Newbie's question: What are you riding for?

[Technotart]

I never planned to get a bike...I bought one this spring because....well -

My son is a racer - he races all over the country for both a collegiate team and an amateur team. I always watched him and wished I could ride, but I just thought well, I'm too old, I'm too out of shape and I'm too busy. The last time I had a bike was when I was 15 years old. Im 42, I'm in grad school and I have 4 young adult/teens I am still raising in addition to a 3 year old. I don't have time to to go the gym I'm already a member of, let alone ride a bike.

Then...I received word that my oldest daughters best friend from high school was just diagnosed with MS. 22 years old. It just blew me away.

My son has done the MS 150 before, and of course he wanted to do it again. Then in January we found out that not only would he be taking final exams the week of the MS 150, but he would probbably also be racing in collegiate nationals that weekend. Well I couldnt not have SOMEBODY ride for Summer! (My daughters friend) I just couldn't stand the thought that no one would be riding in her honor. I mentioned under my breath to my husband that I wanted to do it. He didn't laugh - he outright GUFFAWED. Then he stopped and said if I really wanted to do it, he would be right behind me. SO I got a bike, I started riding about 2 mos prior to the event, and then made 94 mi on the event (In May). I even trained the ride marshals for first aid and raised 3k. I didnt plan on riding so much after MS 150, I figured I'd ride just once in awhile for fun but...

I got hubby a bike for his birthday in April just a few weeks before the MS 150, he didnt ride the event, but he set up the team tent and drove up and back and just was awesome support. Now he's hooked too. I took him out for his first street ride this past week - we had been riding trails together. He LOVED it and we had a BLAST!

Our little one rides a mountain train (a sort of 1/2 bike that hooks on the back of hubbys bike) behind us when we ride baths, and he loves it too. He is 3 and a 1/2 and rode 16 mi with us the week before last. He even has his own little camelback, bike gloves, jersey and tiny pair of chamois shorts.

My oldest dtr is a fixed gear type who flys around philly, she is 22. My oldest son doesn't ride, the third son rides 600 mi a week on his carbon fiber orbea. The 4th child - my 17 year old daughter, commutes by bike to work and school, but won't race - she would be AWESOME if she just would!

And now...my mom and dad are shopping for hybrids!

Now, I ride for fun, family, and fitness and I LOVE IT!!!!!