What do your kids or other family members think of your biking?

This topic has 42 replies, 29 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 5 months ago by PotomacCyclist.

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February 19, 2015 at 6:45 pm #916502

wheelswings
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Has Freezing Saddles changed their perspective?
I’m curious about the reaction of your kids — or spouses, parents, other close relations.

My sense is that many of us ride virtually every day regardless of Freezing Saddles. Biking is just a way of life, our happy mode of transportation. But the indirect effects of FS on those around us may be significant.

My kids (now tween age) pretty much grew up on the double-Burley trailer, traveling thousands of miles behind my bike for years. We had fun adventures. But I know that at times they had mixed feelings, ‘cause it was yet another way (among several) that they were different from their peers. Sometimes kids like to be the same as everybody else.

Then along came Freezing Saddles – and to some extent, National Bike Challenge last summer – and I witnessed a shift in perspective. Suddenly the girls saw their mom’s name online in a community of fellow bikers, last summer contributing to Arlington County’s miles and this winter helping out a team of Bears. The kids follow our teams, study the data, encourage my two-wheeled errands, and keep tabs on how we’re all doing. They hear me laughing at the funny comments and pictures y’all post, some of which are printed out and stuck to our walls.

Thank you, Bike Arlington and Freezing Saddles, for validating and legitimizing cycling for my girls in a way that I could never do by myself.
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February 19, 2015 at 7:02 pm #1023548

rcannon100
Participant

My wife and I go out for coffee on the weekends. All she talks about is rescue dogs. All I talk about is bicycles. Neither one of us talks about our boys. We are the worlds most boring couple. We are going to buy a beach shack where I will rent the junk bicycles I buy off y’all and she will run a doggy-daycare/ rescue center.

BTW this is our current rescue dog: Channel

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February 19, 2015 at 8:20 pm #1023556

dasgeh
Participant

My 4 year old knows what a sleaze ride is and lets me know if she wants to come with me. She also knows how to check strava on my phone to tell me if I’ve hit 1.1 miles.
Because I’m a good parent.

February 19, 2015 at 8:25 pm #1023558

sethpo
Participant

There’s definitely been iffy days (today for example) where I might have taken the metro but rode only b/c of the intense peer pressure of Freezing Saddles.

February 19, 2015 at 8:57 pm #1023563

Alcova cyclist
Participant

As a noob to FS (though an on-and-off cycle commuter for years), it’s been an interesting evolution for me and my family.

My spouse actually got a little mad the first few times I went on a late-night sleaze ride (or proper ride) in “marginal” conditions. Now she just knows it’s par for the course. For that matter, both of us have completely re-calibrated what we believe are “marginal” conditions. Today is a good example: I biked in to work without a second thought, where pre-FS I wouldn’t have even considered it — and if I had my spouse would have demanded a call or text as soon as I reached my destination because ice/cold.

My kids ask about the team standings and various side-bets, etc. I think my 15-yo might participate next year. I think (hope?) my kids also get that biking to work every day (for me anyway) is a way to “walk the walk” about the climate and resource issues that I tell them are important. [insert global warming / polar vortex joke here]

But most of all, I think they see me healthier and happier now that I have committed to biking most every day.

February 19, 2015 at 9:01 pm #1023565

Powerful Pete
Participant

Well, my family now supports my unhealthy BAFS habit… I share the FS leaderboards with my daughters and they are psyched when I/the Busters move up in the standings and console me when I/the Busters slide down in the rankings.

Also, the younger one is excited about bike commuting to school and has now become my light battery charger professional (she plugs in my headlights and helmet lights and checks the charge before going to sleep).

The older one tells me I am weird. But that’s what teenagers are for, isn’t that the case?

February 19, 2015 at 9:03 pm #1023566

rcannon100
Participant

@Powerful Pete 108916 wrote:

The older one tells me I am weird. But that’s what teenagers are for, isn’t that the case?

Yes, but what’s really important is, what do your girls think about the NBA draft?

February 19, 2015 at 9:03 pm #1023567

KayakCyndi
Participant

Mr. Kayakcyndi thinks I’m nuts. He thinks that about the rest of you all too!

February 19, 2015 at 9:10 pm #1023569

Powerful Pete
Participant

@kayakcyndi, irrelevant point.

My wife has shared my BAFS riding with the rest of the family, and they are certain I am nuts.

All of our non hard core cycling significant others think we are nuts. They might be polite and not tell us, but that’s what they really think, deep down.

February 19, 2015 at 9:29 pm #1023574

lordofthemark
Participant

My wife thinks it’s cute. But is very happy I am doing something about my health and weight. She is a bit less inclined to think its nuts than most, as she is a hardcore winter walker and sometime winter hiker.

My daughter has admired when I’ve told her I am riding and she knows it’s cold down here, but I don’t think I’ve really fully explained FS to her yet.

The concierges at my apartment complex know about it, though not by name.

February 19, 2015 at 9:31 pm #1023575

dbb
Participant

My wife is convinced I have gone off the deep end.

To be completely truthful, she was of that mind before I began cycling as well. She just sees BAFS and the NBC as additional confirmation.

February 19, 2015 at 9:59 pm #1023580

vvill
Participant

My wife/kids don’t really see it that differently from the rest of my cycling, although I’ve never gone that deep into the specifics of how FS works. It is calibrated though that I can go for a ride at any time of day in any conditions and it’s no big deal.

February 20, 2015 at 12:08 am #1023592

Vicegrip
Participant

Wife thinks I am nuts but that was well before FS. My kids are in the 10 / 11 year old range and my son asks me every day where I am in the standings. Both kiddos think it is pure “awesome” that dad rides in anything. Work people (automotive) cannot fathom the concept. Most are so overloaded with “What?!” that they cannot even form an expressible opinion.
I get a kick out of trying to explain BAFS to non riders. “Well, it is a silly game that is online but not online as everyone plays by riding days and miles and we sprinkle in pointless prizes. It is bike riding outside but tracked on a offshoot of a local bike commuter website that was self built by…..” This is about the point they they glaze over or give me the “Wut?!” look. Pure win.

All in all the comments from those around me regarding my riding and health are positive.

February 20, 2015 at 2:06 am #1023601

ShawnoftheDread
Participant

Wife just a few minutes ago: “could you promise me to just ride halfway tomorrow?”

Me: No, of course not.

She: “okayyy.”

February 20, 2015 at 2:25 am #1023606

rcannon100
Participant

Just ride to coffee, and stay there all morning!

February 20, 2015 at 3:16 am #1023611

dasgeh
Participant

Don’t get me started on work people. I get a lot of “surely you didn’t bike today” to which I respond “of course I did”
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