Wulf, it sounds like you have my family! I'm in the same postion with my wife. Her preference seems to be sitting in front of the tv, watching other people's exciting lives, real or fictional. We bought a recumbent for her 11 years ago, thinking it would be better for her back. She is not a fast or strong rider and fell over several times when she lost momentum on hills. The bent now scares her. I recently modified her 80's Miyata road bike with upright bars and a cushy sprung saddle. She's gone out with me for about 2 1/2 miles in the neighborhood a total of 3 times now, with 3-4 week gaps between those rides. She says she wants to ride with me, but it feels (to me) like she doesn't want to try until she is stronger and faster (as messed up as that logic sounds). I just bought a tandem and she seems excited about that as it will keep us together even with the huge difference in our ability. We'll see what actually happens.

One of my daughters loves riding with me, though, and will be home from college for the summer soon.