I'm a little late to the discussion, but thought I'd add my two bits anyway.

Your conversation with your mom sounds like me and my son. Family dynamics can be tricky. He thinks he knows what airplane we should fly on when we go on vacation, where we ought to live, and what kind of dog we should have. Anyway, it sounds like things are working out ok with her bike, and I'm glad.

So here's my story. I had an old bike in the garage when we moved here eight years ago. I was 50. I hadn't ridden it for years because previously we lived in the city and it was too darned scary to ride in traffic. I was fat and out of shape. I rode the old bike, but I couldn't get it up the hill that we live on. I live in Central Illinois. It wasn't much of a hill. This was discouraging, and I didn't do it very often.

My son left his mountain bike here for storage, so I gave that a try. I could ride it up the hill! DS is short; the fit wasn't awful. I began to see that it could be fun. Maybe. Then DS took his bike back.

I rode DH's bike occasionally, a Giant hybrid, bought at the LBS, which he used for commuting. It could make it up the hill too. But he's taller, I couldn't reach the ground, and it had those darned cages over the pedals that scared me because I imagined myself getting stuck and toppling over. DH does most of his riding in the basement on a stationary bike while he plays video games. Not my choice, but he's fit, and his doctor is happy.

2+ years ago DH bought me a bike at the other LBS. It's a Specialized hybrid with a woman's frame, and it fits me. I started to ride a bit more. But I didn't have anyone to ride with, and at that stage, I felt a little lonely. I didn't make it a habit, but I did enjoy an occasional ride, and once in a while I rode to work.

We got a cheapo Schwinn tandem, also at the LBS. This might not be the best bike. Far from it. I think it's comparable to your mom's in quality probably. But we could ride together. He couldn't "drop" me. There was a bit of a learning curve, but we started having fun with that too.

Then we got a dog in a moment of madness at the Humane Society, an Australian Cattle Dog, a dog that needs a lot of exercise. More than my old knees could manage. I bought a device that connects the dog to the bike, and we started regular rides together. Bob (the dog) wasn't going to let me forget or make excuses, and pretty soon I actually wanted to ride, even on cold winter mornings. It wasn't just something I had to do because it was good for me. Before long we were up to 5-6 miles per ride, 4-5 times a week. Sometimes I ride alone now, without Bob, so I can go faster and farther, and because I just like it.

Last month DH and I went on a bike and barge trip in Belgium and Holland. I kept up with the group, bicycling about 30 miles per day on a big old heavy Dutch bike, and I felt great, even had energy to spare for being a tourist at the end of the day. My knees feel much better. I have a lot more muscles. And my resting heart rate has dropped considerably. I'm still too heavy, but I think I'm ready to work on that. I can't go much faster until I do.

Now we're planning to try some of the local rides, maybe on the tandem, maybe separately. I know 30 miles on the flat is easy enough, so maybe 60-some would make a good new goal. Maybe we'll upgrade the tandem, when we decide to take it beyond the bike trail. I've been commuting to work a little bit, and DH came home yesterday with a "Euro-style" bike. He went to exchange a pair of gloves that fell apart on the trip, and saw a used Trek bike with fenders, a full chain cover and lights. He's planning to extend his bike commuting into the winter, and to ride in the rain. It weighs a ton, but he thinks he'll stay drier, and his pants won't get greasy.

I second all the advice about being positive. It sounds like you already have managed to make that shift, and you've patched things up with your mom, and she with you. It's irritating when people won't do what you know would be best for them, but everyone's got to make their own decisions, and the rest of us sometimes just have to live with it and make the best of it.

I hope you enjoy some nice rides with her, that's a blessing.

Kris