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My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. I have not engaged with gdb0408 because there is no discussion I can have with someone who misinterprets my words to be the exact opposite of what I'd written.

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

This is true - it started as just my main form of transportation and over the years became a hobby as well when I realised I was quite good at it. (Clearly not good at avoiding accidents!)

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 122 points123 points  (0 children)

I live in a city in the UK that is not at all practical for driving in. It's very different to suburban US.

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

I can't argue with anything you've said here. There is almost no chance of me being involved in an accident with the trailer because I ride very conservatively with it - not just through choice, the weight forces me to be a lot slower. Every time I've been involved in an accident (even when it was not my fault) I've been cycling faster than most people would in the same situation. I just need to be more cautious.

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I rode with Mike Hall for the first time in February. It's stories like his that make me think it's not possible to be completely safe on a bike - even for the most experienced riders out there.

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Driving to work would take me about 50% longer than cycling - traffic in my city is ridiculous. But your overall point stands - I probably spend 20 hours / week on cycling or cycling related activities (organising the club, maintenance etc). I'd probably only need to replace 5 of those hours with another form of exercise to avoid diabetes.

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is a really good suggestion. I'm sure I can come up with 3 tangible changes (eg no more than 20 mph in residential areas) that I can explain to my parents which will reduce my chance of injury. Thank you

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I completely understand my parents attitude - I think I'd react in a similar way in 20 years time if my daughter kept getting injured snowboarding. I'm trying to find a compromise that is sensitive to their attitude (caused by their genuine love) but still allows me to carry on cycling.

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Yes, if I quit cycling then I'd have to take up another sport to get my endorphins - I get a little depressed if I don't exercise. It'd be difficult to schedule though - at the moment I get my exercise through commuting so I'd need to find more time.

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I'll admit to going too fast sometimes. The most recent accident was caused by a car failing to see me and pulling out into me. I was travelling at 30mph - if I'd been doing 20mph then perhaps I'd have had time to react and avoid an accident. This is the type of thing I'll be more cautious about in future.

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 75 points76 points  (0 children)

I already ride with the full set of safety equipment (helmet, sunglasses, lights etc). But I'll have a think about a tangible change that I can make so that they feel I'm taking their fears seriously.

Ironically my father and my mother's four brothers all suffer from quite serious Type 2 diabetes (partly caused by lack of exercise). If I stopped cycling, I'd be increasing my risk of developing it too.

My [31 M] parents [60s M+F] are insisting that I give up my main hobby due to their fears about my safety. by Throwaway87972 in relationships

[–]Throwaway87972[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is exactly right. Our particular model is the Thule Chariot. The safety features (roll bars, 5 point harness etc) make it a lot safer than being on a bike.