I remeber when I first started riding.....

[Aggie_Ama]

NO

True, I want to live to be really old, therefore 28 is not midlife. And I think my co-worker is a bit nuts for freaking out about turning 25. I just want a Lynskey. Maybe just reckless youthful spending? DH says I can have one someday, so when is somday again?

[jobob]

To get this thread a bit back on track - sorry, my bad!

There's a short yet pretty steep hill near where I live. It took me weeks -- weeks, I tell ya! -- of attempts before I finally reached what I thought was the top. But once I reached the top, much to my dismay, I realized there was still more to it. auuugh!

I named that stinker "nemesis".

Nowadays I have no trouble at all climbing it, and I even do repeats of it when the mood strikes. Pity the poor squirrel that gets in my way heading down it.

[Crankin]

My first real "ride." My husband had bought me shorts and a jersey secretly and set up the old Voodoo for me. I had ridden on and off since college, probably never more than 10 miles. We went out of our old development, down Old Harvard Rd into the town of Harvard. Steve said we should turn around because there was a big hill coming up. What I didn't realize was we had to go back up Old Harvard Rd. It's a small hill, with 2 parts. I thought I was in shape, but my husband ended up having to push me up the hill with the back of his hand. I was humbled... this was on a mountain bike with super low gears. A total of 5.6 miles!
My next ride was up a really big hill, which I made about 3/4 of the way up. I was really proud of myself.

[Miranda]

Hmmm, the memories...

My first ride was a lovely steele bubble gum pink tricycle complete with metal spoke wheels. It had a white handle bar basket with daisy flowers. My beloved Tom cat named Jumbo faithfully rode in the basket.

My first two-wheeler ride was appropriately named "Bucky" (because I told my mother the bike wanted to buck me off like a wild horse). I learned to ride Bucky without the training wheels as a result of the Wizard of Oz movie. I must have had this fear of water melting me like the Wicked Witch of the West. As I entered a yard sprinkler's stream of water overflowing onto the sidewalk, I pedal on two wheels unassisted like the wind.

After a 20 year bike break, I bought my rode girl I have now. Which I thought I would fall off and kill myself trying to keep my balance on the skinny tires to the end of neighborhood street. But, with the fear of a sprinkler head getting me, I remembered how to pedal like the wind once again.

As for the rest... nothing stands out stronger than the memorable feeling of freedom that riding brings to the soul.

[maillotpois]

I can't wait to see the new bikes....

I pretty much started off riding with a bang, so I haven't changed that much. I will say I am a smarter rider than I was when I started. You learn so much with experience. My first Death Ride, in my second year of riding, was pretty pathetic.

[Brandi]

True, I want to live to be really old, therefore 28 is not midlife. And I think my co-worker is a bit nuts for freaking out about turning 25. I just want a Lynskey. Maybe just reckless youthful spending? DH says I can have one someday, so when is somday again?

I loved turning 30! And from what I have noticed women going into their 40's seem to have mid life problems then if they have any. I have a lot of friends who all seem to be about 10 years older then me and I have seen this with my own eye's. And learned a lot from them too. So since I just turned 40 I am hoping i have learned from all they have gone through.