Spousal/better half support

[Andy Dreisch]

How often are you accompanied by your "better half"?

[Andy Dreisch]

My honey's more a runner than a biker. Maybe one day we'll do the tandem thing. For now, I'm pretty much solo.

[Chris L]

Yuo needed an option for "I'm a happily single spanky".

[cyclezealot]

Buy her a nice hybrid entry bike. That can't influence her. Other option is harrassment. IF not, just have to go it alone.

[dirtbikedude]

My wife and I ride together atleast 95% of the time on mtb rides. Now that she is seriously considering racing she pushes her self harder so the rides are getting much more interesting. No more waiting 2 min for her, she has cut that down to 30 to 40 sec.
She never goes on road rides with me because the cars scare the hell out of her.
Slainte

[Andy Dreisch]

Originally posted by Chris L
Yuo needed an option for "I'm a happily single spanky".

Yep ... botched it

[Maelstrom]

Once a week. Usually on my casual day. We will go for a ride and I will take off every couple of minutes on one of the very short single tracks and pop back out.

[Raiyn]

My better half rides with me on almost all of my non-commuting rides. She's rather supportive of me (she even makes shop runs for me whiile I'm at indentured servitude (work).

[cyclingshane73]

Practically Never. How about not in a million years. I've tried, believe me. She is afraid she is going to fall over and hurt her self, doesn't trust the handbrakes, and afraid of gears. My wife is afraid of bicycles. I blame her parents. She never owned a bicycle as a kid and her parents always told her she would fall down and hit her head. Ignorant GRRRRR.

She is not very supportive sometimes either. I figure I could be doing worse things with my time. Going to bars, smoking, drinking heavily, become an armchair quarter back and lounge on the couch all day and gain 50 lbs.

I even did the math for her one day. cigarettes are expensive in Canada. 7 bucks now I think. 7 x 7 days is $49 x 52 weeks is $2548 not including taxes. And that's just for the cigs. Now lets add say the beer. 2 24's a month for a price of $35 (yeah were getting hosed in Onterrible) x 26 (remember roughly every two weeks) at a yearly cost of $1820. For a grand total of....drum roll please....

$4368.00 before taxes.

This doesn't include those nights out, and the cost of satellite t.v. (ya know, gotta have all those t.v. channels since I'll be living on the couch), nacho's, cheese, salsa and other assorted chips and junk food on top of that. Ya know for all the big games.

I think this past year I didn't even come anywhere near a quarter that cost!

This kept her quite for a while.

I now have a daughter. I don't intend to or no wait a minute! I intend to let the "cycle" continue! No pun intended of course. I can't wait in a couple of years I can start to teach her how to ride a bike.

Sorry man, I feel like I just hijacked this thread. /rant

[MediaCreations]

Originally posted by stiffee_shane
$4368.00 before taxes.

Wow. That's a nice new bike and a heap of accessories every year. I'll have to try that one.

My wife isn't into cycling but my 6 year old daughter is starting to get really interested in cycling with me.

[chewa]

I'm lucky in that my wife often cycles with me. On afternoons she's not working she cycles out on my commute route to meet me on my way home. Just last night she said that's one of our best times together, no distractions.

She also loves cycle touring and her new custom built Roberts bike is being delivered this week

[ChipRGW]

I originally bought our matching (how cute!!!) Roadmaster POS's because SHE wanted a bike. Now that I've dragged them from the shed and started riding, she is getting into it as well. I was looking at new bikes this weekend and she says," since we ride together so much, it really wouldn't make sense for you to get a new bike and I'm still riding the old one. I guess we BOTH need new bikes."

I think this is going to get expensive.
But at least she won't give me a hard time when I want some new gear, as long as I get 2...


ChipR.

[a2psyklnut]

I had to vote sometimes, it used to be always, but since our son was born, we take turns cycling. We also get my in-laws to babysit on occasion so we can ride together. Well, that was until my wife got sick and is now temporarily off the bike for awhile. So, now I'm solo, but I'm sure that'll change as soon as she's healthy again!

[pinerider]

We're in the "virtually never" - little support category.
I picked up a used MTB for her a couple of weeks ago (I made sure and asked if she wanted one first), but it has yet to leave the garage (too tired, too busy, etc) I make a point of asking every day if she wants to go for a ride, but no success yet.
As for support, she should be encouraging me to go out and spend lots of money on a new road bike, but so far nothing.

[Vicki]

I ride alone most of the time. occasionally a student comes by to see if I want to go for a ride, which I do if I can.

[MichaelW]

If your SO is a runner, you can do pacemaking on a bike. The pace is pretty easy for a cyclist, so you can watch them suffer from the comfort of your saddle.
When my brother and his wife come to visit, they are both way too athletic to ride with, but pacing them on a bike suits me fine.

[RonH]

I didn't see a "never" option. :confused:

My wife will accompany me to the LBS occasionally. Does that count? She always makes sure I have the checkbook when I go by myself. She is my #1 supporter.

She works in healthcare and is on her feet all day. When she comes home she just wants to prop up her feet and relax. Most nights I rub her feet while we watch TV. I guess that's a fair trade for her support.

She says when she retires we will get a Terry "something" for her.

[RollingGeek]

Get a trailer. I drag my two year old around in it and with enough Kix (cereal - hand food) , books, and toys, he rides along without a problem. It may be a pain dragging a trailer, but when I ride without the trailer - I FLY !!! Good for training.

That being said, I only take him on the trails - not ready to risk his life AND mine on the road.

Originally posted by a2psyklnut
I had to vote sometimes, it used to be always, but since our son was born, we take turns cycling. We also get my in-laws to babysit on occasion so we can ride together. Well, that was until my wife got sick and is now temporarily off the bike for awhile. So, now I'm solo, but I'm sure that'll change as soon as she's healthy again!

[Ritalin]

Originally posted by stiffee_shane
[B]I now have a daughter. I don't intend to or no wait a minute! I intend to let the "cycle" continue! No pun intended of course. I can't wait in a couple of years I can start to teach her how to ride a bike.

My entire family... grandparents and parents included, started their children out young. Bike's with training wheels as soon as possible.... too young for training wheels? We were all riding around in baby carries on the back of bikes... now that's the way to ride in style! :thumbup:

I remember my first bike without training wheels.... Duke's of hazard bike... it was the general lee

[Aerow]

I'm obsessed with cycling... she with decorating.

Between the two of us, we have no $$$ left for much else!

But the family cycling thing is growing. We all rode about 1/2 mile up to the local hamburger joint last night and had a really grand time. My oldest son (7) really likes cycling, and Santa may bring him a better bike for Christmas this year.

As for my wife.... I agree that buying her a lighter bike (over her current steel-framed Ralleigh) wouldn't likely get her on the bike more frenquently, though it would make her infrequent rides more enjoyable.

Aerow

[webist]

My wife and I both have comfort hybrids and I ride with her on most of her rides which are almost daily.

I also have a road bike and usually ride that alone at least 10 miles per day.

My wife is very supportive.

[Tree Trunk]

My beautiful other doesn't ride with me unless it's with the kids. Too bad! I think my biweekly group rides are starting to motivate her, though. She keeps asking about the women on the ride!

[DnvrFox]

We ride together a lot.

20 miles Saturday, 10 miles Sunday.

[Michel Gagnon]

How about never ?

My wife is handicapped, and she isn't interested in handcycling. I could try to convince her to try a tandem with one handcycle and one pedalcycle -- I'm aware that such a beast exist --, but unless I can find one to try, it's an expensive proposition.

On the other hand, I cycle a lot with our children. Not only they enjoy cycling, but my wife appreciates the "time off" when I go out with the kids.

The oldest child (now 6) used a bit the baby seat, then graduated to a trailercycle. The youngest one (now 2.5) has ridden almost exclusively in the trailer I bought last winter.

This Summer, we have alternated between short rides using bike + trailer and oldest kid on her bike, and long rides using bike + trailercycle + trailer. Short rides were typically 10-35 km/day, mostly avoiding hills and major traffic, and going to various playgrounds. Long rides were mostly for scenery and pleasure to ride, although usually with a playground along the way, an ice cream cone somewhere (unless they didn't behave), and sometimes an interesting "feature": a series of locks, or a ferry , for example.

BTW, I had no problems in getting a budget for a good trailer and trailercycle... and my wife has no problem getting a budget for her books.

Regards,

[dirtbikedude]

She always makes sure I have the checkbook when I go by myself. She is my #1 supporter.

I was reading some of the threads to my wife and she laughed at this one and said, with an evil look, " She probably just wants you out of the house".
Slainte