Recreational & Family - Spousal/better half support

How often are you accompanied by your "better half"?

My honey's more a runner than a biker. Maybe one day we'll do the tandem thing. For now, I'm pretty much solo.

Yuo needed an option for "I'm a happily single spanky".

:D

Buy her a nice hybrid entry bike. That can't influence her. Other option is harrassment. IF not, just have to go it alone.

My wife and I ride together atleast 95% of the time on mtb rides. Now that she is seriously considering racing she pushes her self harder so the rides are getting much more interesting. No more waiting 2 min for her, she has cut that down to 30 to 40 sec.
She never goes on road rides with me because the cars scare the hell out of her.
Slainte:beer:

Originally posted by Chris L
Yuo needed an option for "I'm a happily single spanky".
Yep ... botched it :(

Once a week. Usually on my casual day. We will go for a ride and I will take off every couple of minutes on one of the very short single tracks and pop back out.

My better half rides with me on almost all of my non-commuting rides. She's rather supportive of me (she even makes shop runs for me whiile I'm at indentured servitude (work).:D

Practically Never. How about not in a million years. I've tried, believe me. She is afraid she is going to fall over and hurt her self, doesn't trust the handbrakes, and afraid of gears. My wife is afraid of bicycles. I blame her parents. :mad: She never owned a bicycle as a kid and her parents always told her she would fall down and hit her head. Ignorant GRRRRR.

She is not very supportive sometimes either. I figure I could be doing worse things with my time. Going to bars, smoking, drinking heavily, become an armchair quarter back and lounge on the couch all day and gain 50 lbs.

I even did the math for her one day. cigarettes are expensive in Canada. 7 bucks now I think. 7 x 7 days is $49 x 52 weeks is $2548 not including taxes. And that's just for the cigs. Now lets add say the beer. 2 24's a month for a price of $35 (yeah were getting hosed in Onterrible) x 26 (remember roughly every two weeks) at a yearly cost of $1820. For a grand total of....drum roll please....

$4368.00 before taxes. :eek:

This doesn't include those nights out, and the cost of satellite t.v. (ya know, gotta have all those t.v. channels since I'll be living on the couch), nacho's, cheese, salsa and other assorted chips and junk food on top of that. Ya know for all the big games.

I think this past year I didn't even come anywhere near a quarter that cost!

This kept her quite for a while.

I now have a daughter. I don't intend to or no wait a minute! I intend to let the "cycle" continue! No pun intended of course. I can't wait in a couple of years I can start to teach her how to ride a bike.

Sorry man, I feel like I just hijacked this thread. /rant

Originally posted by stiffee_shane
$4368.00 before taxes. :eek:

Wow. That's a nice new bike and a heap of accessories every year. I'll have to try that one.

My wife isn't into cycling but my 6 year old daughter is starting to get really interested in cycling with me.

I'm lucky in that my wife often cycles with me. On afternoons she's not working she cycles out on my commute route to meet me on my way home. Just last night she said that's one of our best times together, no distractions.

She also loves cycle touring and her new custom built Roberts bike is being delivered this week

I originally bought our matching (how cute!!!) Roadmaster POS's because SHE wanted a bike. Now that I've dragged them from the shed and started riding, she is getting into it as well. I was looking at new bikes this weekend and she says," since we ride together so much, it really wouldn't make sense for you to get a new bike and I'm still riding the old one. I guess we BOTH need new bikes."

I think this is going to get expensive.
But at least she won't give me a hard time when I want some new gear, as long as I get 2...


ChipR.

I had to vote sometimes, it used to be always, but since our son was born, we take turns cycling. We also get my in-laws to babysit on occasion so we can ride together. Well, that was until my wife got sick and is now temporarily off the bike for awhile. So, now I'm solo, but I'm sure that'll change as soon as she's healthy again!

We're in the "virtually never" - little support category.
I picked up a used MTB for her a couple of weeks ago (I made sure and asked if she wanted one first), but it has yet to leave the garage (too tired, too busy, etc) I make a point of asking every day if she wants to go for a ride, but no success yet.
As for support, she should be encouraging me to go out and spend lots of money on a new road bike, but so far nothing. :D

I ride alone most of the time. occasionally a student comes by to see if I want to go for a ride, which I do if I can.

If your SO is a runner, you can do pacemaking on a bike. The pace is pretty easy for a cyclist, so you can watch them suffer from the comfort of your saddle.
When my brother and his wife come to visit, they are both way too athletic to ride with, but pacing them on a bike suits me fine.

I didn't see a "never" option. :eek: :confused:

My wife will accompany me to the LBS occasionally. Does that count? She always makes sure I have the checkbook when I go by myself. She is my #1 supporter. :beer:

She works in healthcare and is on her feet all day. When she comes home she just wants to prop up her feet and relax. Most nights I rub her feet while we watch TV. I guess that's a fair trade for her support. :D

She says when she retires we will get a Terry "something" for her. :)

Get a trailer. I drag my two year old around in it and with enough Kix (cereal - hand food) , books, and toys, he rides along without a problem. It may be a pain dragging a trailer, but when I ride without the trailer - I FLY !!! Good for training.

That being said, I only take him on the trails - not ready to risk his life AND mine on the road.


Originally posted by a2psyklnut
I had to vote sometimes, it used to be always, but since our son was born, we take turns cycling. We also get my in-laws to babysit on occasion so we can ride together. Well, that was until my wife got sick and is now temporarily off the bike for awhile. So, now I'm solo, but I'm sure that'll change as soon as she's healthy again!

Originally posted by stiffee_shane
[B]I now have a daughter. I don't intend to or no wait a minute! I intend to let the "cycle" continue! No pun intended of course. I can't wait in a couple of years I can start to teach her how to ride a bike.



My entire family... grandparents and parents included, started their children out young. Bike's with training wheels as soon as possible.... too young for training wheels? We were all riding around in baby carries on the back of bikes... now that's the way to ride in style! :thumbup:

I remember my first bike without training wheels.... Duke's of hazard bike... it was the general lee :love:

I'm obsessed with cycling... she with decorating.

Between the two of us, we have no $$$ left for much else!

But the family cycling thing is growing. We all rode about 1/2 mile up to the local hamburger joint last night and had a really grand time. My oldest son (7) really likes cycling, and Santa may bring him a better bike for Christmas this year.

As for my wife.... I agree that buying her a lighter bike (over her current steel-framed Ralleigh) wouldn't likely get her on the bike more frenquently, though it would make her infrequent rides more enjoyable.

Aerow :rolleyes:

My wife and I both have comfort hybrids and I ride with her on most of her rides which are almost daily.

I also have a road bike and usually ride that alone at least 10 miles per day.

My wife is very supportive.

My beautiful other doesn't ride with me unless it's with the kids. Too bad! I think my biweekly group rides are starting to motivate her, though. She keeps asking about the women on the ride!

We ride together a lot.

20 miles Saturday, 10 miles Sunday.

How about never ?

My wife is handicapped, and she isn't interested in handcycling. I could try to convince her to try a tandem with one handcycle and one pedalcycle -- I'm aware that such a beast exist --, but unless I can find one to try, it's an expensive proposition.

On the other hand, I cycle a lot with our children. Not only they enjoy cycling, but my wife appreciates the "time off" when I go out with the kids.

The oldest child (now 6) used a bit the baby seat, then graduated to a trailercycle. The youngest one (now 2.5) has ridden almost exclusively in the trailer I bought last winter.

This Summer, we have alternated between short rides using bike + trailer and oldest kid on her bike, and long rides using bike + trailercycle + trailer. Short rides were typically 10-35 km/day, mostly avoiding hills and major traffic, and going to various playgrounds. Long rides were mostly for scenery and pleasure to ride, although usually with a playground along the way, an ice cream cone somewhere (unless they didn't behave), and sometimes an interesting "feature": a series of locks, or a ferry , for example.

BTW, I had no problems in getting a budget for a good trailer and trailercycle... and my wife has no problem getting a budget for her books.

Regards,

She always makes sure I have the checkbook when I go by myself. She is my #1 supporter.

I was reading some of the threads to my wife and she laughed at this one and said, with an evil look, " She probably just wants you out of the house". :p
Slainte:beer:

I'm really surprised to see that "practically never" is in the lead. What is it with women and bikes? No wonder I see so few female cyclists on the road, except for actual racers (and quite a few MTBers, actually). Spouse and I go together all the time. Well, not on every ride. Sometimes I actually like to go out and ride alone, and he likes to go with some of his friends and do real serious sprints (I'm no sprinter). Some of them are former and current racers, so needless to say I wouldn't even bother keeping up with them. Also, sometimes he goes out on very early rides and I go later. But I really can't understand why so many women are so against cycling or even afraid of it! I was not much of an athlete as a kid either, I was skinny, totally uncoordinated and useless at everything, and I am not exactly miss daredevil either, but I can't imagine sitting at home being afraid to ride a bike. I'm not criticizing anyone's wife, but I can't understand it either. I think a lot of women just don't like sports, sad to say. But if I can get into cycling, anyone can- like I said, I was never an athlete or did sports competitively, but that's the thing about cycling. It's hard to do football or baseball by yourself, it has to be competitive. Cycling you can do under any circumstances- you don't have to race to go fast. As for hurting yourself, you can hurt yourself in the house! Falling down the stairs. Or hurting your back from sitting all day!

It was SO who got me a mountain bike a few years ago, but I didn't ride it as much as I now ride my road bike- just being able to go faster and faster is the best part. I've discovered that I don't have to be a daredevil or a racer to at least be halfway decent at something athletic! Unfortunately, many women are just averse to sports, period, sorry to say. Hey, I wish I knew women who like baseball, cycling, hockey (watching it anyways). I feel like I'm the only one sometimes!

My dad always was pushing me to marry the girl I dated who played softball with me, cycled, went swimming, played volleyball, etc.... He almost asked her for me one time. She was the one who got away and I have been kicking myself for the last 20 years for letting that happen. Dad was right!

Anyone know a 40 year old woman named Tami? If you do, tell her Steve is still kicking himself!

Where does about one ride out of four fit? We do a 2-3 hour family ride one day each weekend, with a trailer plus kid attached to each bike. It ends up being slow (usually about 30-35 miles in 2 - 3 hours), but still a decent workout hauling the trailer - the HRM says average HR ~135, ~2100 calories burned).

The three or so mornings when I go out for a harder fitness ride, I end up going it alone, with nobody showing any interest in accompanying me (maybe because they are all still asleep when I hit the road at 5 am?).

It was my husbands idea to buy the bikes a few years ago, he commuted to work on his for a year or so, and mine mostly set in the garage. Now, I an on mine all the time and I can't get him to ride his. Once in a while he will go with me, but after 20 min. he is ready to head home. He blames the seat, says it get uncomfortable, but really I think he just cant keep up with me!! But he is very supportive of my riding and dosent mind that I take off every night after work, sometimes he will even have supper ready when I get home.

My wife and I ride a tandem as well as single bikes. We've cut back in recent years, but still manage 3000 miles or so with our rides being split 60/40 between the tandem and singles. My wife maybe rides 10 percent or so less than I do. BTW, she rides a more expensive bike than me. :confused:

Originally posted by MediaCreations


Wow. That's a nice new bike and a heap of accessories every year. I'll have to try that one.

My wife isn't into cycling but my 6 year old daughter is starting to get really interested in cycling with me.
MC,

Is living in the Southern Hemisphere, like, a parallel universe?

:confused:

Seems like you are in my shoes (or I'm in yours.)

(If we contact one another, will we disintegrate? :eek: )

Originally posted by RonH
I didn't see a "never" option. :eek: :confused:
:roflmao:


My wife will accompany me to the LBS occasionally. Does that count?
No. :D


She always makes sure I have the checkbook when I go by myself. She is my #1 supporter. :beer:
:eek:

(ok. so--how did you get the checkbook again?)


She works in healthcare and is on her feet all day. When she comes home she just wants to prop up her feet and relax. Most nights I rub her feet while we watch TV. I guess that's a fair trade for her support. :D
Ya, right. You "rub her feet..." I think you're hiding something, here, if you're getting the checkbook for LBS purchases!


She says when she retires we will get a Terry "something" for her. :)
Promises, promises. You must be dy-no-mite, Baby! :D

No better half to ride with. But lots of friends like to ride.

A.troll, want to ride nekkid with me?

I picked the not too often 'coz I'm the one that's dropped on our twice a week training rides. He has to choose to ride with me. I do start with the group but sooner or later it is bye-bye.:eek:

There is a better chance he'll ride with me on weekends except on pay rides.

My wife used to ride. Now she's into in-line skating. First, we rode together. Then we rode with another couple. The girls would ride together and my pal and I would ride ahead and stop at all the turns to make sure noone got lost. A lot of times we would double back and get extra miles. Later, we joined a club and I would go on the faster ride and she on the slower one. Usually we'd get together at the rest stops. Then we got a tandem and rode together alot. Finally, we started having a family and she stopped riding and I rode less. Now that the kids are teenagers I am riding a lot more but she still hasn't gotten back into cycling.

I'm going to try a get her back on the bike over the winter since I think I will cut back on the miles and try to take a slower pace for a few months.

Originally posted by DnvrFox
We ride together a lot.

20 miles Saturday, 10 miles Sunday.

I am sorry. But 20 miles does not seem to qualify as "a lot" to me. 20 mile is only 32 km.

I cycle 100 km on Sunday, the metric century, and sort of despise myself for not being able to ride the real century so far.

Again, I apologize, if I am not minding my own business. Do I miss something? Maybe your route goes via steep mountain terrain, since you live in Colorado?

In my opinion, 46.15% is sad for couples. I see great value in sharing activities with the person I chose to spend the rest of my life with. I know everybody has different reasons for sharing time or not. I am from a different school. I had no idea what it took or what I wanted in a partner in my 20's-30's so I stayed single. I was a perpetual jock in many sports and traveled at the drop of a hat.

Once I found out the value of a athletic companion, I swore to myself that I'd never marry until I found one. I got some great stories... :) I waited many years, and finally got married at 49 yrs to a women with a great little boy. She's try's to be a jock at heart, 12 index golfer and 4.0 tennis player and will try anything. However, she's a city girl, never much of an outdoors woman or back country activites. She's very supportive of all my "expensive" endevors, which I might add, are very time consuming, ie: golf, cycling, traveling for golf and cycling, and computers, while running my own business. Because, my first prioity is spending time with her and our son, being a worthy father & attentive husband. Once I've met my oblagations then I am on the road or at the golf club and she's at my side if she desires. :)

We've been together over 3yrs. Our son is into BMXing. I bought her a MTB a few years a go cause I had one, she hasn't used it much, thinks it's to heavy. Now that I am road riding & training to race again, she likes the idea of riding a road bike, especially on bike paths. Last wkend she road 10mi at the beach for the first time on her MTB, she loved it and it turned to be a great family day. She told me to go a head and do what I need for some serious exercise. She actually wants what is best for me to be happy... So, I am buying her and my son new road bikes for xmas :D I don't expect her to stay up or ride all the time with me, but knowing she's behind me smiling and proud, warms my heart and keeps me pushing hard. ;)

Originally posted by wabbit

Hey, I wish I knew women who like baseball, cycling, hockey (watching it anyways). I feel like I'm the only one sometimes!

HELLO! My SO and I met at a (minor league) hockey game. A friend had extra tickets and we were invited independently to attend with the group. I thought this guy looked friendly and cute. Went over & sat down next to him, started talking and we hit it off right away. :love:

He's also the one who reawakened my interest in cycling. (I now own 2 bikes and I think I've spent more $ at the lbs this year than he has.) We ride the road together sometimes. Lately, our schedules have been crazy and neither of us has much bike time. At least I keep up on my running though. (I still have 2 more 5k races this season.) :D

We have all kinds of grand plans for next year to train together (or at least at the same time) and do several organized rides together. :) I plan to get a trainer for the winter months. Am I crazy? Damn this addiction! :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Alexey


I am sorry. But 20 miles does not seem to qualify as "a lot" to me. 20 mile is only 32 km.

I have to agree with you... but only partly.

For many of us, in this group, 32 km is not very much. However, one just need to look around, and most people are in awe when they realise I have been cycling to this or that meeting, even if the distance is usually less than 5 or 10 km (one way).

There is some minimum "training" necessary to ride 10 km without being overly tired -- actually one mostly need to pace onself. Unfortunately, most people have been almost brainwashed by fitness experts in believing that they must push at 110%; they can't do it, therefore they don't like it... and become a couch potato.

So in a way, the person who rides 32 km one day and 16 km the other, cycling with his wife has spend 2 - 3 hours per weekend of quality time as a couple.

BTW, my 6-year-old daughter is quite able to ride 15-20 km in a stretch, or 35-40 km in a day on her own single speed bike. And when she rides with me on her trailercycle, she often does her metric century. So 30 km is not a long ride for us.

Regards,

Originally posted by mgagnonlv


I have to agree with you... but only partly.

For many of us, in this group, 32 km is not very much. However, one just need to look around, and most people are in awe when they realise I have been cycling to this or that meeting, even if the distance is usually less than 5 or 10 km (one way).

There is some minimum "training" necessary to ride 10 km without being overly tired -- actually one mostly need to pace onself. Unfortunately, most people have been almost brainwashed by fitness experts in believing that they must push at 110%; they can't do it, therefore they don't like it... and become a couch potato.

So in a way, the person who rides 32 km one day and 16 km the other, cycling with his wife has spend 2 - 3 hours per weekend of quality time as a couple.

BTW, my 6-year-old daughter is quite able to ride 15-20 km in a stretch, or 35-40 km in a day on her own single speed bike. And when she rides with me on her trailercycle, she often does her metric century. So 30 km is not a long ride for us.

Regards,

I believe he's referring to how much they ride together not how long.:)

Howde! All!
My SO allmost always rides with me. On and off road, but on the tandems only. One day she said "I think I can keep up with you on singles off road". So I borrowed a bike for her to ride. I won't say the ride went badly, ummm just slowly. She really tried, and did very well. But she was upset that she could not ride up the same hills we ride up on the tandem. She was much harder on herself because she needed to bail.
She has been learning to ride some of my recumbents, so far shes doing well with the above seat steering bikes. But the underseat steering bikes scare the hell out of her.

I know this thread is about wether or not one's spouse is supportive of our cycling, but since I am happily divorced, I'll share this story instead. About a month ago my 57 year old mother called and asked if I could haul this bike home from the garage sale where she bought it. She told me she had seen how much wieght I lost and how much fun I was having and decided she would try riding as well. So, she paid $10 for this little Huffey P.O.S. At any rate, I tuned it up and adjusted everything for her and she proceded to ride it for about two miles! Not bad for a lady who hadn't been on a bike for better than forty years! She is now looking for something a little better made and more comfortable. I'm very proud of her.

I am sorry. But 20 miles does not seem to qualify as "a lot" to me. 20 mile is only 32 km.

I cycle 100 km on Sunday, the metric century, and sort of despise myself for not being able to ride the real century so far.

Alexey,
This quote seems a bit odd to me. 30 miles in a weekend may not seem like a lot to you, but it is a pretty good amount. The average person would think YOU were odd for riding 100km on every Sunday. You can't judge someone else's distance like that. Most of the time I spend on my bike is next to my wife on hers. It may be only 50 - 60 miles a week, but it is still a lot of time as referring to the topic of this thread. I may misunderstand you but it DOES seem like you are kinda looking down on someone who doesn't ride as far as you on any given day. It comes off as a little unfriendly/ snobish (is that a word?), which is very unusual for you and this board.

Just my 0.02 fwiw imho imbw ymmv etc

ChipR

Originally posted by Alexey


I am sorry. But 20 miles does not seem to qualify as "a lot" to me. 20 mile is only 32 km.

I cycle 100 km on Sunday, the metric century, and sort of despise myself for not being able to ride the real century so far.

Again, I apologize, if I am not minding my own business. Do I miss something? Maybe your route goes via steep mountain terrain, since you live in Colorado?

Alexey, I don't think your mileage speaks to the thread topic...rides with SO or wife. I am happy to get in 15mi when my wife rides with me... Then again, on any given wkend, by myself, I put in 18holes of golf in the early am shooting 76-81, then go to the gym for a hard workout, then hit the road for a good bike ride or visa versa...I am 53. When I was in my 20's-30's 300 mi per week was easy, and I played tournament 2man sandVBall. Guess, it's all relative...

:beer:

My SO and myself ride a couple of times a week, usually for about 15 km on a local bike trail.
That's half or so of my average individual rides, and at a much slower average speed, so it isn't much of a workout for me, HOWEVER, It does allow us to spend more time together, it gets her out on the bike, and is a way of sharing my main activity with her, so it's all worth it.

I enjoy any time I spend on the bike, it doesn't always have to be a 50 km ride at a 30km/hr pace to make it worthwhile.

I did not intend to be snobbish. I think by now that the cycling on trails in mountainous Colorado is different than in flat areas where I usually cycle.

I apologize if I sounded snobbish.

I cycled 2 ultra-long distance tours together with my spouse and 13 years son. The last one was D.C. - Pittsburgh, PA, - D.C., 1500 km (the unfinished report can be found here (http://www.enetplanet.com/cycling/usa/) )

The average daily distance we rode on loaded bikes was about 100 km. Maximum was 119 km.

I did not notice any gender or age specific fatigues on the tour. I believe by now that women and children can cycle long distances all right.

I am 40 and my spouse is 2 years younger.

Our next tour will lead from Austria to Norway. It will be already about 2300 km.

We plan to increase the daily distance to 150 km. It is possible to do it only by persistent training. That is why these 100 km rides.

When I read that that 32 km is a lot, I thought for a second: "Man, what we are doing then?"

But I feel myself OK after a long ride. The same about my family.

Certainly those who cycle real centuries or TransAm (6500 km) can tell that our distances are not long either :)

As Ken Kifer says: "Do not have a long ride, have a good ride". Or something like this. I agree with it, but I was thinking of technical aspects of the matter.

Originally posted by Alexey
I did not intend to be snobbish. I think by now that the cycling on trails in mountainous Colorado is different than in flat areas where I usually cycle.

I apologize if I sounded snobbish.

I cycled 2 ultra-long distance tours together with my spouse and 13 years son. The last one was D.C. - Pittsburgh, PA, - D.C., 1500 km (the unfinished report can be found here (http://www.enetplanet.com/cycling/usa/) )

The average daily distance we rode on loaded bikes was about 100 km. Maximum was 119 km.

It sounds like your talking about touring rides. I believe people ride differently when touring verses race training. Right now I am trying to increase my average speed and shorten my time for overall distance. My goal is an 21-23mph with sprints up to 35-37mph. I've already proven to my wife she can ride 100mi @10mph in 10hrs.

I got my sig o really into biking recently. I ride almost every morning rather early and so it was much easier to get her up and to come with me then to just leave a warm bed with someone I love in it.
I took her shopping and the one thing she said she wanted was a yellow road bike (if you didn't see my post in wanted) I think I found a c'dale tri like bike... I'm excited to get it for her...
Riding with her has improved our relationship, she sees what I do daily and the dreams I have