Advice on getting more km's with baby in the house

[jamesn184]

One of those things will never touch my road bike :p

[Venus62]

Classic knee-jerk reaction. Riding a bicycle on the roads is sooooo dangerous

It may be a knee jerk reaction but while I'm prepared to risk my own safety, I would never forgive myself if something happened to the precious cargo within one of the carriages. To me it just isn't worth the risk, no matter how small.

[RonK]

You have discovered what generation after generation if fathers before you did - once the kids arrive, many of the activities we previously enjoyed become well-nigh impossible. It can be very difficult to reconcile being a good parent and finding any time for yourself.

As the kids get older you may be able to share some interests, and eventually they grow up and branch out on their own.

Then you may rediscover some of your former interests, and you'll probably be able to afford to do them properly, but of course you will be accused of having a mid-life crisis.

[Venus62]

Every parent needs some "me" time. As long as you offer your wife some much needed time off as well while you look after the baby, everyone will be better off. It just not be as much as you had previously.

[rkelsen]

To answer the OP: As mentioned above, riding to work is a great way to spend some guilt-free time in the saddle, and probably the only way to put some real km down.

My eldest just turned 5 recently (school this year! ) and so I bought a tag-along like this one: http://www.bikes.com.au/p/291982/pacific-trailer-bike.html. It's heavy, but at least we can go out for more than a few km without having to worry about her becoming too tired.

The other thing I do is to use my bike for running errands, emergency milk runs, etc.

[find_bruce]

It may be a knee jerk reaction but while I'm prepared to risk my own safety, I would never forgive myself if something happened to the precious cargo within one of the carriages. To me it just isn't worth the risk, no matter how small.

While I understand the sentiment, it is a function of not recognising "normal" risks and overstating unusual risks.

You might think you are safe on the footpath - nope sorry, cars mount footpaths and kill children in prams & on foot. Perhaps they would be safer sitting in a solidly built brick child-care centre. Unfortunately cars have driven through the front walls and killed children.

The far more dangerous hidden dangers is is clearly demonstrated by the figures in Annual loss recorded: a year in the life death Of 143,473 deaths in Australia in 2010, 39 people died on bicycles, compared to 21,708 from coronary heart disease, 3,945 from heart disease, 221 from drowning, including 10 drowned in a bath.

Part of the distorted perception is what is newsworthy - 2 deaths by croc are newsworthy, 2,359 suicides are not.

[Venus62]

It may be a knee jerk reaction but while I'm prepared to risk my own safety, I would never forgive myself if something happened to the precious cargo within one of the carriages. To me it just isn't worth the risk, no matter how small.

While I understand the sentiment, it is a function of not recognising "normal" risks and overstating unusual risks.

Yep, I completely understand. I have friends from overseas who will not swim in the ocean for fear of sharks... This is just my opinion on something I would not feel comfortable doing. I try to minimise avoidable risks when I can as long as it doesn't become a phobia.

[drubie]

Skip the trailer and negotiate with your spouse like a grown up. Offer to take over the laundry 100% for example

[il padrone]

Classic knee-jerk reaction. Riding a bicycle on the roads is sooooo dangerous

It may be a knee jerk reaction but while I'm prepared to risk my own safety, I would never forgive myself if something happened to the precious cargo within one of the carriages. To me it just isn't worth the risk, no matter how small.

LIFE is a risk.

To deny taking calculated risk (yes, even taken on behalf of a child, as a good parent does.... must) is to deny life. Many, many (far too many) have taken on this 'parental paranoia' thing in the past 20 years and it is not doing our next generation any favours at all.

To me it just isn't worth the risk, no matter how small.

So you don't take your kids out driving? Don't let them play team games like basketball, footy, rugby? Don't leave them in the care of other family members? OMGosh, how could you let them go off to school Risks are everywhere..... just isn't worth the risk no matter how small ???

On my part, I have included my children in our cycling activities, from the time they were safe to sit up in a trailer (about 10-12 months) and they have accompanied us on many tours - day-length and later on mutli-day camping tours. We have had no concerns about traffic risks, but of course we choose exactly where and when we ride to have the best experience. Today they are 19 and 21 years old. My son will be joining me on a 6 day tour through the Otways and Port Campbell coast starting on Thursday and he really enjoys his cycling. My daughter has her own life, but did complete a 19 day tour of Tasmania last summer. Our tours are all self-sustained BTW, no support cars.

[booge]

I don't think we'll agree on the trailers on roads thing. I (formerly did lots more, hence the thread!) ride road, mtb trails, or bike paths. No issue with safety for myself, but i work in a profession that deals directly with the worst drivers while they're at their worst and seeing carnage they've caused. I choose to ride on the road, a toddler doesn't get to choose. The odds of something happening are very minimal i agree, but you've got the kid at the rear as a nice buffer between you and every car coming from behind.
Anyway, the forums are good for us all to vent!

[Venus62]

So you don't take your kids out driving? Don't let them play team games like basketball, footy, rugby? Don't leave them in the care of other family members? OMGosh, how could you let them go off to school Risks are everywhere..... just isn't worth the risk no matter how small ???

You are clearly taking this very personally. I can assure you I am not a "helicopter" parent. In MY case, MY decision NOT to place my child in a carriage behind a bicycle on the road did not effect either my nor their quality of life. If you feel differently, good for you.

[ozstriker]

Jeez this thread makes me realise I have one hell of a woman.

I'm the proud dad of a one yr old, and don't find it all that difficult to find time, and find it pretty unreasonable for people to give up there interests just because they have children, getting roasted by the wife for going out for a few hours on the weekend is ridiculous.

My tips wait until kiddies go to bed jump on the trainer round 8, most of us own lights so just go out anyway, get up early...

[il padrone]

So you don't take your kids out driving? Don't let them play team games like basketball, footy, rugby? Don't leave them in the care of other family members? OMGosh, how could you let them go off to school Risks are everywhere..... just isn't worth the risk no matter how small ???

You are clearly taking this very personally.

Not personal at all. I've just observed, over the life of my children, the withdrawal of kids from the streets all over our suburbs. We were at least lucky enough that we had a trailer in the early days of their introduction to the market, before any bureaucratic restrictions were applied. Still waiting for the time when ideas as you espouse lead to them being banned

I made a choice about my kids and our cycling (my wife is a keen cyclist too), when on a Great Melbourne Bike Ride (10,000 rider mass day ride) a lady riding near me, at slow speed (<15kmh) hooked a tram track and fell off. She was fine, stepped off the bike, but her son in the kiddy-seat was not. The bike fell and his head crashed onto the pavement. He had a helmet on so was OK, but screamed from the shock nonetheless. I decided that kiddy-seats were just 'not worth the risk' - MY decision - so our choice for including the kids in cycling was going to be a trailer.

We used the trailer with care, but you have to ride on roads, even when there is a bike path down the street. In use I soon discovered that it stands out to drivers like dog's balls and we never had any concerns about placing the kids in it. Talking of the kids being a bumper to traffic is just simple scare-mongering - please don't do it. Talk of 'risks' and 'no risk no matter how small' is just ignoring the risk in the rest of the life we live.

As I said, just describing my POV. No personal grief involved Of course everyone makes their own personal choices - I'm just suggesting that decisions based on risks should be made on a rational basis, with some awareness of how to manage any risks.

[jacks1071]

This will apply to any dads on here. What tips/advice can you give on getting more bike time with a baby in the house? Ours is 10months now, hardly ride now as we're more time poor, doesn't help that I'm also a shift worker. With the good weather it's killing me seeing people out for their ride!

Baby sittings never been so much fun:



http://www.chariotcarriers.com.au/

Baby needs to be strong enough to hold their head up which for my kids was around 12 months. Kids pretty much fall asleep in the back pretty quick. Its pretty rare I've had to pull up with a crying baby.

Looks like the price has come down a lot, I paid over $2k for my CX-2 about 4-5 years ago.

[_mike_]

I've been taking my little girl in one of these since she was 10months old: http://www.weeride.com.au/ . Much better alternative to a trailer IMHO and cheaper. Only downside is your knees stick out a little to the side. I paid the deluxe version ~$180. I set it up on my mrs mountain bike and done plenty of hills / intervals with her aboard. Once her speach developed and i up the pace a little its always "ha ha faster da-da". She loved it from the first ride and is addicted to everything 2 wheels like her dad Shes now 2.5yrs (16kg) and i still use it today

Since i cant commute to work i dont get a week day ride in since my wife went back to work. I bought a stationary trainer (jetblack fluid z1) and use that once or twice during the week. It hurts / boring / and makes you sweat a lot but its a good workout. There's better alternatives out there but it does the job.

Hope this helps
Mike

[iaintas]

I have a 9month old and am a shift worker, usually work either 0730 to 1600 or 1400 to 2230. my days off and late shift days starts with a 0600 wake-up along with the baby, i babysit until the bub is due for a sleep at about 0800, put her down to bed and go out for 2hour ride, this gives my wife a sleep in until about 0900. I am home by 10 and then start dad duties for the few hours before i head off to work.

On my early shift i wake up at 0500 and park a bit closer to work but then ride the long route so this gives me a 60km round trip and doesn't impact my travel time by much (as by the time i drive through traffic and park and then walk to work it only ads about 15min each way). In summary i get up early ride in poor weather when i need to and make sure my wife is allowed time to either have a sleep or do her own thing for at least an hour or two a day. Enjoy your new family member!

[tubby74]

Seems like most folks here are early birds but I find riding time during the week later at night. Home from work 6-7, time with the kids then I do bath and stories and put them to bed. About 9pm after all is done and I get out for a couple of hours. Olympic park is empty of cats and cyclists then so it's a very peaceful time.
Mtb time can be harder to arrange, tht either up before dawn on a weekend to be home by 930 or I'll get ahead in my work, pull some late nights and then give myself the day off.

[skull]

I prefer early morning due to less traffic on the roads compared to the evening

[Joltman]

Right at the moment with a pretty fresh newborn in the house ( 3 weeks old ). It's looking like ill only get to ride to/from work for a while. Not fair to the misses to leave her with the little one during the day when she has done all the night feeds and let me sleep through the night. Will be interesting to see how things go once sleeps are longer than 4 hours.

[warthog1]

I commute about 2-3 times per week when I'm working a morning shift, but it's only a 16km round trip.

Does it have to be just a 16km round trip though? I change my route so that it takes an hour for a day shift and 1.5 hrs to work on a night shift. I have plenty of routes worked out so that I can change it up as required.

The commute option is the best solution I reckon so long as you can change the route and have shower facilities.