[Dirdir]

I wouldn't say I ride as much as someone "obsessed" with mountain biking would ride. That is, I don't ride all that much. However, it has become all about mountain biking for me. I think about it all the time. I read about it all the time. I mess around here way too much. I have no other hobbies except for my recent interest in aquariums and tropical/oceanic fish. I could easily become obsessed with that too. How do you guys feel? Some of you, like Paul B and others, seem to have a well rounded arsenal of hobbies.

 

[Casual Observer]

I wouldn't say I ride as much as someone "obsessed" with mountain biking would ride. That is, I don't ride all that much. However, it has become all about mountain biking for me. I think about it all the time. I read about it all the time. I mess around here way too much. I have no other hobbies except for my recent interest in aquariums and tropical/oceanic fish. I could easily become obsessed with that too. How do you guys feel? Some of you, like Paul B and others, seem to have a well rounded arsenal of hobbies.

Yep, I eat, drink, and sleep mt biking. I'm totally obsessed. If I'm not posting on mtbr, I'm usually riding my bike.

 

[waltaz]

I wouldn't say I ride as much as someone "obsessed" with mountain biking would ride. That is, I don't ride all that much. However, it has become all about mountain biking for me. I think about it all the time. I read about it all the time. I mess around here way too much. I have no other hobbies except for my recent interest in aquariums and tropical/oceanic fish. I could easily become obsessed with that too. How do you guys feel? Some of you, like Paul B and others, seem to have a well rounded arsenal of hobbies.

My other obsessions:
- Did I mention my kids swim...?
- Family, taking care of the wife
- Lifting - 3x per week, have done so for 20+ years, can't/won't ever stop
- 24
- Plasma TV's - because I just bought one after researching the sh*t out of it, now I am figuring out how to tweak it. I'm on a couple forums for that.
- Kid's swimming
- 24
- Home computers/wireless networking - we have three (four if you count my work laptop) and I spend tons of time keeping them updated, safe, "clean," etc. I troll a few message boards re that.
- Kid's swimming
- 24

 

[AZtortoise]

Obsessed. I lift weights so I can ride better. I watch the food quality and take vitamins so I can ride better. I go to bed obscenely early in the summer so I can get up in the middle of the night to be at the trailhead by or before 6. During the last winters rain I 'rode' the trainer many times, even though I hate it, so I would be strong for the real ride. If I am not on this site I am on another mtb related site, reading mtb magazines, or drooling over bike catalogs. I have a bike in the livingroom instead of in the storage room. Most of my 'disposable' income goes towards bike parts or bike clothing. All my non-biking friends roll their eyes when I start talking bikes 'cause they have heard it all before. I think about it ALL the time. I think I need help.

Rita
P.S. I could list MORE STUFF, but y'all get the point, eh?

 

[FishMan473]

also obsessed

Obsession, here are my symptoms:

- I consider anything less 2 hours a "short" ride.

- Every time I take a trip the first thing I think about is whether I can work some riding in while I'm gone and whether there are any good trails where I'm going.

- I have 6 bikes, 3 of them are mountain bikes.

- The chains on 5 of those bikes are immaculately clean (the 6th is the commuter).

- I am currently dreaming about buying a $1500 Titus HCR frame, and consider that expense justifiable.

- I spend more time thinking about biking then anything else, even sex!

I probably need therapy or something.

 

[GearHead]

My only true obsession right now is MTB. I think about it all the time and there doesn't pass a day that I don't play with a bike. I am either reading magazines or playing on MTBR. I too go to the gym and spin classes in winter just to stay in shape for mountain biking.

Now here is the real kicker, my mountain bike costs nearly double what my car does. My GF and I (she is quite obsessed too) moved from a one bedroom apartmet to a two bedroom apartemnt just so I could use the extra bedroom for a workshop. It has a workbench, pegboards on the wall, a rollaway toolbox, bike repair stand, and storage for all the bikes.

I am stealing this from AZtortoise because it hits home so well "All my non-biking friends roll their eyes when I start talking bikes 'cause they have heard it all before".

 

[FishMan473]

Now here is the real kicker, my mountain bike costs nearly double what my car does. My GF and I (she is quite obsessed too) moved from a one bedroom apartmet to a two bedroom apartemnt just so I could use the extra bedroom for a workshop. It has a workbench, pegboards on the wall, a rollaway toolbox, bike repair stand, and storage for all the bikes.

I am stealing this from AZtortoise because it hits home so well "All my non-biking friends roll their eyes when I start talking bikes 'cause they have heard it all before".

OK, I guess that means I can add two to my list:

- Have two bedroom apartment, one for people to sleep, one for bikes to sleep (and get fixed too!).

- I don't have any friends because I am riding too much to socialize. Not exactly true, but kinda close. Anyone wanna be my friend, I mean, ride with me .

 

[IBIKEAZ]

Crazy

I'm with ya. I have only 3 bikes at the moment, but 2 of them are top notch (road and mountain). I rarely ride the road bike (expensive bike sitting on a trainer in living room), except 2-3 big events per year. I tell my wife my hobby is worthwhile (it keeps me in shape). I tell her that my hobby is cheap compared to owning a Harley or bassboat, but I'm not convinced anymore. I neeeeed new parts for my bike because of safety (she knows I'm lying). I have subscriptions to at least 4 MTB magazines. I look at this site several times a day. When I got my latest Mountain bike it wasn't broken in until I chashed, bled, and put blood on it. Yeah I'm crazy

 

[Dirdir]

I was just kidding and looking to stir things up. Freaks, the lot of you.


Well, its off to bed to read my bike magazines.

 

[IBIKEAZ]

If you cuddle with those magazines, your really over the top.

 

[DownHillFast]

I was just kidding and looking to stir things up. Freaks, the lot of you.

Well, its off to bed to read my bike magazines.

have fun getting the pages unstuck freak-boy....

 

[waltaz]

I was just kidding and looking to stir things up. Freaks, the lot of you.

Well, its off to bed to read my bike magazines.

Bike porn...

 

[scanjok]

whatever

this is my life

 

[yetisurly]

I wouldn't say I ride as much as someone "obsessed" with mountain biking would ride. That is, I don't ride all that much. However, it has become all about mountain biking for me. I think about it all the time. I read about it all the time. I mess around here way too much. I have no other hobbies except for my recent interest in aquariums and tropical/oceanic fish. I could easily become obsessed with that too. How do you guys feel? Some of you, like Paul B and others, seem to have a well rounded arsenal of hobbies.

I just started riding like 6 weeks ago. I picked up my bike at Walmart - its a Pacific MGX3483. I am going to upgrade it to Shimano stem and seat as well as bar ends. I ride right now at the Greenbelt in Scottsdale. I want to ride Papago Park someday if someone will show me around. I think bikes are my my new lifestyle!!

 

[Dirdir]

I just started riding like 6 weeks ago. I picked up my bike at Walmart - its a Pacific MGX3483. I am going to upgrade it to Shimano stem and seat as well as bar ends. I ride right now at the Greenbelt in Scottsdale. I want to ride Papago Park someday if someone will show me around. I think bikes are my my new lifestyle!!

Before you ask:

1. Practice unclipping in parking lots.
2. Use your arms and legs as extra shock absorbers.
3. Don't upgrade the parts on that bike, get a new one, like a Trek at an LBS.
4. LBS = Local Bike Shop
5. No music while riding.
6. GET SOME FREAKING CYCLING SOCKS.

 

[Paul B]

Current obsessions:

* Road riding. Ye gods, yes, it's true. I love it right now. Just came off an awesome 3-day ride from Tucson to Bisbee, through Ft. Huachuca, out to Sonoita, and back to Tucson with Papajohn. Great experience.

* Home renovation. Took out a wall and it transformed my house. I'm down to the last two rooms of the house...and then there's the kitchen. And then the bathrooms. And then the garage. It's kind of a money pit but I figure it'll all work out when I sell the place someday.

Obsessions to which I will be returning shortly:

* Mountain biking. Naturally. Takes up a hell of a lot of my life even while I'm working on the roadie book. I subscribe to five different cycling magazines, for crying out loud. I can't even take a dump without biking being in my face.

* Rock climbing. Boy this has been great, but it takes up a lot of time I need to be using to write this stupid book.

* Running. Got into it for the Xth time last year and I've really enjoyed it. Great for keeping in shape for riding. Lets me eat generally whatever I feel like.

* Lifting. Great when I do it and it's terrific for both MTB and climbing, but frankly I'd rather be outside in the sun.

* Board and card games. I've had a weekly get-together for the past decade to play board and card games. I've really missed not doing it for the past several weeks during crunch time.

* Yoga. It kept me sane last year and now I miss it, but dang it's expensive to stick to. $1000/year for most annual memberships. And of course very time consuming. Doesn't leave me much room for anything else.

Obsessions to which I may not have time to return:

* Xbox. Had a ton of fun with it for a year, when I was weaning myself off TV. Then it got jacked from the back of my truck a couple weeks ago (I had lent the box, controllers and networking stuff to a friend for his kid's bday) and frankly I don't miss it one bit. I should probably sell my old games so I can buy more biking schtuff.

* RPGs. The kind where you sit around a table and pretend to be an elf, not the kind where you sit in front of a computer and pretend to be an elf. Figured out I was pouring a lot of creative energy into a dead-end endeavor where I SHOULD have been putting it into my writing.

So, yeah, I have a lot of irons in the fire. In the words of Jacqui Phelan, "It's not that I have a poor work ethic -- I have an excellent play ethic."

p.

 

[azdog]

work.....lift......ride...post once a month.......bike vid......sleep.

 

[castaway222]

i think this thread is a way for dirdir to justify his own obsession...knowing that the rest of us are obsessed will make him feel a bit better about his own freakish ways.

yes, i too am obsessed...i think about biking every day, nearly every hour. i even dreamed of doing an endless wheelie earlier this week. just cruisin down some nondescript street forever and ever...

here's a list of my obsessive behavior:

1. rode a 5 spot at sunrise on the dh trails...crashed about 20 times, got up, and asked to go back up on the lift

2. bought a $$$ dh bike after riding one once cuz i thought it was fun

3. if i'm not riding, thinking of where i'll ride next, who it'll be with, etc (if dirdir's involved, have to give a pause to think harder...lol)

4. i have to move my bikes out of the way to get to my washing machine and dryer...thank god i have a lot of clothes

5. i wanted to mount my broken frame on my wall as art

6. my only socks are multicolored sock guy or defeet creations

7. in 18 months, bought 5 bikes (road, ss, xc hardtail, xc full susser, dh)

8. use terms like susser

9. kim and i went to dinner with some friends who do not bike...we tried to be on "good behavior" by refraining from bike conversation, but that lasted 5 minutes. pretty soon, we squirreled away in our own conversation, talking about derailleurs and bike park tricks...got the "hey, that's cool...you bike" look for 10 minutes which then morphed into the "hey, you guys are weird" look for the rest of the night

10. i know my mom would kill me if she saw me riding down Nat'l or up at Bootleg

11. non-biking people don't bother to ask me what i'm doing on the weekend anymore...6 letters...r-a-c-i-n-g (or r-i-d-i-n-g)

12. last night i climbed up the palo cristi paved road for the first time ever...rode on my single speed and made it to the top without stopping...and i want to do it again

13. i never take "the collective" out of my dvd player

i could keep going, but i know that a lot of people already stopped reading this. to quote tyler klassen (dh hooligan)..."mountain biking has given me the best friends in the world." it's true. to hang out with like-minded individuals who share your passion is hella-cool. to quote "the collective"..."i mountain bike because i haven't found anything more fun".
thanks for reading...you guys are awesome...

 

[castaway222]

i think this thread is a way for dirdir to justify his own obsession...knowing that the rest of us are obsessed will make him feel a bit better about his own freakish ways.

yes, i too am obsessed...i think about biking every day, nearly every hour. i even dreamed of doing an endless wheelie earlier this week. just cruisin down some nondescript street forever and ever...

here's a list of my obsessive behavior:

1. rode a 5 spot at sunrise on the dh trails...crashed about 20 times, got up, and asked to go back up on the lift

2. bought a $$$ dh bike after riding one once cuz i thought it was fun

3. if i'm not riding, thinking of where i'll ride next, who it'll be with, etc (if dirdir's involved, have to give a pause to think harder...lol)

4. i have to move my bikes out of the way to get to my washing machine and dryer...thank god i have a lot of clothes

5. i wanted to mount my broken frame on my wall as art

6. my only socks are multicolored sock guy or defeet creations

7. in 18 months, bought 5 bikes (road, ss, xc hardtail, xc full susser, dh)

8. use terms like susser

9. kim and i went to dinner with some friends who do not bike...we tried to be on "good behavior" by refraining from bike conversation, but that lasted 5 minutes. pretty soon, we squirreled away in our own conversation, talking about derailleurs and bike park tricks...got the "hey, that's cool...you bike" look for 10 minutes which then morphed into the "hey, you guys are weird" look for the rest of the night

10. i know my mom would kill me if she saw me riding down Nat'l or up at Bootleg

11. non-biking people don't bother to ask me what i'm doing on the weekend anymore...6 letters...r-a-c-i-n-g (or r-i-d-i-n-g)

12. last night i climbed up the palo cristi paved road for the first time ever...rode on my single speed and made it to the top without stopping...and i want to do it again

13. i never take "the collective" out of my dvd player

i could keep going, but i know that a lot of people already stopped reading this. to quote tyler klassen (dh hooligan)..."mountain biking has given me the best friends in the world." it's true. to hang out with like-minded individuals who share your passion is hella-cool. to quote "the collective"..."i mountain bike because i haven't found anything more fun".
thanks for reading...you guys are awesome...

forgot one: 14. have a mtb related vanity plate on my car: MTBCHIK

 

[The Lone Wolf]

The Lone Wolf

You are addicted to mountain biking IF:

You yell "On Your Left!" when passing another car.

You yell "Hole!" when you see a pothole while driving your car.

Your bike has more miles on its computer then your car's odometer.

You wear your riding gloves when driving your car.

You wear your bike shorts swimming.

You wear Charles River Wheelmen T-shirts all the time, including under dress shirts.

Your bikes are worth more than your car.

You buy a mini-van and immediately remove the rear seats to allow your bike(s) to fit .

When you move to a new area the first thing you look for is a bike shop.

You have more bike jerseys than dress shirts.

You take your bike along when you shop for a car - just to make sure the bike will fit inside. (Tom Weaver)

You use the Yakima or Thule Fit catalog to pick your next new car instead of Consumer Reports.

You start yelling at cars to "hold your line."

You're comfortable bumping elbows with step vans.

You view crashes as an opportunity to upgrade components.

You clean your bike(s) more often then your car.

You install bike mounts in the back of your van or pickup truck.

You're on the Board of Directors for a Bike Club.

You spend weeks during the summer spraying arrows on the sides of roads.

You and your significant other have and wear identical riding clothes.

You mount a $600 cap, on a $1,000 pickup truck, so your $3,000 bike doesn't get wet.

You put your bike in your car and the value of the total package increases by a factor of 4 (or better).

You can't seem to get to work by 8:30 AM, even for important meetings, but you don't have any problems at all meeting your buddies at 5:30 AM for a hammerfest.

You can tell your wife, with a straight face that it's to hot to mow the lawn and then bike off for a century.

Your New Years resolution is to put more miles on your bike than your car, and you do it.

You know your cadence, but you have no idea what your speed is.

When driving your car you lean over the steering wheel, just like an aerobar.

Your kids bring a rear derailleur to "Show & Tell".

Your car sits outside your garage because your garage is full of bikes and cycling gear.

You tailgate a semi-trailer to get the drafting effect.

You convert your car's brake & gas pedals to clipless.

You buy your crutches instead of renting.