Getting to Know You!

[mary9761]

I finally dug out an OLD picture for my avatar my Nickname has been NightMare for a LONG time given to me by some dear friends so I thought I'd dig up a pick (for now anyways) of myself and Alice Cooper when I met him in '87.
Once I get some of my jerseys made with the cool spiderweb lycra I'll take one with it

[doorah]

we'll wanna know what you named your new love, and all about your first ride, and your first 1/2 century, and and and.............

Hi & thanks for the warm welcome

I named her Lucy because I love her~I Love Lucy!

As for my first ride~aside from needing to lower my saddle as I was placing too much weight/pressure on my wrists & hands~I was terrified as I live near an industrial park and I'm not used to having semi's whoosh past me 2 & 3 at a time/in a row lol!

I need to check into a hitch rack since I have a 2" hitch and numerous rail trails & bike paths along the lakeshore to enjoy!

~doorah~who's off to search the threads and glean all the awesome information about hitch racks!

[WarriorPrncs]

Welcome to the board ggetem and warrior! as always I get such a kick outta everyones most memorable stories!
warrior: I'm allergic to something in the PI shorts - probably the antibacterial they use or something, I wore a pair 1 time and Holy Smokes was I a hurting baby! so my heart goes out to you and your PI experience!

Thanks, CorsairMac

Did you get red and raw too? I wonder if mine was an allergic reaction since I never thought of that. I actually wrote to PI and told them what happened and they wrote back and said if you put them in the dryer you will notice a big improvement. I'm not sure what that will do especially if it is an allergic reaction. I think I'll just pass and check out the Sugoi's Flex Shorts as Trehawk suggested in another thread and several others in my bike club.

[CorsairMac]

actually I wash all my shorts before I wear them for the first time. I have such sensitive chemical allergies I figure wash-and-be-safe-rather-than-wear-and-hope-to-luck. When I talked to PI they told me it couldn't possibly be their shorts that it had to be something else. To make a short story long (too late) between my LBS and PI I got the shorts returned and used the credit to buy a different brand. I was just so disappointed by my reception from their cust service dept I sent an email and the reponse I got to that?.....sorry about the problems but that I probably just misunderstood what the guy was trying to say?? *shaking head*...........which part of "it couldn't possibly be our shorts" did I seem to misunderstand? Anyway, yes that was exactly my reaction: very raw, very red, swollen, itchy, very uncomfortable for several days until the reaction calmed down. and it happened the first time I wore them.

[WarriorPrncs]

I hear you! I am pretty sensitive to everything and need to use non-scented detergents, etc. so I always wash everything before I wear it. The tags in clothing even irritate my skin so I cut them out.

I usually don't throw my bike clothes in the dryer just hang them dry. I wasn't impressed with PI's customer service either. Oh well, I'll try taking them back to my LBS and exchange them for something else.

[Clare]

Real name: Cathy
Where do you live? San Luis Obispo, California

Explanation of your handle: Its my middle name.

Explanation of your avatar: Don't have one yet...just a newbie.

Age (general or specific) 49 on Sept. 11th!

Occupation: Student...finally decided what I wanted to be when I grew up. I'm going to Cal Poly, and in a couple of years I should have a degree in Natural Resource Management.

Favorite bike: The new Specialized WSD carbon bike coming out this fall.

What's in your stable? Specialized Sequoia Elite and Trek8000.

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? 30 going down a hill on Highway 1. (There is a traffic speed indicator that picks up bike speeds, too.)

Another picture of yourself or your ride? I don't have any...yet.


What is the biggest lie you've ever told: I told my mom I got my pants wet from water in the gutter, when actually I got them wet in the creek where I was forbidden to go.

Most memorable moment on my bike: I was riding one of my favorite rides in the opposite direction...it was a beautiful day...the sky was a deep blue...it was springtime so the countryside was littered with color....and I was feeling joyful and happy. Just happy to be out riding my bike, tooling along...and out in front of me flys this little bird all in blue. It sits on a wire and chirps...and I think to myself..."hey, a bluebird of happiness!"

Most fun ever had on a bike? Taking a huge Mountain bike adventure over Cuesta Ridge to Lopez. It was really hard. We must of crossed 25 creeks! Can't do it again though, cuz they restricted bikes from that trail.

[t'kay]

Real name: Natalie Kay
Where do you live? Portland, Oregon..soon to be Reno, NV (Jan '06)

Explanation of your handle: I have several nicknames..the evolution breakdown goes like this. Natalie Kay to Natty Kay to T'kay

Explanation of your avatar: I really want to be a pirate.

Age (general or specific) 21

Occupation: Barista/Student/Nanny/looking for yet another job

Favorite bike: Bikes I lust after..Fuel Ex7, and Electra Custom Cruiser..lime green, but that's my favorite "I just want to look pretty riding" bike

What's in your stable? I don't own my own bike Stolen..then the new one was given away so i just ride my dads Giant something or 'nother, with this huge gel seat that hurts my booty but I can't change it cause it's his.

Fastest speed on a road bike? I have no idea..25 mph maybe, cruising down Mount Spokane

Another picture of yourself or your ride? hmm, I'll go get some glamour shots


What is the biggest lie you've ever told: I totally understand that you need your own space. (What I was actually thinking was in what way I should remove his testicles.)

Most memorable moment on my bike: Riding on an old cruiser in the rain at midnight the night before my best friend moved away. Then having the bike with the racks break and have to carry two 6packs home in my arms and almost breaking my neck trying to stop on the slick roads, but somehow keeping all the bottles intact.

Most fun ever had on a bike? Last week I took three kids that I watch(Ages 5,6 and 10) on their first ever trail ride, all three of them crashed but got up and kept going. I was pretty proud of them.

[CorsairMac]

welcome to the board Clare & T'Kay! I always wanted to be a pirate too well actually I wanted to be a buccaneer - more romantic, less violence! (yarite like who am I kidding??!!)

and Clare I loved your "finally decided what I wanted to be in life". I have too but I can't find any pro cycling teams that want a 47 yr-old turtle on their team so I'll just keep playing pretend! LOL

[kestrel]

Real name: Alexandra, but most people just call me Alex

Where do you live? South Bay (Sunnyvale, CA)

Explanation of your handle: I had an avatar named Kestrel..

Explanation of your avatar: That's a longer story..

Age (general or specific): 36

Occupation: Datacenter Techie at a Fruity Company

Favorite bike: The one that I'm riding, which is usually a 2004 Lemond Zurich

What's in your stable? 2004 Lemond Zurich, 2002(?) Fuji Thrill-SE, 1988 Honda Hawk GT (NT650) <- getting adopted by a friend's friend

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? Tandem: 54mph, Carson Valley, NV, this past spring; Road: 34mph, one of the Skyline Loops, Bay Area, CA, this summer

Another picture of yourself or your ride? http://osa.unixfolk.com/hikers/2005....f-cimg0103.jpg

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: That I was going to be good enough to whup my boyfriend's tuckus at cycling. This may never be true, but I'm working on it.

Most memorable moment on my bike: I had chosen to do the Loop in NV on the tandem. The plans was to fly Kingsbury Grade 207 into Carson Valley, ride north on 206, touch 395, and cycle back into Tahoe on 50, and back up Kingsbury Grade. I had not even gotten my own road bike then. We were riding with light shells and my boyfriend had just spent the morning snowboarding. It was all good until the fourth hour when we were cycling on 50 and the sun went down. The climbing went on forever and it was so cold. I kept refueling, but damn my lower lip started quivering and soon I was silently weeping all over the road. He stopped and whipped off his jacket and layered me like a puffy red popsicle (two red jackets!). It was like the sun came back out and the skies turned blue from the dreary grey that had been minutes before. In that moment of ephiphany, I fully grokked two things. If I lose heat, I lose willpower, so don't skimp on layers. And my boyfriend in his Sesame Street Bert and Ernie cycling jersey is the sexiest guy on the road.

Most fun ever had on a bike? Probably on Sunday, my most recent road bike ride where I've been much more confident and relaxed. Of course, I might have just ruined that on Monday by face planting my first time on a mountain bike trail. Ugh.

[CorsairMac]

Welcome to the board Kestral. I haven't face planted on the MTB - Yet! Yup....I'm pretty sure there's gonna be a "yet" some day! Hope to see ya around!

[Cari]

Ok, it's time to introduce myself, so here's my bit:

Real name: Carissa

Where do you live? San Juan, Puerto Rico

Explanation of your handle: Just my name...

Explanation of your avatar: Just my face

Age (general or specific): I'll be 29 soon.

Occupation: Recent med school dropout. Am currently venturing into distributing bike lights to local shops and riders. A friend lent me the coolest bike light I had ever seen and when I found out that nobody sells them here, I saw my opportunity and grabbed it by the horns. I'll refrain from plugging them on the board, but if you find yourself in need of a killer light... you know who to talk to.

Favorite bike: I don't know the first thing about bike models but I'm trying to convince myself to order a custom steel or titanium frame from Independent Fabrication... I just need to get over the guilt, 'cause I've never spent more than a few hundred dollars on a bike. The thing is that all the bikes I've ever ridden fit too small even though even though they're supposed to be right for my height. So if I'm going to spend an arm and a leg for my first road bike, it better fit right!

What's in your stable? A Gary Fisher Tassajara and an old Trek 830 that I keep around to lend to friends.

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? About 26 mph, 6 weeks or so ago, between Loiza and Piñones, on the beachside route I usually take for my long rides. I know, I'm a lightweight... just give me some time.

Another picture of yourself or your ride? You can be sure that if I get that IF road bike I'll be showing it off like a grandma with a wallet full of baby pictures.

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: I have no idea...

Most memorable moment on my bike:
The first time I hit a car. I was riding along an avenue, returning from a 60 mile ride, my longest ever. The power was out and the traffic lights weren't working, and it had just begun to drizzle so the roads were super slick. I slowed as I approached a big intersection, all the cars were stopped and some signaled to me to go ahead, so I went.

Then some creep in an ugly orangey-red wannabe sports car shot into the intersection. I braked, began to skid and leaning towards the left, so I unclipped my left foot and dragged it on the ground like an anchor. It looked like I was gonna make it, too, until some part of my bike hit the car's front bumper.

I guess I flipped over 'cause the next thing I recall was lying face up on the steamy asphalt looking at the sky, and my riding buddy saying to me, "Partner, we're in an intersection, get yourself up off the road." I ran my hands around my helmet. I didn't feel any warm, sticky wet spots and everything seemed to be in its place so I let him pull me up off the ground.

There was an old lady who had been crossing the street in front of me who waved her umbrella angrily at the driver and yelled, "You saw her! Everybody saw her!" Except for her, all the cars were stopped and several other persons who had been waiting to cross the street stood still, looking dumbfounded. As soon as I got out of the driver's way, he crossed the intersection and sped off, and everything seemed to move again. My riding partner says he caught a glance of a tarty-looking woman in the passenger seat pretending to file her nails as if nothing had happened.

I don't know how exactly I flipped over and hit the ground without breaking anything, but I thank God that I didn't hurt myself. All I have are two tiny souvenir scars from where I scraped myself on the pavement, one each on my right knee and elbow.

Most fun ever had on a bike?
Last Saturday morning's ride. It's a long, winding rural road with rolling hills and a canopy of trees that keeps the air cool and provides welcome protection from the sizzle of the tropical sun. I used to ride there about once a week but never alone. My morning riding partner has been flakey lately so last weekend I finally went by myself. It was so awesome, I felt like that road was mine. I love hills and curves so it was a lot of fun and very empowering. The coolest part was that it so much easier than ever before. Part of what I love about riding is that even though I'm not as good as I'd like to be, I can always count on the fact that as long as I keep working at it, I will keep getting better.

[CorsairMac]

Welcome to the board Cari! Ya'll think you're having fun Now on your bike - wait til you get one that fits you like a glove.....pretty soon those roads just aren't gonna be long enough! Owwwwwwwwwieeeeeeee on the car accident....you were very lucky my friend! and Puerto Rico??......do ya'll do organized rides there?.....do we need to plan a TE trip to PR to go for a ride??

[NorCalGal]

Real name: Karen

Where do you live? Orland, California.

Explanation of your handle: I'm in Northern California. Moved here from the beaches of Ventura in Southern California about 12 years ago and went through about a year of culture shock...but have come to appreciate cowboy butts in Wranglers.

Explanation of your avatar: What's an avatar? Is that some sort of birthmark? Is it something off Star Wars? Me confused. Actually, I just haven't found one yet.

Age (general or specific) A proud 46 on November 14, but I tell people I'm seven and holding.

Occupation: Business owner. My husband and I design cargo management accessories for the automotive/recreation industry, so if you have any ideas for bike bags that would carry all of your gear in your car/SUV/truck, let me know! I also do some personal chef work on the side, and have 42 days of grad school left (but who's counting?), getting my masters degree in leadership.

Favorite bike: Anything that makes me look thin. Too new to this stuff to really know. So I guess my favorite is the one I ride right now, a Trek.

What's in your stable? Aforementioned Trek road bike, also the Trek mtb that I started on, and gosh, I just bought a Trek beach cruiser to ride down our country lane to the mailbox and to the produce stand. You'd think I owned stock in Trek.

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? 25.6 miles per hour, being chased by a couple of really fast dogs on a country road about a year ago.

Another picture of yourself or your ride? No pictures, thank you. Not until I find the bike that makes me look thin.

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: That it wan't me who shot the BB through the sliding glass window. I was 8. I blamed it on my brother and our mom believed me for awhile.

Most memorable moment on my bike: It wasn't finishing a century, it wasn't leading a pace line, it was when I decided to practice a track stand in my gravel driveway at the end of a ride and I forgot to click out of my pedals. Lots of blood, but sadly the thing that went through my mind as I fell was that I could break something. It's not that I'm old or anything...but how depressing to begin thinking like that!

Most fun ever had on a bike? A friend convinced me to ride the 17-mile drive with him at Pebble Beach. I wasn't a very good rider and I didn't realize how hilly it was, but I finished it and it felt great!

[CorsairMac]

Welcome to the board NorCal. Yeah - tell me about the owning stock in Trek...and the razzlefrazzle(*&E(&(G& wouldn't even let me win one of them thar LiveStrong bikes during the TdF scratch off game. All I got was a lousy water bottle! Hope to hear more from you and how fun is that to already find someone to ride with!!

[natheless]

Getting to Know You!

Real name: Julia
Where do you live? Providence, RI

Explanation of your handle: It's an archaic version of nevertheless - I've used it many places. (I've always been a word geek.)

Explanation of your avatar: Currently, no avatar. I'm still quite new here.

Age (general or specific) 34

Occupation: Educator/Administrator

Favorite bike: Not sure yet, I've had the same bike for ~20 years...

What's in your stable?
Road: Elderly Peugeot (mixte frame, touring bike, I think) 10 speed
Mountain: nada, for now.

Fastest speed on a road bike? 36, last weekend (downhill, definitely!)

Another picture of yourself or your ride? Not at the moment.

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: Just the ones I've told myself.

Most memorable moment on my bike: Riding in Ireland last year. I expect finishing my first century will also be pretty memorable

Most fun ever had on a bike? Biking on Martha's Vineyard this summer.