This time around - about 18 months.

We started mountain biking in '88 in so. Cal. It was okay, but I wasn't really into it. We moved to the Bay Area in '92 and kept biking - mostly road (same bikes w/slicks)We did a lot of overnight camping trips and a week long trip down the coast. Beautiful trip. It was a lot of fun. Until about '94 when we bought a house and kind of lost interest.

We got back into riding when I was looking for a new goal after losing the thirty pounds I somehow managed to put on. Thom suggested a century. We both started training and did our first one a year ago June on our old mountain bikes with slicks. Then we bought a tandem.

Along about April it occured to me that I'd really rather be riding outside instead of in Spin or on the trainer, so I got a road bike. Named it Fluffy and started commuting to work. It's a wicked long trip (1.5 miles!) I do have a nice hill on the way home though that I work at. It's part of my interval training. I usually go out a couple of times a week after work to actually get a workout.

A few weeks ago I decided I was ready to try mountain biking again. I'm having way more fun with it now then I ever remember having before. It's amazing what some freakishly strong legs will do for your confidence. That's what Thom calls them. As the stoker on a tandem, I'm responsible for the power for about the first stroke, or two. Every now and then my dear hubby - for whatever reason- is not in quite the right gear for takeoff. He always warns me and luckily I've always managed to get us going without embarassment.

So that's the long and convoluted answer of how long I've been riding.

Veronica