brianinc-ville

Confession: I hardly ever ride my C&V bikes anymore.

For years, I rode a mixture of '60s-'80s bikes for transportation and occasional fun. This forum helped me fix and upgrade many of them.

And then I had a kid.

Now, it's strictly modern: 2018 Douze F1 cargo bike to carry the kid; 2016 Priority Continuum city bike when I'm commuting without the kid, because the slanted-top-tube aluminum frame and easy-to-adjust seatpost make it good for switching with my (considerably shorter) wife when she's doing the daycare pickup after I've dropped the kid off, or vice versa. Both bikes have Gates carbon belt drives and Enviolo/NuVinci hubs. They're completely reliable and practical, which I need as a parent. I don't really have time to ride for fun.

But it just feels wrong. The kids are coming up from behind. But I was there!

Somebody please tell me that it gets better?

iab

Children are barnacles until age 5/6 when they start separating from you. imo, age 8-10 is the sweet spot, they aren't barnacles, but they come, hug you and say I love you. But they keep separating and by their teen years, they want nothing from you other than money and a ride somewhere. The early years are physically taxing, the later years are mentally taxing. It never "gets better" until the mid-20s when they start coming back saying "you were right".

Do what's best for you and the family. Being C&V-relevant it irrelevant.

daka

When I was at that point in the child-raising progression my manager at the time, very wise in many things, told me "it really does get easier once they turn 40".

Russ Roth

Buy lights and go for night rides, get up early enough to sneak a ride in and have a real flexible work schedule. If you can get all three in you can work around the kid till their old enough to hopefully join you. Mine liked riding the trail-a-bike once they were big enough to do so which was a great way to get them to school. At 2 years difference each, one was off the trail-a-bike by the time the next needed it. Now I do day and night rides with the kids and they have fun with it which isn't as good speed/mileage wise for me but time on the bike is time on the bike. Friday I'll sneak out at 7pm for a night ride in the woods with a group. It does get better.

zandoval 

Yep... Same here only I really only have one that's turned into a wall hanger. Its an old PR10 and although the group set does not match it is all period equipment. But to what end? I don't ride it cause its now uncomfortable. My other bikes although C&V of frame are Franken Bikes that have gradually become kinda Gravely per say. The components are no where near matching in manufacture or period of manufacture. They certainly do not match anywhere near thier original look. But I am ridding them and my poor PR10 remains hanging... Oh Well... It's only one...

More than once it has crossed my mind to part it out and convert the frame into a fast little fixy for my son in Kemah Texas. Its nice and flat over there and oddly the wind is always in your face...

northbend 

It does get better. Nows the time to do the best you can to raise your kids and prepare them for adulthood.
Do that and you won't regret it. You'll be surprised how fast they grow up.
It doesn't get much better than this by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

noobinsf 

My kiddos (twins) are 6, and I didn’t start solo early morning joyrides again until they were 4. They take a lot of energy to begin with, but then you get to teach them how to ride their own bikes. I just bought one of those trail-a-bikes to do longer rides with one of them (yes, on a C&V, which is all I own). It absolutely gets better. I can’t wait to ride with them when they’re grown.

Darth Lefty 

I’m losing my edge
I’m losing my edge
the kids are coming up from behind
I’m losing my edge to little art school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered 80’s
But I was there! I was there.

I feel you. Kiddo is seven now. My twins are four.

fabiofarelli

1987


2019

TiHabanero

Raising children is no easy task for most of us. For some it is a natural task, understanding that once you become a parent life is not about "me", it is now about "them", meaning the children and their mother. Providing a loving environment that nourishes development of the children's spirit/mind/body is the most important thing you can do at this point in your life. This includes loving your spouse with unwavering commitment to raising the children alongside her. Teamwork makes the dream work is so very true!

There will be plenty of time for you to think of yourself and do what you want after the children have been raised and moved on from your home. For now, focus on raising happy, respectful, hardworking children into adulthood.

Prowler 

I'll soon complete my 70th journey around ole sol. We recently made an pre-thanksgiving trip (10 hr drive) to visit my son's family. Benjamin is just 4 yrs old and has been riding his push bike/glider too long. So I removed the foot pegs and installed the BB/crankset/FW/chain kit. First time out was a largely a failure even with his sister helping, but it was a start. Something happened in his brain that night. The next morning he threw a leg over, positioned the DS pedal and pushed off - went 30 yards and stopped like a pro. His progress went in leaps and bounds after that. Wow, that was fun.

My son, Ben's father, has had no interest in cycling. We sat watching Benjamin swooping up and down the street. Finally I passed the bike I'd been riding to him: "go ride with your son". What a fine grin on his face too, side by side in the warm sun. A magical day. Well worth the wait.

OP, I wish for you such a magical day. One of many days I stop and contemplate how proud I am of my "kids". Yeah, not always easy but worth it. I ride for fun all the time now, 12 outta 12 on 11 bicycles.

Colorado Kid

You might want to consider having the kids ride with you. Nothing like a "team" behind you.

daverup 

I think you will enjoy the time after the kids are grown too. It will be different, you should hang on to the C&V bikes. If necessary store them long term somewhere safe from downsizing and garage sales. Maybe one of your kids will get interested in old bikes someday.

gthomson

I know this is cliché but don't regret a single moment because it goes by quick and then those days are gone. I bought a Peugeot road bike in 1985 and rode it into my university years and then after, along came marriage, house, kids and the bike sat in my garage for years un touched. I had a 90's Trek Mtn bike that I rode along the trails, pulling kiddo trailers, riding to the park with the kids until I darn near wore the poor bike out.

20 years later, I now have 2 modern road bikes, 4 C&V bikes (including my original Peugeot) and a replacement 90's mtn. bike and I ride them all. Your time will come.

tkamd73 

Kid over CV always. You will have plenty of time for old bikes when they are gone, which will happen way faster then you want. Enjoy now!
Tim

sbrudno

Spot on! I am a retired pediatrician, parent and now grandparent. The infant phase can be further stratified into ped rock phase and interesting but boring phase. Both require nearly constant attention and the biggest bike-time suck worsened by lack of parental sleep. I did not really get back to cycling until my kids were in there teens. They, of course, did not want to come along with me. Congratulations on those who have continued to hit the road for pleasure as parents.

Wet Coast Rider

Wow, as a dad of 1 and 4 year olds who have been presenting their share of challenges lately I really needed to read this. Thanks for putting this sentiment out there and thanks to everyone who shared their own experiences and insights; there is a lot of genuine and thoughtful stuff here that really helps put everything in perspective. It also makes me think I need to go out for a ride with my dad, it's been way too long.

My 4 year old daughter bikes to school now on her own pedal bike while I jog along with her bro in the stroller. He watches everything she does and loves the fast parts of the ride, so I have lots of hope they will both be little riders in no time. I do miss long and fast rides on my own though, I think the suggestion of better lights for night rides is one I will have to take.

Nice LCD Soundsystem reference too, I heard the song in my head as I read the title!

Classtime 

When my twinns were less than 4, I was more of a runner and put them in a double wide running stroller. After knee surgery, I started riding: weekdays at dark:30 before work and on weekends before they got up. AYSO AND Pony/Little league is the worst.

Kabuki12

My daughter is now twenty four and when she was small I bought a Burly bike trailer and we rode around . She would usually fall asleep but sometimes I would hear “wee’ coming from behind when I would zoom down hills. Enjoy the journey.

balindamood

Kid bikes, in order:

1978 Peugeot mixture 10 speed (26 year old)
1986 Faggin ( 24 year old)
​1984 Univega Alpina pro (15 )
1989 MB-2 (13)
1986 Novara Pica (9)
1985 Stumpjumper 24-inch wheels (7)
​​​​​​90's BMX for the 5 year old.

...and no, they actually have refused new bikes.

Russ Roth

Should have mentioned, get a MTB, kids have a lot of fun when they're guiding you through the woods even if they start with the bunny trails.



We killed time while the cooks did their work. Kids started with 16" wheels with knobby tires and I went with a cross bike, so you could go CV style there with a classic cross. With 20" I could still get away with cross but it started to get rough as they got bored with the easy ones. With 24" wheels like he's on now I had to have a true mtb. We're riding one of the hardest parks on Long Island and we hit most of the hardest trails there.

Bogester 

It gets better. My daughter is 18 and all I ride now is old bikes. I kept the vintage theme going when she was growing up by putting a vintage carrier in back of a Univega. As she got older I also got an old tandem which was a lot of fun. When she got tired of riding with me I passed them on.

justcynn

as others have said, God willing - time will be on your side to enjoy your C&V interests again, my kids are almost grown and time is now mine again after running kids to school, sports, travel sports, following them in college sports, etc. I used to pull them around in trailers, tag a long bikes, etc. then I got so busy I just quit cycling all together, that was a mistake. back at if 4 years now

my oldest shares some interest in Cycling and while not necessarily a C&V fan, she has taken a liking to this '98 GT Attack I secretly built for her with the hopes she would move back to where we live, get a job and become a regular cycling partner. she graduates with her masters in Dec, has a job in CPA firm where we live and has asked if she could have the GT to take to her Apartment when she moves back.

Mission accomplished!

Bianchigirll 

I putting that on a Covfefe mug!

nlerner

Where does one find this edge of which you speak?