When did you start cycling?

I was ALWAYS on my bike as a kid, it got me from point A to point B on weekends, on summer break, when playing after school. My parents used to take my brother and I on long rides, well, like 15 and 20 milers even when we were young. We were going through family photos last weekend when my brother was home and there were pictures of me on a bike from every stage of life...from the little ones that you push on the ground with your feet, to tricycles and big wheels, and training wheels. LOVED it. I guess I was on my bike a lot up until like age 13 or 14. A few random summers here and there in HS and college, I would go on bike rides a few times a week; but I hadn't done much riding at all in the 10 years before I started tris. I probably hadn't been on a bike at all for about 2 or 3 years when I started to do triathlons. My first bike when I got back into it was a borrowed road bike. I felt a little uneasy for my first ride or two, but then it was...just like riding a bike .

I grew up in a city with great public transportation and roads way to dangerous for bikers (think Rome in steroids). Started biking 2.5 years ago at age 30 There you have it; road rashes, banged knees, etc. I had 4 bike falls alone last year. Well, I guess you all went through it at early ages when falling just did not seem as scary

In retrospect I grew up swimming and it is funny to me when people fight the waters in a pool.  It is so EASY Didin't they grow up in a water??? (just kidding here)

I grew up on a bike. Was riding 20-30 miles solo before I was 14, but before I ever got a "road" bike I rode in circles for hours on my driveway or around the bus turnaround at my elementary school. I used to play games on the outdoor pavement at school like, "Ride all the painted lines" on the basketball court. It turns out to be great practice for low speed maneuvering and holding a line. I'm sure that is where all my comfort on the bike comes from.

I wish I knew how to teach it as my wife did not grow up on a bike and I'm realizing now how important all those early hours of play were for me.

I'm one of those who's not all that crazy about cycling (compared to running and swimming) and I grew up with bikes throughout childhood.  Had a 10-speed (with drops and downtube shifters) in HS--this was in the '70s--and rode four miles, each way, to school during fall and spring with a couple friends.  There was a big climb that tortured us on the way to the HS...but we loved bombing down it going home.

Didn't ride again (at least any riding worth speaking of) for almost 30 years (1978-2006).  Bought a cheap road bike in late 2006 to do weekend rides with my wife, who'd taken to bike commuting that year.  Next thing you know, I'm training for tri's.  Still my limiter, though I'm getting a lot better.

But I'm perfectly comfortable on a bike...just not so comfortable putting in regular 50-100 mile rides in LA traffic with erratic and/or hostile drivers.

Coming out of lurkdom for a minute here to say that I'm in the same camp as TCovert. We all know that I am not a fan of certain aspects of cycling (cornering, descending, riding in the rain). But I grew up with a bike. My sister and I rode our bikes all spring/summer/fall until we were in our late teens. I rode one to work one summer in college, and got a hybrid in grad school. It was only with the road bike that I ended up developing a fear of cycling - and I didn't hate it totally at first.

I've pretty much ridden bikes my whole life.

My first was a bmx bike that I rode in circles around the block. On the sidewalk. I didn't do tricks.

My next bike was a Costco special mountain bike my grandparents bought for me around age 12. I remember the thrill of (1) gears- it had 27 speeds! What!? and (2) brake levers, since the only bike I had ever known had pedal brakes. This bike lasted through junior high, high school, and freshman year of college, when it was stolen.

It was shortly replaced by a 1970's Peugeot PX-10, my first roadie, which I rode around in college. I ended up crashing it one summer. Not sure whatever happened to that bike.

My next was a custom-built steel frame Azonic mountain bike sold to me at a bargain basement price by a very generous co-worker. I remember the thrill of (1) what a properly fitting bike feels like, and (2) how much easier it is to climb when your bike weighs less than a sub-compact car. This was the first mountain bike I ever actually mountain biked with, and consequently the first bike I ever went over the handlebars of. This bike was also stolen, which was heartbreaking.

Next up was an eBay special "Dawes Lightning Sport". The first bike I ever rode more than 30 miles at one time. Definitely a step down from the Azonic, but it felt better than the Peugeot because it fit. I ended up selling it after 4 years or so.

After that was a 1986 Peugeot Triathlon road bike, which I originally built up as a singlespeed. When I started doing tri's last year, I converted it to a 12-speed. I rode my first (and, to-date, only) century on this bike.

Then came a Specialized Hardrock mountain bike, which has seen woefully few rides since I don't live near mountains anymore.

Which brings me to the present- a 2007 Scott S10 Speedster, which I built up from the frameset, which doubles as a tri bike and a roadie. I love it.

I loved them all.

When I got into triathlon.  Up to that point I was a recreational rider on a hybrid at best.

These are just pictures of pictures, so not that great...but a few of me in my early years. Don't mind the short hair. Oh, and that's my little brother in the last pic. (I don't have electronic files of any other ones...but not so sure I'd want to share the pre-teen pics even if I had them electronically - haha.)

(Lauren big wheel - small.jpg)

(Lauren on bike.jpg)

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