Hey Cyclists,

I just joined CalorieKing.com yesterday, and so far am very impressed with how easy the program is to use. But I was very dissapointed I found no groups interested in bicycling, so I decided to start one.

I am 27 years old (1980) and have been bicycling for about 3 years. I live in Tucson, AZ, one of the most avid biking towns I've ever seen. I have only ventured into road biking so far. Have done a couple of organized rides (All of which where in Texes.. you'll have to ask me why. =) )

Where are you from, how long have you been cycling, and what type of cycling are you into?

Eric M (iigeshii)

Great idea! I am eager to know other CKers who bike.

I live in Washington DC which has some great bike paths. I normally do a 40-mile or longer ride on Mondays, my day off. My riding buddy and I are building up our mileage each Monday this fall by 20 or 30 miles until we do a century. I have not yet done one this year.

I've been biking maybe seven or eight years. I am pretty slow, I'm afraid.

I have done the Ride for the Feast -- the Baltimore AIDS Ride, which is about 140 miles --- 100 miles the first day, and a few other organized rides.

In addition to my Trek road bike, I just got a Specialized Tricross for Christmas this past year. Its wheels are big enough to ride on dirt trails, although it is not a mountain bike, and it also rides well on roads.

My favorite ride is from my home on Capitol Hill into Northern Virginia and down the Mt. Vernon trail to Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington.

I am also a brand new runner. I have completed the Couch to 5 K plan and continue to run three mornings week. I have also use the rowing machine at the gym two mornings a week for the past 2 years. During cold winter weather, I row instead of biking, I must admit.

Dean

“When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything ...”--John Wesley

Hi Guys,
I hope you don't mind a female joining your group! I have just recently started cycling but I absolutely love it! I hadn't ridden in years due a back injury but I went to a bike shop and got fitted for a great bike that doesn't hurt my back at all. Since then (about 2 months ago) I have been riding every day. I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland -not too far from Dean and it is all nice and flat down here!
You guys sound way more healthy than I am but I am working on it!
Have a great weekend and Enjoy the ride!
Karen

Karen

Welcome to the group!

I love to ride on the Eastern Shore. We used to vacation in southern Dorchester County near the Blackwater Refuge and would ride everyday. For the past three summers we have been going to the Northern Neck of Virginia instead because every B and B we'd stayed at in Dorchester County has closed down!! Also, the Eastern Shore has become more crowded.

The Baltimore AIDS Ride goes through some of the Eastern Shore. It is flat and beautiful and I miss it. Enjoy!!

Dean

“When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything ...”--John Wesley

Hi everyone! I just invited myself to the group; Karen we can't have you being the only gal here!

I just purchased a Trek road bike earlier this summer and have been busy rediscovering cycling. My new bike is pink and has quite the paint job! I have nick named her 'Bubbles'. My longest ride thus far is a mere 24 miles....and I am very pokey! no worries tho - I am happy to just be moving.

Unfortunately, in the Seattle area; it rains much of the year - so I am not sure how brave a cyclist I will be come winter time. I don't mind running or walking in the rain; however; I have to confess I am not terribly excited about riding a bike in it.

I look forward to learning from all of you!




rosella

"It's not easy being green" Kermit T. Frog

Hello everyone

I am new to cycling... just got my bike on August 28th - but I'm really loving it so far!! I've opted to bike ride over walking, jogging or ellipticalling almost every day!!

I bought a 2008 Trek 7.2 WSD

My boyfriend - who's been trying to lose weight & eating healthfully most of this year also decided to get a bicycle after seeing mine (he's lost 35 lbs & has been stuck at his current weight about 2 months now). Just this week he picked up his Trek 820 & went out on a short ride with me. It was his first "real" exercise in over a year & a half! He made it the first two miles - which I was impressed with considering we live in a fairly hilly area. Hoping he'll keep coming out with me & eventually be able to keep up (and break through that weight loss wall he's hit!)


& Welcome to Calorie King!!!

-Nancy

Hey Guys!
I also have a Trek--it is a Soleride 200 and it has a backrest and a built in bell! So you can imagine my kids didn't want to ride with me at first! Now they can't keep up! I chose that bike due a back problem and I just love it. Bubbles is a great name for a bike. I need to think of one too!
I am lucky that it is pretty flat here at sea level. I am building up the courage to take my bike to Assateague State/Federal Park. They have a nice paved bike trail. You just have to dodge the wild ponies and the huge mosquitoes!
We haven't mentioned the weight thing but I will mention that I am also in the Century Club so I have a lot to lose. I am not discouraged yet though. The Bike is making a huge difference.
I hope you all have a great week!
Karen

Welcome to the group Nancy!

Just a few comments:

First of all, I love Trek bikes. I've never owned one, but I did two organized rides in Texas in which I rented bikes for. Both times I rented a Trek. Whenever I buy my next bike, it will be a Trek. They are awesome.

Second, FANTASTIC! Your boyfriend will definitely break his plateau if he keeps up with biking. I have hit that same wall, more than once. Nothing can break it faster than stepping up the biking a little bit.

Oh, and BTW: Your before and after pictures are amazing! Keep it up!

Eric.

Thanks for the compliment Eric

& this is BF's first attempt ever in his life at losing weight - he was diagnosed with high blood pressure about 2 years ago, exercised for awhile & started on medication. The medication helped, but then he just "gave up" on the exercise & got lazy. In the meantime I "got healthy" and lost all of my weight (hit my goal around January of this year) So he decided to join me in my eating habits..... no more cooking "differently" for the two of us & I began packing his breakfast, lunch & dinner as well. That alone dropped him from 253 down to where he is now (btwn 216 & 220) His blood pressure has already greatly improved since changing his diet, not near as high as before (the meds kept him right at the legal limit for being a truck driver, which he is) But now he's down to the point where he may not even need it much longer! & I also have to brag on him that he's also quit smoking since June!! (with the help of chantix)

See what us women can do to you guys???

I'm hoping he sticks with the bike riding too - it's fun having company!! My 10 yr old daughter goes along sometimes, but she can't keep up with me either!


-Nancy
(done rambling now)

Hi guys I am a triathlete (DON'T KICK ME OUT) but biking is my favorite of the 3 disciplines. Biking is defintately my mental health break for the stress of life. I'm 41, and I have been doing tris for about 3 years. My tri bike is a 2006 Quintana Roo Seduza and I recently got Hed3 race wheels I have a trek I keep as a trainer bike and my mom's old mountain bike is relegated to the rafters of the garage Poor thing but I'm so not a mountain biker!!

I did an ironman last year and rode about 3400 miles. This year I am not going long so I am only slightly under 2000 miles for theyear so far and I won't see that manymiles this year. I live in Florida and have no hills to climb


"I'm just one stomach flu way from my goal weight" Emily in The Devil Wears Prada

Hi,

My husband and I both enjoy riding.

I would love to get a new bike. My current bike is 10+ years old. Trek has some women's bikes that are of interest to me. Any advice?

One of the issues I have is that I don't have any skills with maintaining or fixing my bike. What would happen if I had a flat or the chain came off? How do I gain this knowledge? Do I need to do anything to my bike to keep it in good working order? HELP!

Keepnthin:

Check with your local bike shop. Ours here in the Houston area have basic maintenance classes. I took one about 13 years ago and still retain the basic knowledge.

I take my bike in once a year to get it inspected (required for the MS150). They tell me if anything needs attention and I have them fix it. I wash my bike about 2x a year.

I love Trek... my first bike was a Trek700. I now have a Giant and it is a pretty good bike, also.


Judy

When I bought my bike it came with a year worth of free general service (like flat fixes, gear & brake adjustments, etc)

Your bike will also come with a user's manual with information on what you need to do for regular maintenance- and of course the bike shop employees should be willing to answer any questions that come up too.

I also carry a cell phone with me while I'm out just incase I end up far away with a flat or something!


-Nancy

There is a great book called "The Womans' Guide to Cycling" that covers everything from choosing the right bike and maintanance issues to getting the most from your ride. I found one used on Amazon and found it really helpful.
I talked to my local bike shop owner who says bikes should be serviced every 200 miles or so to check for chain stretching and stuff. He gives service free for 3 years if you purchase from him! Good Deal huh!

Enjoy the ride!
Karen

Hi all,
I live in New Hampshire and I commute to work on my bicycle every day weather permitting. On Saturdays I ride 20-30 miles.

Hey Keepnthin,

Welcomt to the group!

I completely sympathize with you. There doesn't seem to be a quick and easy guide to exactly what you need to do to maintain a bike. I'll try and offload as much as I have learned, but a majority of the stuff you'll just have to learn from experience.

Fortunately, if you have a newer bike, there really isn't much you need to worry about with regards to bearings and spinning parts. These parts are more or less sealed and were not designed to be opened and repacked. So when the crank shaft or hubs get squeaky or don't turn smoothly, you replace them.

My bicycle dealer told me the most important thing is to keep the bike clean. He recommended bathing my bike every 1-2 weeks, just to keep dirt and debris off the frame and away from moving parts. He told me to use a mild soap (like Dove) and a garden hose. Just make sure you don't spray water with a lot of force towards places that rotate. It's ok if they get wet. You just don't want water getting inside oiled components. Wash, rinse, and dry well. He also recommended spraying the frame with pledge or some other type of wax to protect it further.

As far as maintenance, I took a bike course from Pima county that covered three major areas you'll want to become familiar with. They gave us information on what you should check as well as how to handle emergencies in these areas if they should fail while on the road. They called them the “ABC’s of bicycles”.

A: Air pressure
Check the pressure in your tires before each ride. Locate the PSI rating on the side of your tire and make sure your tube is properly inflated. During this section, they gave us a demonstration on how to remove the tire and tube, how to patch a tube, some tips on how to repair a hole in the tire itself, and how to put it all back together. This is one thing you will definitely want to get some experience with. You can research it on the web, but I never really learned how to comfortably patch and change a tire until I had done it about the 5th time.

B: Brakes
Make sure your brakes are in working order. You should be able to pull the brake levers without them getting close to the handlebars. You should also be able to freely spin each tire without it rubbing against the brake pads. The course gave some tips on how to adjust the brake pads but didn't cover what to do in case a brake cable broke. But, I've never had a cable brake on my yet. I believe that is a rare issue.

C: Chain
Make sure your chain is clean and grease and that you are able to change gears easily. Again, the course gave as details on how to adjust the derailleurs. We also got some hands on experience using a chain tool to remove and reinsert chain pins, in case you break a link while on a ride.

So if you can find a bike course in your area that offers a class on how to do these types of things, I would definitely recommend it. The next best thing would be to find someone you know that is knowledgeable and ask them to either show you how to do it or let them help you do it. These quick maintenance items are not necessarily difficult, but even I wasn’t comfortable changing and patching my tire until about the fifth time.

I hope that was helpful, if not too brief.

Eric.

Just saw and joined the group.

I also cycle as part of triathlons. I have only complete one (last weekend) and also completed a DUathlon this past summer. But next year I plan on making the full switch from runner to multi-sport athlete.

I did my first group ride yesterday (I blogged on my outside blog ih you care to read about it

http://obrats.blogspot.com/2007/09/longest-ride-ever.html

I look forward to learning from the group.

Dan

http://obrats.blogspot.com/

I have lost 100+ pounds and determined to lose the last 30.

Hi Dan!


-Nancy

Welcome Dan

It's been cold here in the mornings, so I've wimped out on commuting to work on the bicycle. I've been doing the stationary bike to get the exercise - 16 virtual miles so far in October.

Hello Everyone. I am new to CK and found this forum. I have a Trek 1000 and love it. I have ridden off and on for a couple of years. I would like to get more serious about biking.

As part of my weight loss my goal is to train for RAGBRAI, which is a week ride across the state of Iowa. My son does it every year.

It is currently icy and snowy here so I bought a trainer for my bike so I can ride it here at home until spring finally gets here.

I would really like a riding buddy to help me keep on track and give any helpful information.

Thank You All,

Bonnie

Hi, I ride a Trek 7200 Multitrack. It's a fun bike equiped with the digital computer. So far my longest rides have been 9.7 miles long.

We need to bring this group back to life.