Introductions - tell us about yourself

[AlbionLass]

I considered moving to the U.S several years ago, out near Flagstaff AZ but the idea that I'd HAVE to have a car really made me think twice.

[Cadfael]

Hi to everyone, Cadfael here.

I hail from Wigan, Lancashire in the UK. I mainly use my everyday bike to commute back and forth to work. When I get the time I also like to just ride for the hell of it. My bike is not really a high end spec machine, but it does serve its purpose, and it it kept in good condition and has the odd upgrade.

Recently I was left a rather special bike by my late father in law, a David Lloyd/Campagnolo racing bike. It is my Sunday bike (when I can actually get out there), and it is ridden for the pure pleasure of it.

Nice to be here.

[HJRW]

Hello everyone - HJRW here - I'm a born again cyclist after a break of 20 years - can't believe how the technology has changed in that time. I live in Carnoustie on the East Coast of Scotland, cycle tracks here now where none were 20 years ago - minimising exposure to having elbow grazed by Tranny Vans at 70mph. Reaching the three score birthday soon, I went out & bought a Felt QX 70 a few weeks ago, it's The Biz for me, rolls along nearly as good as my Raleigh Competition of the 1980's, which had 531 tubes & 700c wheels, while coping with unmetalled tracks & some of the 3rd World Road Surfaces which abound. ... and all those gears are great for keeping these legs turning.

Learned on a far too big ladies bike in the 1950's, cycled 12 miles each way regularly in the 1960's on a 3 speed Raleigh Trent Tourist to see a girl I fancied (she's still married to me - her medal's in the post), worked & saved for a Flying Scot bike before being seduced by motorbikes, got a lightweight Raleigh in 1980 which was destroyed when I was hospitalised by a car on my 15 mile commute to Dundee in 1983. Replaced it with a Raleigh Competition, had some good runs & adventures for a few years before things fell away with work, family & the rest.

Joined the CTC (again) - a first rate organisation for a non Lycra wearer like me - Forum & Mag excellent. OK you can all waken up now.

[GPL]

hi, i am not a "cyclist" but i cycle a lot. i'm an outsider to the sport looking in. i never thought i would end up on a cycle forum. its not my passion but can feel it could be, i started as a commute to free the car for my wife and young kids. 400 miles per month on any sort of cheap hand me down selection of bikes. i never missed a cycle whatever the weather and just carried on for the next 20 years(and hopefully more)
i started to join the proper cyclists at work on their trips away mainly for a night on the pop. when this fell away i started going out on my own when i fancied, no rules, no set routes, no predetermined times or mileages. i won £1500 on a works lottery and bought a new bike. i was shocked when i was called "the cyclist" by a younger generation at work. in may i am going to france on a cycle trip that i have planned, devised and so far paid for with the aforesaid younger generation!
i absolutely love the literature of the greats, love the televised tours and admire anybody who gets on a bike. i like looking in on the politics and protocols of a sport i know very little about. i know i will have become a proper cyclist when the local cycling club deem me worthy of a nod.

[AlanD]

Name: Alan

Age: 52, coming on 19

Stamping ground: West Berkshire.

Occupation: Requirements Engineer

Status: Happily free again with two teenagers who are occasionally seen when they want something.

Plans: Trying to introduce my girlfriend to cycling, it's uphill work as she can only manage 4mph and is scared of traffic.

Bike: Dyna Tech frame in an attractive blue, recently re-fitted with all new Shimano parts.

What interests me: Practising Christian, Cycling (of course), Model railways, Assistant leader with local Cub Scout pack, my car, my cat.

Memberships: CTC, Institution of Engineering & Technology, Institute of Advanced Motorists. The Scout Association. YHA.

Likes: Earl Grey Tea, Theakstons Old Peculiar, Bournville Plain. Listening to music.

Hates: Rude agressive people, tailgating, The Simpsons.

Claim to fame: The Chief Scout and ex Blue Peter presenter, Peter Duncan looks just like me.

What I did last summer: 2 weeks in the Lake District bagging some peaks, but I did'nt see Julia Bradbury though (Sigh!).
Enjoying Fairport Convention at the Cropredy Music Festival.
Stretching my mind at the Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival.


What I'm doing this summer:
Cropredy, Greenbelt and 10 days cycling in France with Oak Hall.

[gaz]

it's uphill work as she can only manage 4mph

Let her go down hill then, she'll be faster.

[lauriematt]

Hi and welcome.


It's perfectly possible to live without a car
Neither myself or my other half have ever driven or owned a car, it never ever crossed my mind to want to learn to drive, bikes can get addictive though so be careful GMB (get more bikes) syndrome can strike when you least expect it.

Congrats to you and your partner for getting back in the saddle.

GMB!!! i think im starting to suffer!!!
symptoms ... 3bikes!!!
1x racing bike
1xmountain bike
1x hybrid

...should i be worried???

ps its great having all three...i go into the garage every morning and say to myself...which bike shall i take today???

[matt_twam_asi]

Hi everyone, I'm Matt from Horsham in West Sussex. I've been cycling for ages but I've only recently started doing it seriously since I bought myself a Focus Variado Expert road bike. It's a bit of a step up from my aging Raleigh MTB! I'm building myself up to riding from Horsham to South Brent in Devon by the August bank holiday.

If I'm not tinkering with my bike, I'm tinkering with my computer - I've recently broken away from Windows and am now happily running Ubuntu Hardy Heron for everything except some games (which I still have to boot into Windows for unfortunately). Hopefully 'Wine' will be perfected by the time Windows XP becomes EOL, because at that point Windows will be going from my life forever.

[Mick F]

Welcome to the forum, Matt!

Windows never entered my life in the first place!!

[dkmwt]

Horsham to South Brent

May I ask why South Brent, oh and welcome to the madhouse

[johnonthetyne]

hi everyone,just started using this site so thought id introduce myself,as you can see from my user name my names john and i live by the banks of the river tyne in beautiful northumberland, ive been a cyclist for years and owned many of the first generation mountain bikes introduced into the country. alas though as late aint been out much as ive had a few medical problems but these seem to be on the mend. ive recentley bought a boardman hybrid which i intend to use to travel to work 10 miles up the tyne valley to hexham.also have dave yates diablo that had built bout 12 years ago still in pristine nick and a schwinn full susser that has hardley seem any dirt as such.am hopeing to be back on the bike soon,oh and forgot to say am sustrans volenteer rager for section of route 72(the hadrians route)

[matt_twam_asi]

Horsham to South Brent

May I ask why South Brent, oh and welcome to the madhouse

You may, there's a reasonable explanation (i.e. I don't yearn to cross the south of England just to go to a one horse town!) I'm visiting some friends who live there.

[Mick F]

hi everyone,just started using this site so thought id introduce myself,as you can see from my user name my names john and i live by the banks of the river tyne in beautiful northumberland,

Nice to see you John! Welcome to the other forum!

I'll be up there soon, and meeting up with Agileman.

BTW, glad to see I'm not the only one with a constant Username ....

[johnonthetyne]

cheers mick f , if backpassage ok probs pedal out to meet up.so do i need to store my pics in photo bucket or somewhere?am not pc genius so please be simple.

[reohn2]

cheers mick f , if backpassage ok probs pedal out to meet up.so do i need to store my pics in photo bucket or somewhere?am not pc genius so please be simple.

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