When, How and Why

[fossyant]

Some great stories here...Mickle and Belly.

Mines not that exciting.... always cycled, from about 11 did a 5 mile paper round, so used my Raleigh Chopper. Moved onto a Coventry Eagle Stratos Road bike at about 13 (road bikes weren't trendy). Started work at 16, and bought a Raleigh Road Ace - their top of the range road bike - it was a pearl white and blue, 531c frame and Shimano 600 (Ultegra)..... then joined a club. The rest is history.

 

[Headgardener]

Been on and off (sometimes quite a lot of off) bikes since I was about 7. Tried commuting to work about ten years ago on a second hand mountain bike but as it was the middle of winter and as I didn't have any cycle specific clothing that did not last very long. About the middle of May this year my brother offered me his old bike as he had bought a new one ( mine is a Saracen his is a townsend BSO so I think I got the better deal). Since then I have taken to cycling every where except to work as it is only a mile away and it would take longer to get the bike out and ride up the hill than it does to walk.

 

[Lardyboy]

Cycled from 4 to 18, passed driving test, got car. Then caught MTB bug, did that for a few years, work took over. Four years ago got back on the bike, and here I am.

 

[wlc1]

Started very early - was able to ride a 2 wheeled bike without stabilizers at 2 years. Spent most of my childhood blatting about and falling off.

Loved it... cycled to school everyday.

Then at 17 passed driving test and spent next 14 years driving and ashamed to say started smoking.

Got to 9 months ago aged 31, 2 wonderful kids and a wife I love. Didn't want to die early, had already packed in the fags 12 months previously so followed my in law's into cycling and done a couple of sprint triathlons.

Got the cycling bug back so started to commute to work, 16 miles each way for last few months ( give or take when I was too tired or needed to carry lots of kit about) and I too am now an addict.

Genuinely love it. I'm not the fastest nor the fittest ( yet) but I love buggering off for an hour or more and being left to pedal about under my own steam.

 

[longers]

Pretty much the same as Lardyboy but fell in love rather than work stops play.

Work is currently trying to take over but I now ride there and back.

 

[Baggy]

I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was about 10 , when my friends over the road decided it was time I learned to ride. After a couple of years trundling round on my handed down Puch shopper (bright 70's orange) started going out for rides with my older brother and his friends and trying to outsprint all his roadie friends from our LBS (Phil Corley Cycles). Became fluent in tandem...and rode every day until I was 18 (I had an old Carlton Corsa). Then, went to Uni and got out of the habit. Had a break of literally 12 years until I went on holiday to Amsterdam...

Loved riding out there, came home, bought a Specialized hybrid, rode for a few months, had a problem with my hands due to the flat bars and stopped again. Then I went on holiday to Amsterdam...

Loved riding out there, came home, sold the hybrid, and bought Betty my Dawes Horizon in 2003. Drop bars gave me a new lease of life and I loved zooming around London, Richmond park and out into the Surrey lanes. Tried the Dun Run, fell in love with night rides (and Chuffy ) and cycling just became part of my life.

Moved to the West country and learned to love hills, experimented with audax, and am currently enjoying the crisp sunny winter

 

[Noodley]

I rode a lot when I was younger, on an old BSA - first crash was 1978 when I was 10, resulting in facial scars which I still have. Continued to ride until I was 17 then went to Uni and gave up.

A few years ago Mrs Noodley was in Holland working on the Lockerbie Trial and came home raving about cycling. I decided to get a bike to see how I got on. Mrs Noodley gave up cycling as soon as she stopped working in Holland. Which coincided with me starting to cycle more...

 

[mickle]

Great thread btw.

 

[gratts]

My parents got me my first bike for christmas, maybe when I was about 5.
I can still remember my Dad taking me around the back of the house on stabilizers and into the local car park, good memories
I then got a MTB for my paper round at about 13, and used it as a run around for about 4 years on and off.
Now I'm at uni I bought me a fancy road bike to ride to lectures and to get to work if I ever get a job! Also great for keeping fit and de-stressing, loving it

my family lived in Malawi and the school there was a bit rubbish

Do you mean Malawi in Africa, as in Lake Malawi?

 

[mickle]

Yeah Malawi as in Africa as in lake Malawi.

 

[HelenD123]

I never did much cycling when I was younger apart from a couple of summers before I could drive when I cycled to my summer job. I was always quite a nervous cyclist and not very fit. However, I'd been toying with the idea of cycling to work for a few years to do my bit for the environment and get fit and finally bit the bullet earlier this year. I booked myself onto a holiday last year that involved a few days of hilly cycling to force myself to get back on my bike. I gradually built up the miles before I went and managed OK. My next hurdle was learning to cycle in traffic and thanks to lots of tips picked up here and elsewhere I'm much more confident now and improving all the time. And I'm absolutely loving it. My next project is cycling to Amsterdam and back next year!

 

[dellzeqq]

sidecar on my parents' tandem - aged six months.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Got brought my first bike for Xmas when I was about five, must have been mid 1950's. Dad took me out boxing day showed me what did what, said you pedal I'll hold you up, I looked round a few hundred yard later and he was stood at the top of the road watching me and that was that I was cycling. Early to mid sixties I was cycling ten miles a day to and from school. Joined the forces mid sixties then rode motorcycles in the seventies. Came back to cycling about 1980, did my first club run about 1985 and been riding to and from work and club cycling ever since.

 

[simoncc]

I was given a bike for my 5th birthday and haven't stopped cycling since. I cycled to school from age seven and have always cycled to work.

 

[ComedyPilot]

When, why and HOW did allecstilleyedye manage to EDIT Cyclenic's post?