What do your kids or other family members think of your biking?

[dasgeh]

Don’t get me started on work people. I get a lot of “surely you didn’t bike today” to which I respond “of course I did”

[Bruno Moore]

My Chinese housemate’s mother is visiting. I walk in the back door—and between my WABA bike cap and other gear, it’s pretty obvious I’ve just come in from a ride. Mind you, it’s 12º outside, and, in my house, you can feel the draft and hear the wind whenever it blows. When it’s cold, you KNOW it’s cold. So to see someone walk in from a bike ride…

There were some questions (housemate translating) about my sanity. I had to pull up the Buff and pull down the brim of my cap to show how I made it the mile or so back from Proteus in the cold—but, even then, there were comments about my red ears. I’m not sure how well Freezing Saddles translates into Chinese, but housemate sure gave it a good shot. Her mother seemed to…well, “understand” is a strong word, perhaps, but close enough.

[oldbikechick]

Today my daughter declared that it was too cold to wait for the bus at the bus stop. Then she suggested that we ride our bikes instead!

We did not actually ride our bikes, but I appreciated the sentiment. Raising them up right…

[glennpstevens]

@Powerful Pete 108916 wrote:

The older one tells me I am weird. But that’s what teenagers are for, isn’t that the case?

The older one is obviously not wrong…

[elwbikes]

Aww, these are so heartwarming. Boyfriend thinks I’m a little crazy, but knows how much I love biking/BAFS.

[Mikey]

@ShawnoftheDread 108953 wrote:

Wife just a few minutes ago: “could you promise me to just ride halfway tomorrow?”

Me: No, of course not.

She: “okayyy.”

Just ride halfway and then ride back? makes sense

[Mikey]

My wife signed up and is on my team this year, which has helped motivate each other. Now I think my wife is jealous of me for getting to ride since her commute is mostly on FFX county sidewalks and sidepaths which are blocked by snow and ice. No matter how bad the MVT is it’s better than Little River Turnpike.

[jrenaut]

I’ll let you know what the kids think of my biking after I take them to school in 6F.

[ewilliams0305]

@dasgeh 108965 wrote:

Don’t get me started on work people. I get a lot of “surely you didn’t bike today” to which I respond “of course I did”

oh yess!, this is getting old! come on now it’s February and i’ve riding everyday since the beginning of summer. Are you really so daft that your still surprised and have to make the same comments everyday!

(all this while they stand outside smoking their cancer sticks freezing their nuts off)

[ewilliams0305]

My daughter gets it! she’s 10 and thinks I’m a super hero!

she goes to school and tells her teacher “my daddy road his bike 115 miles yesterday in 17 degrees”, we’ve since had a parent teacher conference of a different sort… The kind we’re someone if genuinely concerned for your mental well being… While she think I’m awesome, her friends definitely “know” I’m insane. They come over and see my bikes in the foyer dripping with slushy snow covered salt and literally role their eyes. I make them hot coco and suddenly I’m normal again.

I’ve decided not everyone needs to get it, not everyone needs to except that WE (bafs2015 participants) and tougher than they are. If they even have to ask the question WHY, they will never understand the answer!

[consularrider]

Well, we did get some nice comments from the Java Shack patrons this morning (those that didn’t think we were nuts, those we agreed with).

[jrenaut]

My wife thinks I’m crazy, but then again, she rode with us halfway until we split and one heads to school and the other to work. Biking is simply the best way for us to get to school and work, regardless of the weather.

The big difference this week has been other parents at school. I typically get a lot of questions about the bike, but this week I’ve been getting even more than usual. Maybe people are thinking, “wow, he’s really not messing around, maybe there’s something to this bike thing after all”. I’m quick to point out that good clothes can take care of most of the problems people have if your ride is on the short side.

The kids were fine this morning. We have our routine. They put on winter coats and gloves, snow pants, and balaclavas. We get to school and they leave helmets and snowpants with me so they don’t disappear at school, and we bundle back up in the afternoon. They sometimes will ask, “do we HAVE to take the bike today?” and we patiently explain that driving or busing to school is no fun for anyone, and they seem to accept that.

[worktheweb]

My wife has pretty much accepted that I’m going to ride if it is at all possible. I’ve been doing it long enough that the novelty of it all has worn off and she has seen that I’m not going to freeze to death. I think she does worry about my safety on ice and that the cold might get me sicker than other forms of transit. When she mentions my riding to her co-workers, evidently I am universally seen as either insane or a rule 5 sort of fellow. My toddler daughter seems to think it is really cool, and will frequently ask me if I am biking today. On nights where I’ve put in some miles for BAFS, if I go before she goes to sleep she wants to go too, but nighttime trailer rides for a two year old at 10°F might be a bit much for now … Co-workers used to be blown away by it, but now they just find it to be “normal” and will frequently ask if I biked in on a particularly cold day, although since the answer is almost always “Yes”, they don’t ask as much anymore.

[dasgeh]

Of course, if I think about it, I probably get more comments from friends & coworkers indicating I’m crazy for biking while pregnant than for biking in the cold.

[dkel]

@dasgeh 108965 wrote:

Don’t get me started on work people. I get a lot of “surely you didn’t bike today” to which I respond “of course I did”

This. I wish they’d shut up about it already.

[Author]

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