Thursday, 7/12/07 at 7:32 PM
by Kelli Poindexter
by Kelli Poindexter
Pregnancy… To cycle or not to cycle?
I’ve been working on the challenge of cycling while pregnant for about 6 months now. In the beginning, I did some reading; I talked to my doctor, and determined I would continue cycling throughout my pregnancy, no problem. And then pregnancy set in…
Before I knew I was pregnant, I was training to dabble in the road racing game this season. I found out I was expecting and then my belly started to grow just enough to make bending over on the race bike uncomfortable. No problem, I hung up the race bike (I knew I wasn’t going to be able to race this season) and got myself a Giant OCR composite women’s road bike. My husband coined this bike my “pregnancy bike”. I was riding but I had to be careful about how long my rides were and not getting to the point of being out of breath. I also had to make sure I was hydrating and eating more. I was still enjoying the ride!
I was determined to participate in the metric century (The Cinderella Classic) I had planned to kick off the cycling season. But I knew as I trained and my belly grew, it was going to be difficult for me to complete the 65 miles. I thought to myself, if I can finish half the ride I’ll feel good about it. I started the ride with my buddies, Kim & Sara, but soon dropped back at a much slower pace. I was still enjoying the ride. The Cinderella Classic is an amazing ride with 2500 other women cyclists. My pedaling was slow and I had to pee every five miles or so. When I finally reached the lunch stop after changing out a flat, I thought I was done for the day. It was the half way point and I could feel good about that. Kim and Sara had finished their lunch by the time I arrived and were getting a bit worried about how long it was taking me. I’m not positive, but I think I was the only woman four and half months pregnant out there. After I refueled and rested a bit, I felt like I could get back in the saddle and make it to the next rest stop, 12 miles away. About five miles later, I knew I was done. As I pulled over, a SAG vehicle came right up behind me and I jumped in. I had accomplished what I’d set out to do, but knew that I was done riding the road bike for the next five to six months.
Determined to keep riding, I had to find another bike that would be more pregnant chick friendly. I have found the answer in the Giant Suede. This bike takes me back to the enjoyment of riding that you feel when you’re a kid, new found freedom with the wind blowing through your hair. The Suede is the ultimate in comfort, big seat and up right position. Everything a roadie would cringe about. This bike is so much fun. I have recaptured my passion for cycling as I cruise around our seven mile long island. My husband (the ultimate roadie) even took it for a spin the other day to run an errand and came back glowing. I have found the real “pregnancy bike” and will continue to ride it until I give birth.
Cycling while pregnant is not for everyone and not a sport you should take up during pregnancy if you don’t have a history riding. But if you’re already a cyclist and can’t bear to stop for pregnancy, don’t. Recreate your passion by finding the right bike as you go through all the exciting challenges that pregnancy brings.
Kelli
Before I knew I was pregnant, I was training to dabble in the road racing game this season. I found out I was expecting and then my belly started to grow just enough to make bending over on the race bike uncomfortable. No problem, I hung up the race bike (I knew I wasn’t going to be able to race this season) and got myself a Giant OCR composite women’s road bike. My husband coined this bike my “pregnancy bike”. I was riding but I had to be careful about how long my rides were and not getting to the point of being out of breath. I also had to make sure I was hydrating and eating more. I was still enjoying the ride!
I was determined to participate in the metric century (The Cinderella Classic) I had planned to kick off the cycling season. But I knew as I trained and my belly grew, it was going to be difficult for me to complete the 65 miles. I thought to myself, if I can finish half the ride I’ll feel good about it. I started the ride with my buddies, Kim & Sara, but soon dropped back at a much slower pace. I was still enjoying the ride. The Cinderella Classic is an amazing ride with 2500 other women cyclists. My pedaling was slow and I had to pee every five miles or so. When I finally reached the lunch stop after changing out a flat, I thought I was done for the day. It was the half way point and I could feel good about that. Kim and Sara had finished their lunch by the time I arrived and were getting a bit worried about how long it was taking me. I’m not positive, but I think I was the only woman four and half months pregnant out there. After I refueled and rested a bit, I felt like I could get back in the saddle and make it to the next rest stop, 12 miles away. About five miles later, I knew I was done. As I pulled over, a SAG vehicle came right up behind me and I jumped in. I had accomplished what I’d set out to do, but knew that I was done riding the road bike for the next five to six months.
Determined to keep riding, I had to find another bike that would be more pregnant chick friendly. I have found the answer in the Giant Suede. This bike takes me back to the enjoyment of riding that you feel when you’re a kid, new found freedom with the wind blowing through your hair. The Suede is the ultimate in comfort, big seat and up right position. Everything a roadie would cringe about. This bike is so much fun. I have recaptured my passion for cycling as I cruise around our seven mile long island. My husband (the ultimate roadie) even took it for a spin the other day to run an errand and came back glowing. I have found the real “pregnancy bike” and will continue to ride it until I give birth.
Cycling while pregnant is not for everyone and not a sport you should take up during pregnancy if you don’t have a history riding. But if you’re already a cyclist and can’t bear to stop for pregnancy, don’t. Recreate your passion by finding the right bike as you go through all the exciting challenges that pregnancy brings.
Kelli
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