De-lurking to say thank you

[Marquise]

I’m a long-time lurker, love to read stuff online but mostly ambivalent about posting. But this has been such a great site for me that I’m overdue in expressing my gratitude.

I started thinking about buying a road bike almost a year ago. My husband used to race before I met him and he’s been riding seriously again (not competitively) for the last three years after a few years of hardly riding at all. I knew he’d love for me to take up cycling but he knew enough not to push.

Getting older and more out of shape motivated me to consider it, even though picturing myself in cycling shorts was horrifying. I like to research before I jump into things and that’s how I found this site. The more I read, the more buying a bike seemed like a great idea.

One Saturday last June, I told my husband over morning lattes that I’d been thinking about buying a bike. By Monday night, we’d visited several area shops and I bought a Felt ZW5. I grew up in the country and hadn’t ridden a bike in decades so I was very nervous starting out as a city rider. I’ve got pavement tattoos from my first attempts to ride with clipless pedals (ended up riding with platform pedals for a month or so before switching back to clipless). I rode as often as I could and my confidence grew with each ride.

I acquired a spandex-rich wardrobe for hot and cold weather and everything in between, and rode outside until it snowed last December. I lost a few pounds and could stand to lose a few more but I love cycling too much to care about how I look. I logged more than 1,200 miles in 2010 and rode the trainer all winter. I bought a second bike in February so it seemed like spring would never get here.

My husband has been a great coach, providing lots of good advice and keeping me from doing too much in my first year of riding, and I tell him often how much I appreciate having an in-house mechanic. He’s happy to ride with me at my pace and save the hammering for when he’s riding solo or with friends. And I’m happy to ride with him or by myself because when I’m riding I feel full of joy! I wonder why I didn’t start riding sooner and hope to ride the rest of my life.

I feel like I have these forums to thank for the joy that cycling brings me because all the useful information and inspirational stories here gave me the push I needed. I keep coming back because I know there'll be more to learn and I love reading about the accomplishments big and small of a bunch of women I’ve never met who keep inspiring me. Thanks to all who have shared their stories and wisdom!

[OakLeaf]

What a happy story! Welcome.

[HillSlugger]

Welcome! Your husband sounds like a keeper

[zoom-zoom]

Oh, man...I got all grinny just reading this. So much of your story is MY story...right down to getting a 2nd bike in the Winter and just dying to get it outside! I've got the hubby who was overwhelmed with joy to get me my 1st bike and pretty happy to oblige when I was ready for an upgrade a mere year later (and now we're talking cyclocross bike so I might try a few races and have something we can mount studded tires to for some Winter riding).

Thanks for joining and introducing yourself. Keep posting!

[badgercat]

Thanks for sharing your story! Many, many more happy miles to you!

[azfiddle]

Loved your story too! Thanks for sharing and I hope you have many happy miles ahead!