I got into cycling because of hard financial times.... Lost my car and still had to get to work! A friend gave me a Schwinn Tourist "hybrid road" bike which I still use. My first ride since I was in middle school (almost.... rode 4 times with my wife to the ice cream shop) was about 14 miles with a lot of hills! Took me almost 2 hours and had to walk the bike up some hills. I've moved closer and my ride to work is about 9 miles and about a 370 foot climb over those 9 miles. I'm averaging that ride now under 40 minutes and my PR is 35:05! I still don't have a car and plan to get one for my wife... But I'll keep my cycling to work!
As you can see I'm new to this forum, and overall to cycling in general... I started about 14 months ago and still don't know all the lingo or ins and outs of cycling. I am able to change my brake pads and tires and tubes though... Basically, I'm here to do a lot of listening/reading and learn more about cycling. At the risk of boring people with a long post, let me state some general observations and stuff about me....
I am a former personal trainer and collegiate strength coach. I am 43 years old, and 151 lbs... I have never been overweight and despite my small size, I've always been a strength athlete or wrestler (in high school and very briefly in college). I was actually a powerlifter (not great, but not bad.... At 165 lbs I could squat 550 and bench 300) and competed in other strength sports. However, at 33 I had high blood pressure and it stayed with me until I started cycling. I'm talking 150/100 or worse. Last time I had my BP checked it was 117/76 which is below normal!
I'm not a fan of pro cycling. I know who Lance, Greg Lamonds and Floyd Landis are. There ya go! That's what I know, but I'd like to start following it more. As I said, I'm a former collegiate strength coach and find all sports pretty interesting and can follow them. I just haven't been exposed to it enough to know who and what to follow. Let's face it.... They aren't exactly featured on ESPN on a daily basis. I'm going to have to seek it out.
Do I ever want to compete in cycling? Well, sure.... Maybe. Right now I race to work trying to beat my best time. I've competed in many sports in an organized form and maybe one day.... Right now I'm kind of like the 12 year old playing sandlot football saying, "I'm Roger Staubach!" Yea... Sure I am... But hey, why not?
I'm looking to upgrade to a Trek bike. Why Trek? No other reason than the bike shop closest to me is a Trek dealer and they've been very friendly to me (props to The Bike Connection in Bel Air, MD). From what I've read most think that chosing a bike is a matter of brand preference. I'm not opposed to a Giant or any other brand. Furthermore, if I can't find a Trek I like, I'll look elsewhere, but I'm going to start with Trek. I seems the best thing for me to do is go to the guys at the shop, explain what kind of riding I do, and let them make suggestions within my price range and ability to add parts and upgrade the frame over time.
I USED to be very knowledgable in supplements. 15 years ago. Today, I haven't followed research or trends. Right now I'm taking protein powder, a multivitamin and aspirin (a very underrated thing as it is a great blood thinner). I think I should get back into what the research says and explore what might help. My philosophy on supplements hasn't changed despite not following them in the last 15 years: and that philosophy is that supplements only "supplement" a good diet. My diet is pretty solid! More on that later.
Got some pet peeves to talk about:
Prestor valves.... Hate them! I don't think I've owned a tube with them for more than a month.
Wind.... Can't do anything about it, but I ride west every morning.... Why does the morning wind always seem to come from the west? Sometimes it seems I have to pedal downhill if I want to keep moving! Overall, yea, I know it's actually making me a stronger rider. Still hate it.
I don't hate rain.... But I hate all the dirt and grime that gets on me and my bike when I ride in it. Plus I hate wet feet. I've been told to put bread bags over my socks, but it doesn't help. I'm thinking about shrink wrap because wet feet when it's 34 degrees out is miserable!
Motorists not paying attention or thinking you shouldn't be out there? Sure.... But I gotta say on my route, most of them have been pretty kind.
Finally, people who say, "Wow! With all that biking I guess you can eat what ever you want!" No, I can't. I have a problem with weight. It is a struggle to keep a weight I am pyschologically and physically comfortable at. I've analyzed my diet and caloric expenditure and I need at least 3700 to 4000 calories a day just to maintain. The problem is that I'm not a big eater and 4000 calories sometimes leaves me feeling like I just had Thanksgiving dinner! Furthermore, I've been a healthy eater all my life so no I can't just eat a McDonald's double quarter pounder and ride.... I feel sick! Anyone see that episode of Married With Children when Peggy had a personal trainer who died from eating their diet? Same thing kind of... Hey, to you folks who are at the other end of the spectrum.... Sorry. Did I mention I work in the Public School system? We got donuts all around the place at least 3 times a week! But they weigh heavy on my stomach if I eat more than one and riding is miserable.
Thanks for listening and I will be reading!!!!