New to the Forum New to Cycling Saying hello

[Vexen75]

Hey All,

My name is Vex and I wanted to say hello. I am new to cycling trying to determine whether I like road rides or the trails better. I have a Trek Hybrid Bontragner which I purchased on a semi-whim. I had been asking my ex-husband for years to go riding with me and we went once. It was fun but I never touched the bike again until I purchased this light-weight wonder. ( my other bike was a heavy hitter from Wal-mart and believe me I worked my butt off on its one ride) well fast-forward to today I went on a 8 mile ride which was long for me (my 3rd ride) add the heat (93-100 degrees) and it was a wonderfully tortuous ride. I loved it and have decided I need motivation so I am looking for competitions, I am in (North Carolina but will re-locate to WA in 10 months ) something I can train for I am not too worried about winning just yet ;) I just want a personal goal any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks and I look forward to chatting with you all!!

Vex

[sbctwin]

Welcome to TE, Vex. This is a wonderful forum with lots GREAT people. Cycling is very addicting whatever form (road, trails) you decide....

[frnz]

Oooh where in Washington are you relocating to?

[pranachick]

Vex - welcome! Ditto on what sbctwin stated...that cycling is addictive. I'm fairly new as well...just started riding in February. per the addiction statement - just did my second century today.

Have fun with your new bike and in no time that 8 miles you did today will seem easy:)

Cheers

[F8th637]

Hello, welcome aboard!

It is hot this weekend, isn't it? Sounds like you earned that hybrid. . in due time you'll earn other bikes. ;)

The Tarwheel Century just passed down in NC I know that. Find out the websites of the area LBSs and see if any of them have a list of rides in the area. My DH and I just did our first ever metric century last month on the NC/VA border. It was great because it was flat as a pancake!

[Wahine]

Hi! Welcome to TE! It's really fun here and we have a huge contingent of members from the PNW. So please tell us where you'll be living, I'm sure you'll find some TEers near by.:)

[Vexen75]

I will be re-locating to the Tacoma area and I can't wait. I heard the weather is ideal for biking and the terrain and many areas are bike friendly. I'll take the advice about the LBS and hopefully will be biking away more then 1 day a week.

[KatfromCal]

You will love Washington. It is rainy but green and beautiful. I was just up there vacationing and would have loved to have brought my bike. The San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island is just awesome. I have heard it is great for cycling. I hope to do it one day. Have fun and keep it up!!! :)

[mimitabby]

welcome to Washington Vex! there are lots of us here and we ride rain or shine bwahahaha (evil laughter)

[Eden]

I loved it and have decided I need motivation so I am looking for competitions, I am in (North Carolina but will re-locate to WA in 10 months ) something I can train for I am not too worried about winning just yet ;) I just want a personal goal any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks and I look forward to chatting with you all!!

Vex
A big pre welcome to the Pacific NW. It's great bike country (though its been a bit cold and soggy this year.....) and has a vibrant competitive community.

I have known people who have taken the plunge right into competitive cycling as a newbie and done just fine, but I'd suggest a slightly more circuitous route for most people. Before you make the decision to race, start out challenging yourself with longer rides and group rides. This will help give you the endurance and bike handling skills to transition into racing and make the experience a good one, rather than a frustrating one.

Riding with a bike club (out here the Tacoma Wheelmen, and Cascade Cycling Club are two big ones) is a good way to get some beginning group riding skills and start getting some miles under your belt. Once you start getting comfortable with longer and longer rides, challenge yourself to a long organized ride. There are plenty of 60-100-200 mile rides to choose from in this area. While these rides are not races, you can still make goals for yourself, about how much mileage you would like to finish, and how much time you would like to do it in. If organized century rides (100 miles) become too easy to be the challenge you need, then consider racing.

Another path to travel is triathlon. There are many triathlons that are beginner friendly and as you are mostly riding on your own, bike handling is less of an issue. You do have to be willing to do the run and swim part though :rolleyes:. You can also try time trials which are bike only and have the riders go off one at a time, so excellent bike handling, while helpful in going faster are not necessary for the safety of others.

[littlegrasshopp]

Welcome and congratulations on the new bike and ride! I live in NC also and wanted to give you some websites that list trail riding groups and events. I'm not sure what part of NC you're located in but the Raleigh, Triangle area has www.grid.com and www.tmtb.com The first is an all women's mountain bike groups. Both will host skills clinics and I believe both have roadie pages also. So many riders do both. There is a women's club in the Charlotte area too. Here's their info... http://www.dirtdivas.net/ I hope you continue to enjoy your ride!!

[Geonz]

And you can start logging your miles at www.bikejournal.com - another angle on competition and motivation.

[Vexen75]

Wow this forum is great!!!
Congrats on the Century Pranachik, Littlegrasshop…I‘ll email you to find out more if the websites don’t explain it all…Mimitabbi/Eden., I’ll let you know when I arrive in WA..Geonz thanks for the great link it's gonna be helpful in keeping perspective and force me to make this about me and not anyone else. I am not usually one to join websites but I gotta tell you I am having fun with this.

Soooooooo I decided I like trail riding and today..or yesterday it’s 4:56am, I traded my hybrid and got a trail bike. Yeahhhhhh…It handled beautifully on my 1.5 mile ride in the blazing hot sun.The first thing I thought when I got the bike was I can’t wait to ride this thing, the second was I can’t wait to tell everyone (meaning all you guys) about my exciting purchase.:D

Biking is sooo cool. I have to tell you I have a quirky sense of humor and notorious for telling bad jokes [not just bad but just not funny once I finish.I think it has something to do with the delivery and the punchline] and I am horribly afraid of spiders ,however, since I started riding the guy at the bike store laughed at all my jokes and the only bugs that have been bothering me are those horrible “rolly polly” things..how awesome is that? I think I owe it all to biking:p..thanks you guys for all your advice and support. This is gonna be fun!
LOL…

[Eden]

a new link for your new love http://www.seattlelunachix.com/

this group of mt biking ladies are very nice and offer rides and classes from beginner on

[mimitabby]

Vex, what kind of bike did you get? (pictures?)

[Vexen75]

Hey Mimitabby,

I got the Shimano Alivio. I like it alot. I keep trying to upload and pic to no avail..I'll keep trying..

Vex

[Tabby]

Vex,

I love our enthusiam, I just started riding in April and am really enjoying it. My 2 "as old as me" mentors have been patient, kind, and very encouraging, I think that is very helpful.

My sister has been riding for 10+ years (Orange County, CA) and she is excited I've started. I was so excited when I met my 2 mentor friends on local online forum and telling my sister all about how great they've been. Sister says, "yeah, we have people in our group that help out the newbies too .... but I'm not one of them!" Sister cuff upside the head ... thanks alot!! Anyway, I won't let my sister rain on my trails!

I also wanted to pass on to you and the other PNW folks, I recently finished a great book written by Earl Emerson. Seattle based firefighter who writes great action books. Primal Threat is about a group of mountain bikers who ride in the Cascades and run into some problems with group of ornary rich kids. It's an exciting, intense book and I recommend adding it to your reading list when you need something to read. I'm sure the locals will recognize the areas and of course know the mtb technical things. Very cool!

PJ

[Eden]

I also wanted to pass on to you and the other PNW folks, I recently finished a great book written by Earl Emerson. Seattle based firefighter who writes great action books. Primal Threat is about a group of mountain bikers who ride in the Cascades and run into some problems with group of ornary rich kids. It's an exciting, intense book and I recommend adding it to your reading list when you need something to read. I'm sure the locals will recognize the areas and of course know the mtb technical things. Very cool!

PJ

OT- but I read a book once (I don't think it was this author, but another PNW firefighter - or investigator wrote it) that had a lot of landmarks from the neighborhood I live in. I think it took place mostly a block or two from here. It was creepy.....

[Tabby]

Emerson has written 6 or so books where a firefighter is the primary character, very real action and adreneline pumping stories. He has also written a series of 11 about Thomas Black a PNW fictional detective and also a series about Mac Fontana former east coast firefighter relocated to PNW who took positions as fire chief/sherrif in small town outside Seattle.

The Primal Threat one was quite interesting because of the mtb connection and I had just started to ride.

Evident I got a thing for firefighters, huh! lol

PJ