beingtxstate

Today was an excellent ride. Not too far (just under 10 miles) since my wife and I are fairly new. We left knowing it may rain, and boy did it!

The last half of the trip home it rained almost the whole way. I forgot how much fun riding in the rain can be. And whats best, my wife loved it too! It has been a good week (technically two). First I got her hooked on the bike, then I put her through a rain storm and she still loves it! I took a couple of pictures of our skunk marks, but they didn't turn out very well...

Also, the sunset after the storm on the final leg home was stupendous. I tell ya, I have been having an excellent time, and am feeling really lucky to have my wife be a part of all this.

Tomorrow I think I may go in for some clipless pedals, I was getting real frustrated with my platforms in the rain today. I used to have clipless when I was in HS and doing downhill and technical single track. I kinda miss them. Maybe soon I'll get Jordan to switch, though I think she may want to wait awhile until she is nice and comfortable with the bike.

KingTermite 

Cool. Sounds like a great ride. Lucky to have your wife doing it with you.

I'm trying (not too successful) just yet to get my GF into cycling. Now that we are long-distance, its even harder. All she keeps saying is that she'll get the exercise bike out of the garage. I can't get her to get on the real bike and ride it.

beingtxstate

Good luck KT, it took me a while to get Jordan interested. I think what did it for her was an overall impulse to improve our fitness (we are both pretty out of shape) and also to relieve her commute/working stress. She works 45 miles away and has a 1-2 hour commute through heavy traffic twice daily...very hard on you

chunkyd

At risk of getting attacked.... lol But I know several of my married friends have a had time getting thier wives to join in cycling and thier the ones that got me interested.

why does it seem so daunting to get signifigant others or female friends to cycle? (Athena or Not) (mtb or road) it's like an automatic no or they seem terrified?

it's like they had some tramatic experience on a bike??

Just curious....

Winter76

I'm not sure, my wife likes riding, but slow, think <8mph and I like to ride at a comfortable pace of 15mph. To make up the difference I tow the kids and everythign sort of works out, we do 12mph and she comes out once a week.

buckstoy

Sounds like a fun ride! My wife and I were caught in a rainstorm once, it was much more pleasant than the humidity that we normally have.
On the subject of riding spouses I was lucky, my wife was already a biker when I met her. I did get her hooked on Mountain biking (she's racing sport and is killing it), and in return she has gotten me into racing and now running.

genejockey 

My wife just flat refuses to ride on the road, and I've long since passed the point where riding on bike trails is any fun at all - too many rollerbladers, families spread out across the path, people walking dogs on lo-o-ong leashes, rollerbladers walking dogs on long leashes, etc. (my favorite is the folks who, when you say "On your left!" turn to the left - "No, your OTHER left!")

The funny thing is, there are plenty of roads here with WIDE shoulders, and when she was a teenager, she'd ride miles and miles on narrow crountry roads with NO shoulder, and farmboys in pickups racing big trucks, old farts who couldn't see over the dashboard, etc.

So, I ride by myself. Which is okay. I've found that not doing EVERYTHING together can be a GOOD thing.

Tom Stormcrowe

I had a heck of a time getting crazylady out on the road. She was terrified of traffic. I started with MUP's and slowly introduced her to more and more road tactics and now she'll ride pretty much ANY road it's legal to. Heck, she rides a 4 lane 45 MPH road with no shoulders to get to the mall, etc now! She's FEARLESS!

beingtxstate

Currently I live on a death trap road. No shoulder, and massive crater type road construction...all the while cars still go 45...even in the spots where there is not room for two cars. I hate it, and can't wait to move. I think my wife is getting used to the idea of holding up traffic (the only safe way on this road is to take the lane). Honestly I think she kinda likes it

chunkyd, I am not sure why there seems to be this stigma that women will not ride with their spouses/sig. others. I agree there really should be any big to do about it, yet there is in many cases...maybe it the fear of "competing" or at least feeling like it is a competition between the relationship...I'm not good at psychobabble, but it seems reasonable to me.