Your Cycling Supporters

My DH is my biggest supporter. He brags to the guys at work about the mileage I have, that I ride to work every day (even when it gets cold!), and that I rode over a hundred miles in one day (wait until the 400k brevet in May!). He loves to drive me to organized rides and has no problem waiting when I spend an hour in the bike shop comparing the stitching on two different messenger bags. He understands I need to be in motion, to be active or I will drive him nuts!

My family is pretty supportive, despite thinking I have lost my mind biking when there is snow on the ground. Well, a girl has to get to work!

My co-workers think I am fit for the looney bin. Yesterday the security guard was gobsmacked when I rolled up in 27 degree weather. What's the big deal? I was toasty!

My husband and sons are my supporters, along with the one couple who are our "cycling" friends. My 'regular" life friends don't really get it. They don't discourage me or make fun of me, but they probably would faint if they knew what we spent on cycling stuff. They spend their $ on other pursuits, so I guess they would understand. I just find that it's getting harder to relate to a couple of people who are really good friends. I force myself, because you never know what could happen in the future. I think it's more that people don't get the addiction to living a fitness/healthy oriented life. One co-worker recently just rolled her eyes and said to me, "That's all you're putting on your salad?", in reference to how much dressing I was using. We spend a lot of time with our cycling friends, including all of our recent vacations.
My dad lives in California. He's never been athletic, but he does ask about what I'm doing, although he thinks I'm nuts. My mom, who would have been 77, would have been my greatest supporter. She was active in high school sports (girl's intramurals) and always walked, swam, did floor work stuff. She taught me to ride, and I was a hopeless 9 year old! We would regularly walk 5 miles or so when they would visit us. Right before she died, she told me that i would have to find something to "do" with my husband, since my kids were entering their teen years. Well, I guess her advice paid off...
Seriously, I always thank my son for getting me (and my husband) into riding. Even though he can't ride now because he's in the military, he always asks about it, and I ask about his running. When he was home a couple of weeks ago, he went into the new LBS where I got my bike and he told the owner that if it wasn't for him, "my mom and dad would have never started riding."

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Originally Posted by SheFly

I've stopped sharing that kind of info with my parents - they just don't get it. Unfortunately, cycling is such a big part of my/our life/lives that it makes it difficult for us to have conversations sometimes. It can also lead to big disappointment. SheFly

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My mom doesn't get it either but then she's never been supportive of anything I've done. It was always, "you're not good enough to do that", kind of crap. Good thing I chose to ignore her! LOL Just broke up with BF of seven years and she was devestated. He was her smoking buddy (no one else in the family smokes). All our other friends and family said "what took so long?" since about the only thing we had in common after all those years was the fact we slept under the same roof! :D

BF was supportive at first, until it handicapped his ability to get rides to and from the bar to hang out with his buddies. Last straw (for me) was my wreck when he chose to stay at the bar and watch the Bengal's football game with "the boys" instead of come to the ER and wait with me to get stitched up. That's okay, as it was also the day that I realized I was in love with the manager of my LBS. :eek: Cool, cause he feels the same way and has for over a year and NEVER let on about it. Always had a professional relationship with me at the shop and when we rode together.

I would have never started biking without my gym rat buddy though. We have done countless charity rides and logged thousands of miles locally just riding around.

My boss runs marathons and thinks biking is way too expensive but understands the addiction to calling in sick during the winter when the temp gets above 65!

Jeni

My husband is my biggest supporter. He's great! Even when I have a bad ride and don't feel good and get all whiny, he's always telling me what a great job I'm doing and how I kicked that road's @$$.
We found a sponsor for our MS150 team, so that's financial support. This guy is also a really great guy. He's so enthusiastic and so enthralled by the fact that we're doing this ride.
My family is sort of a different story. My father-in-law cycled years ago and I think was inspired to get on the bike after DH and I started riding. Now he's be super competitive and sometimes a little mean and conceited about it. Sometimes I think that he thinks that since he rode 10+ years ago (but not since then) that he knows everything and that he's obviously better than us. Not that I have a problem taking advice, it's just the way that he gives it. He just acts like he invented the sport. It's incredibly frustrating, since I have been trying to look up to him as a father figure, and he can't be one.

My life partner... ny biggest supporter, fan and coach

My older two sons, cause they like to talk races with me and encourage and reassure my weight loss and fitness goals

My daughter, even though she doesn't ride

Three colleagues at work support me by being interested - but they also ride. The rest who can be bothered to remember I bike are more incredulous or think I'm slightly mad - neither of which are supportive.

My ma and pa - they have never been fit in their lives and have always assumed I would be the same. They are thrilled I have taken control of my fitness before I get any older and that my partner supports me - they support physically at events when they can and always take an interest.

I am very lucky in the man I have lived with for over 20 years and the children we are raising together

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Originally Posted by Offthegrid

Unfortunately I have no cycling supporters. In fact, I only know one other person who rides. She's a co-worker, but I don't know her very well. It makes it tough because I don't have anyone to ask to show me how to do mechanical things.

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Suggest a ride together after work or at lunch? I kept asking around at my last job until I found who owned the SUV with the bike on the back. We rode together a couple times before we left for other jobs.

At the current job, half my co-workers bike (or run), and we trade horror stories and advice. I got my bike to be more involved in my husband's bike habit (and my habit has a life of its own now), so he's very encouraging. Mom knows how important exercise is, so she's just thrilled.

My friends and family (that don't bike) have the same reaction as they do to my love of math -- they're mildly impressed, but they don't understand why I would want to. I feel the same way about climbing Everest. ;) No one has been negative. One friend couldn't understand why I turned down his offer to drive me and the bike home from the train. It was just a mile! And the rain was just spritzing! And if I stop for a day, I'm less likely to do it the next day.

-SJ

--SJ