Premise:
I’ve spent a lot of time reading about bikes, bike racing, some recently about training, etc and so much of what I read about seems to be from people who don’t have kids or have older kids who are largely out of the house or its the super athlete who strongly prioritizes racing over most other things. I rarely ever find much from your everyday rider who likes to work hard but and keep up the riding/racing passion while being strongly involved with their young family. Maybe there is good reason for this…however I know it’s possible to some extent, I know people who are doing it, I’m doing it on some level. Over the past few years I’ve been trying to chronicle some of the events I’ve done and some of what it’s taken to get there. So I wanted to share my experiences, I know there are a lot of other folks like me who really love riding/racing bikes and spending time with friends on bikes but love their family time as well. It’s a tough balance but with some planning, effort, and understanding you can find ways to enjoy both on a pretty high level.
So who am I, I’m your average Dad, a structural engineer who has sort of become the office techy by accident and love it, the other time crunch is that I do enjoy my work/career as well, and it’s not just a 9-5 job for me. I started mountain biking in 2006 because a good friend got a bike and wanted someone to ride with. Over the years I’ve grown to love riding all kinds of bikes and got into racing them a little bit here and there in 2009 or so.
Since then we’ve moved a couple of times, changed jobs once or twice (to end up back where I started), and started a family. My family is the absolute number one priority however I still really enjoy being able to get out and do my thing and being competitive at it. It’s a really tough balance but it can be done (most of the time and on some level).
The family, we’ve got 2 kids just over 2 years apart, a wife who is active as well, and a dog, we’re the typical American family of four. We have a minivan, a playset in the backyard, the whole deal. The exception is that we live in our own little paradise of Brevard, NC. As I get this blog started the oldest is about 2 1/2 years old with the youngest being about 2 years younger. So we’re in the thick of it. I know that the only constant with kids is change and every stage will have its own challenges and I welcome them all. I will personally be pretty glad to get out of the infant stage. While I’ve kind of always known I wanted kids and do really enjoy kids, I’m not in love with babies. I fully support having them but I enjoy them much more after that first 6 months is over.
The Riding and Bikes, I’m a mountain biker first and foremost. I’m happy riding all kinds of bikes in all kinds of places but riding in the woods is my happy place. I have primarily ridden a single speed hardtail over the years and most of my racing has taken place riding a single speed. The specific bike has changed a few times over the years but the premise remains the same. However with almost all of my riding taking place in Pisgah National Forest now, a place known for rugged technical trails, I have spent some more time recently on a full suspension bike with gears. The combination of riding both bikes has made me a better rider.
What to expect from this, this is going to be a combination of race reports, stories of activities with kids the excitement/challenges associated with those, training thoughts, thoughts on gear, and just a place for me to share some bike and kid related experiences. There are also a lot of my pre-Racing Bikes Raising Kids chronicles archived here that are searchable if you’re interested. I don’t plan to contribute to this daily but I hope to add something at least every two weeks maybe a little more.
