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Fight over commuting with my 'better' half

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Fight over commuting with my 'better' half

Old 06-27-08, 11:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Sirrus Rider
Seconded, Why does she care so much? Did she get a raise on your life insurance? With more commuting trips the risk of something negative occurring increases. It's just the law of averages. Seems she wants you to cycle more even though your risk to danger due both exposure and fatigue will increase.
I thought I was the only one who had that thought pop into their mind.

Also...does she commute via bike? Is that causing the problem? Some women might feel like you might be a loser if you can't do better than them or equal. Like wives expect alot from their husbands.

If I feel like I can beat a man up...we can't be together. I need to feel like he can protect his family. That he has the strength and endurance.
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Old 06-27-08, 11:55 AM
  #27  
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She doesn't bike at all...

What I should mention (I guess) is that my body carries a vast amount of protein that just can't be dealt with. Annoying problem I've been having for years... (For those wondering, I do not take protein shakes or other muscle 'enhancing' crap) My body just can't deal with it, increasing muscular pains, decreasing the amount of days I can go bike commuting. Result: Takes even more time for me to get used to 250km a week.
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Old 06-27-08, 12:04 PM
  #28  
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Just to comment on the crime thing. It seems that when people who frequent cycling sites think about the Netherlands they think about pretty women on third world bikes. Really you're just magical elf people dancing around in wooden clogs and cycling without helmets, why would you have crime when you're practically smurfs?

Then you get people who've been to the Netherlands and know that it's just like almost every other Northern European country. Damp, mainly green, splashes of sporadic violence and decent beer.
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Old 06-27-08, 12:26 PM
  #29  
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When you say 250km a week, that's if you go 5 days a week? I.e. your RT commute is 30 miles? It would take me a few weeks to want to do 30 miles a day. In this heat, I would probably do 3 days a week.
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Old 06-27-08, 12:57 PM
  #30  
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Maybe she wants you out of the house so she can spend more time with the pool boy.
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Old 06-27-08, 01:06 PM
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Originally Posted by drjava
Maybe she wants you out of the house so she can spend more time with the pool boy.
I could live with that... Now all we need is a pool, and a pool girl.
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Old 06-27-08, 01:36 PM
  #32  
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You need a different wife.
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Old 06-27-08, 03:09 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by FreddyV
Is this actually a useful fight? I don't think we'll get much out of this. I need my body to get used to riding more often. Last week it was 1 day, this week it was 2 days, next week it will be at least 3 days. I can't force my body to go deeper as I did this week. I've got 2 'monster-bridges' to cross each day, but if my body doesn't cooperate it's no use going commuting anyway.

Yes, I will commute more often when my body and work shifts let me. But isn't my wife a bit overreacting?
Fights are rarely useful. If you're out of shape, you should probably ride 3 days with a day off in between to recover. Also, you may be riding too hard. Since you haven't been doing this for awhile, know that it gets a lot better. In 6 months, you'll feel better and be much faster. In 12, you'll be faster still and be totally addicted to your commute.

I'm not sure why she's busting your balls so much to bike commute. I'll bet if you ask most of the guys here, they have to convince their wives that commuting by bike is a good idea. I know I do.

Also, by cycling standards, you have spent next to nothing. You should let your wife read some of the posts here so she can see what a frugal hubby she has.
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Old 06-27-08, 04:18 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by FreddyV
If she can do what? She's the one that works at home and never heads out except for the weekly groceries.
Sorry. Quick read, I thought she was riding too.

In that case it's none of her d@mn business.

Now HTFU and get out and ride.
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Old 06-27-08, 09:29 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by FreddyV
I have to be fair, she does have a point somehow. I said I was going to be bike commuting, which wasn't taken seriously since I never finish what I start. I spent exactly €101.67 on gear I need to commute in a way that I can keep up with. Didn't spend money on clothing at all, just hardware for the bike to be improved so I can ride in good comfort. For instance a set of triathlon clip-ons, so I can head out in the wind a bit more.
Ahhh typical guy syndrome. I can't count all the random projects i've started and just never finished. I say you've gotta do something with all those brilliant ideas floating around in your head
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Old 06-28-08, 08:55 AM
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You are so lucky to have a wife who wants you to bike commute every day.

I remember the very first time I rode a new bike home (from WalMart), my wife pretty much followed me home in the car. She insisted that I ride the bike on the sidewalk. She stopped to yell at me when I got off the sidewalk. She was fearful that I'd kill myself if I got off the sidewalk. She really didn't want me to bike commute. It was embarassing, but endearing. She was just worried.

Things have changed. Now she finds ways to make it seem more practical for me to ride the bike. I think she's proud of me for this.

Of course, you've got a far longer commute than mine. It seems reasonable that it would take a while to build up to that distance. I'm sure you'll get there if you build up carefully.
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Old 07-05-08, 07:56 PM
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Havent been to the gym in 2 months, since that's when my kid was born.
Postpartum depression of some sort? Women can be kinda touchy after the birth of a kid, hormones are going nuts through their body, sexual tension, etc. It really sounds to me that this isn't about the bike commuting. It might be her. It might be something else in your relationship. Good luck. (Wife and I have had two kids. I learned the hard way with the first)
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Old 07-05-08, 08:21 PM
  #38  
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I haven't seen that song in YEARS! Used to be my favorite to pull out on my acoustic in college, that and the Dead Puppies song from Dr. Demento. SO sweet to listen to.....until you LISTEN to the lyrics.
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Old 07-07-08, 09:58 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by huhenio
You need a different wife.
You can't be serious... Maybe you missed this:

Originally Posted by FreddyV
The bike was bought because she thought I needed a new one, in 2004...
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Old 07-07-08, 04:14 PM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by cerewa
I'm not single, and I don't have patience for useless arguments like this either... yet I find myself in them often...
Me too...which is why I am becoming single again....oh well at least I have my bikes....
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Old 07-07-08, 04:17 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by daintonj
Just to comment on the crime thing. It seems that when people who frequent cycling sites think about the Netherlands they think about pretty women on third world bikes. Really you're just magical elf people dancing around in wooden clogs and cycling without helmets, why would you have crime when you're practically smurfs?

Then you get people who've been to the Netherlands and know that it's just like almost every other Northern European country. Damp, mainly green, splashes of sporadic violence and decent beer.
I substitute your reality for the smurfs....I love those little blue guys....but always gotta wonder about the one girl....something fishy there.
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Old 07-07-08, 05:01 PM
  #42  
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If you aren't used to it, it can take a while to build up to a long commute. Why not try a plan where you add 1 commuting day every 2 weeks.

It's good your wife is supporting you. Over here, its the exception rather than the rule. I had to make my wife figure out how much it would cost us to replace my bike with another car. That made her eat her words.
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