that riding was my thing so I got a brand new malvern star 10 speed with the gear leavers on the frame under the cross bar! Oooh, high tech. And it was all mine, not even a hand-me-down.
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Shortly after that I moved schools to a one that was twice as far away, so now I was doing 20km a day. After school it was Uni which was in the city twice again as far so now I rode 40km a day - by this time cycling was just how I got around, the long distances just weren't something that occured to me.
I tried out at the local cycling club once and came third in my first road race, but didn't go back - competing was not my thing.
I briefly flirted with motor bikes but had a bad accident that luckily didn't do any permanent damage. After that I bought a small Daihatsu charade and a bike rack, and now take my bike where-ever I want. I ride more than I drive for sure. I just love it - it's part of me and has been all my life.
I have done a few tours in foreign countries - it's the only way to travel and see new places and I can highly recommend it, especially the picturesque spots, of which there are no shortage on this planet.
I'm now 30. I own a Giant MB with road slicks. I still a road cyclist, I just prefer the MB because it goes anywhere - more freedom, but my next bike will probably be a nice road bike, then I can pick and choose
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Cheers all - keep the stories coming.