a report from LLB

[Tuckervill]

I'm new here, and was just going to read and lurk, until I read LLB's post.

LLB, your post brought tears to my eyes. I'm 44 and weigh about what you do. I've been riding my bike around town for a couple of years now, going out in the woods sometimes on some singletrack and fire lane stuff (pushing the hills a lot), but I prefer the woods to anything else. I'm afraid of cars, still, but I can feel that fading after recent experiences. I decided to get a new bike this year and I have about 60 miles on my new Trek 4500 WSD.

Last night about a half hour before dusk I came down stairs in a hurry to get on my bike to ride the town trail. Found hubby and 12 yo son putting on their shoes to take a ride, too. My husband hasn't been on a bike since he was a kid due to his extreme height (6'7"), but I recently got him a new bike, modified to fit. I told him I was going do the whole trail, which is too much for him, yet. But we took off together. After about 4 miles, they detoured home and I kept going. Four miles later I come across my 21 yo son and his girlfriend, riding my old bikes, hoping to catch up with me, so I did 3 more slow miles with them before I headed home.

Two Saturdays ago I did a 25K charity ride, which I didn't think I would finish. But I did, of course, and I felt SO GOOD, and craving that feeling is why I took off last night again to ride hard until that feeling came on again. The town trail is not going to be enough, really soon. Going to have to make more time for the woods, or ::gasp::: become a roadie!

Your whole post made me think YES! Good for you! Good for me! I'm not alone!! Thanks.

Karen, still a little teary

*edited to correct bike model. The 4300 is my 12 yo son's.

[SadieKate]

Welcome, Tucker! Thanks for sharing your story. Hop on over to the "Getting to Know You" thread and tell us more, more, more!

[Ninabike]

I was just reading LLB's post and thinking how inspiring this would be to others. Then I came upon Tuckervill's post and how inspiring is that!!! That's what's so great about this forum. We can all inspire each other!!

Congrats girls!!

Nina

[slinkedog]

Yay Tuckervill! I'm really looking forward to hearing more updates from you! Isn't our sport so much fun? It's great to hear your story . You and LLB have inspired me to keep setting goals for myself. Welcome to TE!

[Duck on Wheels]

Thanks for sharing, LLBloomer and Tuckervill! I did my first ever ride last month, with Melody as peleton and Trek420 as inspiration. Made it 43 miles, which was a big surprise to myself and family. After all, I'm 56, have a "few" more pounds on me than I'd like, and am no way in the shape that I used to be. But thanks to Trek, online support from TE, and a fun spin instructor I managed to get closer, and thanks to Melody's company on the ride I managed to keep on going even no matter how often I heard "on your left". Now I can use you two as inspiration for the next hurdle, which is to keep this up and do a ride on my own ( -- so much harder to ride all alone among strangers!) ... unless, that is, somebody else at my level is planning on doing a ride hereabouts the next couple of months. My goal for now is the Janesville Pie Ride.

[latelatebloomer]

Recently I heard a big rider talk about trying to order plus-size clothes for the LBS she works at (she is a KICK*SS mountain biker, by the way.) She said to her boss, "Where's the love for the big girl?"

I know.

It's here on TE. Where big girls go the distance. And look damn good doing it, too.