How did you get started cycling as an adult?
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I’ve been asked a few times, how did I get into cycling? I’m going to answer it here.
3 years ago, roughly, I was feeling very out of shape. I hadn’t really played sports with any regularity since high school. I was not over weight, just not fit.
I had biked a lot when I was a kid. So when I was looking for a new sport I thought cycling would be fun again.
I didn’t think I wanted to be a road cyclist because that wasn’t cool. I wanted to mountain bike X-games style. I proceeded to look at a lot of really cool full suspension big huck mountain bikes on the Internet. So I went down to the local bike shop and tried to buy one off those mountain biking masterpieces.
I walked into ProVelo Cycle Sport in down town Sedalia and proceeded to convince Ebby that I was an idiot with money burning a hole in my pocket. Fortunately for me, Ebby is good guy and a bad salesman. He talked me out of buying the bike I thought I wanted and instead setup me up with a Specialize Rock Hopper hard tail cross country mountain bike.
After mountain biking all summer Ebby told me I should check out the criterium race they were putting on. I went and I was blown away. I had never been exposed to road racing other than clips of Lance Armstrong on ESPN. Watching the criterium was one of those, oh I gotta do this, moments.
I bought my Planet X Superlight Team road bike a few months later. I guess you could say the rest is history. I’ve met some really great people and made some new friends.
So how did you get started cycling? You can share your story in the comments.
My name is Bradly Fletchall. I am the guy behind most of what you see here. I am a bicycle enthusiest and advocate. I'm a founding member of a local bicycle club. I also compete in road and moutain bike races. You can learn more about this blog and me on the 
November 28th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
what i did was not normal. i have not rode a bike since i was a little kid. i was using my mom’s old bike from 1976 which is correctly call “the old ironclad”. one day while riding the ironclad to wal-mart my brakes became loose got stuck in the front wheel and i face-planted the ground resulting in 17 stitches in my face. after this incident i needed a new bike and i had my eye on a specilized sirrus sitting in Pro-Velo. i purchased that bike and within months i was riding the KATY Trail and put approximately 3000miles the first full year i owned a dencent bike. Now since i started biking i have lost 40+ lbs and bike over 7000 miles in two years. Now i have a job hauling people in a pedicab/rickshaw for Shakespear’s Pizza in Columbia Mo. Just joined the MU racing team and have met many great people along the way. Literally the bike has changed my life and i am glad i had that bike accident.
November 29th, 2007 at 8:30 am
Right on Benji…Bikes are good for you. Its amazing how things that really suck at the time turn into really great things later.
November 29th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
I always messed around on bikes when I was a little kid… and I was lucky enough to never quit!
May 15th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I’ve only been cycling for about a year. I first got a Giant Cyprus, thinking that I was all smart and what-not. I barely rode the bike for about a year. Later, after watching my first TdF and being absolutely amazed at the strength, endurance and the will to win of these athletes, impressed me to much to get into cycling more. The following year, I looked into getting my first road bike. I purchased my Fuji Newest 3.0 at Bicycle Shack in KCMO in August of 2006. The following summer, I racked up about 600-1000 miles, including one Time Trial and the Sedalia Criterium. For me, that is alot and demanding(in terms of the racing). Since then, I’ve been waiting for the weather to clear up, meet some fellow roadies, join some rides and jump at the chance to be left behind, heh.
I got my bike upgraded at Pro-Velo in Sedalia, and have loved the sport even more since then. My endurance is slowly growing, speed has improved, cadence has been more consistent, and my love for the sport grows with every ride, especially since every ride is better than the last. I’m just hoping to one day be that guy out in front setting the pace rather than the caboose, which is still entertaining sometimes.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:08 am
@Adam - Thanks for sharing your story and coming out for the ride yesterday. I’m sure I’ll see you around.