Anyone make fun of you?

[ny biker]

Well I don't know what they might be saying behind my back, but no one in my family makes fun of me or hassles me about what I do. We all have different interests and it seems to work fine for us.

I guess I'm lucky.

[GraysonKelly]

Cycling has given me so much more confidence in myself and silenced a lot of the negative voices in my head. I don't really get made fun of, until people find out that I named my bikes. Anyway, there so much crap that I get for many other things, especially from my family, but I just keep riding. Like it said, it silences those voices. My coworkers make comments about the changes in my body and are awed that I ride where and how much I do, but they're really cool with it. I've even started advising some of them on what kind of bikes to get and where to start riding so they can get comfortable on their new bikes. That's a great feeling.
My sister and my mother, the most critical people I have ever met, really don't understand. My sister pokes fun because she thinks it's ridiculous that I put on this huge helmet and tighter clothes and ride for miles and miles and keep track of it on a bike computer. My mom is just critical of how my body is changing. She's been trying to get to me to turn into a stick person for years and while she thinks I look good, she thinks that I'm getting too many muscles blah blah. Like I said, I just ride to quiet the voices. And I love it so I don't really worry about it. I get made fun of more from other riders who don't like the fact that I was riding on the road with my mountain bike or because I don't have bike shorts yet or proper cycling shoes.
I jsut like to ride.
Don't listen to the voices. just enjoy yourself. It's a lot of fun.
Gray

[tennisgirl43]

My husband works at a papermill that's about a 10 mile bike ride from our house. Occasionally, he'll cycle to work and is ridiculed mercilessly. Of course, those who ridicule him are overweight and in bad health, and he is 5'8" tall, 150 lbs....hmmmm.....

He gets remarks like "Why are you trying to lose weight? You're skinny already" (He's not trying to lose weight) He generally tells them it's about his health. But still, he gets a lot of negative comments.

My 10 year old son just started riding his bike to school - less than a mile from us. He was afraid of being teased about wearing his helmet b/c "no one else ever does". Fortunately, the example of my hubby and me ALWAYS wearing our helmets, and telling him that pro cyclists always wear them, too, helped convince him. Oh, and telling him that actually, in Georgia it's a law for kids to wear a helmet and all those kids who aren't are breaking the law...he's all about being "legal" lol!!

Anyway, they get made fun of, but they keep cycling. So, good for them!

[surgtech1956]

Yes, I'm the ODD(or strange) one in my department at work, imagine what out of 60 people. Lets see, because, I ride a bike, kayak, do woodworking, have 7 cats & 2 dogs, ride a motorcycle and I'm gay. I guess I'm use to it, doesn't bother me, I do my own thing and I'm my own person.

[Susan126]

Quite the opposite concerning my family. My sisters were always amazed, jealous, in awe and now one and now the other bought bikes and are trying to get into cycling. I am now getting emails, phone calls, and messages on my home phone, cell phone, and computer on subjects as varied as "saddles", "what type of bike is right for me", "how do I find good roads/trails in my area", "how do you work up to 20, 30, 50, 100 miles", "when you come visit me we will have to go riding together", and from my sister in Iowa . . . maybe some day we could do the RAGRAI together! What have I created?!!!

[Blueberry]

Well....my mother and my grandmother constantly tell me that "I'm gonna have a heart attack" riding my bike. Nope - doc has cleared it and I have no risk factors. I keep telling them I ride so I won't have a heart attack. It hasn't sunk in yet.

CA

[bikerHen]

No one makes fun of me for riding, but sometimes I think they are probably puzzled..."116.9 miles in one week-end? But she's so fat...."

Barbara

I've had two complete strangers ask me about bike riding as I am coming and going from work. As the conversation progresses about how much I ride, where, etc., both have asked why I'm so fat if I ride so much. I've also gotten the comment, " gee your a really strong rider for someone so heavy" It does kinda sting. I just know they are looking at me and thinking no way she rides that much . . . It bugs the heck out of me that I am still so overweight and a bit of a mystery too. But I still keep plugging away at it. Although I sometimes get the whole "why bother" mentality. But, I'm hooked on cycling and my daily commuting. It's good for me. Even if I'm not losing weight, I enjoy it! bikerHen

[Miranda]

Well, let's see...

Anytime I drive my vehicle down a road I ride my bike on, I can't stop visualizing the bike (I kinda space out and forget I'm suppose to be concentrating on driving).

I love spin class inside, any music I hear, I can't stop thinking about what my cadence would be to the beats per minute of the tune.

And my screen saver on my cell phone is a drop on a mtb trail I ride that I have chickened out all season going down it... it's there to stare at me every day in the face until I ride it like I own it.

Sooo... nope, from where I see it, things like having night time dreams about your bike is perfectly normal.

[Meaux]

I get a lot of "Really? You ride a bike? YOU did the MS150 and finished??" Yeah, I do and I did.

I have noticed that a lot of people are negative to you when you are doing something you really love and are happy about. I have started a new career path in my life, and some people have been...less than supportive.

Maybe they are jealous that you are doing something that makes you happy and they are unhappy. Convince them to get a bike and see how they like it.

[Grog]

I've had two complete strangers ask me about bike riding as I am coming and going from work. As the conversation progresses about how much I ride, where, etc., both have asked why I'm so fat if I ride so much. I've also gotten the comment, " gee your a really strong rider for someone so heavy" It does kinda sting. I just know they are looking at me and thinking no way she rides that much . . . It bugs the heck out of me that I am still so overweight and a bit of a mystery too. But I still keep plugging away at it. Although I sometimes get the whole "why bother" mentality. But, I'm hooked on cycling and my daily commuting. It's good for me. Even if I'm not losing weight, I enjoy it! bikerHen

Maybe one day if you need to shut someone down, you could tell them: "Funny that you ask. Actually I really struggle to keep the weight ON because I love going downhill FAST so much."

I've seen you ride. You're WAY fitter than a lot of skinny people.

[Aint Doody]

I ditto Grog on that score, Bikerhen. And you're a lot of fun, too.

[pardes]

At first everyone thought it was cool, an old lady lab manager riding her bike to work. They never expected it to last.

Then they got sullen when I rode in the rain.

They they snickered among themselves that I didn't ride the 50 yards from the bus stop to the lab door. (It took longer to put on the helmet, reattach the panniers, and dodge traffic than it took to walk the bike 50 yards.) Of course they assumed that meant I was tiring of biking....

Then they saw Amazon boxes arriving with winter riding gear.....

Some are still very supportive but even they think it's just very very very odd.

I shrug and ride on. It makes me feel good, no it makes me feel GREAT to ride a bike, to leave the car behind, to reacquaint myself with weather and day length and seasonal changes up close and personal.

I have yet to find a single down side to riding a bike but then, it's all in one's attitude.

So just smile like Mona Lisa with your secret that you've tried to share and which fell on deaf ears.

[GLC1968]

My parents used to worry about my riding "on the roads" as if that was so much more dangerous that riding on mountain trails! Obviously my family has never seen me on a mountain bike - that's the only time I ever get hurt! I'm a menance on studded tires!

No one I know thinks I'm weird for riding (at least, not that they've told me!). In fact, I used to get lots of people telling me that I was an inspiration to them at my last job. As word gets out how far I commute now, I'm finding that people are starting to think the same thing...I'm some sort of inspiration.

I think it's because I'm female, I'm overweight, and I'm just a regular person. I figure they are probably thinking that if I can do it, so can they. It pleases me to no end!

[pardes]

Certain family members seem to think what I'm doing is a waste of time. They just don't get it. I'm not sure I do either, but I dream about riding. I dream about my bike. I love reading what people talk about here.

Wilda--I forgot to directly reply to you. The thrill of biking is indescribable. Just taking a three minute ride to the 7-11 just amazes me every time. It just feels good and those who haven't experienced true joy can't possibly understand until they've been there.

I don't think the feeling EVER goes away. (I still very vividly remember my very first bike ride when I was able to balance the bike....and that was 50 years ago.)

Isn't that an amazing gift and miracle to have found something so pleasing on so many levels!

[gingerale]

My friends seem to admire me for getting out there and riding which is nice. I'm lucky. Everyone has been really supportive, in a they think I'm sort of crazy for trying to ride across the state of Iowa kind of way. LOL!

I also ride my bike to my workout place and do a class there every day and they think it's funny that I ride to work out. LOL