Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.mwshook
05-24-09, 10:03 PM
Not to get into too much detail, but my wife has chronic lung problems that have really kept her from enjoying cycling.
Last summer we rode 2 miles on our singles to a coffee shop (half a mile in downtown traffic, 1.5 miles on a bike path). Despite two breaks, she was at the point of exhaustion and we weren't sure we were going to make it home. She recovered after eating, but we still had to take frequent breaks to make it the 2 miles back home. She was wiped out for the rest of the day, and it left her in a bad mood.
Fast forward to this month: We had made some short jaunts on our recently-purchased 1999 Burley Duet, but today was our first "real" ride after upgrading some parts, replacing the saddles, etc.
We got to her old "wall" at the 2 mile point, and I asked her if she wanted to keep going, and she said "sure!" We turned around at 2.5 miles and headed home. When all was said and done, we had gone 5 miles, with only 3 five-minute breaks. She felt a bit tired, but we were both pleasantly shocked that she wasn't even slightly exhausted.
She says being the stoker eliminates all the parts of cycling she hates (starting, stopping, dealing with traffic lights, dodging pedestrians, and shifting gears), while preserving all the things she likes.
For my part, I've been keeping it in a high gear, with a low cadence. I've told her not to work too hard and just go with the flow. I feel like I'm riding with maybe 30-50 pounds of lugguage, not 115 pounds.
We both agree that this was the best anniversary present ever!
Last summer we rode 2 miles on our singles to a coffee shop (half a mile in downtown traffic, 1.5 miles on a bike path). Despite two breaks, she was at the point of exhaustion and we weren't sure we were going to make it home. She recovered after eating, but we still had to take frequent breaks to make it the 2 miles back home. She was wiped out for the rest of the day, and it left her in a bad mood.
Fast forward to this month: We had made some short jaunts on our recently-purchased 1999 Burley Duet, but today was our first "real" ride after upgrading some parts, replacing the saddles, etc.
We got to her old "wall" at the 2 mile point, and I asked her if she wanted to keep going, and she said "sure!" We turned around at 2.5 miles and headed home. When all was said and done, we had gone 5 miles, with only 3 five-minute breaks. She felt a bit tired, but we were both pleasantly shocked that she wasn't even slightly exhausted.
She says being the stoker eliminates all the parts of cycling she hates (starting, stopping, dealing with traffic lights, dodging pedestrians, and shifting gears), while preserving all the things she likes.
For my part, I've been keeping it in a high gear, with a low cadence. I've told her not to work too hard and just go with the flow. I feel like I'm riding with maybe 30-50 pounds of lugguage, not 115 pounds.
We both agree that this was the best anniversary present ever!