Yes, kids will slow you down a little. But the time goes quickly and soon enough you can do lots of cool activities with them. If you think you get joy from your own rides, wait until that light sparks in your kids’ when s/he’s out on an adventure with you. Priceless.
Check out some of the nice videos in this forum of kids tearing it up on the trails and you’ll see it won’t be that long before you’re back in the saddle. I still get my own rides in, of course, and I’m a runner, too, which is a bit more flexible as I can do it at night after the kids are in bed and my parental duties are done. But I’m actually in better shape today with two kids than when I didn’t have any. In between, there were definitely some lulls and some doughy buildup, but that’s how it goes.
My daughter (6) is very active and getting more and more interested in biking. Haven’t taken her on the trails yet, but we use bikes as transportation all over the hood. My son (12) is more into biking and just started with his school’s road biking program. He’s not the most coordinated kid on the block and he’s unlikely to win any competitions, but if he’s enjoying it and its something he can continue to do as he gets older to stay in shape and be sane, I’m super happy for him. And its something we can do together! (he also has a mtn bike)
We’ve taken our kids camping since they were a few months old. This summer went to Belize and went hiking, snorkeling, canoeing, tubing, etc. It was great for everyone. So, adventure sports are no problem for kids if you are smart about it.
Parenting is a portal. Once you walk through, you can’t go back again. My wife often asks me “remember back before we had kids?” and I always say “no, not really…” Yes, your whole life will change. But somehow, you will still be the same. Its complicated, but once you get to the other side, it will all make sense. We’ll see you there…