Comments on RUN FASTER MOMMY!: Wanted: cycling guardian angel

That jersey is too cute. I might need one for runn...

2010-01-16T11:30:44.562-05:00

That jersey is too cute. I might need one for running. I'm so scared of riding a bike in traffic, actually scared of riding a bike at all, that it's keeping me from venturing into the world of Tris.

Me too, I'm terrified of road biking and that&...

2010-01-14T19:21:58.829-05:00

Me too, I'm terrified of road biking and that's going to be my biggest hang up as to whether or not I really ever tackle tri training. LOVE that pink bike though!

Congratulations on the decision to do a triathlon....

2010-01-14T17:39:01.043-05:00

Congratulations on the decision to do a triathlon. Good luck finding the perfect starter bike. I really want to make that leap as well. It is actually the swimming that freaks me out, since a lot of triathlons around here are in the ocean.

I am sure you will be fine. Maybe you can find a group to ride with (and put the odds in your favor j/k).

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

Heather--I've been doing triathlons for about ...

2010-01-14T17:11:37.270-05:00

Heather--I've been doing triathlons for about 12 years, although I've switched much of my racing to running the last couple of years. Anyhow, in that time I've witnessed the increase in traffic and the growth of aggressive driving. It is scary, no question, but...if you're gonna do tri's, it's part of the equation. Just take it slow and you'll start getting used to it. Even better is riding w/ others--definite strength in numbers. Good luck!

I'm just starting up my Team Fight fundraising...

2010-01-14T13:40:41.236-05:00

I'm just starting up my Team Fight fundraising and since you were my inspiration would you find would you mind linking into my Big Giveaway/Raffle?

http://runninaround.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/monday-funday/

Thanks!

exciting! i've never really ridden for exercis...

2010-01-14T10:49:56.091-05:00

exciting! i've never really ridden for exercise, but i did use to commute to work via bike. i def rode on the sidewalk on the busy road but thankfully that wasn't the majority of my ride (and there were only people on the sidewalk like twice over 4 months). eventually i started to get more comfortable about riding on the road but it is still scary! as a runner, i always slow down and move over for anyone out running/biking when i'm driving. hopefully everyone will catch on.

Great slogan suggestion! Good luck with the new ad...

2010-01-14T07:01:27.783-05:00

Great slogan suggestion! Good luck with the new adventure!

facebook is the devil. dont get all swept up in i...

2010-01-13T23:03:02.043-05:00

facebook is the devil. dont get all swept up in it ;) you will be fine on your big-girl bike ... go for it!

LMAO at your jersey slogan! go you for conquering...

2010-01-13T21:42:54.092-05:00

LMAO at your jersey slogan! go you for conquering that fear. I won't even try. (and therefore, will never tri either LOL).

MCM Mama

Yay for Tri! I have been wanting to do one for fo...

2010-01-13T21:07:57.970-05:00

Yay for Tri! I have been wanting to do one for forever, I must do one this summer. I too am terrified of the bike, and I just have a $150 Amazon.com one was well. What bikes are you looking at? Keep us in the loop, I know nothing about Tri bike shopping, how much they cost, what to look for, etc. When is the IronGirl you signed up for?

Finally, about the scary FB pages, I have to admit I curse bike riders often too, but I curse amateurs - usually college students or random people not wearing helmets and weaving in and out of traffic. These people want to be a bicyclist until its inconvenient to follow those rules, and that's what upsets me! Maybe a lot of those FB haters are like me? OR maybe they are evil! :-) Also, railstotrails.com is a good place to find trails to ride on with no traffic, though they are completely flat (a good and bad thing) since they used to be railroad tracks.

Love that jersy!

2010-01-13T21:01:09.329-05:00

Love that jersy!

Yeah! Welcome to the 'darkside' (AKA Tria...

2010-01-13T20:50:30.402-05:00

Yeah! Welcome to the 'darkside' (AKA Triathlon) as we call it! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new QR Dulce. Her name is princess :)

But shop around, have them order the bike and try it out before you make the purchase :) But you will find one that you'll love!

Are you doing Irongirl Atlanta? We did that last year and it was a BLAST! I'll probably do it again this year!

But when ever I ride, I'm with a group and it's usually in the mornings. I hate dealing with traffic!

Can I get one of those jerseys too? :) I'm ter...

2010-01-13T20:39:26.773-05:00

Can I get one of those jerseys too? :) I'm terrified of riding on the road- I was hit on a bike when I was a kid and use that as an excuse to be scared hahaa. (It's not why I'm scared, it was no bigge). And I really really really want a pink tri bike-ever since I saw one at an expo! Good luck finding your bike!

Love your jersey idea. That's what mine would...

2010-01-13T17:09:57.063-05:00

Love your jersey idea. That's what mine would say too if I ever took up cycling!

I've been riding for 15 years now. Not sure ho...

2010-01-13T16:27:56.743-05:00

I've been riding for 15 years now. Not sure how many miles I've got riding my bikes on the open roads, but I'd guess it's in the neighborhood of 100,000 miles. Seriously. That's a lot of time on the roads on two wheels. In all that time I've been hit twice, once not serious at all, once a bit more serious but not life threatening. My point is, yes, cycling on the roads is a risk, but it's an acceptable one if you like riding your bike. :) And for what it's worth, both times I got hit I wad alone. Clearly riding with a group makes you mug more visible to drivers. Just make sure it's a goo group of people who know how to handle their bikes so you don't get taken out by one of them!!

And I'll agree with Holly. Road bikes are a ton easier to handle so starting off, I'd recommend one of those. They lose value pretty quickly too so you could probably get a really nice bike (used) for a great price.
Good luck!

We have a TON of cyclists in our area. I don'...

2010-01-13T16:24:46.161-05:00

We have a TON of cyclists in our area. I don't know where they come from or where they ride to but I'm telling you ... hundreds! Anyway, I always feel bad for them and totally would never honk but I'm just saying sometimes it would be nice on a really swervy road where I totally can't pass if they could, for just one second, ride on the grass so I can pass them and not spend 10 minutes going realllly slow. Other than that, I'm willing to share the road.

p.s. I totally agree with former "bad ass teen". If I saw a cyclist wearing that shirt I'd honk too.

Good for you for 'expanding your sporting hori...

2010-01-13T15:59:00.925-05:00

Good for you for 'expanding your sporting horizons'! The road aspect is just one of the many aspects of cycling that scares me. I'm already sweating the fact that I signed up for a duathlon this summer!

You are going to be fine!! Maybe you can find a b...

2010-01-13T15:21:32.281-05:00

You are going to be fine!! Maybe you can find a bike trail that has no traffic to start until you build up your confidence. Then graduate to the less travelled roads, even if you have to drive to them. I also like to bike early on weekend mornings to avoid too much traffic...later on weekday mornings.

I'm sure it will all be fine! But, since I...

2010-01-13T15:10:04.429-05:00

I'm sure it will all be fine! But, since I'm actually a Catholic, I googled "patron saint bikers" and got the following: St. Columbanus, Our Lady of Grace, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. So, go to the nearest Catholic goods store..... I bet one of the Catholic Churches in your area has one..... and pick up a Miraculous Medal(they can be very small!).... and pin it to your shirt! Good Luck!!!

I share your fear! I live in the country, so all o...

2010-01-13T15:03:26.915-05:00

I share your fear! I live in the country, so all our roads have very tiny little shoulders and people driving way too fast . . . I usually opt to drive 15 miles north with my bike so I can then ride on a nice bike trail.

Literally, it's one of those things that once ...

2010-01-13T14:53:09.867-05:00

Literally, it's one of those things that once you do it a few times, you forget about being nervous. That being said, you should always be careful--and respectful of drivers. My husband does like to remind me that their vehicle is tougher than mine though! I like the pink bike.

I have no desire to do a tri at this point - but I...

2010-01-13T14:34:19.109-05:00

I have no desire to do a tri at this point - but I do run in the bike lanes and all your fears are justified! I run against traffic to keep my eyes on those crappy drivers and I can't for the life of me figure out why they must hug the bike lane!
I laughed so hard at your shirt - and at Rich's comment that it didn't say please! LOL!
It's funny though, can you see all the opinions and outrage even in the comments! WOW!

I love those jerseys! You suggestion for a slogan...

2010-01-13T14:30:54.143-05:00

I love those jerseys! You suggestion for a slogan would def make drivers be more courteous right after they hit you because they were trying to read it.

As a runner, it is hard enough to get drivers to give you 5 feet let alone on a bike. They seem to forget about rearview mirrors and drafts!

I'll never forget when I first started cycling...

2010-01-13T14:25:29.117-05:00

I'll never forget when I first started cycling...it's scary! My town isn't very bike friendly on the roads (no real shoulders) but we have a great trail system so I try to stick to those. I definitely would not get a jersey that says "Don't honk at me"...you're asking for trouble!! I don't know when the whole car vs cyclist thing started, but it's obvious who will always win that battle...

ohhhhh, I'm sorta jealous. My husband despera...

2010-01-13T14:03:23.486-05:00

ohhhhh, I'm sorta jealous. My husband desperately wants to buy me a speed bike. I currently ride a pretty good (yet old) mountain bike, but it's not a speed bike. Problem is he aims at the top, which = big bucks, but I'm never gonna be a "cyclist". Riding for me is just for fun and I'm not interested in the sport (beyond seeing how fast I can ride to work). I might be tempted to try a dualathon one day, but I don't like swimming so no tri's for me. It just doesn't make sense to me to spend all that money just to shave off a bit of time on a casual ride. I'm quite interested to see what you get.

I'm sort of an experienced cyclist on the road. I rode to/from work for many years 75% of the year and my husband and I road 600 miles for vacation on our mountain bikes WITH all our gear - twice! I can tell you that it's really not that bad out there. Just be aware - always. People will pull out in front of you. People will drive too close to you. Expect it and be happy when it doesn't happen. But I find if you are respecting the rules of the road then the problems people are complaining about right now won't be an issue. Some cyclists feel the road is theirs alone and will ride in the middle of the road and disregard signs, that's just unnecessary.

Also, even being somewhat of a cyclist, I think if I saw someone wearing one of those jerseys I'd be very inclined to honk at them or something. 'Please' people ... it goes a long way.

Honestly, I think I'd be apt to not even wear an official jersey while training. I'd rather look like a day rider than be a target for someone's rage.