Strange... why suddenly now? Was she waiting it out hoping it was a phase? Did you fall recently? Are the road conditions worse due to weather?

It's a shame our families often try to discourage us. My parents used to be against my riding a bike in anything below 60 F ("You'll catch a pneumonia" ) and anywhere there were cars. They have mostly given up on trying to force me to follow their ways, partly because they recognize I know a lot more about cycling than they do, and partly because they realized cycling is very important for me and I won't just give it up or moderate it according to their wishes. But it's easier with parents than with spouses. Thank God my boyfriend is mostly supportive (he's a cyclist too) although he does give me that "Are you SURE you wanna do it?" looks when I'm about to head out in some particularly nasty weather (say, right after a snowstorm).