Where are you from,what do you do?

[Newbie!]

Good Question .

I don't currently measure the distance I cover, instead concentrating on my heart rate zone and making sure I do a minimum 1/2 hour. But I am going to get a mileometer again to start getting an accurate picture of how I'm doing as I'm ready to crank things up a couple of notches over the winter.

That being, it is interesting to see what other people achieve.

What terrain do you ride ? And temperatures. I didn't pick up originally that you are in South Africa. The heat kills me off, I can go faster in the cold ...

Kind regards

Well I'm a roadie, but generally I do quite a bit of hill training as they seem to be my nemesis. Apparently we have some of the best mountain biking in the world, my fiance is a mountain biker, but we train together on the road. I couldn't quite make out if you are a roadie or mountain biker? Summer training can be really hard with temperatures in excess of 40 degrees C, so generally it's early morning or early evening training, although we do sometimes get in some midday training.

I've only just got a Heart Rate Monitor, so will start working on that basis now, any advice? I've been training using my cadence meter and distance, I'm hoping that an HRM will help my training.

How long have you been cycling for and are you competitive?

 

[beached whale]

Im from Tasmania, Australia and ive just got into road cycling having watched and been inspired by the tour de france growing up. Now im 18 and can afford a bike so i took the plunge. First ride last weekend was interesting with the chain coming off several times but i still had alot of fun. Cant wait for the next ride, im hooked!

 

[Smrek1]

Hallo to eweryone,

I'm from Bratislava Cap. Slowakia EU. Ride Merida Mg 909 just 3.941 km this year.

Smrek1

 

[CapeRoadster]

I am a sports vision eye doctor from St. Louis, Missouri.. USA
I do not cycle, however, I work with cyclists and many other athletes.
My business provides sport glasses (prescription & non-prescription) to athletes.
www.PerformanceEyewear.com

I am continually learning more about the needs of athletes to help them perform at their very best. Please let me know if there are any needs you have that I can be of service.

Hi Doc,

I was wondering what eye exercises are beneficial for strengthening the eye muscles.

I lived in Saint Louis for 4 years, near the Missouri River in Chesterfield. Loved the wine tasting, Welsh bars, Oktoberfest, and the people. Thought Schnuck's read "Scmuck's" and had a laugh from that until I re-read. I miss rush hour lasting only one hour, people taking their turns at 4-way stops, and Busch bleacher seats for $4 (this was 15 years ago). I also miss the weekend softball games, and the riverfront. We'd cruise on the riverboats and dance all night along the Mississippi.

 

[Danny_B38]

Hello All! I am from South Texas, in the US. I am new to cycling. I really know quite little about any of this and that is why I've come here, to learn.

 

[Tim 4706]

Im from Reading, Pa USA and I love Cycling Im getting back into cycling this year I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2004 im back on the bike and in the gym getting ready for 2007 And I am never going to let diabetes stop me from cycling again im riding in the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure in May in Philadephia I also will be riding with the Berks County Bicycle Club in 2007

 

[AlanFD]

Im from Reading, Pa USA and I love Cycling Im getting back into cycling this year I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2004 im back on the bike and in the gym getting ready for 2007 And I am never going to let diabetes stop me from cycling again im riding in the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure in May in Philadephia I also will be riding with the Berks County Bicycle Club in 2007

Good for you, and well done. I was in a similar situation in 2005 and took up walking which eventually lead into bike riding. I have been riding for a year now, well by the end of December it will be a year, but I hope to get 5,000 miles plus in with this months total.

I wish a lot more people would realize that a good diet and excercise program can save them a lot of money as they can gradually wean themselves off all those medications.

I'll be 60 in January, work out 3 nights a week at a local gym and ride 100 miles a weekend.

 

[garyj]

I'm a new forum user. Been riding for just about three months. I'm riding almost 400 miles a month, mostly on a mountain bike. I live in Southern California and am one of the pastors of a local church. Bicycling came to my attention when my knee began to bother me too much after racquetball. It looks like riding will be my now form of exercise.

 

[Pete Pelychaty]

Hi bike lovers! I'm Pete from Rochester, NY. It's a big cycling town believe it or not. We've even got a International Crit here scheduled for next year. Anyway, I'm going to New Zealand in January and I'm looking for some people to mountain bike with.

 

[rengewwj]

I'm a former cyclist that got too old and fat to do it anymore. I'm working on getting back on my wheels. I'm in Houston, TX, USA. I'm a technology manager.

 

[Elzth2005]

Well I'm a roadie, but generally I do quite a bit of hill training as they seem to be my nemesis. Apparently we have some of the best mountain biking in the world, my fiance is a mountain biker, but we train together on the road. I couldn't quite make out if you are a roadie or mountain biker? Summer training can be really hard with temperatures in excess of 40 degrees C, so generally it's early morning or early evening training, although we do sometimes get in some midday training.

I've only just got a Heart Rate Monitor, so will start working on that basis now, any advice? I've been training using my cadence meter and distance, I'm hoping that an HRM will help my training.

How long have you been cycling for and are you competitive?

Hiya. Soz for the delay .. lots of assignments and 2 exams ! (Hence it's gone midnight and I'm still up !)

I've been looking up where people come from and it looks amazing round your area. We are pretty flat here so it is definitely roadwork for me. Do you find that the heat and the hills builds up your stamina ?

Re. how long - I have been cycling since I was 4 - ok hands up I did have stabilizers to start . More seriously though, as we are quite rural , cycling has always a means of getting from a to b rather than a sport.

The recent change is that I'm now older now though, and I need to cross-train to prevent ye olde jointes from disintegrating on me. Hence I've decided to work at cycling in a more precise and competitive manner.

My favourite sport has got to be running, and there I do push myself to the max. Which is where the HRM really comes in ... I personally use it as a means to make sure I don't push myself t o o hard. The last thing I need is to be out of action for days on end !

My HRM allegedly sings, dances and whistles, but I just use it to make sure I am training long enough, and within my heart rate zone for that day. I set the alarm to make sure I keep within my bounds, and I don't even think about that now. I just slow down when it beeps. Great for night-time as you and your fiance are out and about then.

We've got Force 7 winds at the moment with gusts up to Force 9, so cycling is an on/off affair right now !

Have you found Professor Morbius's heart rate zone calculator ? I found it quite useful ...

 

[geofitz13]

Hiya. Soz for the delay .. lots of assignments and 2 exams ! (Hence it's gone midnight and I'm still up !)

I've been looking up where people come from and it looks amazing round your area. We are pretty flat here so it is definitely roadwork for me. Do you find that the heat and the hills builds up your stamina ?

Re. how long - I have been cycling since I was 4 - ok hands up I did have stabilizers to start . More seriously though, as we are quite rural , cycling has always a means of getting from a to b rather than a sport.

The recent change is that I'm now older now though, and I need to cross-train to prevent ye olde jointes from disintegrating on me. Hence I've decided to work at cycling in a more precise and competitive manner.

My favourite sport has got to be running, and there I do push myself to the max. Which is where the HRM really comes in ... I personally use it as a means to make sure I don't push myself t o o hard. The last thing I need is to be out of action for days on end !

My HRM allegedly sings, dances and whistles, but I just use it to make sure I am training long enough, and within my heart rate zone for that day. I set the alarm to make sure I keep within my bounds, and I don't even think about that now. I just slow down when it beeps. Great for night-time as you and your fiance are out and about then.

We've got Force 7 winds at the moment with gusts up to Force 9, so cycling is an on/off affair right now !

Have you found Professor Morbius's heart rate zone calculator ? I found it quite useful ...

I'm from Springfield, MA, relatively new to riding (spring 2006). Roadie. Have some fairly agressive goals for 2007, including first century, first two-day ride (192 miles).

 

[Chris34]

My name is Chris and i would like to say hello to everyone checking in today. I am 34 years old from the great state of Maine.

I currently own a 2005 Trek 5000 road bike, Cannondale road bike that i converted to a single speed and a Bianchi Sass single speed mt bike.

I cycle for fun and also ride competitively with a club.

I tend to think i have one of the best jobs there is, I work for the largest Caterpillar dealerships in the Northeast selling construction equipment. Which means i get to operate Caterpillar equipment and play in the dirt all day. Who wouldnt enjoy that. I also bring machines home from time to time to get some work done around the house. You cant beat it.

Chris

 

[elsievo]

Marc, from Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula (the big finger of land in Lake Superior).
I turned 50 last year and own a small print shop in Calumet.
I build singletrack in my spare time, love to work on my bikes, built my first wheelset last year.
Ref Ice Hockey, play goal
I own three mtn bikes, a Ventana X-5 for general trail riding and Trek fuel for racing (if you call what I do racing) and a Ventana El Conquistador tandem so the wife can ride with me and not feel like she's holding me up.
I also am director for the Great Deer Chase Mtn bike race. A nice little event geared for recreational riders who like singletrack. Not very technical but does have a lot of twists and turns as well as short ups and downs.
Plan to do some road riding to trim the waist a bit when the snow melts. Will start by putting narrower tires on the trek until I can convince the wife I need a road bike.

 

[rmlarson647]

Greetings. Robert here from Ely, (FAR north) Minnesota USA. Tired of my old tie-dyed Cannondale mountain bike, looking to buy my first road bike since my vintage Fuji was stolen in the mid-70's.
I've got my eye on a Tommaso Mondial, or Trasciani.
Not because I'm a bike snob, but because I'm 56 years old, looking for a light, responsive bicycle. For pleasure & exercise.
Recently retired after 34 years in heavy construction, I've already bought my retirement kayak, (tupperware play boat) retirement alpine skis, (used Volkl's) and retirement RV (also used) for winters in Mexico.
I really wasn't gonna sign up at cyclingforums until I started reading something like: "How much did your bike cost". What started as an interesting topic soon collapsed into a rant by a bunch of sniveling brats! One guy has nice bike stuff and lets us know about it, the next guy climbs all over the first guy, accusing him (or her?) of pretty much being an elitist, and a poor athlete to boot for not riding junk.
Where I live most road bicyclists are nice, friendly folk - apparently this is'nt the case elsewhere. I better carry my Counter assault! LOL.
It may be true that the legs and the heart of the rider are all that really count, and that it really doesn't matter what machine a bicyclist is riding.
But you know what? I'm gonna ride a nice bike because I earned it.
Maybe after you've eaten a little more oatmeal, you kids can do the same.
rmlarson

 

[that_lycra_guy]

Hello everyone, first post here.

I'm a 19 year old Uni student from Melbourne, Aus. I upgraded to a road bike earlier this year and have since started wearing lycra. It's a lot easier to cycle, but when you get off you can't help but feel a little self-conscious. Heaps of people cycle at my uni - but very few wear lycra.

I originally started cycling to lose weight but have kept it up. It has turned into my favourite sport. I've been looking to join a club but haven't really got around to it.

I try to ride everyday, around 14km a day. Sharing the road where there are no bike lanes can be a pain in the ****, though.

That's all from me, till next time.

 

[Moxifloxotypic]

Hello. I am from North America

I spend my time biking.

 

[Richmond Roadie]

I'm from Richmond, Virginia. After a 16 year hiatus from cycling I bought a Bottecchia several months ago. I didn't realize how much I missed & need cycling!

I've managed to put in about 700 miles riding Friday's through Monday's (I'm on the road working Tuesday through Friday) and I've dropped 25 pounds in the process. I'm feeling reasonably good now but I'd like to drop another 15-20 pounds. I used to race cat 4's back in the 80's and loved it! My goal for 2007 is to ride a couple of century's with my 15 & 13 year old sons.

 

[CHRISDAY]

I'm from San Antonio, Texas. I'm a television photojournalist who doesn't really like journalist very often. What a sad bunch they usually are. Lucky for me, I can ride a couple of times a week to get rid of all the stress. The weather's great all year here.

 

[francoism]

Hi there.

I am Francois. I am from South Africa Pretoria. Working in IT as a Network Administrator for a bank.

Have 2 bikes. A Gary Fisher Marlin and a Giant Peleton 1999 model.

Doing anything from 10 - 150 km per week. Fortunate enough to be able to cycle to work