My first child is due this weekend and I'm very excited!!
If you are a dad how have you found the balance between biking and family?
i.e how often do you get out, and how much is acceptable?!
Bike Forum
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I'm going to be a dad! How do I find the right balance?!
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Posted 2 years ago #
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get a trailer now, so you are ready.
most kid's carry seat things fit in a trailer.
she will love you for taking the baby off her hands.Posted 2 years ago # -
Put biking second for a while, you'll want to anyway to spend time with them both. Our two went in the trailer at around 4-5 months, plenty of padding and they loved it for short, smooth rides. I guess I'm lucky in that my wife kicks me out of the door (although I haven't done much lately) especially once I've spent cash on events and I need to train. Once a week was it though for the first few months and cycling to work now helps too.
Congrats in advance by the way!
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've found I have to be extremely organised with time in order to get mountain biking in. You have to make a determined effort to get out the house by a set time and adhere to it. I used to do early morning rides in the summer. Also took up a lot more night riding. Helps if you know like minded Dad's in the area also.
Now I'm finding time at a premium I'm also doing running and swimming (and football when my knees aren't fooked).Posted 2 years ago # -
funny post my im going to be a dad soon as well
in about a months time or less good luck with the child Posted 2 years ago # -
Hi
I had exactly the same questions 5 months ago..
I have to say that mostly I have been a bit too tired to get out on the bike... but this last week I've made time and really appreciated it..Posted 2 years ago # -
First few months you'll be too tired for fook all!! But congratulations anyway! Oh and this is probably a few years away yet. I had to fetch my daughter from her friends house fri night! I nipped on my bike. Gave her a backie home! Not done that For anyone since I was a kid!
Posted 2 years ago # -
congratulations, hope it goes smoothly.
our daughter is 4.5month old now and I'm getting back out on the bike a bit more, even managed a day pass out to the peaks!
we had a weird introduction to parenthood in that she was in hospital for 10 weeks (3 months premature) so could go out riding for a couple of hours saturday / sunday to seek sanity. Once she came home it was on a backburner for a while, now I tend to do the night feeds on friday / saturday then go out for 2-3 hours whilst my better half catches up on her sleep, also riding 90minutes a day for commutes.have to second the point about being organised, get your kit sorted the day before then no faffing - when you get the chance get out the door sharpish and go hard and make the most of it
Matthew
Posted 2 years ago # -
my daughter is now 2 weeks and a day old. To be honest i dont see much biking for the next month or so. I naively thought i would be fine but am too knackered to go out if i could find the time at the moment.
I am planning on doing a bit of commuting by bike to sneak in extra riding time though.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have been out mtbing twice since our twins were 6 months old, they are now 14 months. Seems a shame to leave all the hard work to my wife and pi$$ off to the trails. I commute by bike, as most of this time was sunk anyway but also run at the weekend as it's less time consuming. There will be more time for mtbing when they are older / old enough to try it. Theres more to life so I've pretty much put it on hold. When they were a bit smaller I had more time but now they are developing their own little personalities I don't really want to spend time in the woods on my own or with other men instead
Posted 2 years ago # -
My second is due in a few weeks so I pretty much know what to expect as far as quality me time goes!
I gave up playing rugby as I couldn't justify getting smashed on the field and smashed in the bar after, then struggling to walk for days after!
I decided to commute to get the miles in, maintain fitness and save a few quid. I occasionally seek out the odd bit of off road on the way home and a sneeky night ride now and then and that pretty much does me.
I'd try and get a sleeping routine sorted as soon as is possible, if you get get your child sleeping through the night from say 7pm then at least the evenings are yours.
Enjoy the experience, it's amazing!
Posted 2 years ago # -
You've all basically said what I'm thinking, if I can I'd like to go out maybe every 2-3 weeks. It doesn't help that I'm just trying to get back into it after rather a long spell off! Will see how it all goes. Congrats to all other new expectant fathers to!
Posted 2 years ago # -
i am lucky the mrs needs to ride as much as i do.so we look after each other.
Posted 2 years ago # -
You don't...the balance finds you...congrats...a great thing is about to happen! Bike trailer for definites helps a lot, but don't expect regular big days out on the bike without a lot of prior arranging with everyone...
Posted 2 years ago # -
My son came along three weeks ago now. I got nothing in for the first seven days or so, then have managed the turbo every other day and got my first hour out on the roads on Sunday morning after I put him back to bed for a few hours after his 6am feed...
I don't love the turbo, but I think it'll play a big part for the first few months as I snatch an hour of so here and there whenever I can. We're unbelievably tired all the time though and to be honest I did consider just binning all riding until July or so. I bought myself an imagic last week to keep me motivated.
My evening ritual goes like this. Bath him at 6, feed him at 6.30, put him in bed by 7.15ish then I hit the turbo by 7.30. We have dinner at 8.30ish, we feed him again at nine, I stare into space for few hours then I get ready to feed at midnight before trying to sleep through the 3am feed my wife will do. I can't see how I'll get out midweek until I can get an hour in from 7.30 onwards in the daylight...
Weekends you'll probably find you'll want to spend as a family, so I'm planning on using the 7am starts pretty often.
Posted 2 years ago # -
We were quite lucky and we managed to get a bit of a routine in place for both of ours.
Wife would feed baby at about 9pm and put her/him down to sleep and go to bed herself, I would once or twice a week have gone out at about 8pm for a night ride, I would then return at about 11pm and at 12pm she/he would wake and I would give them initially a bottle of expressed milk and then when they were about 4 months old a bottle of formula (wife was still breast feeding). Baby would then go back to sleep until 3-4am, Wife got 6 to 7 hours solid kip which helped her no end, I got a ride once or twice a week without any guilt at all.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I found it very hard, but I've got 2 kids now and do shifts too. If you can commute by bike, do it as much as you can, so when you get a chance for a proper ride you won't feel like dying quite so soon. But as most of the above posters said, you'll feel like dying through lack of sleep for the next few week regardless. A mate of mine always said 'make them fit into your life, not the other way around'. Five years later I'm still trying to make that work. But both you and your other half will need a break from the little monkey, so make time to give her a few hours off, to lessen the guilt when you go out!
But congrats anyway - having your first child is a truly magical event. But don't cancel your weekend plans just yet - out first was two and a half weeks late, and then had to be dragged out, kicking and screaming. The missus still has the scars from the 76 stitches to prove it*.
* I wouldn't necessarily mention that last bit to your own wife...
Posted 2 years ago # -
My Boy is 22 Months old and we spent an ace Morning Stripping a Kona yesterday! (Ok I did the stripping and he hit my crankset with a mallet)
I try and get out for a ride once a week Around my shifts on weekdays so I can spend as much time as poss with my boy and the wife at weekends. (when im not working)
Now he is a bit bigger, cant wait to get him on his first balance bike and go out playing!
Mornings like I had yesterday are priceless and you will have them too; you can feel really handcuffed to the house sometimes but this stuff more than makes up for it.
By the same token, the first 3 months can be so stressful. It is important for you and Mum to let off steam. For me having a thrash on the bike was the perfect medicine.
Posted 2 years ago #
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