Rich

Hi Guys,

Me and my wife to be will soon be cycling partners, as I've almost built up my old Trek into a single speed for her. This is great news, as we'll be able to spend more time together, and she'll be able (hopefully) to enjoy a pastime that I do.

Now, she hasn't cycled before, and I want to take things easy with her, without dashing off into the distance and leaving her behind...so the first thing I'll have to learn is patience.

I've bought her a helmet, and she has some cycling shorts and bits to keep her cool...my question is, what else should I do to make Karen's start into cycling an enjoyable one? There is quite an extensive cycling route system in Faversham (home to Richard D) so it'll be good for Karen to start with those...

Thanks for any thoughts or advice...

Rich

ljbike

Sore bottoms are the bane of new cyclists. So keep the rides leisurely and short until her anatomy adjusts.

Then picnics and fun destinations until/or when she enjoys riding for the sake of riding; then you could graduate to camping and touring.

And above all patience! DON'T carp or criticize when you are explaining technique etc. and she can't seem to get it right. This is an undertaking for Love and Companionship and NOT a test of wills.

Rich

Thanks,

I'll take that on board...Karen's not one for patience bless her, so anything that'll make the transition a better experience is much welcome

Rich

orguasch

Rich, that is a welcome news, but as I was reading it, you have stock up things in your favor, like buiding up your old trek bike into a single speed, bike, Rich, beware, coz' in due time, your future wife will be very strong and you will be lugging behind her. he he:

Rich

Hehe, it's scarey you should say that, we've both been working out in the run up to the wedding, and already, Karen's biceps are as big as mine....oh lordy!!!

Rich

orguasch

here's an unsolicited suggestion, give her your high end bike and you ride the old trek bike you build, how's that, That way you build up your muscle and at the same time your future wife will really appreciate what your doing for her

DnvrFox

Suggestion - your wife's bike should be the equal or better than yours.

chewa

As someone who has the same (cycling) partner for 18 years, I would say patience ( and occasional deafness) is the key.

Only go at the rate she's comfortable with or you'll put her off. Cyclepaths without traffic are probably the best place to start.

Rich

Hehe, I've learnt the selective hearing thing already (we've been together for three years )...looks as if bike paths and romantic picnics are the way forward then!!!

Cheers for the advice guys

Rich

MichaelW

Stick to flat routes with that singlespeed. Nothing puts off beginners more than steep hills in high gears.

Romney Marsh in Kent is good for quiet flat lanes. Hamstreet south of Ashford is a good jumping off pint, with some nice pubs and , most importanly, a great bikeshop for vintage /retro road machines

Rich

Thanks Michael...

we're just on the top of Dark Hill in Faversham (which is as imposing as it sounds) so will take it easy....

Fancy joining me in live chat?

Cheers

Rich

a2psyklnut

I was just reading an old issue of MBA (Mountain Bike Action) the other night on the throne that discussed this very topic. I don't remember the month of the issue, but it's the one with the Storck Carbon Fiber Full Suspension on the cover!

Regardless, the article gave tips on taking your girlfriend/wife/sig.oth riding for the first time.

Many made a lot of sense, and the following are some that I remeber (forgive me if not completely accurate)

1. Don't inundate her with tips and suggestions. Let her experience the joy of learning and finding things out on her own. Give tips, but don't rattle them off one after another!

2. Plan the ride to end up at a picnic (as mentioned above) or make the ride an especially scenic one.

3. Ride at HER pace, and if she has to get off and walk a climb or a section, YOU do the same. IOW, don't go bombing down that technical descent thinking you'll impress her while she walks down. You'll just frustrate her!

4. I can't rember anymore, sorry!

L8R

Rich

That's really helpful a2!

Isn't it great what tips you pick up on the throne!!!

Rich

Ouch !

Thats something I tried with my missus, after she said that her bike was slowing her down and that she would be faster on mine, So I gave her my bike and I used hers. Only after about 500 yards she lost control, came flying off (thankfully we were offroad) and landed with unerring accuracy in a puddle of mud, after making sure she was alright and supressing a smirk I asked her if she wanted to continue on my bike.
what she said I could do with my bike I'll leave up to you to work out.

Ouch !

I should have also mentioned , that maybe you start of with short rides, I took my beloved on a twenty mile ride not long after she started riding.

It's no fun being woken up at 2am and being told that It's my fault that she cannot sleep, because her legs hurt from the long ride

wabbit

We both started cycling around the same time. I'm not known as a patient person either, but that can be a good thing. After a while you lose patience with just doing flat stuff and tooling around and you want to be challenged. Now I avoid bike paths and look eagerly forward to torturing myself climbing mount royal! The one thing you do need patience for is warming up, stretching and if injured, waiting to recover.

MichaelW

My old gf used to do some riding around town, with very scary road-sense. I took her on my evening 5mile rides along the seafront and tried to show her the errors of riding in the gutter, trusting cars at junctions etc.
I think she got the hang of it, so we did a Sunday morning cycle tour of London, from London Bridge station, along the S bank of the Thames to Westminster Bridge, then across to Buckingham Palace, though the seeedier parts of Soho, trendy Covent Garden to the British Museum. Several Mummies later we headed across the financial "City" to St Pauls Cathedral, to the East End and the Tower of London then across Tower Bride back to London Bridge.

Its a pretty good tour on quiet back streets, not too long with plenty of interesting stops, and a great way to see the capital. She said it was one of the highlights of her stay in the country.

Richard D

You're quite fortunate in that you'll be living right on Sustrans National route 1, and apart from a short sharp hill through Bysingwood you've got a fairly flat (and quiet) ride to Sittingbourne via Conyer, or alternatively the marked route to Whitstable is pretty flat and quietish.

If you want a pretty much totally off-road ride, the Crab & Winkle line starts at Whitstable railway station (5 mins on the train from Faversham) and is about 6 miles long, leading you into Canterbury (albeit with the odd hill).

Richard

RonH

Congratulations on the upcoming big event.

My wife isn't my riding partner - yet, but she is my #1 supporter.
She said that when she is ready to start riding she wants a women's bike, like a Terry.

Will your future Mrs. be happy with the bike you are rebuilding or has she "hinted" that she would like something else?

Just one more thing to think about.

oceanrider

What not to do if you want a cycling partner of your Wife to Be:

Don't ride wheel to wheel with her. Give her space. She's gonna be wobbly and not too sure of herself.

Don't be a technical encyclopedia. Keep it fun.

Don't plan long rides until her butt is broken in and she has a base of some successful short rides

Don't challenge her to do what is beyond her fear factors. She'll break through those barriers in her own time and no one elses.

Don't be thoughtless about your routes. Choose easy safe scenic routes with comfortable sheltering rest spots.

When my now ex husband bought us a pair of ten speeds as a wedding gift, I thought it was a very thoughtful gift. Once we got on the road together, that gift turned into a nightmare from my perspective for some of the above reasons. By the end of a short ride I felt humiliated and overly criticized as well as scared. My bike sat unused for a long time because of this and as you can see, we are no longer married.

Just have fun. Be patient and thoughtful.

webist

My wife and I both have bikes. In that sense we are riding partners. When she goes out to ride I nearly always accompany her. Though many times she will elect not to accompany me when I go. Each Saturday morning we have a ride up to the bagel shop for a snack and coffee. Often when we ride at the same time, I will take off and hammer to the top of a hill and return to her and repeat the hill along with her. I will always accompany her back to the house and occasionally take off on a longer or more challenging ride.

We are partners in everything. The truth is though that I do less laundry than she and she gets the cars washed far less frequently than I.

Carl