Pregnant Pause.

Hi all! 

I have not abandoned you! Alas, I have also not been riding at all for the past few months and have no plans to ride in the next several, so I wanted to tell you that this blog will likely be mostly dormant for a little while longer. I am expecting, and while that is no bar to riding for many mamas to be, it makes sense in my case, so I'm taking a bit of a break from the two-wheeled life (at least in practice). 

For far better bike-mama inspiration, I can provide links: 
(Sadly, the one I most wanted to link to has been taken down by its host. I miss the Simply Bike Blog!)

Tips for Cycling While Pregnant from People For Bikes

A firsthand account of one woman's experience Cycling While Pregnant

My friend Melissa, who I actually met through and directly as a result of said aforementioned now-defunct blog, has posted a number of things about riding while pregnant and with her kiddo. I find her really inspirational, because we live in the same town, and she rides for transport far more than I do.

So where does this leave us? Here's where I am these days, philophically and physically.

1. The Pregnancy. I'm due in the summer, and expecting twins. My pregnancy started high risk, with weight restrictions (no lifting 40-pound Fleur) and other physical restrictions through much of the first trimester. And, because it's two kiddos, my body is changing pretty quickly. As a result, while I totally support cycling while pregnant for most mamas, in my case, I have decided to take an extended break.

2. The Plan. That said, I do look forward to cycling after pregnancy for fun and fitness and for a bit of transportation, though I don't imagine I'll do that a whole lot with the babies until they are big enough to ride in a trailer. So I'm tentatively hoping to bike a bit for fun on my own by this coming autumn, and hopefully introduce the kiddos to the bike in Spring 2016.

3. The Current Philosophy. I remain frustrated with my cycling options in the county, which keeps me from riding more than I would. My cycling philosophy is (generally) as follows: you can ride on a multi-use path, or you can ride on the street. Either way, you must behave as traffic for the appropriate path. That means no hugging the right, and being visible and predictable so that you and motorists can behave in a way that is safe and a lot more enjoyable. Given my druthers (I'm a slow-bike person, after all), this means I prefer side streets and multi-use paths to arterials, neither of which are generally options I can count on to reach many destinations from my home in the county. About a year ago, we considered moving to a more urban setting, and while that didn't work out, we are still considering relocating, and bikeability to either work, recreation, or worship destinations is important to me, so location is definitely something we're weighing as we look for our next home.

I hope to post here periodically if I come across something to share, but until then, in (temporary) loving memory of both coffee and riding... until we meet again.

Yesterday after my #bike ride, I finally got my double kickstand installed! I also got my front basket fixed.Today, post-vetted cats, I'm indulging in the first real cup of #coffee I've had in six weeks. Sweet Jesus, it's delicious.

A photo posted by Rebecca B. (@seven2seven8) on Oct 19, 2014 at 7:53am PDT