[Nakedbabytoes]

Hey All!
I am a 39yo work from home mom to 2 boys, ages 12 and 5. I used to be car free and only rode bikes before I had kids and my oldest is autistic, being deathly afraid of falling/getting hurt so we got a car, sold off all the bikes and raised a family.
As the kids get older, I have found more "me" time, so I started biking and running again. Time passes, I get more varied bikes and decide to try my hand at organized bike or running(or both!) events.
So I now I have 4 rides, a mountain unicycle(Surly Conundrum), a Trek Transport long tail cargo/5yo kid hauler, a Surly Pugsley Fat Bike, and my newest acquisition: Salsa Colossal road bike.
It is a nice entry level ride that allows decent speed but has pretty friendly geo for a casual rider like myself. I got it on Tuesday and already have put 75 miles on it. Love it!
I know very little about road riding rules(HWY, country roads)or little diddies that will make my journey easier into this.

Thread useless without pics:
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Note about the platforms....I tried various kinds of pedals and shoes, clipless, clips & straps, etc. My feet always fall asleep in secured systems. Always. On every bike, no matter the distance or what I do. After years of spent money, a pile of useless stuff, and pit stops of returning blood flow pain to my feet, I finally realized that flats and converse all stars are the right choice for me. On every bike. No more issues with falling asleep feet(I don't have circulation issues any other time either) and I can enjoy the ride(and pit stops!)

 

[Nakedbabytoes]

Thanks!
Yup, tried them all. Shimano, Egg beaters, Speedplay, etc. You name it, I tried it. Trust me, after cycling nearly all my life, semi seriously MTB and BMX as an adult pre-family, I have always gotten serious flack about pedals. I WANT to like them, they just don't work for me circulation wise with my feet.
I guess at age 39, I figure acceptance is brilliance. Not to mention all the dang money I spent over the years buying pedals & shoes, and saddles...sometimes people suggest saddles pinching an artery in the thigh area. But all bikes? All the time? And why not when my feet are free? I have forefoot placement, solid contact, don't loose my pedals or wiggle a ton.
Eh, it just isn't for me. So I'm not looking to attempt anymore. I just wanted to put that note out there in my original post since I KNOW I will get flack about my pedals. There IS a reason, that's all.

Time with family: Yes, was difficult when they were younger. But as they age, they get easier supervision wise and are getting into their own things also. The hubs and I split things pretty well so that we each do things with them but also get alone time too. But I do have to run early in the morning when everybody is asleep and the hubby hasn't left for work yet. I also homeschool our oldest(anxiety issues are his main factor in public education settings), so that and doing home daycare to toddlers fills my day like any job would. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get 1.5-2 hours of do whatever I want by myself time in the evening while the kids and hubby do whatever at home(or away). He gets Saturday nights out with the guys from 7pm to midnight(ish....sometimes they get to talking nerd stuff and it geeks it out until 2am) and then for events that I or the kids do game wise, we all go together and make it a family affair.
It works so far and everybody feels pretty accommodated. Sometimes there are scheduling conflicts(like this Sat, I have an evening trail race from 5:30-9pm) and then he will go out after, probably play cards later, then roll in around 2-3am. Which is fine. We are much more pleasant people when we get aired out
I wish I commuted! I am jealous! I did that for years and years. One of the reasons I bought the cargo bike was so I could feel that commuting feel when I get groceries or do errands. I just love that feeling of the work with intent. The tangable end result.
KWIM?