Hello from Ohio
02-09-23, 12:51 PM
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Hello from Ohio
Hello, I am a new user here and am wanting to get back into cycling. I discovered these forums when looking for opinions on a new road bike on some of the ones that I am considering. I will put that question in the Road Cycling forum and not here. I wanted the username "867-5309" but it was taken. I picked 867530niiiine because that is how I remember Tommy Tutone bellowing it when it would get stuck in my head. When we were young kids we would call that number and ask for Jenny. The people that owned that number eventually had to change it because they were tired of everyone always calling them.
As I mentioned, I previously rode a lot on the road and I dabbled a bit in off-road cycling as well. I got away from it a bit, unfortunately, due to life getting busy, kids and all of the activities that they have going on, other circumstances out of my control, and just life in general. I got into cycling awhile a go sort of by accident. Running and hiking used to be my primary form of exercise but when I graduated from college I moved to a new area and was getting tired of running and wanted some new form of exercise. I checked out a local bike shop and ended up buying a Miyata that was of decent quality. Previous to that I had hand-me-downs from my siblings, and an old Mossberg 3 speed with drop handlebars that I had from my junior high school days. I'm not even sure what model the Miyata was that I had but it was one of those that had asymmetrical chain rings that were somehow supposed to help your pedal stroke. I quickly caught the bug and and started riding with a group from a shop a few days a week. I usually got dropped but soon built up to the point where I was not easy to drop. The owner of the shop complimented me and said that I was a strong rider and that he would work with me if I wanted since I really did not know what I was doing.
Since I caught the bug pretty badly, I wanted to get a new bike that was lighter and seemed more "serious." I sold the Miyata to a friend for not much less than what I bought it for and he has gotten a lot of use out of it as well. I bought a Bridgestone RB-1 that I still have today but do not ride. I loved that bike and would end up racing some crits on it. It has a great frame and a great feel. After the Bridgestone, I wanted to get another bike so that I was not, in my mind, "wearing it out," so I bought a Kona Kapu with a Columbus Altec2 aluminum frame. I also liked that bike. It had aggressive geometry, and Utegra group set, and was quite light for the time. Sometime in-between buying the Bridgestone and the Kona I also bought a Trek 930 hardtail that I also still own. I love the frame on that bike and it was a blast to ride off road even though it does not have suspension. I did some motocross riding in my past and still love the sport though I don't have a motocross bike anymore. Motocross taught me to use my body as suspension and for shock absorbing and I was quite adept at adapting to mountain biking and was comfortable without the suspension. Anyway, I am keeping the old Trek and updating the wheels. I will keep it as is and not add suspension. For the amount that I ride off road, and for the trails that I ride, it more than suffices.
Other than riding I enjoy time with my family, hiking, camping, vacationing, reading just about anything I can get my hands on, working around the house and in the yard, splitting wood from downed trees around my yard and general "lumberjacking" in the yard, and live music when we get the chance. My tastes in music are all over the spectrum and I'll listen to just about anything that sounds good to me. For exercise I like, as I mentioned, hiking, weights and the rowing machine in the basement, running, downhill skiing when I get the chance, and cycling. Cycling is by far my favorite and that is why I want to get back into it a bit more. I have also been a part of a committee in my township to try and get paved bike paths linked up to other regional paths that are more extensive. That has been a bit of a nightmare due to easements, red tape from the state, people not wanting a path going through their neighborhood because it will bring in "riff raff," etc. The resistance is frustrating. I would like to try to get those efforts going again and also try to get an off road trail going in a park. I like advocating for the sport when I can and try to get others interested in it. My wife and two kids also casually ride and when my kids were younger, I would always be on the lookout for kids in my neighborhood that needed a bike and I would give it to them if their parents were OK with it and I thought they would get good use out of it.
I am looing forward to participating in these forums or lurking and learning what I can. I'll post in the road forum to try to garner some opinions on a few bikes I'm looking at. Have a good week, everyone, and enjoy yourselves on your bikes.
As I mentioned, I previously rode a lot on the road and I dabbled a bit in off-road cycling as well. I got away from it a bit, unfortunately, due to life getting busy, kids and all of the activities that they have going on, other circumstances out of my control, and just life in general. I got into cycling awhile a go sort of by accident. Running and hiking used to be my primary form of exercise but when I graduated from college I moved to a new area and was getting tired of running and wanted some new form of exercise. I checked out a local bike shop and ended up buying a Miyata that was of decent quality. Previous to that I had hand-me-downs from my siblings, and an old Mossberg 3 speed with drop handlebars that I had from my junior high school days. I'm not even sure what model the Miyata was that I had but it was one of those that had asymmetrical chain rings that were somehow supposed to help your pedal stroke. I quickly caught the bug and and started riding with a group from a shop a few days a week. I usually got dropped but soon built up to the point where I was not easy to drop. The owner of the shop complimented me and said that I was a strong rider and that he would work with me if I wanted since I really did not know what I was doing.
Since I caught the bug pretty badly, I wanted to get a new bike that was lighter and seemed more "serious." I sold the Miyata to a friend for not much less than what I bought it for and he has gotten a lot of use out of it as well. I bought a Bridgestone RB-1 that I still have today but do not ride. I loved that bike and would end up racing some crits on it. It has a great frame and a great feel. After the Bridgestone, I wanted to get another bike so that I was not, in my mind, "wearing it out," so I bought a Kona Kapu with a Columbus Altec2 aluminum frame. I also liked that bike. It had aggressive geometry, and Utegra group set, and was quite light for the time. Sometime in-between buying the Bridgestone and the Kona I also bought a Trek 930 hardtail that I also still own. I love the frame on that bike and it was a blast to ride off road even though it does not have suspension. I did some motocross riding in my past and still love the sport though I don't have a motocross bike anymore. Motocross taught me to use my body as suspension and for shock absorbing and I was quite adept at adapting to mountain biking and was comfortable without the suspension. Anyway, I am keeping the old Trek and updating the wheels. I will keep it as is and not add suspension. For the amount that I ride off road, and for the trails that I ride, it more than suffices.
Other than riding I enjoy time with my family, hiking, camping, vacationing, reading just about anything I can get my hands on, working around the house and in the yard, splitting wood from downed trees around my yard and general "lumberjacking" in the yard, and live music when we get the chance. My tastes in music are all over the spectrum and I'll listen to just about anything that sounds good to me. For exercise I like, as I mentioned, hiking, weights and the rowing machine in the basement, running, downhill skiing when I get the chance, and cycling. Cycling is by far my favorite and that is why I want to get back into it a bit more. I have also been a part of a committee in my township to try and get paved bike paths linked up to other regional paths that are more extensive. That has been a bit of a nightmare due to easements, red tape from the state, people not wanting a path going through their neighborhood because it will bring in "riff raff," etc. The resistance is frustrating. I would like to try to get those efforts going again and also try to get an off road trail going in a park. I like advocating for the sport when I can and try to get others interested in it. My wife and two kids also casually ride and when my kids were younger, I would always be on the lookout for kids in my neighborhood that needed a bike and I would give it to them if their parents were OK with it and I thought they would get good use out of it.
I am looing forward to participating in these forums or lurking and learning what I can. I'll post in the road forum to try to garner some opinions on a few bikes I'm looking at. Have a good week, everyone, and enjoy yourselves on your bikes.
Last edited by 867530niiiine; 02-09-23 at 04:21 PM.
