Do you: Road? Mtn? Commute?

[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!