New here, and trying to pick a "pregnant" bike!

[TigerMom]

Thank you everybody for your help!

I really do think a comfort bike will be more conducive to riding about with my kids, especially if I need a seat or a trailer to ride occasionally. I just need to spend another day or two looking.

I could easily pass a bike to either of my older daughters if I decide I no longer need it anymore. My older daughter is 13 and just a hair short of 5'9" so she would fit my same bike right off the bat. Plus, I can always send it to college with her in four years if I really need an upgrade at that point!

I'm not totally sure I need a road bike of any type yet. I want to jump in on a bike I really like to ride right now and see how it goes. But I would like to have the option to ride with my husband someday, and for sure he wouldn't be able to go slow enough for me on a pokey bike. Plus, I know the flat bar road bikes aren't "real" road bikes, but it was so fun to zip around fast on the few I tried!

I bet pulling a trailer with two kids develops a lot of muscle. I need to get some built or teach the soon-to-be three year old to ride a bike.

So now I just need to figure out if the Ventures are everything I need in a comfort bike or if there is something else out there that would suit my needs better. I have a list made already from the suggestions here. I'll have to find a day to get out of town and ride some again.

I want to add the Specialized VITA on your list then

[merrysmom]

The Vita! Thank you! I remembered a bike I road at a shop in Cedar City that I really liked and could NOT for the life of me remember the name- that was it! It was more in the style of bikes I'm thinking to add next summer. But I need to keep it on my list. I also road the Ariel at that shop and it was fun, too.

Part of my problem is that I'm forgetting what I like since my visits to bike shops are so far apart. It's always as we drive through a city on the way to somewhere and we're usually rushed and sometimes dragging the kids. It's hard to compare bikes when I forget what I liked about one by the time I try the next one.

[withm]

I just can't figure out a way to get one bike that does everything I want. That's why I was thinking maybe a two bike system would be nice.

Simply put, you can't. That is why we all have so many bikes.

[merrysmom]

Simply put, you can't. That is why we all have so many bikes.

See? I knew I wasn't crazy. I had that epiphany yesterday. My sweet husband said he was sure I would be happy with any bike I picked and that I should just choose one. I told him I was pretty sure I could be happy with any bike if I could choose two. He spoils me, so he happily agreed. Luckily we live on 17 acres with outbuildings and garages that used to house my grandpa's tractors so bike storage isn't an issue. If we want, we can have a literal bike stable!

[ny biker]

Part of my problem is that I'm forgetting what I like since my visits to bike shops are so far apart. It's always as we drive through a city on the way to somewhere and we're usually rushed and sometimes dragging the kids. It's hard to compare bikes when I forget what I liked about one by the time I try the next one.

Put a small note pad in your purse, or take a blank piece of 8x10 paper, write "BIKE NOTES" at the top, fold it and put it in your wallet. Use it to jot down a few notes before you leave each shop. Use your phone to take photos of bikes that you try, including close-ups of the tag with the model name and price. Even if you're in a rush and the kids are cranky, you can still write the name of the bike and something quick like "LIKED IT" or "HATED IT."

(I had to take this approach when I was planning a kitchen renovation and visiting various stores to look at things like cabinets and tile and flooring materials. It really helped my overloaded brain to keep track of things.)

[merrysmom]

Put a small note pad in your purse, or take a blank piece of 8x10 paper, write "BIKE NOTES" at the top, fold it and put it in your wallet. Use it to jot down a few notes before you leave each shop. Use your phone to take photos of bikes that you try, including close-ups of the tag with the model name and price. Even if you're in a rush and the kids are cranky, you can still write the name of the bike and something quick like "LIKED IT" or "HATED IT."

(I had to take this approach when I was planning a kitchen renovation and visiting various stores to look at things like cabinets and tile and flooring materials. It really helped my overloaded brain to keep track of things.)

That's brilliant. I am totally using my phone. I always think I will remember things, but I forgot how much brain power I lose when I'm pregnant. I swear I am throwing up brain cells along with most of my meals. I know I tried another Trek bike I really liked but the memory is gone.

The beauty of having two babysitting age kids is that it's pretty easy for my husband and I to slip away for a day. We just need to find a day without dance camp, piano lessons, football camp, baseball camp, volleyball camp, voice lessons, play practice, band practice... etc. Wish we were close enough to activities for the kids to ride bikes to them!

[Owlie]

That's brilliant. I am totally using my phone. I always think I will remember things, but I forgot how much brain power I lose when I'm pregnant. I swear I am throwing up brain cells along with most of my meals. I know I tried another Trek bike I really liked but the memory is gone.

The beauty of having two babysitting age kids is that it's pretty easy for my husband and I to slip away for a day. We just need to find a day without dance camp, piano lessons, football camp, baseball camp, volleyball camp, voice lessons, play practice, band practice... etc. Wish we were close enough to activities for the kids to ride bikes to them!

Another suggestion: When I worked at a bike shop, I used to write bike information on the back of a business card for people if they were shopping around. But the notebook seems like it would be easier to keep track of.

Good luck with shopping!

[merrysmom]

I finally made a decision! My husband patiently shopped with me at 11 different bike shops (many of them with three or four or five visits each) all over the state and patiently waiting while I rode (and rode and rode) every kind of bike. He even rode them for me to help give me another opinion. And I finally (FINALLY!) found the bike that felt just right!

I ended up buying the Giant Alight (which was the Escape until they changed the name for 2015.) (Here!) It looks like this:


Isn't it pretty? They were trying to put me on bigger bikes at the last store I shopped at because I'm fairly tall (5'8") but I couldn't even straddle the top bar unless I was on my tippy tippy toes- almost ballerina style. My legs are pretty short and my torso is longer. So I ended up with a medium, which feels good so far. It's hard to tell exactly how it will fit when my starting-to-get-in-the-way pregnant belly is gone. I know I have the seat lower than I should right now, since I am a bit nervous starting out and definitely want to be able to catch myself if I tip.

My husband and I went out on a quick 5 mile ride tonight and it was so fun! I wasn't sure I'd even be able to do one mile, but we just flew along. I'm going to need to sort out the (seemingly inevitable) behind discomfort, which isn't terrible, but a little sore, and find a way to position my body so my wrists aren't tired, but all in all I'm pleased at how easy it went. My form is definitely weird right now, but I can ride weird for a few months until the snow flies and then start fresh in the spring after baby is here.

Thanks SO much for all the help and assistance! I'm excited to have found such a friendly place!

[Jolt]

Congratulations and enjoy! I think I rode an Escape when I did a day tour of Boston/Cambridge once...seemed like a pretty nice hybrid.

[merrysmom]

Thanks! I really wanted to start on a hybrid so I could be more upright and keep an eye on my kids when we ride together, and be able to go on the occasional (fairly tame) gravel road with them. (Also being more upright is easier with my fat belly!)

I did some reading on the forum last night and found tips on positioning for less wrist pain. We just did our little five mile loop again, and my wrists barely started to bother me by the end. Keeping my arms more bent and fixing my seat slightly really helped!

Now I just need to keep going so I keep working on the backside, and work on not finding myself out of breath by mile 3... slightly embarrassing! I'm glad husband is patient and will ride whatever speed I need- he's just happy I'm riding with him.

Maybe I can ride enough that after baby gets here I'll weigh less than before I got pregnant? A girl can dream, right?