What's your age, when did you start riding?



I think a lot of kids get bikes at an early age; my first was probably sometime around the age of 8 (I'm guessing here...). I can still remember that it had a Ghostbuster's emblem on the downtube somewhere. :) If you're asking when people started riding "seriously" (whatever that means), it might have been around 16, at least that's when the first HRM entered my life. That's probably a good reference point, eh? It's a great question, though; it sortof reminds you that riding, even if it IS "serious," may well be a lasting attachment our childhood...
 
I started at about 5 years of age. I can remember only being able to stand on the pedals of Lily's "28 Girl's bike" and being nowhere near able to sit on the seat. On through high school it was fun and transportation on my Sturmy Archer equipped "English Racer" in my native city New York. I had the good fortune of getting a 5 speed Bridgestone in Tokyo which greatly aided my adventures and exploration of it's wonderous back neighborhoods. Then a long layoff until one day I bought a cheap "10 speed" which I rode on and off here in Tucson Arizona.
This peaked my interest and I have been riding short daily recreational hops ever since. Love my Serotta Colorado 2, but am on the verge of taking the plunge and getting a MT bike in addition to my road mount. At 56 years of age I love it more than ever! Vinnie Tucson
 
well, if tricycles count then I started riding at about 2 years old.
in middle school, i gained a lot of weight, 40lbs. Then, the summer before I started high school i saw the giro d'italia on tv and I think i may have found my true calling. just before school started I had lost all the weight I gained, and kept it off. :cool:
 
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. :).

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 :).

Cheers all - keep the stories coming.
 
Started when i was 7yrs.. with my black fixed gear huffy.. man that thing really build my legs up... i had the biggest quads and thighs in the school... stoped when i was about 16yrs(drivers license came into play) then picked it up seriously at 21yrs and been doing cat3 for the past 2 yrs at age 24
 
I had a bike as a kid, but I never really liked it. So for the next 20 years I didn't...and when I tried, I couldn't because I was afraid of falling. About 6 months ago (I'm 31) I bit the bullet and went to my LBS and re-learned how to ride a bike. Now I cycle 100-150 miles per week. I'm slow, but I have fallen in love with the sport!
 
Originally posted by gwhunt23
Hi all. I have been browsing these boards for a few weeks now, but I have not posted much because of my lack of knowledge of bikes. Just starting, but I came here to learn. And I'm young too.

It seems that I am the youngest that browse these boards. I'm only 13. I started riding when I was a little kid, but I am just now getting into upgrades and knowing beyond how to ride a bike and work the shifters.

So vote with your age, and post when you started getting into biking and making upgrades.

I'm 31 and started riding at age 6 on a Schwinn Stingray. I got my first BMX bike at age 11. Christmas of my 13th year i started riding my first road bike... a Schwinn Super le Tour. That was the Christmas dream, man. Shiny red scoot lingering under the tree...
Still gives me chills and makes me want to spin around the neighborhood right now.

Keep spinning those sticks, man. It never gets old.
 
13 and just startin(actual trails and ****)

actully biking, prolly aorund 5 or 6.
 
You know my memory is so poor I cant actually remember when i started out on a bike, lets just say when i was a todler! Wasnt untill a couple of years back when my friend forced me into buying a Marin mountain bike that I concidered biking a hobbie. I went out knocking up the mileage while my mates bike sat gathering dust. Last summer I came across a ultra cheap Carrera racing bike in bright yellow, for the money i was taken back by it and had to have it. Got it home and made a effort to use it every other night after work to get fit. Over the winter I came to realise just how much i loved the road bike scene, and come spring was ready to get back out and take in the fresh air. Recently I have bought a Fausto Coppi Racing bike and cant get enough of it, only problem is I still have to pay it off as i bought it on interest free credit. Only a month ago bought a cats eye velo computer for it, I love seeing the mileage slowly mount up. Been raining this week, im not hardcore enough to get wet!! Come back sun!!!!

Oh yeh.. Im 23
 
Well, I had various bikes all through my childhood, mostly 3-speeds that were WAY too big for me, because my parents wanted me to "grow into" the bike. What they didn't understand is that those cheap bikes would wear out long before they'd ever fit.

I finally got my first 10-speed (a Huffy Santa Fe) when I was around 13. That thing was so heavy it might as well have had a motor. When I was around 22 I bought my first "serious" bike, a Nishiki Sport. As I got more into riding, I kept upgrading that bike.

I finally purchased a Cannondale Criterium frameset later in my 20's, and moved my good parts over to that. I rode that for several years before upgrading to the carbon frameset that is now my current bike. Rode it for around 10 years before performing a total overhaul a few weeks ago.

18.75 lbs, soaking wet, with bottle cages and tools. Can't complain at all. ;) btw, I'm 39 now.
 
I'm almost 20. I started way before I can even remember (ya know the big wheels, it still counts!). I was the first kid to get a bike out of my friends. I have always been obsessed with biking. Even after I got my license and all my friends decided to drive. I still ride and always shall
 
I started way before I can even remember (ya know the big wheels, it still counts!).

Me too. Used to ride my big-wheel up and down the street for hours on end. Learned to ride a two-wheeler with training wheels shortly after that. Training wheels came off pretty quick. Got some type of MB after that. Wore that one out, started using my brother's, wore that one out. Got a Schwinn MB. Used that for a while. Enter big screen TV and decent computer. Forgot about bikes. That was around 1999, when I was 12. Ride occassionally over next 5 years. Last night, mother came downstairs and told me to get off my ass and go for a bike ride with her. Went. Loved it. Decided to get back into biking. This morning, went for ~15 mile ride on my dad's MB. Loved it. Found this site, joined, started looking around. Resolved to get into biking seriously with my dad's old 10-speed Schwinn World Tour. Saw this thread, read it, enjoyed it, posted this. Was glad to see the largest group of people are under 18. Hope to build up endurance and speed and then maybe join a club or find a group to ride with.

16 years old, 17 in November.
 
I am 38 yrs old; began riding last July when a personal tragedy rocked my world and sent me into a tailspin of depression. I decided nothing would hurt worse than the pain I was already in and the "cause" of my pain introduced the sport to me......... so naturally, I climbed on a bike then and have been in love with it ever since.

Cycling is like a mountain, you think when you look at it you'll never climb it.........but then slowly and surely, you do. Looking back at where you came from is the greatest reward! In my opinnion anyway!

Kim in TN
 
Originally posted by trekchic
I am 38 yrs old; began riding last July when a personal tragedy rocked my world and sent me into a tailspin of depression. I decided nothing would hurt worse than the pain I was already in and the "cause" of my pain introduced the sport to me......... so naturally, I climbed on a bike then and have been in love with it ever since.

Cycling is like a mountain, you think when you look at it you'll never climb it.........but then slowly and surely, you do. Looking back at where you came from is the greatest reward! In my opinnion anyway!

Kim in TN

Congratulations on overcoming your adversity and taking-up cycling in the process Kim. I know how dehabilitating depression can be. Good for you!

I'm 38 too and I started cycling (seriously anyway) in about 1989, when a close freind of mine got me into it.
 
cant remember when I was young of not having a bike till I was about 9 for a year or so then got another one till like 18
then got one when I was in my mid 20s
till late 20's then got in 30's or so
till now, aint tellin how old I am but I have 3 teenagers lol
 
I'm 18. I've alwase ridden bikes but started riding on the road 5 years ago. I raced juniors on the road and track for 4 years. I got my upgrade to a 3 on the track at the begining of the year and was just upgraded to a 2 on the track 3 months ago. I am still a 4 on the road (I think that's funny).
 
I'm 34 and have been riding since I was 10, racing since I was 14. Rode seriously till I was in my mid twenties then got overtaken by girls and travel. Had my first race in 9 years in March and got hammered! Got sick and haven't been riding much since. Waiting till the weather warms up again here in Australia.

I come from a cycling family so have always maitained an interest even when I haven't been riding.
 
I am 20 and I have just gotten into riding. I used to BMX race, but when I was 13 I broke 3 ribs and quit. Now I ride to and from work during the week and weekends I ride trails.
 
31-

First bike came from santa when I was in fourth grade (about nine I guess), I got it because I had learned how to ride a friends and wouldn't shut up (although dad was a bike mechanic all through high school and had two or three at the time). I also got a .22 rifle for Christmas that year- I rode my new bike down the street in my underwear, waving the rifle over my head that morning...the neighborhood was never the same
So, I guess thats 25 years-never competative...just wanted to smell the flowers
Cheers
 
I'm 21 and I guess I started riding a week or so ago. Of course I always had a bike as a kid, but I never rode much as an adult until recently. I got a Giant Iguana MTB and started riding it to work. So far I've put a Topeak rack and wedge bag on it. Next on the agenda is a set of slicks. I may end up with a road bike next year if the MTB works out.