Getting to Know You!

[Xrayted]

Corsair - glad to give you a laugh. I didn't even tell that one at home. No need to give someone a chance to add insult to injury, ya know? As for Katie, I'm sure she can still kick my butt. But, I'm working on it. Like a lot of other people, I just have some small physical issues that take a little more time to get adjusted and tuned. I do feel better than I have in a LONG while so it's all good. Thanks for the reply and encouragement!

[Xrayted]

Cassandra - Yeah, I can see how you would think that, glad you didn't have me chucked before I got started. It took 2 days of debate to get this one. The girls at work voted on my nickname. They're a clever group are they not? (Well, maybe "clever" is the wrong word. ) You should have seen some of the toss outs! ("Pushin' Rubber" was a close 2nd. I just thought it sounded too much like a Sex Ed class. )
Thanks and have a great evening!

[presfoxm]

Real name: Emily
Where do you live? Concord, MA

Explanation of your handle: A little West Wing, a little X-Files.

Explanation of your avatar: avatar??....you mean I could have an avatar??

Age (general or specific) 36 on Dec 10th!

Occupation: Office Manager/Marketer

Favorite bike: High Priestess--My Colnago Asso

What's in your stable? A disabled Diamondback mtn bike, a built up generic single speed cross bike, Precious--a Shwinn SuperSport GLX, and High Priestess

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? While on Precious 39.8 mpg while decending Rose Valley mtn in Ojai, CA 1.5 yrs ago...The best part is I didn't climb it, and I am STILL mad I didn't hit 40! Grrrrrrrrrr.

Another picture of yourself or your ride? Always a picture of the ride...

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: Have no idea, I can't remember anything so I always end up in my own self made Emily trap....

Most memorable moment on my bike: So far, it was out in CA--climbing my first mountain, a tiny 2.5 mile climb which I did VERY SLOWLY, but I got to the top! On the way up, some guy passed me who was not going much faster than I was who mentioned that it was the first time he had ever passed anyone climbing before! (I did catch him on the decent though! )

Most fun ever had on a bike? I don't have a specific time. Everytime I switch from my road bike to the cross or mountain bike I think this is it! It can't get much better than that! Everytime I go from the cross/mtn. bike to the road bikes I think it can't get much better than that! Needless to say, any day on the bike is a good day!

[lauraelmore1033]

Real name: Laura

Where do you live? Everett, Washington

Explanation of your handle: a failure to realize that I’d typed my e-mail address in the blank for my handle…

Explanation of your avatar: utter ineptitude when it comes to the web: see above

Age (general or specific) 43

Occupation: Artist- on good days, slovenly housewife on the bad ones

Favorite bike: not sure

What's in your stable? A Diamondback Hybrid (openly sneered at in the finest bike shops in the northwest)

Fastest speed on a road bike? Well, my fastest speed on my hybrid was somewhere around 19 mph—and that was screaming downhill on the Centennial trail near Arlington, WA

Another picture of yourself or your ride? Neither of us is photogenic and have repeatedly declined to be photographed


What is the biggest lie you've ever told: “That was the best one ever, Hon!”

Most memorable moment on my bike: well, while I was busy screaming down above mentioned hill at my best speed ever, I managed to spook an approaching horse, which reared on its hind legs (just like in the movies!) and skittered across the path in front of me. Luckily, the rider was skillful enough not to be thrown, and also to avoid our imminent collision (by inches!) by regaining control of the horse and guiding it swiftly back onto the proper path.

Most fun ever had on a bike? Around the age of ten I used to go screaming down the hill in front of my child hood home on my purple Spyder bike in my favorite dress with a huge sash and bow flapping wildly behind me. I would climb the hill again and again, stopping only after the sash of my dress got caught in the chain, making nasty greasy marks that had to be hidden. Recently when My husband bought me a new bike, I was delighted to see that it was a purple one. I snatched it away from him as he lifted it out of the van and jumped on it right then and there and went screaming down our street with my wind breaker flapping behind me and the neighbors looking at me as if I were insane; ever the 43 year old little girl. It felt like something that was out of synch got back into synch; it was a very joyous moment.

[Kalidurga]

Singing in the Rain, not sure about the association BUT, I really love to ride in the rain, strange but true.

If you're ever in the mood for a fairly disturbing, yet thought-provoking, movie, see if you can find a copy of "A Clockwork Orange". There's a scene that explains the song connection. Now, of course, the question is: Since you love to ride in the rain, do you sing when you do so?

[Summer23]

Real name: Summer
Where do you live? Mat-Su Valley, Alaska

Explanation of your handle: My first name, and part of my birthday.

Explanation of your avatar: It's from a picture by Jo Perry. Roundish girl with brown hair, a black poodle, and a bicycle? So me. (more information in my signature.)

Age (general or specific) 26

Occupation: giving that writing thing a shot

Favorite bike: I have a Breezer Uptown 8 that I love to smithereens. My Schwinn Hollywood is also pretty darned cool.

What's in your stable? Breezer Uptown 8 (named Gloria), a 1960something Schwinn Hollywood (with a 2 speed bendix hub, that you shift by pedaling backwards. ), and a green 1960something Schwinn I'm-not-sure-what, with a stepthrough frame. Mom's ride at present; she says it's really comfy. That one's a single speed.

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? I have no idea how fast I go, but I know it's not very fast.

Another picture of yourself or your ride? See my bicycle flickr set here.


What is the biggest lie you've ever told: Oh man, I can't think of one. I'll have to come back and edit this later.

Most memorable moment on my bike: When I was about 12 or 13, some people came over to our house to visit that I didn't particularly like. I stayed around the requisite few minutes, then went for a bike ride. I can't remember how far it was, but I rode all the way to the library and back. I'd have to ask my mom how far it was, but I remember her being shocked when she asked where I'd been for so long (I was gone a couple of hours) and I told her. I felt really proud of myself. It was a good feeling.

Most fun ever had on a bike? Um, haven't been riding very long as a grownup, and the above incident is the only one I remember super clearly, but the other day when I rode down to the LBS was pretty fun. There was one part where I was going a little fast, and Radar figured out he could gallop if he wanted to - it was just FUN.

[chickwhorips]

woo hoo! another one from alaska. welcome summer!

[CorsairMac]

Welcome all!!

Summer: Chick beat me to it but welcome to another person from Alaska! Wow------a whole 2 people in Alaska - ya'll going through a population boom there? and I Love your avatar - it's how I feel every time I ride, particularly when I'm going downhill!! and I believe we have another Breezer rider here too.......

Laura: Is That what call it when I would rather ride then clean the house? lol I figure I can pick up the dust dinosaurs - so why bother with the vacuum cleaner! as for your hybrid - ya'll tell anyone that sneers at your ride that we got us someone here that rode a century (or 2 or 3.....) on a hybrid so take That!!!

Pres: Interesting combo there for your ID! and pffft on being passed on a hill, heckie dern ya'll were out there climbing it....that's what matters...oh and the Awesome descent!!! and yeah - been there done that....got home and saw my speed and thought, darn - if I had known I Might have been able to push it Just a bit harder and hit the next number! someday...............

[jenxxs]

Real name: Jen
Where do you live? Massachusetts

Explanation of your handle: I'm an XXS-sized Jen

Explanation of your avatar: I'm sure I'll never get around to this

Age (general or specific): Mid-30s as long as I can get away with it

Occupation: Project manager

Favorite bike: Right now, my Titus Racer-X

What's in your stable? Right now, the Titus, but I have a cute little 38 cm road bike being put together by my LBS right now!

Fastest speed on a road bike? Computer was broken on my first road bike, so I have no idea! But not very fast, because that bike was way too big for me.

Another picture of yourself or your ride? Also sure I'll never get around to this, because I'm usually a diehard lurker. Only reason I'm de-lurking here is because I've found this forum so incredibly useful - thanks to all of you!

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: I'm a horrible liar, so I can't come up with anything interesting here!

Most memorable moment on my bike: Getting my own private serenade from a recumbent trumpeter on the last hill of my 2-day Pan Mass Challenge ride this year.

Most fun ever had on a bike? Riding behind my dog in the woods. Except that he doesn't really get the singletrack thing - he stops on a dime to scent whatever is in the air, and I have to avoid running him over!

[jujubebe]

Real name: julie
Where do you live? Cleveland, Ohio (eastern inner ring burb)

Explanation of your handle: jujube was my nickname

Explanation of your avatar: oh, i use a teapot - wait that's samovar!

Age (general or specific) 52 & loving it!!!!

Occupation: prematurely retired, mom to a teen & young adult

Favorite bike: don't know enough, but I'm happy w/my Marin & the shop that sold it to me (Bicycle Blvd on Chagrin) - I loved my old Motobecane Mirage tricolor black/gold/red frame, despite my knees banging into the mixte frame.

What's in your stable? Marin Kentfield, an economical, sturdy, speedy hybrid

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? Don't know - I bike for around town transpo, maybe i could check myself against a car in a school zone

Another picture of yourself or your ride? I'm the picture taker, not takee.

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: I'm a terrible liar. Fortunately, my job had flextime, eliminating the need for concocting some novel whopper as to why one is late for work!

Most memorable moment on my bike: This past spring I got back to riding after over 20 years of not! All I had was a 6-speed Huffy (aka the "Huffy & Puffy") I bought at Target. I saw an announcement that MLK Blvd (formerly known as Liberty) would be closed to auto traffic for 2 sundays in august. Kid was at his dad's so I hopped on the Huffy, biked to Lake Erie & back (involving a serious uphill), 18 miles RT! I did it! I loved it! The Ohio City Bicycle Co-op had a booth at this event - advised me to get a better bike, which I did the next day.

Most fun ever had on a bike? Manhattan. Figure this out, I'm scared to drive I-77 in W Va (in a car) because the hills freak me out: on the other hand, last June rented a bike in Manhattan, got bored with the trails, & ended up riding thru Times Square! Wheeee!

[telegirl]

Real name: Karen

Where do you live? Brownsville, VT

Explanation of your handle: I like to telemark ski

Explanation of your avatar: oh, crud, I knew I forgot something....

Age (general or specific) Chronological age = 43 Mentally = 17 1/2

Occupation: Accounting

Favorite bike: Gosh, they are all my favorites. I love them equally (sort of). Hildy is my Trek road bike and she is faithful, fun, fearless, and stubborn at times. Gert is my Rocky Mountain hardtail mountain bike and she is definitely fearless, a bit awkward, but always willing to go the extra mile. Now Mable is my Specialized retired mountain bike. She was a little heavy for the single track, but she gets a good workout on the trainer.

What's in your stable? See previous

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? 41 mph down a hill over by Pomfret.

Another picture of yourself or your ride? I don't believe in pictures

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: "That was great french toast, honey" Undercooked on the inside and black on the outside. But it was a lie with good intentions.

Most memorable moment on my bike: Well, I have never had a bad day on either bike. But one of the last rides I did was 75 miles in the pouring rain, with an average speed of 16.1 mph, so that was memorable.

Most fun ever had on a bike? Wow, that is a hard one, because like I said, I have never had a bad day on a bike. I just can't pull out one 'best' because every time I ride I discover something new to love.

[CorsairMac]

Welcome one and all!!!

Jen: just how small is XXS? I was very intrigued by your comment about a 38 being built.....a 38!! oh - and what is your 38?.......curiosity always gets the better of me!

Juju: while my job isn't flex - my boss never gets here before 9 so as long as I make it before 8:30 - I'm Right on Time! had to take a second look regarding your avatar comment - very quick! (wished I had thought of it! lol) oh...and I want to ride in Manhatten too.........pretend for just a few moments that I"m a bike messenger or something! wheeeeeeeeeeeee

Tele: I have a good friend that telemarks.....while I was looking at bike racks for the truck - she was looking at telemark skis. Gotta love REI: something for everyone!

[ClockworkOrange]

If you're ever in the mood for a fairly disturbing, yet thought-provoking, movie, see if you can find a copy of "A Clockwork Orange". There's a scene that explains the song connection. Now, of course, the question is: Since you love to ride in the rain, do you sing when you do so?

Hi Kalidurga

Ahem, my memory is bad enough these days, however, I did see the film when it was released 35 years ago but must confess to not remembering too much of it.

Fortunately for the wild life around me when I am riding in the rain, I do not sing, just generally have a stupid smile on my face. I guess I enjoy riding in the rain, as there are far fewer people about.

Sally

[CorsairMac]

Hi Kalidurga

Ahem, my memory is bad enough these days, however, I did see the film when it was released 35 years ago but must confess to not remembering too much of it.

Fortunately for the wild life around me when I am riding in the rain, I do not sing, just generally have a stupid smile on my face. I guess I enjoy riding in the rain, as there are far fewer people about.

Sally

and where in the UK would you Not find rain?

[Bruno28]

and where in the UK would you Not find rain?

You know how the eskimos have lots of words for snow...in Scotland its the same for rain....we have many categories and sub-divisions.

I'm looking forward to the autumn when the mist lifts only long enough for you to see the drizzle....