The Nexrt Challenge.
 

I set the last one so here is an idea for the next challenge. I have quite a few neighbours that have bikes. They take 5 mile trips up a cycle trail and back and that is what they do.Nothing more. I have offered that they come out with us on a ride, but they will not. They see us come back every sunday and it is their firm belief that I am stark raving mad.I arrive back covered in mud at this time of year, or soaking wet because it has rained solid for the last 4 hours, and there is no way they are coming out with me.

I have managed to get one of them and his 18 year old son to promise to come out with me for a gentle ride. All I am proposing to him is a 10 mile ride down to the coast, along a flat cycle path. At the coast we will stop, have a coffee and a bun, and then come back. I am also badgering a few other neighbours to join us, and it is my intension to do this neighbour ride sometime over the Easter weekend.

All of my neighbours are a lot younger than me, they have bikes, and most of them go to the gym- play squash or play a lot of golf- They have fitness, but are just scared of coming out with me. By promising them a gentle ride, they will come out with me. They may never come out again, but If I can get them out once- I Know I will be able to get some of them interested in riding

So this is the next challenge-- To get a neighbour(s) out with you on a gentle ride over the Easter holiday to show them the joys that we all currently experience. It will have to be a very gentle ride, at a slow pace, and may be painfull. but just get someone else out riding with you.

I'm working on my neighbors... Two riders make the 4-mile circuit of the neighborhood daily but haven't ventured beyond. Time will tell...

I've lived in my neighborhood for a bit more than a year. Most of my neighbors are less than half my age. To most, I am quite invisible. I have little in common with any of them, and few are the opportunities to have an actual conversation. It would mean a lot more to me to get some of them to turn down their stereo than it would to get them on a bike. But for those of you who want to take up this challenge, good luck!

You are in the same state as many of us. Tell them it is a challenge that you have been set- find a flat route for them , buy them the coffee, and you never know- you may have new riding partners

This also goes out to Tivoli- The newest rider-- Get someone else out with you for the challenge you have been set.

DG.
Look around- there must be someone 1/2 your age that you would like to show how good you are. Failing that you already have a partner in your daughter, and posiibly set her challenge in that she does 10 miles extra on this ride.

That is a great idea. However, before I venture too far from my house to invite people I need to get more of my family to join me as well. I'm jealous when I hear about P8 and Gary riding with their kids. We've done some easy rides but like your neighbors, my family knows I enjoy 60+ mile rides and are concerned that is what I am pushing them to do when I try to get them out to ride. This is particularly a good idea for riding on recovery days.

I also had one of my neighbors who is a "fair weather rider", stop by my house and wants me to take him up the mountains to do some riding. I know his capabilities and probably can find some routes that he would not get too frustrated with.

Your suggestion is to get more people out to experience what we enjoy. That is a very good idea.

That's a heck of a challenge stapfam. It's easy for me to get out and getting my children to ride is not a challenge. I'll have to get to work on it with some friends. I think youv'e got a good idea and a true challenge!

I've cycled the short routes with neighborhood kids, but I'm going to ask the blonde German woman across the street if she'd like to go riding. I'm sure the answer will be "yes, oh handsome buff fantasy man". So, I'll have to make her treat me to breakfast as well.

Whoa! Can I ride with you two?

Smells of bike evangelism to me! :D Going door to door to share the joy of what we know! Proclaiming the good news of pedaling! "Make the rough places plain...."

I hope our neighbors won't mistake us for Morman missionaries or Jehovah Witnesses. ;) I need to maintain my good mainline reputation--- but--- it's worth the try. Easter afternoon for me--- for obvious reasons! :rolleyes:

Bob

When I was in Idaho in 1981, the missionaries wore white shirts with ties and rode Schwinn Collegiates. I wonder what the "uniform" is these days.

OH NO! :eek: Could my Schwinn Traveler or Paramount be mistaken for a Collegiate? ;) I might be out on thin ice!

Of course...breakfast too.

:)

lmao@keith!

thanks for the chuckle, handsome buff fantasy man!

that was rich!

*sdr*

Just a reminder
Time to get working on the neighbours for the challenge of getting your neighbours fit.

I have got pledges from 4 of my neighbours to do a ride over Easter. It will have to be gentle- just so I don't scare them off and I have told them that it will not be a hard ride and I will buy the buns at the cafe. One thing I have not told them is that they will not be able to walk the next day (Sore butt syndrome)

Leaving the timing out of it completely but we have 4 days to find a slot when the weather will be good enough to entice them out for a ride.

I have a brother in law in Florida who's about 15 years older than me. It turns out that all my excitement over cycling last year got both he and my sister (his wife) so interested they both bought new bikes a few months ago. Then my sister had major back problems, and eventually back surgery, so she's been unable to start cycling much.

But he can! However, he wrote me recently and told me he hadn't been riding much, and that he had great intentions but kept putting it off. I wrote back and gave him a pep talk, told him to have FUN and stop worrying about how far, how fast, and so on.

I recently got a response to that email. He said, in part, "Your return of my "lack of motivation" email was just what I needed. I guess I just needed to hear from someone else that there were different ways to achieve "motivation", especially from someone who has accomplished as much as you have.

"I decided to go for a ride today and ended up going from home to a local scuba dive shop which is 9 miles. I tried (and it worked) to keep my mind on enjoying the ride, reflecting on things going on right now (like the season of Lent for us fish eaters) and not about it being an exercise thing. I really had a good time and one of the things I tried to eliminate was the macho thing. Up until this ride I found myself paying more attention to the computer and has fast I was going etc instead of relaxing and enjoying myself. Well it paid off. I didn't care today how fast or average or any of the macho things that I had been doing in the past.

"Nuff said. I just wanted to thank you for your remarks and hopefully I can apply all the suggestions in the future as well."

So, Stepfam, I guess I'm posting this because I didn't think I could have much influence over someone else getting into cycling, and I was wrong. The email from my b-i-l made my whole day!

:)

jppe, you speak my mind.

Last year I did get one of my neighbors to come out for a 12 mile ride. He wanted to race me the whole time. He's ten years younger and wanted to show me he was in shape. I tried telling him he didn't have to race. Poor guy's face was so red he looked as if he was going to explode. So, I let him take the lead and win all of his races to the next stop light or traffic sign. By the end of the ride I had enough of his, "Come on. Get them old legs spinning!" crap that I told him we'd have a real race. We'd go the last two miles (which included one hill about 3/4 mile long and 5 or 6% grade). He jumped on the chance, and I jumped on the pedals. Needless to say he became a distant speck in my mirror by the time we got back to our neighborhood. He was really angry at me, of all things. Maybe I need to think more about which neighbor would be a good choice for the challenge. This guy isn't the guy.

Late reminder but it is still on.
Last night I went to 3 of my neighbours to give them the details. All I plan is 8 miles of cycle trail to one of the Cafe's I use and then back. It is a gentle ride and I have sorted the pacemaker as a 12 year old and I have his bike in for doctoring- 10lbs in the tyres and a bit of brake rub should slow him down. So far got 5 to do it. and the weather for friday morning looks good. Only problem is who is going on the back of the Tandem- I think I'll make it a light one as I don't think any of this lot are fit- They may go down the gym- play squash and Golf but Saddle(Or butt) fitness is not there.