nahungry

I'm still a complete beginner so with. That said, I'll start this off.
For me, it started from riding hybrids breezing around town.
Then I started to notice all of these professional looking riders dressed in tights on their fancy bikes zipping past me that got me into buying a road bike. That's when I noticed that I was still slow; and with the bike getting stolen, triggered me to buy a better bike.
Then the typical process of buying cages, saddle bag, tubes, co2, pedals and shoes; and of course, the proper outfit or "spandex" as my friends call it.
Im starting to become faster and stronger, which makes me ride longer and more often. Now I don't have enough gears between laundry so going on splurge of jersey and bib shopping.
Who knows what I'll be looking for next but let me get a preview from all of you whom I once thought were bike gods, whom I'll probably be following close in your footsteps (which also includes annoyed or ignorant significant other)

RoadMike

I started riding a little more than a year ago on my dad's old MTB. Now I have 7 bikes and more than 7000 miles on them.

BillyD

Spotted me in the crowd, didn't you.

seymour1910

nice one BillyD

Mine started a year ago...wanted to just get into the sport for fitness. I got a used by off CL and got it all tuned and adjusted, then found myself wanting to ride all the time, bad thing for those of us with a none cycling spouse. She compains a lot. I knew I was addicted really when things that use to be way over priced started to look like good deals.

caloso

Started racing, joined a team, bought more bikes, focused training. In terms of addiction, this like going from the occasional weekend partier to moving into crack house.

RPK79

I could quit any time I wanted.

Elduderino2412

My cycling started out as just a way to stay fit, but has become way more than that. I often find myself thinking "can't believe i had to skip riding today to do this".

I haven't had to do any degrading sexual favors for my addiction yet, but to all the ladies out there i'm open to ideas.

clones2

Started with tri's and duathlons 2 years ago... within 6 months I upgraded and traded in the bike twice...and have upgraded almost all the components. I now have a machine almost worthy of "the Tour". And I'm a Cat 5 racer. :-) Can't help it...it's all about the bike.

seymour1910

the first step is admitting it

primov8

I got into road cycling in '08 as an alternative for cardio fitness. I started with a $300+ no name road bike which I sold a month or two later after realizing I was enjoying this sport and wanted to build up my own. To date, I've built up 9 different framesets through the years, with the De Rosa and Ridley as the most current ones. The Ridley had become my favorite frameset/build and knew I would be keeping this much longer that what I had before. So I decided to have it custom painted earlier this year.

bonz50

I started back about 3yrs ago after a LONG hiatus (25+yrs). got back into it because running just hurt my body to much and I needed to lose weight and not dread exercising. so, I picked up a cheap bike (2011 GT GTR series 2) and continue to ride. most of my riding is commute because of time constraint with my kids football and other family commitments. I get an occasional weekend ride but those are about to come to an abrupt halt because games are on Sat and Sun this year for me.

MikeyBoyAz

I started out trying to save $ on parking at ASU. I borrowed my brother's mtb, then purchased my own flat bar road. When I graduated I picked up a CF road bike and it went downhill from there... I think I have reached the balance now as I can't decide what bike to purchase next... maybe?

OldTryGuy

40 years ago I had a bike shop so it was easy to feed the habit. Just did my last 60 mile ride today. I'm breaking the habit. Oh wait, Saturday I have a 100+ miler. Will quit after. Oh wait, have an Ironman in November, will quit after that, honest.

caloso

We came to believe that we were powerless over cycling and that our lives had become unmanageable.

Long Tom

I'm addicted to the aerobic rush. An oxy fiend. When I'm horkin' down massive lungfulls, I actually become a weather event visible from space. True fact!

seymour1910

Thanks for sharing caloso....doesn't it feel better....does anyone else want to share

caloso

I'm pedaling the road of happy destiny.

RJM

I'm not addicted at all. I can quit at anytime.

cicatrize

I started only 3 months ago on a hybrid and I already want a road bike...and a fixie to play with. I think that's bad.

snookanglr

I went from slowly cruising around the neighborhood helmetless on a $25 junker-cruiser that I bought at a garage sale, to an Electra Townie, to a Cannondale Synapse, to looking for a second bike (something racier) in less than 6 months. I also swore I'd never wear one of those "goofy outfits" and of course that's all I wear now. I think I even said "ok I have a road bike but I'm not getting clipless pedals too". Hello Speedplays and expensive shoes. Pricey wheels are next. It happens fast. It's about all I can think about now and it keeps me away from my family, which is bad.

calyth

I'm mixing longer rides with the utility of the bike. Occasionally off work, I would go for a long ride, and feel great getting home.
I'm also starting to do some groceries with my bike.

Elevation

found out that i had knee (both) problems in February. Chrondomalacia, quad tendinitis, Patellar tracking disorder, patellarfemoral pain syndrome. Cried my eyes out. I was still in school so I had a distraction from what I was going through. Went to P.T for 7 weeks, Started riding again mid March, Did one race, boy was I out of shape. Tendinitis in quads was still awful. Came home for the summer with the intentions of just working and riding and racing every weekend. Got my bike fit by a physical therapist. Went back to work... never crossed my mind that I would injure myself again. Made it a week and a half at work before my knees started hurting quit two days later. It was to late. Went to the doc, back in therapy. Stopped riding May 16th, didn't start riding again until the last week of June. During that time frame I slept for like 18 hours a day and probably cried once a week. I could barely walk for about the first three weeks of that. I literally couldn't not do anything. Once I was walking again it started to get better.

8 weeks later, I'm riding again, feeling so much better and will be in P.T until I got back to school. Noticed that my tendinitis was gone and that I have gotten a lot stronger with the second round of therapy despite lack of riding. My endurance is on some other planet, however.

With the intentions of not putting another number on my jersey until March I picked up a power meter for dirt cheap on craigslists to assist in my recovery and training for the offseason. Continuing my weight room routine with some endurance riding for the next 7 months. Puts me at like a year and a half or something without racing. Last summer was my first summer racing. Plan on completely my first full calendar year of racing next year!!!

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I can't even imagine what a drug addiction withdrawal is like.

cqcumber

true story, i googled benefits of riding bikes, one of them came up saying bigger balls and better sex, so i started riding bikes.










okay...i was kidding. i started riding in highschool on a crappy mtb for pure joy, then i found out im a skinny guy who normally out-endure other ppl (i was in track and field team specialized in 5k/10k), so i started taking biking a little bit more seriously, but man it's fun!

CenturionIM

just bought dream bike. good frame upgraded with good group and wheels. "I wont buy another bike for a while", so I thought.
2 month later, im thinking about drop another 2k on a folder...madness

NickWilsonAZ

Well it all started about 7 months ago... So I am just a newbie as well.. fractured some vertebrae in my back in a bad accident and was bed and couch ridden for about 3 months... during these three months I felt worthless. Literally like a worthless pile of trash. Couldnt stand for long time.. couldnt sit for a long time.. couldnt lay down.. it was cycle of sitting, standing and laying down.

Dr said start going on walks... they turned to jogs.. they turned to running... my knees were killing me. Dr said "ride a bike" way less impact.

Worse advice ever DR!!!

The Wife and I bought new road bikes right out of the gate. GT GTRW Series 2 carbon fiber for her and Fuji Gran Fondo 3.0 LE for me. We wore 'workout' clothes and regular shoes and rode for a month like that. Noticed all the sweet 'clothes' the guys were riding in the area and did some research and then bought jerseys and bibs and clipless shoes and etc. etc. etc.

Then came the new bikes.. better bikes.. training bikes.. then the training programs.. the hill climbs.. the sprints.. the intervals.. the diet to meet the cycling demands.. riding 50 miles a day... climbing 1000 ft a ride.. worrying about how fast am i.. strava-fiending.. heart rate monitoring.. sweating.. drink additives.. looking at bikes.. watching bike videos.. reading about bikes.. reading about improving.. cadence cadence cadence cadence cadence cadence cadence cadence cadence cadence.. lost a month of my life to the tour glued to the TV and internet like i was winning the lottery.. reading the forums.

Its safe to safe cycling has taken over my life.. but i LOVE every minute of it!

I plan my days and weeks around rides and places to go ride and I love being able to share something I really really enjoy doing with my wife who seems to like it and we get outside and exercise together and its the greatest thing in the world.

So am I addicted?






YUP!