Cycling while pregnant was: Re: Cyclists' cycles

[Lady Cavendish]

Appreciate this isn't the right place really for this, but it's not something the men will be able to help with

Those who have taken the drastic measure of pregnancy to avoid their cycles, when did you stop riding? I'm 20 weeks, and although I haven't been able to run at all during pregnancy as it's 'high risk' but I have been cycling (and walking a lot)

I now think I'm too fat for my bike  everything feels all wrong, it's all squashed and a bit stomach crampy and I'm also a bit twitchy about falling off. I've been doing spinning as well which is more comfortable as you can put the handlebars up to a sit up and beg one etc and not be squashed in. Does this mean it's just time to stop outside now?!

[chrisbainbridge]

I am male so take this with a pinch of salt but i work with a lot of fitness orientated women!

I would say that your level of worry now is such that the anxiety will make you increasingly unsafe on the road and you will start riding defensively which is not a good pattern of riding

[Ham]

Another bloke, but I would point you towards Miss Ham who has kept up training throughout (and the last day is today, even possibly now as I type this  ) with the mantra "if it feels ok, do it". You might find her instagram helpful.

Sounds like you're not feeling ok with that. Find summat else.

[Kim]

I now think I'm too fat for my bike  everything feels all wrong, it's all squashed and a bit stomach crampy and I'm also a bit twitchy about falling off. I've been doing spinning as well which is more comfortable as you can put the handlebars up to a sit up and beg one etc and not be squashed in. Does this mean it's just time to stop outside now?!

I'm not a bloke, but I'm about as qualified to give pregnancy advice.

That does sound like an excellent excuse to go recumbent trike, thobut.   

Seriously, it's hard to fault the logic of "do what you're comfortable with".  Maybe you could borrow a cycle with a more upright geometry (perhaps a really stable Dutch bike with wide tyres and a step-through frame, to minimise the chances of falling off).  Maybe you could stick to indoor cycling on a spin bike.  Getting stressed about it surely isn't going to help.

[Lady Cavendish]

Chris-that's probably a very fair point. I've never *quite* recovered anxiety level-wise from quite a bad crash in 2017, it took months to be able to ride normally again without assuming everything would hit me.

I also am not bothered enough about riding outside to start borrowing random versions of bikes, especially coming into winter, but I don't want to lose all my fitness either, it's been hard enough not running. Maybe it is just now the time that it's spin bike all the time.

I'm envious of everyone who is able to continue training as they were prior to pregnancy/throughout as normal, but due to some complications and it taking years to having even got to this point, unfortunately that hasn't been the case for me. I'll be able to do it all again in the spring though

I just hadn't really accounted for stopping cycling outdoors this early! #fatproblems

[hellymedic]

I am not an obstetrician.
I have never been pregnant.

20 weeks is not very big. A more upright machine might help.

FULLY recumbent might not be wise as a baby can lie on the vena cava; Semi-recumbent is probably OK.

If something is uncomfortable, adjust or modify until it isn't.

Wasn't there some foreign politician recently who cycled to hospital for induction of overdue labour?

[Kim]

FULLY recumbent might not be wise as a baby can lie on the vena cava; Semi-recumbent is probably OK.

Never mind that, I hear that a pregnancy bump looks utterly ridiculous on a recumbent.  It's not squishy like an aero-belly. 

[Ham]

Chris-that's probably a very fair point. I've never *quite* recovered anxiety level-wise from quite a bad crash in 2017, it took months to be able to ride normally again without assuming everything would hit me.

I also am not bothered enough about riding outside to start borrowing random versions of bikes, especially coming into winter, but I don't want to lose all my fitness either, it's been hard enough not running. Maybe it is just now the time that it's spin bike all the time.

I'm envious of everyone who is able to continue training as they were prior to pregnancy/throughout as normal, but due to some complications and it taking years to having even got to this point, unfortunately that hasn't been the case for me. I'll be able to do it all again in the spring though

I just hadn't really accounted for stopping cycling outdoors this early! #fatproblems

To be clear, Miss Ham adapted what she was doing to the state of her bump and the way she felt (her comments describe), and she always acted on the side of caution. She does believe that her fitness level and continuing efforts at maintaining it have helped through the pregnancy

[chrisbainbridge]

one option for cycling outdoors might be cycle paths.  here in the peaks we have the tissington and High peak trails which are well surfaced and relatively quiet in autumn. 

otherwise what about taking up swimming, pregnancy pilates, etc as exercise to keep fit ( provide endorphins) and accept that this baby is very important and has already taken serious "investment" going by your last post.

[Lady Cavendish]

I appreciate I could easily cycle to the shops and on cycle paths, but that's really not my thing, I'm a complete roadie and want to be riding at a decent lick or not at all really, it's 'sport' rather than 'transport'

Swimming I think I will probably move onto though yes, that's prompted me to probably think about this more.

Yes, this has indeed been quite an 'investment', (as well as the cost, I could never go through the last few years emotionally again, and this really is last chance saloon) I'm sure this probably does affect my paranoia levels about things

[Kim]

IMHO the chances of falling off your bike are much higher on a cycle path (even a competently surfaced one) than on the road.  Much more chance of a low-speed encounter with an unpredictable dog, pedestrians leaping around without looking, etc.  Normally that only really matters if there's a body of water to fall into, but...

[matthew]

LadyC, are you still in East Berks? if so would the Great Park provide the appropriate reduction in traffic whilst having suitable surfaces for the decent lick?

I think Butterfly and Julian have previously written about riding whilst expecting which may be found by the search function.

[Lady Cavendish]

Matthew- I stayed out of the Great Park before I got up the duff! So many dog leads and pedestrians it's very hazardous lol. A friend only last month managed to break 17 bones and puncture a lung in there. I'd be more anxious in there than on the roads I think! Plus as much as anything it's the uncomfortable feeling of being all squished on the bike, I think I'm just too fat for it now :-/

[hellymedic]

I have heard reports of misfortune following exertion in extremis during pregnancy.

Whist cycling at 'commuter' pace is fine, I'm not so happy about riding at race pace, I'm sorry to say.

[L CC]

I think you have it right- if you are doing cycling as sport rather than transport, as soon as your bump gets in the way it's time to stop.
Plenty of other ways to keep active if you want to.

(Disclaimer: I have lots of experience being pregnant (7 times) and cycling, but I've never combined the two)

[Lady Cavendish]

Yeah thanks fboab, although 20 weeks may not be 'huge' I feel comparatively huge and it does feel in the way and squashed and like I can't breathe properly, basically just all a bit 'wrong'

Still completely comfortable on these spin bikes, although I haven't yet found shorts that can deal with the bump/fitting problem. Maternity skinny jeans- available everywhere. Maternity cycling shorts- not available everywhere.

[L CC]

Maternity cycling shorts- not available everywhere.

Pro tip: Clicky

[Lady Cavendish]

They don't have any padded shorts or anything (our spin saddles are very harsh) but this is an awesome site, thank you I'm ordering some of the other stuff

[giropaul]

We have had several pregnant women doing Wattbike classes - following advice from their medical advisers. The bigger “ civilian “ Wattbike saddles and a more upright position seem to be useful. We modify the effort zones according to advice and the stage of pregnancy.

The same women usually return to the Wattbike quite soon after the birth, and much sooner than they start on the road.