Your Cycling Supporters

[paigette]

This is inspired by a convo I had with my dad last night. He kept asking me about my bikes & we ended up comparing cycling costs to his fishing costs. After the convo, he was like "It's pretty cool you found something that interests you this much".

Anyway, I have a family who understand that I love biking, but most roll there eyes when I mention how much it costs to do it. LOL, my mother went insane when I told her that I paid $50 for a headlight......and even more crazy when I explained $50 was the low-medium end for lights

Who mentally supports your love of cycling?

[Bikingmomof3]

This is inspired by a convo I had with my dad last night. He kept asking me about my bikes & we ended up comparing cycling costs to his fishing costs. After the convo, he was like "It's pretty cool you found something that interests you this much".

Anyway, I have a family who understand that I love biking, but most roll there eyes when I mention how much it costs to do it. LOL, my mother went insane when I told her that I paid $50 for a headlight......and even more crazy when I explained $50 was the low-medium end for lights

Who mentally supports your love of cycling?

My DH, my three boys, and the wonderful women here. Everyone else thinks I am nuts.

[NJBikeGal]

Despite lovingly referring to me as his "Bike Dork," my DH completely supports my insane love of biking!! He's actually really excited that I will be racing with a women's team in the spring and he'll be able to come to the races to watch...although this may have something to do with a lot of women in spandex pants....hmmm..

[SheFly]

LOL, my mother went insane when I told her that I paid $50 for a headlight......and even more crazy when I explained $50 was the low-medium end for lights

Tell your mom that my new light was $299 - that should floor her .

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.

This summer, my parents were visiting and before they came had mentioned that they were interested in watching us race. We had a crit on the Sunday of their visit (at least that's somewhat more entertaining to watch than a road race), so I asked them to come. The response I got was that it was too early for them. They stayed home, and DH and I went off to race. I was pretty upset by it.

Thankfully, DH is as addicted as I am, so he totally supports my habit . My teammates and friends are also supportive, as are all the women here at TE!

SheFly

[GLC1968]

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.

Mine too. My parents live off one of the deadliest roads in Florida and they just can't fathom that we feel safe biking on road where there are cars. They were supportive of the big MS ride...but they don't 'get' the century/long ride thing and I haven't even told them that I commute yet. It's just too much for them. I can't even imagine how they'll react to my desire to race! I basically just leave it out of our conversations altogether.

My friends are fairly supportive, if somewhat indifferent. We just talk about other stuff most of the time. Coworkers get the cycling...they just don't get the commuting in the cold and dark.

And DH is as nuts about it as I am...so there is super support there!!

[Bad JuJu]

Like NJBikeGal's dh, mine sometimes acts like he thinks I'm nuts with all this cycling, but most of the time, he's proud to tell people about my weekly mileage and the touring I've done. I'm overweight, too, so I think he likes seeing people's faces as they register surprise that his short, overweight, 50+-year-old wife can finish, for example, a 50-mile ride with energy to spare.

Friends are supportive, but not all that interested. They encourage me, but they don't want to hear about it that much. Two neighbors used to be that way, but they recently got bikes (other than cheap neighborhood cruisers) so they're coming around to my way of thinking. It's gratifying when they come over to ask me a cycling-related question. Not that I'm any expert, but compared to total newbies, I do know a little something about the sport.

Now that I'm riding with a club on Saturdays, I'm starting to make some more cycling friends. But nothing beats the support I find right here on these forums!

[paigette]

But nothing beats the support I find right here on these forums!

I completely agree. BTW, my DAD actually found these forums when I first bought Oscar.

LOL, it's nice to see everyone's spouse is supportive & hooked....I guess this means I should patrol group rides & bike shops for a hubby (just kidding....sort of)

[GLC1968]

LOL, it's nice to see everyone's spouse is supportive & hooked....I guess this means I should patrol group rides & bike shops for a hubby (just kidding....sort of)

This is my exact argument to get my single girlfriends into biking!!

1) the ratio of men to women is WAY in our favor for 'shopping'
2) you get to check out the goods in lycra before you buy
3) you can use bike cost to gauge spending habits and/or salary!

They aren't buying into my theories though....

[SouthernBelle]

My cutest supporter is my 96 y.o. neighbor. If he sees me riding in, he'll ask about miles. If he sees me puttering in the garage, he'll come to chat.

[kaybee]

Well, you ladies are the greatest support network a girl could want! Besides y'all, there's hubby, who not only supports but encourages me. With no family within 700 miles, I have the luxury of not having to explain much, and the few friends I have locally are just as interested in staying fit as I am. As for coworkers, that's another story!

KB

[TrekJeni]

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

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!

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. 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

[Haudlady]

DH is #1 - he has been a cyclist for about 20 years (in one form or another - he used to freestyle {aka "flatland"} in Junior High ). He is really excited that I am involved in the sport, but keeps checking to make sure I am doing it because I think it's fun - not because he's happy to have me on two wheels! Yup - I'm doing it for me!

My Dad and Stepmom are very supportive, too - but they are that way about anything I do. My Mom is good, but has a habit of saying "that's nice, but are you (riding your horses, spending time with your husband...)?"

DH's cycling friends are good, too, and happy to include me! Of course, DH's main riding partner was funny... I was proudly announcing that I had hit 375 miles (I only started in July, and got my road bike on 9/24). He said "that's great! I have about 4000 miles so far this year." Um, thanks Rob. Ah well... he means well! Besides, there's always next year.

My poor Grammy, though, does nothing but worry. "Are you sure it's safe, deah? I hope you're careful of the cahs! Maybe you should stay in the yahd!" Yes, Gram, I'm careful (didn't she think that horseback riding was dangerous? I guess she just got used to that)!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

We must remember that our parents were raised in another generation, a very different time when bikes were old fashioned and vaguely unladylike, cars were modern and the preferred mode -a symbol of success. Women were disapproved of if they spent a lot of time galavanting about for their own benefit. You were supposed to be there at home, hot dinner on the table when children came home from school and husband came home from work. Improving yourself meant learning to sew, baking for the church bake sale, taking a shorthand course, or joining the PTA.
I can imagine how dismayed some older people might be at their daughter spending lots of money and energy focusing on a pursuit that to thme may seem selfish and frivolous. We should try to make some allowances for their outdated viewpoints, while still helping them to "get with the times".

[Haudlady]

Women were disapproved of if they spent a lot of time galavanting about for their own benefit. You were supposed to be there at home, hot dinner on the table when children came home from school and husband came home from work.

I don't know if this was partially in response to my comment that my mom says "that's nice but are you spending enough time with your husband." Oh dear! Can I just say that my Mom is only 53! It's funny, actually, but my Gram, at 74, is more modern in her attitude than my Mom is!

Boy oh boy... I am glad that the times have changed! DH does the cooking - I'm not very creative when it comes to food! (Okay, dear... do you want pasta tonight, or would you prefer cereal?)

[paigette]

DH does the cooking - I'm not very creative when it comes to food! (Okay, dear... do you want pasta tonight, or would you prefer cereal?)

LOL, my dad did all the cooking when I was growing up, he made sure to teach me! I actually like cooking, though, it's calming.

Oh, and my parents are 56(mom) & 53(dad).