When did you realise you'd gone from Beginner to Obsessive?

[Chrisc]

Initially, when I started waking up at first light and checking out the window to see if the weather was fit to go for a ride. Then really when I started going at first light without bothering to check.

 

[MarkF]

The middle aged friends I'd started with started to annoy me, same old flat rides, I'd outgrown them, was a disappointing time.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

That was very many years ago, I think it was the moment I started to both look forward to and enjoy the 100 mile plus club rides I was doing then, rather than just surviving them.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I knew my bike obsession had gone too far when I walked into a lamppost while checking out the locked-up bikes rather than the semi-clad lovelies in the summer. Boy, did I feel stupid.

They have half naked women chained to lamp posts down you way then?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Mine's a bit like MarkF's above, when the people I was riding with turned left at the foot of the escarpment for the umpteenth Sunday morning and I peeled off and went straight on and up.

 

[Hip Priest]

Bad news is unless you specifically bought it as an imported beer it's more likely to have been brewed and packaged in the UK.

That alright, I like Cav as well.

 

[TheSandwichMonster]

Taken from my answer to another thread:

Endomondo shows that between getting the bike in August last year and the end of my first sportive at the start of October, I put in over 800 miles. That's going from my first, near-vomit-inducing 26 miles, to putting in a sub 4h 100km effort. I even lost the best part of 2 stone along the way.

Since then, I've made plans to take part in two 100 mile sportives a week apart in June this year. They're at opposite ends of the country, but I genuinely thought nothing of planning the week inbetween to ride from one to the other, to make it up to about 600 miles in 7 days. I've joined BC, obtained my provisional race licence, with the aim that I'll take my new-found fitness and try out racing towards the end of the year.

Since the start of 2012, I've stopped drinking nearly all alcohol, cut carbs and started a training plan. I've started reading about (and partially understood) terms like ATL, CTL, TRIMP and TSS. I've lost another half-stone nearly. I get up at 5:30 most weekday mornings to ensure that I can get an hour on the turbo before I go to work. If I miss a session I get annoyed at myself for being lazy. I get frustrated when I don't know the best way to train, or if I don't get the results I want, or because I can't afford a power meter. I've logged just under 200 miles (indoor and out) since the 2nd of January and I don't think it's enough.

 

[marafi]

Well everytime i pass a bike with my friends. They have all said i am becoming obessive. Better to be obessive over a bike then anything else! I love bikes especially when they are designed nicely to the surface.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

When my dad realised I could balance on my own and without telling me let go of my bicycle seat to allow me to cycle on unaided.

+1

42 years later, and "how many" bikes (still N+1 though), still not been "cured".

 

[mark c]

When planning a route you make sure there are some hills to go over.

 

[Bigsharn]

The first time I spent £100+ on my bike... In accessories alone

 

[oldfatfool]

When I started planning an attack on the Alps for the summer by bike rather than looning up them in the car thinking bloody mad cyclists why would you want to do that?

 

[Davidc]

When I started saving ALL the money I earned at my Saturday job at Sainsbury's (about 12/- a week) towards my new bike, and once I'd bought it saving ALL the money I earned at my Saturday job to buy accessories and maintenance, and pay for the costs on trips and tours. Mum paid for club fees, and I added some more by cycling to school and pocketing the money which had been for fares.

 

[uphillstruggler]

I still consider myself to be a beginner, but am also quite an obsessive.

But probably when I accepted that lycra IS actually ok to wear, its the ones that don't who have the hangups......honestly.

 

[arallsopp]

I'll let you know if it happens...