Why did you start riding?

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Permalink Reply by Anthony S on January 1, 2012 at 3:52pm

Mostly for health reasons! Lose a bit of weight. Gets some cardio. Haven't ridden a bike in 20 + years. Love to see parts of Chicago I have not been to, even though I have lived here all my life. (go figure!) 

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Permalink Reply by Bernard Joseph Hannigan on January 1, 2012 at 4:28pm

I quit a 3-pack a day habit and thought it would be a good idea...Here I am 3 years and 10,000 miles later, I am addicted to bicycling now....Good jones to have, eh?

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 1, 2012 at 7:50pm

I learned to ride as a kid and never stopped.  There was a hiatus of a few years when I was only able to ride very short distances due to a foot injury.  As soon as I got past that, I was back.  I've always loved it as a way to get around.

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Permalink Reply by koala on January 2, 2012 at 8:24am

I started riding again as an adult for health and fitness.  The real wake-up call came when one of my work colleagues had some health issues.  I bought a bike within a couple of days.  I had a gym membership at the time, but I didn't go very often because I didn't like it.  Bike riding is just fun for me, and consequently I ride more frequently than I ever went to the gym.  Plus, I like including physical activity into my day-to-day routine (commute to work, go to the coffee shop, etc.) rather than setting aside time specifically for exercise.

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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on January 2, 2012 at 10:19am

I hate the CTA. 

Not long after they switched from the old no fabric seats in which bodily fluids puddled quite visibly and to the felt ones which hide bodily fluids and I sat in pee I vowed to give the CTA as little of my money as possible.  The more I rode the more it made sense to ride and now I almost never go anywhere except by bike.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on January 2, 2012 at 10:53am

I started as a kid and 50+ years later, I still ride. Out in the sticks in Wisconsin, where I grew up, until you had your drivers license, you rode your bike to get anyplace. Even after I got my license, I still rode a lot. There was a bit of a hiatus early in my marriage, when we lived in the city(74-77) but once I moved back  to the Fox Valley, riding took off. Until recently, I was averaging 2500 miles a year. 2011 was kind of a bust, 45,000 miles in planes will do that to ya.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 2, 2012 at 11:16am

I'm not a fan of those new fabric seats either.  The plastic ones may not be as comfortable, but at least they wipe off easily.

Other than that, I appreciate CTA, although it certainly has its quirks.

notoriousDUG said:

I hate the CTA. 

Not long after they switched from the old no fabric seats in which bodily fluids puddled quite visibly and to the felt ones which hide bodily fluids and I sat in pee I vowed to give the CTA as little of my money as possible.  The more I rode the more it made sense to ride and now I almost never go anywhere except by bike.

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Permalink Reply by Bike Bloke on January 2, 2012 at 3:20pm

I moved in to an apartment with room mates three miles and two bus rides from college. With bus waits and traffic, it took them an hour to get in. My bike ride was 15 minutes each way on a route that was way shorter than roads thanks to a pedestrian only bridge over a stream. It was the most decisive no-brainer in the history of urban transportation.

Unfortunately, I have had many (long) gaps for various reasons in my cycling history. That said, I ride whenever possible, including commutes until six months ago when I sustained serious injuries in a crash. I'm able to ride again, but my job seems to have disappeared during my recovery.....

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Permalink Reply by Bike Bloke on January 2, 2012 at 4:16pm

That said, I also cycled a lot as a teen, grades 7-10 inclusive, 6 miles a day and two years with a paper round.

Bike Bloke said:

I moved in to an apartment with room mates three miles and two bus rides from college. With bus waits and traffic, it took them an hour to get in. My bike ride was 15 minutes each way on a route that was way shorter than roads thanks to a pedestrian only bridge over a stream. It was the most decisive no-brainer in the history of urban transportation.

Unfortunately, I have had many (long) gaps for various reasons in my cycling history. That said, I ride whenever possible, including commutes until six months ago when I sustained serious injuries in a crash. I'm able to ride again, but my job seems to have disappeared during my recovery.....

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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on January 2, 2012 at 5:24pm

I was a child rider, BMX'er then a park rider, a weekend rider in Detroit then after I had no choice w/out a car I became a full time rider and now 7.5 years later totally committed to the lifestyle.

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