Showing posts with label Murray Legacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Murray Legacy. Show all posts

Thursday, January 6, 2011

My bikes, my obsession?

Its a later than normal post and I have been playing around with some of my bicycles getting them ready for the spring and Craigslist. I believe that I know which ones will be kept for myself and which are going to new riders, maybe I don't but it dawned on me that I have photos of each of the bikes that I have and thought I would do a more bike kind of post since I had a minute. When I was 500 pounds there wasn't a chance in hell that I would have been able to take a spin around the block on a bike and since losing the weight I am well..I'll just say it, addicted to messing about with older bicycles. It all started with an idea and a walk through a sporting goods store, that idea ended up with me driving home with a brandy new 2009 K2 Zed in my car, from there I was obsessed with bikes again. When I was a kid I had an old Huffy Santa fe' 10 speed, that turned into a Schwinn Super le' tour which ended up getting stolen off of my back porch in the early 90's and that was the last time that I owned a bike until the K2. I thought it would be fun to post up my little collection that I have acquired over the past months since I got a couple inquiries as to "what kind of this or that" do I have lately, so here goes.

The one that started it all my K2 Zed, this was a birthday gift from my wife in June of 2009 I was very self conscious about getting back on a bike because of my size and I even had my father pop off a quick picture of me sitting on it in the store before I bought it for that reason. This picture is exactly how I got it and there have been some changes to the bike since then but I figured it was a good shot so there she is, I started off riding about a 3 mile loop near my house and ended last year with 20 mile runs on the local rails to trails.

I picked this 1991 Schwinn Crisscross up just last week for a decent price and the frame is my size, its a really comfy position when I am on it and I will not be getting rid of this one any time soon. The plan is to upgrade a couple things and make this my secondary ride, or for when I am going to be doing more riding on the street than the rail trail.

From what I can tell this is a 1994 Trek 750 multitrack, I like the way it rides and it fits me but is a little small but it does adjust to a comfortable fit. I was thinking that if it adjusts down to closer to my wife's size that I would give it to her but it may be just a tad too big for her but since she hasn't checked yet I don;t know if it would work, my guess is that it will be just a bit too tall for her. This will likely be up for sale in the spring unless wify ends up liking it but she is more of a hiking kind of gal so chances are it will be on the list of craigs eventually.

I haven't looked into the year too much on this one, its a Trek 220 mountaintrack and is a kids bike, I suppose a small woman could ride it too but its more geared for kids. I thought about giving this one to my son as an upgrade to his bike but his is brand new (a year old) and he didn't seem to like this one so much when I brought it home so again it will probably end up on Craigslist at some point.

This is a 1995 Specialized Hardrock Sport, this frame is way too small for me but the bike is like new! if Wify does want a bicycle this will likely be the one that I make more comfortable for her. There is not a lot that I can say negative about this one besides a broken grip shifter that still works, I rode this one around the lake last week when it was warm and if it was my size I would keep it for sure. I am replacing the grip shift and it will go onto the list of craigs unless wify fancy's it once I have it 100% with the new grip shifter on it.

This one for whatever reason is very cool to me and I can't figure out my attachment to it! its a 1988 Specialized Rockhopper Comp and other than some spots that could use touch up paint rides awesome! I think that its all of the work that I put into it to get it looking good, this thing was covered in dirt, grime and all of the chrome bits were covered in a light rust. I spent more than a couple hours cleaning her up and was the first of my "addiction" after the K2, perhaps that's where the attraction is. It has new tires on it as it sits now (the tires in this image are gone) and its all cleaned up and ride ready, its a bit small for me but it is comfortable, more than likely it will go up for sale come spring but I don't want to let this one go.

Just a small unknown year Murray Legacy, this one will definitely go up for sale come spring, its too small for me, my son doesn't dig the looks or the only 10 speeds and ita gotta go so I can make room for more new old bikes.

Early 1990's Specialized Hardrock sport, I picked this one up last spring and cleaned it up, tuned it up and sold it to my brother in laws girlfriend, She seemed happy with it, I am happy that it got sold so win win for everyone. I was able to sell a bike so this proves that I can do it! so Wify knows that I have it in me to actually let go of a bike and our basement is starting to look like a bike shop between all of the parts I have accrued and the eight bikes that live down there currently not to mention the one in my bedroom.

I may have traded addictions or perhaps just found a hobby that helps me nurture a healthy lifestyle, either way I enjoy playing around with bikes and I like riding them even more. None of my bikes are the end all of high end two wheeled vehicles but they have all in their own way helped me to stay on track in one way or another along the way. As far as hobbies go I will take this one over my Playstation and Final Fantasy 11 online any day but it wasn't the case once upon a time and I am still a Final Fantasy geek even if I don't play online anymore.

That's my fleet? stable? pile O bikes, some I will keep, some will be sold in order to buy more bikes, this is my hobby and it is in fact an integral part of how I am able to keep the weight off. When You love what you do for exercise its not hard to go out there and do it every day, I even for some odd reason miss it if I can't get to the gym and take a ride on a spin bike or a stationary bike, it suits me.

That's all I got for tonight.

As Ever
Me

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

I have an addiction thanks to my weight problem.

Addiction is a funny thing, for some people its the burn in the back of their throat from a stiff drink and others get it from drugs and then there the people that get it from a good solid workout. There is a group of people that are addicted to food and I do believe that I fell into that group for a good long period of my life. Addictions can control us in ways that no one would ever want to admit because they show our weak side, something that can control us, decide our fate for us. This weekend my wife has discovered that I have an addiction, and this addiction is not made of ground beef a hardy roll and a half pound of toppings, this addiction is not made from plastic and electronics that display digital characters running through Batilla downs on the tv and computer screen, it is much different.

My daily rider K2 ZED that started it all.

1988 Specialized Rockhopper Comp which I cleaned up and it is tuned and ridable, it has new tubes and tires on it now but I haven't taken a new photo yet.

Old Murray Legacy, this is no where near big enough for me but the price was the same as a 6 pack so I couldn't pass it up.

1990 (dated from component dates) Specialized Hardrock sport, This bike is very fun and I have been riding it twice a week or so in place of the K2 just for kicks.

This is a Trek Mountaintrack 220 that I picked up yesterday from craigslist, its a kids bike but fits my son perfect so I will likely clean it up and let him ride it a little bit as he is riding on a Next MTB currently.

I have in the last year been consumed by bikes, reading about bikes, buying bikes, and most importantly riding bikes, I have come to love bike riding once again. I see biking as a huge factor in how I lost most of my weight on this trip to the half as I started off on a used stationary bike bought from Craigslist back in the beginning and I loved it even back then on that old used monstrosity of a bike looking thing. I ride a stationary bike at the gym and then come home and ride my bike around the lake that I live on, When you are caged and unable to participate in something that you know is enjoyable it hurts. Biking was something that I knew I loved because when I was a kid I rode everywhere on an old Schwinn Super Le Tour with my best friend, like clock work we meet in front of the house and headed over to the corner store to fill our bike bottles with 25 cent juices and off we went.

Missing something and not knowing that you miss it is unfortunate because it could have been a huge motivational tool for me with my weight loss a lot sooner if I realized how much I actually enjoy riding a bike. This is an addiction that I am proud to say that I have, I love my bikes and am planning on a few more before the summer is over which should make the boss lady happy as she tells me daily to move this one or that one out of her way. I would love to find myself an old Super le Tour in dark blue with the chrome fork tips like back in the day for nostalgia's sake so I am always keeping my eyes out for one of those to pop up, mine was stolen from my back porch back in about 1993 or so. Last night I told Wify that having all of the bikes was a lot better than having all of the video games and systems with a side of big fat cheeseburger addiction and she agreed wholeheartedly so they get to stay.

Finding something that we love to do that will keep us fit while we spend precious time doing it is more than a good thing, its the absolute to sustain a healthy life. If we enjoy what we do for exercise then it becomes a hobby more than exercise and we want to do it every day if not every minute.

So I am more than proud to say that I have an addiction, that addiction is going to help me excel with my health and fitness level all while giving me views that I have not had for quite some time on top of a frame and some wheels pedaling my ass off every day.

Hi, my name is Tony and I am an addict...

As Ever
Me