Put together my first bike around '75 (it came in a box). It was a Sears ten speed road bike with a front wheel disc brake. Since I was 13 at the time I thought it would be a good idea to clean the brake with WD40. I ended up hitting a concrete wall and collapsing the frame at the headset. Sears had a pretty good warranty program and gave me a new bike.
I started watching the Tour because of a couple of German kids that lived across the street. I believe it was around '77 and there was only about an hour of coverage on Sundays. I have been fairly faithful in watching the tour as it has been available ever since.
When I started college I my only transportation was a flea market special and I used to "race" every other rider who would make it interesting while riding around the Phoenix area.
In the mid 80s one of the guys across the street started racing road and mountain bikes as well as competing in triathlons. He had a red Schwinn Paramount and rebuilt the wheels with bladed spokes. I started getting interested in cycling but did not have the money to go all out. I ended up getting touring bike and riding for longer distances. Within a couple of months I wanted a better bike.
My first decent bike was a '87 Schwinn Premis - about $700 at the time. It was not a top end bike but was much better than anything I had ridden before. I took it to law school and rode with a social group over the next three years three to four times a week (in addition to riding back and forth from school since the bike was my sole transportation for the first couple of years).
After law school I continued to ride for awhile and got into some sprint triathlons as well then work, marriage and kids got in the way for ten years or more (although I continued to following the Tour).
I got back on the bike about three years ago and have been pretty consistent ever since.
I started watching the Tour because of a couple of German kids that lived across the street. I believe it was around '77 and there was only about an hour of coverage on Sundays. I have been fairly faithful in watching the tour as it has been available ever since.
When I started college I my only transportation was a flea market special and I used to "race" every other rider who would make it interesting while riding around the Phoenix area.
In the mid 80s one of the guys across the street started racing road and mountain bikes as well as competing in triathlons. He had a red Schwinn Paramount and rebuilt the wheels with bladed spokes. I started getting interested in cycling but did not have the money to go all out. I ended up getting touring bike and riding for longer distances. Within a couple of months I wanted a better bike.
My first decent bike was a '87 Schwinn Premis - about $700 at the time. It was not a top end bike but was much better than anything I had ridden before. I took it to law school and rode with a social group over the next three years three to four times a week (in addition to riding back and forth from school since the bike was my sole transportation for the first couple of years).
After law school I continued to ride for awhile and got into some sprint triathlons as well then work, marriage and kids got in the way for ten years or more (although I continued to following the Tour).
I got back on the bike about three years ago and have been pretty consistent ever since.