General Cycling Discussion - Let Us Praise Our Significant Others

All this discussion about CyclistGF got me to thinking about how wonderful Mrs. Caloso is.

Here is an example. My MIL is staying with us this week because my wife is pregnant and as we approach the due date she's not supposed to be on her feet much. It's an extremely busy time at work for me as I'm trying to wrap up some projects so I can take a couple of months off after the twins arrive. So it's been great to have her mom around to keep her company, run errands, etc.

MIL is flying back to SoCal on Saturday morning. Mrs. Caloso says to me last night: "Sweetie, Mom's plane is at 11 and I know you normally do the River Ride at 10. Instead of riding to bike shop, do you think it's possible for you to put the bike on the rack, drop Mom off at the airport, and then drive to the ride?"

What a Queen! God, I love that woman. Everyday I tell myself my life couldn't possible get better. And everyday I'm wrong.

So, Fellow Forumites, tell us how your S.O. has been supportive of your obsession. (Feel free to gush.)

I have found the only thing my wife really won't put up with is me leaving my stinky cycling clothes on the kitchen floor on their way to the washer when I am showering.

No complaints here...... she even buys me jerseys from time to time....

George

I'm getting married to the most considerate supportive man in the world Feb. 18th. Example: I'm not really working, and I lack motivation to ride, so he says sternly "Either go ride your bike or do the dishes. Your choice." LOL!

He buys training books, bikes, clothes, food, and hammergel. He waits for me at the finish of races, and recounts how many have came across, etc.

He spends Saturdays riding with me, and waiting while I ride technical sections over and over.

He rocks, and I'm so incredibly lucky. I'm probably also a little spoiled.

Here, here!

My dearly beloved bought me a trainer for Christmas, and makes no complaints when I get it whirling first thing in the morning or last thing at night. And as a former mechanic, he's awfully helpful with technical issues.

Did I mention he does all our cooking?

Back off ladies... I'm keeping this one.

My signifigant other bikes with me sometimes. She enjoys my enjoyment of biking and encourages it :) She just laughs at my obsession....

but then again I don't ride 6 hours a day 7 days a week. You can't have a relationship, job and a hobby like that. There would never be time for the good stuff ;)

Sam, my husband, cooks, cleans, so I can go for a ride after work. On weekends, we ride switching on and off taking care of the baby. Once, we drove to North Gerogia and it looked like it was going to rain so he says I can do the mountain bike trail first and he will entertain our daughter. I rode the loop but it started to rain heavily after an hour so I finished up and he did not ride at all that day. Sigh, swoon, he also bought me a spin bike for christmas by selling one of his welders.

Your too nice Christy. I love you :D:D:D.

My significant other deserves the medal of honor! She tolerates my firearms habit, cycling addiction, forum addiction, opinionated attitude, farting, my impatience for morons on the roads, and my very expensive bike habit, and the fact that I am a redneck ( perhaps a bit watered down version anyway).

No words could describe my wife, shes up early Sunday mornings packs a lunch along with some snacks, power bars, fruit and energy drinks, she helps me prepare and goes to my organized rides. She gets pictures of the people and event, she is there waiting when my son and I cross the finish.
When i want to go riding she doesnt complain and ask how long I will be gone or where I will be. She loves to hear about my ride when i am finished. She doesnt complain when I go to bike stores or when I spend more than I should on ebay or in stores on my gear or another bike..
She even saw a Bianchi Milano that she likes and said she would like to have to ride around when i go on my rides. So she will get the bike she wants (Thank GOD its a Bianchi)
I have 5 bicycle in the living room and 3 in storage that she doesnt complain about. She washes my cycling clothing just the way i like it done, she is the best. :)
All I can say is it works two ways, she loves me and knows I love cycling, she may not get as involved as others but she is always by my side.

My babe is the best. After almost every ride she gives me a massage. Wishes me luck and tells me to work hard before my rides. Is accepting that a ride is anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. If I am lacking in motivation she tells me to get out there. She puts up with my too-long visits to the LBS. Has picked out most of my jerseys. Picked out the one on my avatar. Cooks wonderful meals, and lets me help cook on occasion.
I struck gold with her! The best part is that she is crazy about me. There is a God.

tell us how your S.O. has been supportive of your obsession.


My bikes are always ready to be ridden :D

Coleen is my little cowgirl from her daddy's ranch over in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana.

She is my soul mate. Never complains about the time I spend on the bike. Supportive of my bike commuting and my weekend rides. She even rides with me on the weekends. She is working up to commuting herself. She is my best friend! Oh, shes cute too! ;)

My missus, she who quailed when I first mentioned that I'd like to commute to work on the bike and who even now more often than not plucks at my sleeve as I leave on a solo ride and implores me to be careful -- she's the one who suggested we begin riding to work together.

She's also the one who suggested we go buy bicycles from a proper bike shop three years ago, after an ill-fitting couple of department store bikes taught us the error of our ways.

I hope she really understands the favor she did us both. :)

My dear wife bore our children, cooked & cleaned for me these past 44 years. When we were young the whole family cycled, but years ago a bout of hepatitis left her with vertigo so she can't ride anymore. She encouraged me through school & career changes and I built her a couple of homes along the way. I tinker with cars, bikes & tractors while she's the homemaker. She even let me store the newly rebuilt tractor engine & parts in our unfinished spare bedroom (hold on ladies: those parts were darn clean) while I was doing cabinet work for our house in the garage! When we were young the whole family cycled but years ago a virus left her with vertigo & unable to ride. She's been my sweetheart since that first time she smiled back at me. God's been good to us.
Don

This thread has put a huge smile on my face. It's a great way to bring closure to the Cyclistgf thread. Great idea, Caloso!

It was so refreshing to read each testimony of what true friendship and love is all about. Thanks everyone for sharing.

My dear wife bore our children, cooked & cleaned for me these past 44 years. When we were young the whole family cycled, but years ago a bout of hepatitis left her with vertigo so she can't ride anymore. She encouraged me through school & career changes and I built her a couple of homes along the way. I tinker with cars, bikes & tractors while she's the homemaker. She even let me store the newly rebuilt tractor engine & parts in our unfinished spare bedroom (hold on ladies: those parts were darn clean) while I was doing cabinet work for our house in the garage! When we were young the whole family cycled but years ago a virus left her with vertigo & unable to ride. She's been my sweetheart since that first time she smiled back at me. God's been good to us.
Don

Nice post, Don....

George

Here's another one: when we found out she was pregnant, she said "You know, Lance isn't too bad for a boy's name...." :)

(We're not going to use it, but hey.)

What can I say about my wife? She's incredibly awesome! She rides too, and the ONLY issue we have regarding cycling is working out a ride/kid care schedule. We ride together as a family on Saturdays and take turns riding the road bikes during the week.

My only other issue is that she won't let me buy her a new bike! She's happy with it the way it is and doesn't allow me to change a thing (except tubes/chains/cables..etc.). I tell her the bike is going on 5 years old and it's time to upgrade, she'll have NO part of it!

She's been off the bike for 2 years due to health problems, but is just now getting back on the bike. I'm so relieved and happy that she's riding again.

We also have a 3 year old son and bought him a bike for Christmas, so we ALL ride on Sat. afternoons. It's a great time we have together.

We/I'm are/am truely blessed!

L8R

I guess I'm a lucky guy, The SO rides, pushes me
when I don't feel like it, and doesn't ***** and moan
when I buy bike "stuff". She keeps insisting that she
doesn't need a new bike (last one I bought her was
1973 Eisentraut) her Bianchi is fine.
She is 100% supportive of me and my obsession with
riding.

Marty

My SO is great. I told him about my desire to ride a "Century a Month". He was willing to drive around behind me in the car in the wee hours of the night so I could get in 20 miles. Then I was going to ride 30 miles solo. He said he would drive 5 miles and stop and wait for me till I caught up. Then I was going to ride 50 mile with a bike club member. But....there was too much ice on the road for me. So, when I came home from work on Tuesday morning, he woke up and went to the store to buy me new wiper blades and top off the oil and window washing fluid and check the tires so I could drive down to Georgia to ride my century. He's so nice, he looked so tired when I woke him up on his day off work and asked him to prep my car. He thought I was going with a group of people. Although he doesn't like it when I ride by myself, he doesn't tell me I shouldn't go. When I called him to tell him I finished the century, he was so excited for me. He was happier than I was. I was too tired to be excited, but he made me feel joy at my accomplishment.

Guess mine is a peach..She tolerates a situtation worse than putting smelly cycling clothes on the kitchen floor..OFten I get back from a ride, on her work day..She watches tv programs to relax from a day of rowdy kids..After a ride, I often fall asleep on the living room floor wrapped within my smelly clothes....
She might open the door and let the breeze fly, but she does not get too mad. After 60 miles it is difficult to sometimes not need a nap before a shower.
Usually less than 30 minutes... No screaming but of course sometimes I wake up being sparyed by Lysol..Wonder if that is good for cycling clothes.?

When we were married some 11 years ago Debbie didn't even own a bike. Over the past 6 years Debbie has ridden over 25,000 miles on the back of our road tandems and perhaps 2,000 on the back of our off-road tandems; if placing total trust and faith in your loved-one's abilities and judgement while staring at their backside in a perpetual draft for hours on end and occasionally being slammed into the earth with little if any warning isn't love I don't know what is.

I love my wife and we ride together... Now that's quality time.

Regards, Mark
http://www.WeRLivingood.com

Here's another one: when we found out she was pregnant, she said "You know, Lance isn't too bad for a boy's name...." :)

(We're not going to use it, but hey.)
If I were to have a kid, I would name him after all our hero's son.Axel Mercyx.I think that, a pretty cool name.. I would select the non-English variation like Eddie did...Axel.

Although she gets worried when I go to the LBS, she totally supports it..
Even though I take the money from the cash drawer :) ...

She makes me ride my bike if time permits.
Of course I have to give my report after every ride (just kidding).. I just like to tell her how good the ride was..

She buys me the "expensive " bike parts/access. And she pays for my "TAB" in the LBS. :D :D.. yes, I just get what I want and pay later, well she pays..

Most importantly, she rides with me and enjoys it as much as I do.. But she doesn't ride that often since she's so busy doing what I am suppose to be doing.. Managing the shop.. :D :D :D while I am out riding..

She Who Must Be Obeyed grumbles about my cycling sometimes, tells me how much she worries about me being hit by a car, brags to her friends and co-workers about my riding, and when I was complaining about a persistent neck problem reminded me that if I take it easy now when the temps are frigid I'll be in shape to ride during warmer weather.

She has never been a cyclist and never will be a cyclist, but she's OK with me being one.

My wife will work from 7pm tonight until 7am tomorrow morning. Then she will wake up at 2pm tomorrow afternoon so I can ride. She's rarely in a bad mood and while the other nurses at the hospital b*tch about their good-for-nothing spouses, my wife has them all thinking I'm a saint!

There's limits though. I half-jokingly wanted to give my son the name Motor and she wouldn't go for it. I wanted my daughter to have the name Sphere...unh uh. Oh well... :rolleyes:

Scott

When my wife and I first met she was not an avid cyclist. Our first date was on July 4th and she had come down to my folks beach house for the day. I told her to bring a bike. What she brought was, well let us just say it was a bit rough around the edges :eek: .

Well we head off to ride around the marina and on the way there I ride up a curb heading on to the bridge. No more then 5 sec. later I hear that sound. You know the one, when your bike mysteriously stops and you some how end up going over the bars and ... anyways, I turn around and the first thing I see is a fair, freckled shin with blood gushing out. Then I notice the pain in her face trying to sneak out past the embarrassment. As help her up I ask if she is feeling alright and if we should turn back. "No, let's keep going, it does not hurt that much and I can wash it when we get back", she states to my amazement. I asked what had happened and she said that when she saw how easy I went up the curb that she thought she would give it a try . We had a good laugh and then headed off for a 2 hr ride. She had me from that point on.

Since then she has upgraded to a custom built Bear (only because I keep changing it), has full armor and knows every part of a bike, who makes the best and how they work. She still does not love the sport as much as my self but she compleatly understands when I say I will be back in 3hr (which actually means 6 to 8 hr). She bought me my race bike for Christmas 2 yrs ago and does not complain that I have four bikes. She attends evrey race and helps out.

This past Christmas she bought my daughter and I a carrier so I can take the little one out riding with us.

To all the S.O.'s who put up with our addiction, Slainte :beer: :beer: ;)

Because we met through a mutual passion for cycling
Because we explored cycle touring together
Because he tried mountain biking (and racing), after his 30th birthday and his enthusiasm & support led me to it too
Because he thinks the best way to end a long work week is to watch a cycling video with a bottle of red wine
Because he is an excellent bicycle mechanic
Because despite a terrible allergy to cats he didn't hesitate to move in with my two beasts
Because he is a wonderful cook
Because he is hilarious and can do the best impersonations
Because he supported me when i went back to school
Because he is passionate about everything
Because he loves music
Because he's not afraid of change
Because he finds my quirks entertaining & Monday will be our 10th anniversary
Because he's a natural hill climber and to watch him tackle a mountain on his road bike is poetry in motion
:)

It's so nice to actually hear people talk positive about their SO. I guess I found one too-I know he is my soul mate. We have been married 22 years and took up cycling together about 6 years ago. That was the best thing we ever did. He cleans my bike, does any mechanical repairs on it (can't keep him from doing it) and loves to go riding with me. We just got a tandem a few months ago and I must say he is the world's best captain. Always considerate of my needs and is extremely helpful. When I was laid up with fractured ribs he took over all my duties (house cleaning, cooking etc) without complaint. He said that it made him realize how much I do. We love to hit all the bike shops in town (or out of town) and simply can't pass up a bike sale. Of course for Christmas we get each other biking gear. He always asks if I mind if he goes riding with his buddies on his group ride. He knows I don't and it gives me a chance to climb on my single and do "my thing" alone. Sometimes he will even cut his group rides short just so he can come home and we can take a short bike ride together. We now have 6 bikes between us and if he bought a dozen more, I wouldn't mind a bit. I figure with cycling I know he isn't out drinking, picking up women or doing all the other things that the other people always seem to complain about. I am one lucky lady!!!!

I bought the pricey Giro Pneumo helmet......my wife saw the credit card slip...... and instead of telling me off, simply said that a beautifull mind like mine, deserves an expensive helmet.
God do I love my wife :love: