[Poolie]

No idea why this popped into my head, but was just wondering what it is that makes you stop being a beginner rider? Is it mileage, number of months? Or do you simply decree yourself no longer a beginner when you feel like it?

[Garilia]

Some people have 30 years experience, and some people have 1 year repeated 30 times.

[rola643]

When you know the basics and feel comfotable with what you are doing and it takes no real thought?

[Engyo]

I try to always have something at which I am a beginner - it keeps me young.

[tallframe]

The day you figure out all your biking advice comes from people who own $2000 bikes, $400 sun glasses, and you never see them outside of "The Cool" coffee shops.

Not thats there anything wrong with a $2000 bicycle!. I think you know the crowd I'm getting at..

[froze]

When you take your riding seriously and not look like a drugstore racer, not saying you have to race to be serious but don't play the part of something your not. Look, just because can you spend $7k on a bike and wear $400 sunglasses doesn't make you a real rider any more then sitting in a $5m Formula 1 race car makes you race car driver. You can be a serious rider on a $500 bike, it's not about the money spent, it's about how well you ride. There are 80 year old guys riding the Alps on old 50's era 3 speed bikes...those guys are serious...it's not about the bike it's about you.

[photosbymark]

Well actually with enough money, almost anyone can buy there way into being a race car driver. Are they serious race car drivers? Well maybe but that doesn't make them any good. I'd like to think I will always be a beginner at some aspect of cycling. Its the wonder of learning something new that keeps me going. Most things in life have one thing in common. When you think you know everything there is to know about something, its usually time to quit. You are about to get hurt bad.

As far as the race car driver, I can think of one woman that was so slow in Indy the series often pulled her off the track to get her out of the way. She was just too slow and a hazard, but she brought money. In sport cars she was actually a member of a race winning team, but only because the team was smart enough to let her in the car as little as possible. She did compete in auto racing, but I think most people would say she was no race car driver. The trivia question is who is the lady race car driver. The hint is Krispy Kreme.

Beginner to me is a relative term. Many here are very experienced cyclist, but when you compare your experience to that of say George Hincappie just how many of us would still be considered experienced?

[momule]

The fast pace that new equipment and technology is applied to cycling pretty much makes everyone a newbie in some form or another. I finally gave up the pursuit of the perfect ride and now just ride what I brought. That ah-ha moment took me out of the newbie range since I now enjoy riding for the sake of riding.

[Nigal]

When you don't care whether internet people see you as a noob or not.

[photosbymark]

Well Nigal I must be a REAL expert then. To repeat the required line. Hi My name is Mark, and I am a Fred