Cycling-visiting family & friends

[Crankin]

About 5 years ago, my sil came for a graduation. She is fairly active (A level tennis player, some mtb), but had gained some weight. We put her on the Voodoo, with slicks and I went out with her for a 13 mile ride.
It was torture for me. I remember I was getting over bronchitis and I still had to stop and wait for her every 5 minutes. But, we did it.

[tulip]

I always ride with my brother when I visit him or he visits me. We are in business together, so we bring our bikes to sites and go for rides after the meetings. My mother is a bike commuter and she likes to ride when she visits me, and we also go for rides at her house. I don't get to see them very often because they live a good 6-hour drive away, but there's always an extra bike and helmet around.

[limewave]

We never have visitors.

[chicagogal]

I took my mom and her SO on a bike ride when they came into town last month. They are both pretty active. She swims and walks, he used to be a runner, now bikes a little and walks. Neither of them has any extra weight. They said that they wanted to do "outdoor things" on their visit in order to "see the city". To me, this meant a bike ride. I asked them and they agreed enthusiastically (after I promised them that there are no hills in chicago). I regularly ride on the chicago lakefront path. This is a 36mi ride and usually takes me 2.5 hours. I figured that would be difficult for them, so decided for a truncated version of that route would be 20miles total with a stop for lunch in the middle.

Note that I was a little worried going into it when the morning of the ride my mom's SO suggested that I eat more than a banana before such a "long ride". Umm, I can handle 10mi at a slow pace before stopping for food . . .

I think our average speed for the first half of the ride was 7-8mph and when we stopped for luch after 10mi, they complained that their legs were too sore to climb the stairs into the restaurant we had chosen. On the 2nd half of our ride (the return trip) we probably averaged 5mp. We stopped 5 times along the way, I traded bikes with my mom because she thought mine was easier to ride, and even had to wait as my mom got off her bike to push it up a "hill". And by "hill" we are talking about climbing a few feet over 0.1miles.

Her SO "couldn't" wait for my mom when she started to hurt (and slow down), because his knee was bothering him so much that all he could think about was getting home.

While he have something to laugh about now, I don't think that I would do it again :-)

[badgercat]

I think encouraging (willing) visitors to cycle is great!

When my parents were considering buying a house in an "active adult community" out here in AZ earlier this summer we stayed in a guest house in the community and there were bikes+helmets in the garage for us to use! I tried to convince them to go for a spin, but they opted for the (also provided) golf cart or their (air conditioned) rental car most of the time, and since I would have stuck out like a sore thumb bicycling alone in a 55-years-old+ neighborhood, the bikes stayed in the garage. They were shiny Trek mtb's, too! What a shame. They are moving out here after all, though, so I'll work on them yet and hopefully get them traveling around their new neighborhood on two wheels rather than four! Better for the earth and their health.

It hasn't happened yet, but my former roommate may be coming to visit in a few weeks (*fingers crossed!* I don't want to jinx it ), and we're planning for her to ride my boyfriend's old mtb if/when she's here... it's from when he was a pre-teen, so the frame is a just a little smaller than any of his (or my) more current bike(s) (I only have one), so I think it'll be a reasonable fit for our slightly-shorter-legs-than-us friend.

I think we'd be cycling more as transportation around town than recreation, though--I don't have a car here, and while my boyfriend does have a vehicle, we try to drive as little as possible! I have no doubts that she'd be game, as we used to bike all over town back in Wisconsin. I seem to recall from my four years living there (and 18 years in Illinois before that) that it's often pretty chilly there by November... I'm counting on the cycling weather here in AZ being much more pleasant than in WI at that time. ;D

[shootingstar]

I I tried to convince them to go for a spin, but they opted for the (also provided) golf cart or their (air conditioned) rental car most of the time, and since I would have stuck out like a sore thumb bicycling alone in a 55-years-old+ neighborhood, the bikes stayed in the garage. They were shiny Trek mtb's, too! What a shame.

Just go cycling alone instead of waiting for others to join you. Your love of cycling should exceed whatever else other people think.

Don't assume that a 55+ community has absolutely no older residents cycling. I know several that fall beyond 60 yrs., who cycle alot and are highly active cycling advocates locally for many years.

Besides you might inspire 1-2 residents there...over time...

[badgercat]

Just go cycling alone instead of waiting for others to join you. Your love of cycling should exceed whatever else other people think.

Don't assume that a 55+ community has absolutely no older residents cycling. I know several that fall beyond 60 yrs., who cycle alot and are highly active cycling advocates locally for many years.

Besides you might inspire 1-2 residents there...over time...

My point was not so much about 55+ cyclists (and I did see a few while I was there!), but more that I'm 22 and was only visiting, my parents weren't even residents yet, and I'd heard a (probably unfounded, but I'm paranoid) rumor that some of the residents tended to be a little bit "ageist," so I was afraid of getting dirty looks from residents thinking I was some young invader causing trouble in their neighborhood.

I'm definitely planning on encouraging my parents to ride once they move in to their new house! And I'll gladly join them on two wheels! But for now, if I'm alone, I'll stick to cycling in my own neighborhood.