Do you: Road? Mtn? Commute?

[Ana]

I was wondering how many of you participate in different kinds of biking I would love to hear stories of which one you love the most and which one you fell in love with first (but will settle for the types you ride)

I suspect many of you do more than one kind of biking and I'm considering trying mountain biking (I currently have a road bike and commute on my Trek 830 and although do not have the space or finances to purchase a new mountain bike, am very interested to try it )

[Biciclista]

Hi Ana, that's a pretty steep order, but most of us commuters are riding on the road, right?
I guess you'd say my "love" is really commuting, believe it or not. I like to go on pretty country rides too, but when the weather is better (not so cold) I feel so good about myself riding to and from work every day. It does wonders for my spirit. I count up my commutes, I track how many miles i drive my car and how many times I fill the tank (3 times last summer). It really is my favorite thing about being on the bike.

[Ana]

I know it's a lot to ask but responding is voluntary You can just answer the parts which interest you most if you like

I very much enjoy hearing about other people's experiences

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Until last year, I mostly rode for pleasure and exercise (not competing). I put in quite a few miles. Last year I found myself using my bike additionally more and more for errands and shopping as well. I got a second bike for fun riding and I then fixed up my original bike with grocery panniers and rack so I can use it more for practical errands and shopping. I work at home, so commuting to work is not part of my biking lifestyle.

[smilingcat]

I don't trust myself so I'm a strict roadie. Mtn bike... Very bad mix for me. The first and only time I tried mtn bike, I tried to fly like a superman. didn't happen. Although I did become the green monster. lots of grass all around. Snow Mass Colo. pretty place.

I used to commute when I lived closer to work. And last year, I was going to start commuting again but then I couldn't find a gang land free route. Thought about using public transit to go through the gang land but even that's dicey. Just not worth it.

[gnarwhal]

I 'commute' to work but to be honest that's a bit of a joke, my work is one mile down a very steep hill from my house. Although on the way home it's one mile up a steep hill to get back again.

I ride a lot with my son who's just learnt to go his own bike at 6, he enjoys going visiting to his grans (on the cycle path on the pavement), riding on the disused railway paths (a bit like wide flat fireroads really) and also riding in the forest on some green/blue runs.

I also ride with my other half (who's better than me) in the forest and we tend toward red and black but i'm often struggling, especially with the hills and the more technical sections.

I love...hmmm i was going to say i love mtn best but i don't know i think what i love is riding. I get the same rush of fun and utility whenever or wherever i ride. I'm getting stuff done, getting groceries or having fun with my son or challenging myself on a tech red but still having fun no matter what.

The one kind of riding i'm not able to do is endless road riding, on those scary skinny tyre bikes with the bull handlebars - petrifying!!! I admire those who can, i just don't have the stamina or the thighs to manage it.

[shootingstar]

I don't mountain bike nor do I compete.

So hopefully that describes the type of riding I do.

Whenever I hear the term "road biking", I can't help but defend that I do bike for exercise (even if I don't have a bike with dropped down handlebars), commuting and recreation/trips. I actually resent the term "recreation trips". I would not consider loaded pannier bike touring "recreational". It is not a breeze doing that type of riding since usually it requires a person to train up over several weeks/months prior.

[gnat23]

I'm with pinkbikes. Sign me up for CyclistsAnonymous or something.

I started by biking the 3 mile commute into school from about 5th grade. By the time I got to high school, Dad would take me out for a 20-30 mile ride on Wednesday evenings. We took a trip up to Mackinac Island in Wisconsin (which is navigable only by horse and buggy, bicycle or foot), I did my first century at about 15 years old, and I tagged along for the last few days of GRABAAWR. There was one hill on the last day of that ride that destroyed me (I was technically still riding a kid's bike, all pink and purple), so in 1991 Dad upgraded me to an aluminum Trek 1100, with a triple! Woo! I made it up that hill the next year no problem.

That bike lasted me through the rest of high school, college, living in Chicago, and several years in San Francisco. I didn't buy a car until I was 29 years old. I would wax and wane on yearly mileage, but that old clunker of a bicycle was always there.

I met a boy who worked for a bike company. He convinced me to finally upgrade, and I went full carbon, Dura-Ace, clipless pedals, GPS, the whole shebang. My yearly mileage went up into the thousands. I started setting goals: go up mountains, do more centuries.

I got a mountain bike late last year, but I'm still a little scared of it. It's difficult to ramp up from too-easy fireroads to OMG DEATH! singletrack. I have a steel cruiser for groceries, errands, and getting to and from the gym. And I have an old French steel roadbike that I'm using to learn how to take apart and put back together things.

I still have the car, but it seems to be mostly used to transport the bike around. Funny, how that works.

-- gnat!

[AnnieBikes]

I started with a MTB so that I could ride with my three sons and hubby on Boy Scout bike trips. I did that for 5 years and then hubby invited me on a road bike trip for our 30th anniversary....in Ireland. I was hooked on road biking and bought one the day I returned from the trip. Then I met an older (well 12 years older than I am!) woman who had ridden across the country so I decided I would have to try that. With an awesomely (is that a word?) supportive husband, I did it. I am now a part of the addicted list, too! I rode across the country (Southern Tier) in 2007, and from South to North across the country in 2008. (Underground RR Route). So now my husband and I have bought touring bikes...who says you can't have three bikes!!! Although due to aging parent issues, we can't leave town together, he rides and I ride, and in town we ride together.

So, I guess I can say that I love road riding the most, but MTB every Wednesday night from April to October (with the time change) with a great group and I love it all. I can't wait to go on a real self supported tour. My husband is taking a month to go on a self-supported trip. My turn will come with a month long ride later this summer (supported)

YIKES!!! I love to ride!

[GLC1968]

I've been biking off and on my whole life. I actually traded a mountain bike for a pair of skiis about 15 years ago (what was I thinking!?!?) and regretted it until I bought a replacement mountain bike. That was when I lived in the Poconos and was dating a guy in Boston. We did a ton of mountain biking all over the northeast. Then I moved to FL and my biking ground to a halt. It was too hot, too buggy and too swampy for my tastes. I did bike to class fairly frequently, but only when I didn't need lights (and it wasn't love bug season). Buying a road bike never even occurred to me even though I was into fitness and exercise.

When I moved to NC, I got my first road bike (since I had a 12 speed as a kid) at the suggestion of my OB/Gyn who was an avid cyclist. My first ride was 15 miles and I was HOOKED. I had no idea how much FUN biking on the road was! I've since bought and sold many road bikes and now I'm happily settled with a lovely, light road bike that I love, a similiarly fit steel commuter that gets the most miles right now, and that same mountain bike that I bought in the early 90's. I consider myself a roadie, but I am working on becomming a more regular commuter (my commute is 20 miles though, so it's a challenge). I only mountain bike occasionally, but I still think it's 'wicked' fun!

[Aint Doody]

I do a teeny tiny bit of mt. biking. My commute to work is less than a mile. I either just walk it or ride my bicycle--or in the warmer weather when I have to go to the grocery I ride my scooter. And in the cold weather I will take my car if I have to.

But my love is road biking. My favorite part of that is organized multiple day rides.

[SheFly]

I started out as a mountain biker - my DH introduced me to it about 15 years ago. Hadn't done much cycling before that, except as desperate transportation in college.

For a number of years I only rode the MTB. Did some racing, fell out of racing, but still rode MTB. I had weekly women's rides for years.

Then a friend talked me into a double century over a weekend on the road bike. I signed up and fell in love with road riding. Loved it MORE than the MTB, although I still managed to do both. Somewhere in there I also took up downhilling (on the bike, not on skis ). That really improved my MTB skills.

Three years agao, I did a time trial. First road race. I won my category and was hooked. I spent the next two years riding road with the occasional MTB ride thrown in. Then, I discovered cross. OMG - that is SO MUCH fun! Wicked hard, but it really brought together my love of road and MTB riding.

This year, I am back to racing my MTB. I will still race/train on the road as well, and will also do a full season of cross. Do I have a favorite? As long as it's on two wheels and I have to pedal, it's all good.

SheFly

p.s.
I am also a stoker on a tandem - have done MTB and road on that, and we have a specific TT tandem as well... Too many bikes and not enough time - what an excellent dilemma!