Ohmigod, I just bought a Titus Racer X!

[Kathi]

Aw shucks, thanks!!!

As for that pink threaded Chris King headset, if they'd made them at the time, I surely would have had one put on my raspberry Aegis Swift, as she is an older frame (1999) and has a quill stem. But alas, I had to settle for a silver Chris King. It's too nice and new (I had the bike built in 2004) to change out just for a different (better!!!) color, but believe me, if the timing had been different....!

Emily

Emily,

Are you following my footsteps? After I got my Aegis Swift I loved it so much I wanted a mtn bike with a similiar ride feel and fit so I bought the Racer X. Aegis didn't make a mtn bike small enough for me.

However, if you are following my footsteps you're in trouble since I've ordered a Serotta Ottrott (custom).

http://www.serotta.com/pages/ottrott.html

[emily_in_nc]

Emily,

Are you following my footsteps? After I got my Aegis Swift I loved it so much I wanted a mtn bike with a similiar ride feel and fit so I bought the Racer X. Aegis didn't make a mtn bike small enough for me.

However, if you are following my footsteps you're in trouble since I've ordered a Serotta Ottrott (custom).

http://www.serotta.com/pages/ottrott.html

Wow, that's a beaut! But, a leetle out of my price range!

Actually, I'm not doing any road riding at all right now (I posted about that in this thread). So I am not tempted by road bikes at the moment. I've definitely found a new love in mountain biking, though! Neat that we both have a Swift and now a Racer-X. We must have been separated at birth!

Enjoy your Serotta!!!!

Emily

[Kathi]

Wow, that's a beaut! But, a leetle out of my price range!

Actually, I'm not doing any road riding at all right now (I posted about that in this thread). So I am not tempted by road bikes at the moment. I've definitely found a new love in mountain biking, though! Neat that we both have a Swift and now a Racer-X. We must have been separated at birth!

Enjoy your Serotta!!!!

Emily

Ironically, I'm road riding, but not mtn biking. There's too much risk of falling and tearing my ACL graft (surgery Feb. 28th) so the Titus is hanging in the garage.

All this talk here about the Racer X has me itching to ride it so I'm going to do an easy gravel trail called Waterton Canyon on Thursday.

Sounds like its been a rough year for both of us, I lost my mother in Aug. and tore my ACL in Jan. It was such an awesome ski season too!

As far as getting back on the road bike, take it slow but do it. Go someplace peaceful. Acknowledge your fear but don't let it overcome you. Take it in baby steps.

I broke my wrist mtn biking (maybe I shouldn't tell you that) and it was a good 16 weeks before I could ride. I was so scared, I felt wobbly and thought sure I would fall and break my wrist again. Slowly, I gained confidence and was back on both bikes.

When I went back to riding after my ACL surgery, I did little loops around the neighborhood until I felt confident enough to go farther. I was very unsure of crossing streets, stopping at stop signs, other riders, etc. Yesterday, I did my 1st group ride and it went very well. I had to ride with platform pedals in case I fell but my ortho let me go back to clipless pedals 2 weeks ago. I still unclip whenever I feel uncomfortable, much more than I did before my injury.

Anyway, enjoy your Titus, it's an awesome little bike!

[emily_in_nc]

Kathi,

Thanks for sharing your story - we really do have a few things in common. Glad you're doing well now after your surgery. And I am so sorry for the loss of your mother; losing a parent unexpectedly is simply the most difficult life challenge that I've ever experienced.

I do hope I can avoid breaking any bones on the mountain bike, but at least it doesn't trigger my fear response. Perhaps I will go back to road riding one day, but right now the desire just isn't there. My husband was getting burned out on riding too, and my quitting gave him an excuse to quit himself (he's happily hiking and running now instead). Unless he gets back to road riding, I'm unlikely to, as it was always a shared activity for us. I don't want too many separate activities! I am starting to work on getting him into mountain biking at the moment....

Emily

[Kathi]

Emily,

I lost my father in my mid twenties and that was so hard. I was not the same after that, for some reason, it forced me to "grow up".

With my mtn biking, I did the opposite of you after I broke my wrist, I had no desire to ride off road. I was willing to ride rails to trails but I had a very difficult time getting back to mtn biking. Plus, my SO had gone through a series of injuries and I didn't want to ride without him.

I realized how much I missed it and made myself, without him, go and ride. I finally got over my fear. I even took a women's clinic, it was so much fun.

Last summer was crazy for us so I thought this would be my big mtn biking year, now that we're settled here in Colorado. There are women's groups to ride with and so much more mtn biking here than what I had in Cincy but it's not to be.

Anyway, welcome back and become an outstanding mtn biker on your RacerX