Getting to Know You!

[Spinchick]

[QUOTE=CorsairMacSays he's not familiar with the Rodriguez to which my friend replies "it's a custom frame". He says "oh - well I was really looking at the Trek........."! ROFLMAO[/QUOTE]

Vintage bikes - ya just can't beat 'em. I actually have a garage full - in various stages of refurbishment:

'58 Huffy (old, old, old English-style touring bike) - 3 speed
'77 Schwinn Racer - 3 speed
'79 Ross Eurotour - 5 speed (I fixed this up to be my beach bike when we were still living in Jersey)
'84 Motobecane Super Mirage - 12 speed
'85 Trek 1100 - 12 speed
'96 BMW Mountain bike (the bike they gave the '96 Olympic cyclists to tool around on at Olympic Village in Atlanta)

[runner2]

Welcome to the board Spinchick, I will like to visit your garage very much, are they all still working without training wheels?

[seagrape]

Hey everyone...

Thanks for the welcome! I generally haul my lard butt around Hallandale... I see tonnes of cyclists around- most look at me and snicker, methinks! That's ok- once I get going and get some training under my belt, I'll leave them in the dust....

I didn't want to mention my bike 'cos, well, it's not exactly high end. It's a Motobecane Mirage Sport- but hey, it's my first and I hope to get a lot of use out of it... Who am I kidding- I can't wait!

[Rakekay]

Real name: Kathleen
Where do you live? Vienna, VA (outside Washington, D.C.)

Explanation of your handle: It's a combination of my last name and my husband's and also on my license plate.

Explanation of your avatar: No avatar. I barely know what one is let alone where to get one.

Age (general or specific) 42

Occupation: Magazine editor/consultant

Favorite bike: Well, I only have one, so I guess that's my favorite!

What's in your stable?
Road: Specialized Sequoia, which I bought myself for my 42nd birthday.

Fastest speed on a road bike? about 25 mph (downhill)

Another picture of yourself or your ride? You've GOT to be joking

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: I try to erase all past lies from my mind so I can convince myself I don't lie. (Guess that's my biggest lie: That I don't.

Most memorable moment on my bike: The first time I took a "long" ride (although that one doesn't seem so long to me anymore) and got to the beginning of the W&OD trail. "I rode my bike to Shirlington!" I kept saying out loud, shocked that I'd gone so far. (OK, so it was only 12 miles, but it was much farther than I would have thought I could have gone just a few short weeks before that, AND, I was only halfway done.) I'm currently in training for a century (OK, probably ridiculous to do a century after only biking for eight weeks, but what can I say? I needed a goal. I'm up to 60 miles and actually am beginning to think I might be able to actually complete the century.)

Most fun ever had on a bike? Every time I ride down one particular hill on the W&OD trail. I haven't been able to ride down it a single time without shouting out "WHEEEEE!"

[Spinchick]

Welcome, Rakekay!

If you are up to 60 miles, you can definetely do a century. You don't need to have ridden 100 miles to be able to ride 100 miles. Make sense? Seriously, riding in a big group like that with sag support and well-stocked rest stops, you can do the 100 miles.

Have fun!

[AllezGirl]

Hi RaKeKay,

You can definately do it! I rode my first century just 3 weeks after I got a road bike. Until that day, the furthest I had ridden was 50 miles. But after being coaxed by some club members, I decided to go for it. Since you are already up to 60 miles, you should be physically ready, so it's really about being mentally prepared. Our ride was across 3 states (PA to NYC), so after we left PA and entered NJ (about 4 miles into the ride) I just said to myself "One state down, only two to go". I also never thought about how many miles I had to go...just what I had already done, and after mile 53, every mile past that was the furthest distance I had gone, and that was pretty exciting!

Over all it was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again in a couple of weeks (the Pumpkin Patch Pedal in NJ, anyone else going?)

As for hills, just psych yourself up for climbs 3 times bigger than they really are, so when you get to the top you can say...gee, I'm here already!?! That wasn't so bad!

[HipGnosis6]

Real name: Lori
Where do you live? Seattle, WA

Explanation of your handle: It means "cool name" and is a terrible pun that I borrowed from the artist complex that created the Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin album sleeves.

Explanation of your avatar: I've been running a Superman logo avatar for ages - ever since I got shanghai'ed into buying a Superman visor at a previous job.

Age (general or specific) Just turned 30.

Occupation: Rock star. Oh wait, that's only in my head. I work in the production department for a local area garment manufacturer that specializes in manskirts. four out of 15 employees ride bikes to work at least three days a week!

Favorite bike: I haven't ridden a ton of bikes, but I really like the looks of the bikes built by Davidson. They're local, and I know a tremendously talented chick wrench that I'd eventually like to have build up a bike from a Davidson frame.

What's in your stable? Two months ago I brought home a 2006 Specialized Cirrus. I haven't ridden significantly in over ten years - but I still have the Sterling CitySport that I bought for myself in '86. It's too small for me to actually ride but I can't bear to part with it.

Fastest speed on a road bike? I'm only just beginning to get comfortable on my bike - and descents scare the pants off of me.

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

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: "I promise I won't laugh"

Most memorable moment on my bike: Finally making it all the way up the hill home. It's a whopper.

Most fun ever had on a bike? I went out to ride the Magnolia Scenic Loop with the new guy at work and missed a turn. We wound up on a dead end - and carried our bikes up a really really narrow, steep concrete staircase leading up the bluff. It put us out right where we needed to be, and the detour was actually very lovely. We both had a great time and don't regret the navigation error at all.

[DirtDiva]

If only everyone worked somewhere where over a quater of the employees biked to work!

[Insomnicole]

Real name: Nicole
Where do you live? Northern Virginia.

Explanation of your handle: I'm Nicole, and I tend to be a bit of an insomniac. There you have it.

Explanation of your (lack of) avatar: Haven't picked one yet.

Age: 36, closing in on 37.

Occupation: I work on our company's website.

Favorite bike: Don't have one yet -- but I've got a sore neck from swiveling my head around to look at other people's bikes when I'm on the way to work.

What's in your stable? A Giant Sedona DX hybrid; just bought it a few weeks ago. It's my first bike since I was about eight.

Another picture of yourself or your ride? I don't have one yet. My husband is a photography nut, so I've no doubt there will be one soon.

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: "No, Mom, I didn't put that piece of bread in Dad's eight-track tape player." (I was five and I thought it was an EZ-Bake oven, okay?)

Most memorable moment on my bike: I've only been riding a few weeks, but right now that would have to be the moment when I stopped being shaky and nervous and everything started coming together and I started truly having fun.

Most fun ever had on a bike? Pretty much every time I go out on my bike with my husband and try to push myself to do more than I did the last ride. I got to see a family of deer crossing the trail yesterday; that was cool.

[Elixia]

Real name: Elizabeth, but I go by Eli.

Where do you live? Currently, Frederick Maryland

Explanation of your handle: single mom, live for travel and adventure

Explanation of your avatar (An embodiment, as of a quality or concept; an archetype): creative energetic activist with passion for compassion

Age (general or specific) Taurus 26

Occupation: Mother, Muse, and Naturalist

Favorite bike: The only one I’ve got

What's in your stable? Trek 7100 nice dry green in color

Fastest speed on a road bike? Where? When? Not a clue

another picture of yourself or your ride? I am notorious for befriending people who take heaps of pictures, because I never take them myself.

Most memorable moment on my bike: When I was fifteen my Mom and I did a trip called Freewheel where we biked from a city in northern Texas thru Oklahoma to a city in southern Kansas; Tornado season’s a B*tch!!

Most fun I've ever had on my bike: Every day on the bike is wonderful because I am alive to enjoy my health!

[Pedal Wench]

Realized that so much has changed since this original post! Here's an update!

Real name: Leslie

Where do you live? Atlanta, GA

Explanation of your handle: That's how I answer the phone in my studio. Changed from Audio A to Pedal Wench, since it's much cuter!

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

Age (general or specific) 40-something!

Occupation: Recording engineer and writer

Favorite bike: I'm lusting after a carbon Bianchi with Campy parts, but I ride Cannondale Well, I bought the carbon Bianchi with Campy parts! But, I still ride my Cannondale on occasion

What's in your stable? Cannondale R1000 Feminine (Actually have two of them!) a Cannondale Jekyll 400 WSD, and old Raleigh and Schwinn hybridsAdded the Bianchi XL Carbon with Record

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? 28 on a short but steep decent (obviously!) Just topped out at 39 mph, but could have gone faster if the gusty crosswinds weren't knocking me around

Another picture of yourself or your ride? I don't have very many pixs of myself - I hate having my pix taken (me too!)


What is the biggest lie you've ever told: I've never told a lie

Most memorable moment on my bike: The first ride over a gorgeous causeway in Miami with a great view of the ocean. Toss up between completing Ride The Rockies and surviving the 6Gap century - it wasn't pretty, but I didn't finish dead last, as predicted!

Most fun ever had on a bike? Every single time I ride...

[Jo-n-NY]

Hi RaKeKay,

You can definately do it! I rode my first century just 3 weeks after I got a road bike. Until that day, the furthest I had ridden was 50 miles. But after being coaxed by some club members, I decided to go for it. Since you are already up to 60 miles, you should be physically ready, so it's really about being mentally prepared. Our ride was across 3 states (PA to NYC), so after we left PA and entered NJ (about 4 miles into the ride) I just said to myself "One state down, only two to go". I also never thought about how many miles I had to go...just what I had already done, and after mile 53, every mile past that was the furthest distance I had gone, and that was pretty exciting!

Over all it was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again in a couple of weeks (the Pumpkin Patch Pedal in NJ, anyone else going?)

As for hills, just psych yourself up for climbs 3 times bigger than they really are, so when you get to the top you can say...gee, I'm here already!?! That wasn't so bad!

i cannot believe i did not read this earlier. the pumkin patch pedal is what my husband, brother,etc just rode. Upon your return if you saw two people sitting under a tree at the rode side upon coming back into the park that was me and my daughter who just rode for 20 miles. my husband and others rode the 62. i was sitting with my fractured shlder.

until my injury the plan was to ride the century, but my husband and brother decided to go for just the fifty as they did not have many riding miles under their belt, but ended up rideing the 62 or 63, whatever it was. what time did you start and how long did it take you. my husband kept thinking the timing of a century would have taken too long.

joann

[littleblue]

Real name: Kimberly (Kim) Baker

Where do you live? Holland, Michigan

Explanation of your handle: (small) Specialized Roubaix (blue) aluminum with carbon forks and seat post

Explanation of your avatar (An embodiment, as of a quality or concept; an archetype): Hopeful dreamer!

Age (general or specific) 38 on 9/21

Occupation: Mom (four kids, all girls), wife, medical transcriptionist.

Favorite bike: My "littleblue", of course.

What's in your stable? 2005 Specialized Roubaix

Fastest speed on a road bike? Where? 28-30 mph downhill in Lowell, MI

another picture of yourself or your ride? I am notorious for befriending people who take heaps of pictures, because I never take them myself. No pics yet.

Most memorable moment on my bike: The day the duck on the side of the road went bananas after I said "hello, handsome" to it and honked and quacked at me as if to say "thank you, I know". Also, the day I beat my fastest speed by 1 mph average. Sounds like nothing, but believe me, I thought I was gonna die!

Most fun I've ever had on my bike: Every Saturday ride my hubby and I take together is the most fun. He's the most patient "coach"! Also, we live in a very beautiful area, so every ride is fabulous.

[abuelitodimetu]

I have posted in cognito 3 times and I feel like a peepin'-tom by now. I better introduce myself.

Real name: Susanna F.

Where do you live? Chico, CA

Explanation of your handle: Growing up in Argentina there was a song from a cartoon called "Heidi" that went "Abuelito dime tu, por que....?" It is a song about a girl that asked her grandpa ("abuelito") about the "whys" (por que) of many things. It is not suppossed to be cutesie, since the cartoon sucked (a major tear-jerker).

Explanation of your avatar: it captures my miraculous finish at the LOP triathlon. No, I did not break a speed record. I did not train for two months before the race and during that time, I stuffed myself through the Balcans.

Age (general or specific) 24

Occupation: GRE slave, soon to be PhD grad-student at some East coast University. Reading TE forum keeps me sane when I am trying to figure out why sock is to tree like cat is to dishwasher (or better yet, when I have to to practice writting on asinine topics such as "People should have heroes")

Favorite bike: My Tomasso Capri because is faster than my cruiser

What's in your stable? Tomasso Capri, Micari Cruiser

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? high 40's at the LOP triathlon down the hills.

Another picture of yourself or your ride? I am so fast, no camera can catch me...


What is the biggest lie you've ever told: please see reply above.


Most memorable moment on my bike: the ride at Wildflower. So hard, yet so beautiful.

Most fun ever had on a bike? Up honey run road here in Chico, a super steep 3 mile climb.
__________________

[kiwi girl]

Real name: Sonya

Where do you live? Christchurch, New Zealand

Explanation of your handle: None needed I hope

Explanation of your avatar: its a picture of my road bike (well not my exact bike but you know what I mean)

Age (general or specific) thirty mumble

Occupation: policy adviser

Favorite bike: I'm lusting after the high end wsd Treks

What's in your stable? EMC2 Fem Equip 5, Marin Palisades Trail and Marin Pioneer Trail (fitted out for commuting and errands with slicks, rear rack etc). They are kept company by my partners Marin Hawk Hill and Kona Kula Dulux (we never use the car - too much hassle since we'd have to take all the bikes out of the garage first to get it out).

Fastest speed on a road bike? where? when? 45km going down to Sumner
Another picture of yourself or your ride? don't have one

What is the biggest lie you've ever told: ummmmmmm

Most memorable moment on my bike: crossing the finish line after around Taupo

Most fun ever had on a bike? riding thorugh the forest bits of my local mountain bike trail (Bottle Lake) on an early morning ride when there was nobody else there