jgadamski

I am not a dyed in the wool road rider but the switch from primarily transportation riding to much more road riding is underway. And I am enjoying it.
I purchased a CF road bike for my wife recently, hoping to encourage her to give it a try. In the past (pre-road bike)I spent a lot of time slowly peddling so as not to discourage her and now she is much faster, but I think overwhelmed with this shift to road riding.
She is much more fit than I, and has a superior bike. She doesn't have a past smoking habit, is not 40 pounds overweight. that said, over 20 miles and she hits the wall.
My feeling is she needs to learn the thousand little things to integrate into a much more efficient method.
So do I.
Any suggestions on where to look for good information for both of us.. and do womens only ride groups exist? I think she would benefit more from a woman as a teacher than her husband.

10 Wheels

What are your Goals?

jgadamski

Together time. Fitness.

Stucky

Build up to the mileage slowly.

Have something to eat before the ride (or during longer rides).

rms13

Bike computer with cadence. For me being able to see my cadence and make sure I am always in my target range really imporoved my cycling. And yes there are women only rides. I'm sure in Portland their are a few

ConGrUenCy

I'd reckon she just needs more time on the bike.

kenzoawa

Do a few 20 miles slow and flat rides and she will build up her fitness much faster.

happyscientist

In Portland, there are not only women's rides, there are shops that cater specifically to women. Bicyling magazine has been publishing articles on them lately. If she wants something like that, look into those. However, is this what she wants or is this what you want?

I remember 20 miles as being a point that took a few rides to get past. That and 80 miles. I have a buddy who took forever to get past 60. It is just a matter of conditioning and getting out there to ride.

pdedes

one of the things i wish, as a younger rider/racer, i did was turning training rides into occasions. stopping mid ride at a tiny rural coffee/pastry shop, take some pictures, etc. especially on the longer weekend rides. those can be excellent motivators (don't eat too much, lol)

happyscientist

Good point. Some days I just wander around. I read historical markers, check out old cemeteries, stop for ice cream. I tend to do it alone because my friends want more focused rides, but I have a lot of fun doing it.

StanSeven

Just get out tide, enjoy yourselves, and don't worry about the things you might not know. They all come, like cadence, heart rate, speed, when to shift, etc., with time and miles. Cycling is simple and fun unless you choose to complicate it. Just have a good time

obed7

I ride with my wife every weekend. She rarely likes to go over 30 miles. When I ride with her, we piddle around 12 to 14 mph avg for the ride. She takes breaks as well...usually a couple during each ride... we set on a bench and have a drink, eat a cliff bar and enjoy the view for a few minutes...Our goal is to get a bit of exercise and enjoy each others company. If I pushed her, I would be riding by myself.

When you read about folks on this forum, you are in a bicycling world, everyone rides, many are avid riders, many do endurance. Do not think of your wife in those terms, and do not let her think of herself in those terms, comparison is not good for the ego.
Think of what she is doing in other terms, unless you live in a super biking community, how many other women her age are out there riding 20 miles on a bicycle. Let her know how well she is doing and how much you enjoy riding with her. If you want her to do better, tell her she is already doing good.

Bah Humbug

I used to be fast for 20 miles, then fall apart. It's a lack of aerobic base, and the only way through is to develop that aerobic base. As said above, the way to do that is some longer rides (even if not by much) that are slower than she's been doing. And, yes, eating before and having a gel or two during the ride will help immensely. It'll take some time, but she'll get there - I had to go through it myself this time last year.

Stucky

Oh, man! If only more cyclists had that attitude! -To actually ENJOY their rides; and to extract all the rich "side benefits" out of the ride, instead of ignoring such opportunities and wasting them!

Yeah, some people ride for different reasons- training, and such..... But I think all too often, even non-racers like myself who try to make it a point to stop and smell the roses, get caught up in the race/training mentality [even if just a little] and tend to worry more about average speed and distance, than about taking the time to fully enjoy all the pleasures which are possible on a ride, if only we'd bother to take advantage of them!

Kudos to you; and you obviously love your wife very much, and are very considerate of her!

That post made my day.

berner

If your wife can ride 20 miles and enjoy the experience, consider yourself lucky. Just keep riding 20 miles and find some pleasant places to ride to. I'm asthmatic and even a five mile ride was very taxing at first. Four years later my typical ride is 50 or 60 miles. I have several intermediate points I enjoy stopping at. Several locations are at beaches on the shore of Buzzards Bay off the coast of Massachusetts that are an excellent snack break with beautiful views and another is a coffee shop at a tiny community named Adamsville. After a while, you will find yourselves with the desire and the ability to ride longer. This is inevitable.