As far as the baby...yeah, please don't take him or her with you until you are much better! If nothing else it will be something less to worry about. You can have your hubby watch him right?

The thing about exercise...any exercise...is that you can't get better if you don't try hard. If you try hard, you'll improve...just be consistent! Don't kill yourself with it, though. No need to risk your skin to get in shape. Honestly tonight would be so brilliant for a ride if I had a bike...you make me wanna get one actually!

Sorry if you or other people feel I am being rude or negative.

It is very easy to get seriously hurt riding a bike and even easier for a passenger strapped in or not. Helmet or not.

Your son not actually being a baby changes very little.

I am not trying to make you feel bad I am giving you a reality check. About two people per day die due to bike accidents.

Okay, reality check or not, I would never intentionally put my son in danger. Nor was I stupid or exercising poor judgement by bringing him with me. (I was trying to involve him with my exercise and have fun at the same time) The falling into the fence thing was was at a stand still and I was using the fence to help steady myself getting on and off the bike. I used every safety precaution to keep the both of us safe while riding. The hilly parts were difficult for me. Were they a little nerve wracking, yes, but I was in no danger nor was my child. When I said I was a lousy mom it was because I was disappointed in myself for not being able to do things that come so easily to other moms, not because I was inviting people to doubt the veracity of my ability to keep my child safe. Please, if you don't have anything constructive to say don't say it at all.

i'll admit that my knee-jerk reaction was similar when reading about your difficulties getting on and riding the bike, also when you mentioned your son doesn't really fit into the seat... but i decided to take it as read that you were conscious of his comfort and safety before anything else.

as someone who is not confident on a bike, i would be hesitant to strap anyone to one i was controlling. lol

as for your less than stellar start, i think one of the reasons kids are so great at trying new (or retrying old) things is because they are allowed to stink at it for a while at first. they dont judge themselves, and they don't notice or care if anyone is judging them.

you got out there. you did it. you won, dear.

I am editing this post because actually upon further thought I made a judgment call as to the physical well being of my child. That is really for nobody to criticize. As others in the thread I made a good choice to go riding and provide a good example to my kids. The way that I went about it may not meet everyone's standards but I did what I thought was best and took as many precautions as I, as his parent, deemed necessary. Beyond that, what can anyone else do? Not live life? I have let my weight keep me from doing the things both my children and I enjoy. No longer. And if it means that there is a learning curve to get back on track. So be it. Thanks for the words of encouragement!

I'm going to give you a hardy well done. I'm going to bite my tongue as to some of the comments and merely say that, personally, people tend to forget how resilient children can be. The worst that's going to happen to that child when the bike falls over at a stand still is that he's going to end up on his side. I've been on my side, pinned in the snow beneath a snowmobile. Not scratch nor a bruise. I've had bookshelves fall on me. As a child, I busted my chin falling out of my high chair. LET THE CHILD EAT DIRT. I mean... yes, there are biking accidents. Sure people die in them. Want to know a little know secret? People die every day from crossing the street. Does that mean we should all hide indoors? NO. More importantly, 2salads you're right about one huge thing. You are his mother. You know your neighborhood. You know what the chances are of something bad happening far better than we do. It was your call to make. It's frightening to find how many of those people who used to be judged end up doing the very same thing to others.

Okay - didn't exactly bite my tongue. Still, I'm so proud of you for taking those first steps. It can be hard and it can be a little nerve-wrecking and embarrassing but remind yourself of what you accomplished. You accomplished getting on that bike in spite of the difficulties.

I'm all for letting kids be kids but when you ahare the road with cars you are putting yourself in significant danger. Having said that I do admit I am projecting what I thnk the streets look like.

My apologies for derailing your thread 2salads. The funny thing is I am quite perturbed by people who project like this so I am a hypocrtye today.

If I reread your initial post I see it in an entirely different light once my mind takes out the DANGER DANGER that overrides my thinking, In that light I think you are awesome.

Since the initial embarrassment is over with you must continue now. For me it would be more embarrassing if I went through that and didnt continue. That would be lame. If you keep going you'll be resilient.

I thought the same thing about putting a baby on a bike without any recent practice. I jut got back on my bike last year after a 20yr hiatus and I didn't put my then 2 yr old on for a long time until I got sufficient practice in. In a stickler though and I live in a big metro city.

As a teen and child, I loved biking. I rode my bike everywhere I went, and I was chubby fat thing too but I loved my bike. Until my ex "borrowed" it and took it to his house where it got stolen.

So about 3 years ago, right after we got married, my husband and I discuss losing weight and I'm like, I love to ride my bike! It would be something we could do together for exercise. So we go out and get two new bikes at Walmart. (I'm not a cyclist yet, but one day I will get me a super nice road bike!) My husband is about 100 lbs heavier than I was at the time (265) and he couldn't ride. I was mortified when both tires, fully inflated, sunk all the way to the concrete making riding both harder and uncomfortable. This was after we had both supposedly bought bikes that would handle our weight. I'd researched extensively. We both agreed that the bikes would go into storage until we were down a few lbs first....

A few weeks ago I was in the garage and there that stupid bike was, mocking me. I could almost hear it in my head saying, "hey fattie, you'll never take me out." After staring at it in annoyance..... I finally went back in, put on my walking shoes and took it out. I had to air up the tires, ended up blowing the tube.... Had to wait 2 days to get another, but eventually I had it up and running...

It's been a good 10 years since I've been on a bike, but it didn't take long for muscle memory to come back. Legs hurting? OMG...... Bum hurting? You better believe it. The absolute sense of accomplishment and self satisfaction for taking that thing out for 30 minutes on day two.... PRICELESS!!!!

Sadly, after riding it the past few weeks, I've realized it's just too small for my height. I need a bigger frame, which for once has nothing to do with my weight, but just my actual body height. I just recently bought another one and I can't wait for the hubby to have it together. The seat on the old one is all the way up and my long legs are still so scrunched up!

Point to my story..... I remember the kids across the street laughing at me when I first tried to ride my bike 3 years ago. I'm going to out race their snotty little butts in a few weeks. You just wait and see!!! Keep at it and it'll get easier.

My mom used to ride me around town on her bike when I was a baby. It's one of the earliest memories I have. I can't wait till I'm able to do that with my kids.

2salads, you just carry on, girl!!

Here's my own embarrassing bike story: I, too, thought it would be great to resume an activity I once enjoyed years before. I needed a new bike, so kitted out with a decent mountain-style bike (I live rural and encounter a lot of gravel roads).

First time out, I could barely make it out of my property... about an eighth of a mile with one rather short but steep incline. Once I'd managed to make it out onto the open road, I rode for maybe 10 minutes, max. Downhill on a slight incline. Forgetting I had to ride back, uphill on a slight incline. I was pathetic. By the time I made it back to my long driveway, I was huffing and puffing like an apoplectic dog trying to ascend the stairs. My face was a gorgeous shade of red. My sweaty hair clung to my neck, sticking out from under my helmet. I looked like something better used out in the garden with a stick stuck up its back.

To make matters worse, I quickly learned I'd forgotten how to stop the @#$#!! bike. I sported two massive bruises on my inner thighs for weeks. They resulted from my ungainly forward motion caused by trying to stop, not quite succeeding, and my thighs slamming into the little metal water bottle holder mounted on the front of the frame. Ouch. Of course, were I a smaller person, my thighs wouldn't have been large enough to come into contact with that water bottle holder. Things have changed a bunch since the last time I was a bike rider!

I persist, however. I'm meeting a friend shortly to take our 45-minute bike ride along a nice, level bike path. I'm making gradual improvements -- and so will you!!

It heartens me to see that so many other people have embarrassing bike stories. I think it's important to be able to be completely honest while losing weight. Fear of the judgment of others can make weight loss even more difficult especially if you feel the judgment is unwarranted or you happen to be feeling sensitive.

I applaud you for going out and doing that, and I think you are a GOOD mother because you want to involve your kids in your activities. Many parents just ignore their kids, you are wanting to do this with your kids. I think that's great!

I have embarrassing bike stories too- I can't do hills. Reading the first reply to your thread makes me want to do what she did and go ride every day until that one day I don't notice I'm riding up a hill! That was inspiring.

Be proud of your effort, because it makes a difference!

I hate to break the bad news but exercise embarassment should never end if you are doing it properly.

For example,

At the weekend, I was at the gym. I just finished my set and I heard this big dude whisper "hey buddy, can I get a hand over here?". He was benching a little too heavy and the bar was laying flat on his chest....pinned. I ran over to him. Helped him lift it back. He left. It happens to all of us.

Now a couple of my gems.

Farting. Loudly. Whilst doing squats.

And sh!tting myself while running. That was by far the worst.

But with exercise, embarassment goes with the territory. You just have to hope and pray everytime you put yourself out there that nothing happens. But if you keep rolling the dice, it will.

Thanks, Ian, for the visuals on that. Speaking of farts when I used to have a gym membership I used to take the treadmill right under the ceiling fan so as to keep cool and not sweat as much. Of course when you are on a steep incline and you fart, even the tiniest bit, the fan wafts it over to everyone in the room. So, FYI, don't exercise under the fan...

Dang, Ian. ROTFLMBO!!!!! I guess that is pretty much the winning exercise embarassment story. LOL.