athrowawaynic

The advice is going to have to be the same advice given 1. to the woman whose husband didn't want her doing group rides with males, and 2. to the man who bought a bike without telling his wife:

Talk to your mother. Listen to her concerns. Express your wishes. Then find a solution.

Happy Feet

It sounds like your mother is being a little over protective. Perhaps you are her youngest and her "baby"? That's normal for mothers. It's a big generality but sometimes it's the father in the home that balances that holding on by saying "let the kid go". Without that input your job as a young man is to be respectful of her feelings while at the same time responsible for your own behavior. It's where a positive older male role model can be helpful. What does the University sibling say about all this?

Acknowledge her concern, impress upon her your understanding of safe riding, and gently insist that you need to be able to act like a (young) man and make some decisions for yourself.

It's pretty simple but not easy. Growing up seldom is

awesomeame

Your mom is being wayyy over protective. My mom is the same way with my younger brother. I'm 36 now, but have always done my own thing and mom was fine with all my crazy dumbass **** over the years. My brother is 33, and she still admonishes him about how dangerous cycling is. To the point where he hardly even rides his Trek. He lives with his wife in their own house for pete's sake, LOL. I ride downtown Toronto all the time, never a peep from mom. I think the advice in this thread is pretty good for you!

Matt

Randombiker9

I think the spare ones around town are padlocked. Although this if from one of my friends that if you forget your lock for your bike you can ask for the key at reception or one of the staff members. (Same thing applies to my brothers university according to him) and it's not as dangerous. Like there's more junctions and roundabouts to go through for my brothers Uni comapred to my route is bassically one mini roundabout (going straight on), shortcut, another shortcut, roundabout (2nd exit) and then one bus lane and that's it.


She now allowed me to ride on some roads just not on busy roads when it's rushour time which is kinda annoying as if I want to ride my bike to college I would have to leave around 8.00am to get to college around 8.40am. As it takes 40 mins to bike to college (compared to two buses which I currently have to get). and if I get there around 8.40am as lessons start at 9am.

Randombiker9

Also good Idea is but with the helmet thing. I don't know what size she is. Like my helmets currently 58cm-62cm)

Another thing is my Dad's fine with me cycling. (Since he lives in holland and my half brother is currently learning to ride) but downside is he can't convince my mum due to living in a different country)..


The only other thing I can think of is because I'm diabetic type 1 and if my blood get's low you can loose concentration easily. But the thing is I can feel when my bloods low. So If I did feel low. I would pull over to side or onto pavement and get off. Do my stuff and wait for blood to get into normal range till I cycle again and if I was late I would just explain.

alcjphil

This is information that should have been included right from the start. I have a good friend who is type 1 diabetic like you and she has to be very careful when she rides. This is a good explanation about why your mother might be reluctant to allow to to ride to school

Randombiker9

Sorry I thought it was already included Ive been T1D since I was 7. So know how to control It well because had it for 11 years.

jefnvk

I've had it much longer than that. While it is always a consideration, it is no good reason to not ride a bike. The American Diabetes Association even puts on charity rides of up to 100 miles that diabetics ride in.

Once again, though, the only way you are going to solve this is with an earnest conversation with your mother. Guessing as to why she may not want you to do it is going to get you nowhere.

Milton Keynes

This is basically what it all comes down to, and like it or not if you want to ride on the streets with her approval you need to have a sit down conversation with her about it. None of us here know her as well as you do.

CliffordK

I think this sounds like a good result. Find good roads, and reasonable traffic. Mornings might be tough, but at least you could try to avoid the busy roads between say 4:00 and 6:00 PM.

I suppose I don't know if rush hour traffic is particularly bad. It isn't always comfortable. Perhaps the biggest risk is more distracted drivers. Or, more of a chance that you won't be seen. And, of course, you get passed by more cars... so if one in a million cars is a real danger, a lot more cars pass you.

As far as the diabetes, make sure you always have some quick sugar with you. Glucose gel? You could start a new thread in "Training and Nutrition" about cycling with diabetes. For example, you might benefit from a water bottle filled with juice... others should be able to share their experiences.

It may be that you would be safer to do the same activity every day (most days), so bike commuting 5+ days a week.

nycphotography

This is the win right here.

Grandma's advice: "You don't have to win the whole war in a single battle."

Just start doing this and little by little your start time may slip. Things have a way of normalizing over time. The important thing is to get the window of opportunity cracked just enough to get started.

Randombiker9

Thanks guys I'll try in morning as it's too late too talk now.

alcjphil

I am sure that you know very well how to deal with your diabetes. However, my friend had a bit of difficulty adjusting to the longer rides we do when she joined our cycling club. She is in her early 50's, and had been dealing with diabetes since she was a teenager.She was already a cyclist, if she had difficulty, anyone else could. If you are not used to doing 40 minute rides, you could have a bit of adjustment to do. Your mother could be fearful about that. That is why you have to have a serious discussion with her about her concerns

rachel120

The whole diabetes thing is meaningless. I don't have diabetes, but I do have hypoglycemia, and yeah, your body gives you plenty of notice to get off and eat.

I didn't see where gender was brought up. OP if you are a woman, could your mother just be plain old sexist? If so, that's a problem, you can't rationalize against such a belief.

Definitely get your father involved.

Randombiker9

I am female but
I dont think my mums sexist as when I was younger even though I was In a different country I was allowed to ride my bike anywhere safe (park, or quiet roads) as long as my brother was there cycling as well (which I understood at the time as I was around 8 or 9 back then and my brother was 10 or 11 back than so we were still young but I don't go cycling with my brother anymore as we don't get along anymore and because he's at uni.

Randombiker9

I understand what your saying but when I've been doing cycling at the moment. I've been doing it for at least 1 hour and I've never had a problem so far as I test before I go out.

wphamilton

A lot of us (commuters) do that anyway. Take a longer, slower route just because it's more pleasant or safer than rush hour busy roads. This is in general what you wanted, congratulations!

Randombiker9

Yeah exactly I know two shortcuts (shared path) and then bassically one bus lane and that's it.

awesomeame

annnnddd?

Cyclist0108

As a parent, I typically don't let my kids ride on the road until they master subject/verb agreements and can count to 3.

nycphotography

Zing!

On the upside, based on the output being produced by supposedly "professional" writers these days, neither grammar, nor logic, nor even the ability to think critically are the least bit relevant anymore. So worry not, OP, the curmudgeons no longer can blacklist you for your atrocious English and sloppy thinking.

Randombiker9

Quick question what's the required time by law to have lights because it's the law to have them and dawn/dusk and night but doesn't say what time. But I start college at 9 and finish college 4.30pm latest. So will get home 5.30pm latest. (depends which way I go) or is it just best to leave on at all times or does this dazzle other road users?

Randombiker9

typo

jefnvk

Those are the times that you are required to have them. Those times will change every day, and with your location. If you want to know exact times, a site like this will tell you: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/, or even just typing "What time is dusk" into Google.

In general, though, I go by if I would turn on the lights on my car, I need lights on my bike. Use common sense, a police officer isn't splitting hairs over it being 8:37 and you not having lights when dawn is 8:39.

EDIT: @rachel120 below brings up a good point. If you aren't familiar with driving and don't know when you would turn on lights, use other car's taillights as a guide (taillights don't generally run all the time, like many forward pointing running lights do). If the majority of them around you are on, you should have lights on.

rachel120

Do you have experience in driving a car? Not sarcasm, just wondering if you have on the road experience for when to turn lights on, or if your knowledge is pretty much theoretical. My driving experience has me turning on my bike lights whenever I'd be turning them on while driving a car. If you don't have on the road experience, then keep in mind that outside of near darkness the goal of having lights on is so that others can see you, not so you can see things better. General guidelines are whenever it's raining and whenever it's close enough to dusk that you find that you are having an easier time spotting and judging oncoming traffic that has their lights on (roughly 2 hours before sunset).