CYCLING

I guess I have been cycling all my life really. I mean, everyone has a bicycle growing up. For the purposes of this page however, I think my cycling world began when I was a senior in high school. My girlfriend lived several miles away down a country road and I used to jog there every night. I got the bright idea to put together a junker Murray 10-speed bike that was sitting in a ditch by my house to speed up the commute and allow me more time at her house. Little did I know, what I got out of the deal was much more than a few extra goodnight kisses - I got a love for bicycling.

That bike marked the first major mechanical undertaking of my life...I was instantly hooked. Putting the bike together from scratch allowed my to understand what the function of each part was and by making adjustments, I noticed how the handling or speed was affected. Oh yeah...and for the record - the bike lasted longer than the girl. :)

25 years

I went off to college at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1987. Amidst the pain of having no money, no transportation and very little income, my first student loan check arrived. I went right past the grocery store to the bike shop and bought my very first brand new bike. A Raliegh Technium 440. A real bike - not a Huffy - not a Murray - but a real road bike.

The very next day I rode in the first ever Tour de Pines. I chose the 20 mile ride and was in the lead with less than a mile to go when I dropped my brand new water bottle at the top of a steep hill....it rolled backwards down the hill. I then did the unthinkable - I stopped - went back and picked it up. (Hey it was my first race and my first water bottle) I didn't think anyone else was very close until I started back up the hill and three people came barreling down the other side. Their momentum took them easily past me by the top. I raced for all I was worth, but came in fourth by a wheel. A valuable lesson.

I still have that bike and still break it down to the bearing level every summer. As a result, fifteen years and over 6,000 miles later, it still looks brand new. UPDATE: I had loaned the bike out to Elias Green, he did a couple hundred miles on it and then bought a new road bike. It is now in my loaner stock. Dave was riding it for a bit - but EJ had screwed the brakes up so bad that Dave doesn't want to ride it anymore. UPDATE: I sold the original Raliegh to my neighbor who promptly left it in the backyard until it rusted. I feel bad to have its service end that way.

Which brings us to my newest baby. You know, I have never felt this guilty about a purchase before. I mean, my Raleigh is still in great shape - it sits poised in my garage waiting for me to give the word. In a moment's notice, it will be ready to take me anywhere I wish. How do I repay twelve years of loyalty and service? I replace it with a brand new Greg LeMond Reno. Perhaps I shouldn't view it as replacing but giving it a break. That would be easier to justify if my riding hadn't dropped off to nearly nil in the past few years. What can I say - I just wanted some of the new features that have become standard in the decade since I bought a bike.

Oh yeah, I also salvaged a Huffy Mountain Bike from a friend, Jon Matthews. The bike was rusting in his garage. It was about four years old and had under 20 total miles. (Most of those miles were put on by another friend - Davad Sneed.) I cleaned it up - repacked the bearings, took some steel wool to the rim and it is getting much better.

In 1999 I got my first "real" mountain bike. The Huffy served me well for the 42.5 miles I logged on it. I had to break down and get the real deal...a full-suspension Diamond Back DBR X2. It is too sweet! I just got back from the shakedown cruise as of this writing and I am VERY pleased. It is like night and day versus riding the Huffy.

In August of 2006, I was one of the winners of Bicycling Magazine's BikeTown promotion in which they give away 50 bikes per city to whoever writes the best essays about how getting a new bike would change their life. I wrote about always wanting a "cruiser/commuter" style bike for running errands to the bank/store/post office etc. and that I would be saving gas, helping the environment and getting back in shape. I won the Giant Cypress EX

Cycling Accomplishments

Prior to 1983 is considered pre-historic as I did not keep records. There was lots of riding and lots of small rides - but they are lost to memory.

1983 My first real 'epic' ride. I rode from my house in Inez, Texas to a friend's house in Lolita, Texas on a Saturday. (about 50 miles) No water, no food, just a dumb kid on a bike

1984 Commuted from Inez into Victoria to attend Victoria College every week day for a semester (about 50 miles)

1985 First time I completed over 2,000 miles in one year (2,133.3)

1985 Broke 5,000 total miles

1987 Broke 7,500 total miles

1988 Bought my first "quality" road bike (Raleigh Technium 440)

1988 First time to put 1,000 miles on a bike in year in three years

1989 Tour de Pines 100 miles (my first century - I finished fourth)

1989 Broke 10,000 total miles

1993 Broke 12,500 total miles

1993 Rode the BRAG Tour with my brother, Tim (Bike Ride Around the Guadalupe)

1993 MS 150 Houston to Austin

1994 Rode in my first "Bluebonnet Century" (I did the 50 mile route)

1994 MS 150 Houston to Austin (they lie, it's really 180 miles)

1995 MS 150 Houston to Austin (Rode as a Ride Marshall helping other riders)

1999 Bought LeMond Reno road bike - retired the Raleigh Technium 440

1999 Bought my first mountain bike (Diamond Back X2 - full suspension)

1999 My company Canis Technologies began sponsoring Team @ Internet

1999 My highest total in seven (7) years, missed the highest total in eleven (11) years by only ten (10) miles

1999 First time to get over one hundred and fifty (150) miles on two bikes in the same year

2000 Broke 15,000 total miles

2000 My highest total in twelve (12) years (since I was in college - the real world hurts mileage)

2000 First time to get over three hundred (300) miles on two bikes in the same year

2000 Most miles on a mountain bike in a single year

2000 Created www.bikehouston.com - a website devoted to cycling in the Houston area

2001 Rode my first mountain bike trail outside of Houston - Erwin Park in Dallas

2001 Rode my second mountain bike trail outside of Houston the next weekend - Grapevine Lake in Dallas. Great trail

2001 First time I put 1,000 total miles on a bike (LeMond Reno) since the Raleigh rolled over 1,000 in 1988

2001 Most miles on one bike in one year in thirteen (13) years - LeMond Reno

2001 My highest total in thirteen (13) years

2001 First time to ride more than my yearly average in fourteen (14) years.

2001 First time to do the Katy Flatland Century (I did the metric century 100km=62 miles)

2001 First time to increase mileage three years in a row

2001 Broke 16,000 total miles

2001 First bike to total over 1,500 miles (LeMond Reno) since the Raleigh, 12 years earlier

2001 Finally rode the Hotter N' Hell Hundred (100 miles in 108 degree heat)

2002 Cancelled www.bikehouston.com (HABA promptly snatched up the domain)

2002 Named President of Team@Internet - an online cycling club with members across the globe

2003 Broke 1,000 miles on my mountain bike - hey, its not much but I needed something new to put. :)

2003 Second term as President of Team@Internet

2003 Best year in two years.

2003 Broke 17,000 total miles.

2004 Third term as President of Team@Internet

2004 Embarked on my first Tour de 1/10th. Check out the blog for more info.

2004 Did the Katy Flatland (50 mile)

2004 First time to put 2,000 total miles on a single bike (LeMond) since 1989.

2004 Did the Ride for the Roses benefit ride for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

2005 Fourth term as President of Team@Internet

2005 First time to lead in the Tour de 1/10th. Check out the blog for more info.

2005 Launched cycling podcast t@i cycle cast

2005 Broke 18,000 total miles.

2006 Fifth term as President of Team@Internet

2006 Was named one of 50 winners in Bicycling Magazine's BikeTown promotion! Won Giant EX cruiser bike

2006 My lowest total in nine (9) years

2007 Sixth term as President of Team@Internet

2007 Lowest total miles in recorded history

2008 Moved to San Marcos, Texas and begin commuting to work