Who's Wife or S/O is also a Cyclist?

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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MomentumR5
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 3:47 am

by MomentumR5

wobbly wrote:
alanmclean wrote:Great idea. Done this. But it took 3 years to go from 10k rides on an old MTB to 100k rides in Majorca and Dolomites. So if she has not ridden before then a full-on drop bar bike might be a challenge.

Only bit of advice I would dare to give is do not try to coach your wife. Otherwise you will be told a lot of things about yourself that you will not want to hear. Highly recommend that you/she joins a club and learns to ride with others to help her, not you! You should be enjoying rides with your wife, not checking her gear ratios.

Have a great time.


^^ This. In fact do not offer ANY advice unless it is asked for. And then just the absolute minimum. Do not repeat the advice.
Ride until she complains and then find a place to sit in the sun with a coffee and a cake.
Let her decide the next time and place.


Good luck with this. Interested to hear how it works out.


Maybe I'll open a new thread for this and chart her progress.

MomentumR5
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 3:47 am

by MomentumR5

Mr.Gib wrote:Be super careful with shift/brake lever and bar setup. If your wife has small hands she may not be able to reach the brake levers from the drops or be able to brake effectively from the hoods. My wife has very small hands and is limited to Sram because of this. Shimano is OK though not quite as good in this regard, and Campagnolo is a no-go. Levers must be dialed in very close to the bars and the brake pads set close to the rims. Electric shifting is helpful as well if it is in the budget.


She is 5 feet tall so she is petite. I'll get her fitted. She's going to run Dura Ace 9000 on her BMC. I was thinking Etap would be really easy for her to use but I don't even have ETap yet. :)

by Weenie


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Conza
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Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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by Conza

MomentumR5 wrote:
Mr.Gib wrote:Be super careful with shift/brake lever and bar setup. If your wife has small hands she may not be able to reach the brake levers from the drops or be able to brake effectively from the hoods. My wife has very small hands and is limited to Sram because of this. Shimano is OK though not quite as good in this regard, and Campagnolo is a no-go. Levers must be dialed in very close to the bars and the brake pads set close to the rims. Electric shifting is helpful as well if it is in the budget.


She is 5 feet tall so she is petite. I'll get her fitted. She's going to run Dura Ace 9000 on her BMC. I was thinking Etap would be really easy for her to use but I don't even have ETap yet. :)


Hire a shitty bike for one ride; so she can see the difference :lol: . I can't in good conscience let mine ride without the best brakes available for the type of bike etc. I'll be upgrading those to DA 9100 (from Merida < 105 haha). Think a few rides to see the change might be ok...
It's all about the adventure :o .

Kumppa
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Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2014 10:05 am

by Kumppa

Spud listed some very good tips.

If she is scared about using clipless give her alot of time to learn how to control road bike with flat pedals. Narrow 38-40cm bar can feel little bit unstable if she have only ride normal city bike before. Don't get angry if she fall and broke something. Even this is ww, don't go too fancy parts with the first bike to avoid this. And let her decide how often she want to ride.

And go ride together even it feels stupid to go so slowly. I have done same as Spud listed, hard interval before or after.
Last edited by Kumppa on Thu Oct 12, 2017 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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ms6073
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Location: Houston, Texas

by ms6073

wobbly wrote:Ride until she complains

:D If I followed this advice, I would never even get her out of bed on weekends.
- Michael
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"

MomentumR5
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 3:47 am

by MomentumR5

Kumppa wrote:Spud listed some very good tips.

If she is scared about using clipless give her alot of time to learn how to control road bike with flat pedals. Narrow 38-40cm bar can feel little bit unstable if she have only ride normal city bike before. Don't get angry if she fall and broke something. Even this is ww, don't go too fancy parts with the first bike to avoid this. And let her decide how often she want to ride.

And go ride together even it feels stupid to go so slowly. I have done same as Spud listed, hard interval before or after.


Good idea on the flat pedals. I will get her fitted to clipless but probably make her ride on platforms to start. I chose Aluminum for her 1st bike and building it with my old DA9K group from my R5. I've already put custom touches/graphics on the BMC frame. Waiting on aluminum Zipp cockpit to come in just incase she takes a few tumbles. And I have a set of 303's she'll roll on.

UpFromOne
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Location: Olympic Nat'l Park, WA

by UpFromOne

Great tips offered on this thread.

What I wouldn't give for a fit SO.

P90Puma
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Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 7:00 pm

by P90Puma

Wife is a casual roadie, but as we discovered in New Zealand this past trip: MTB is a no go.

Had some serious marital spat, pretty sure I gotta drop this one though I know some MTB would improve her road cycling.

We didn't do anything crazy like downhill either. Took it super slow and road without SPD's for her too.

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wheelbuilder
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by wheelbuilder

AJS914 wrote:I gave up long ago trying to turn girlfriends into cyclists. If they already aren't an endurance athlete, most likely they aren't going to enjoy the sport. They may like the idea of having a bike and doing an occasional 10 mile ride on a trail but that is painful for someone who trains. If they are already a serious runner or something you may have a chance.


Quoted for truth.

Unless they are a CURRENT endurance athlete, you don't stand much of a chance. Just makes for arguments and resentment no matter how hard you try and how patient you are. My most regular training partner (2 days a week) is a female roadie whom I have worked with at various shops over the last five years and has become a close friend. My wife has come to peace with the fact that this woman is my cycling partner, and she is my wife. To my wifes credit, she cheers us both now, and very much likes this woman. I know it sounds like a possible complicated situation, but luckily for me, it just isn't.

If you have to ride with a female, my advice is make it a Friend Zoned Sports Hottie. Make 100% certain it remains Friend Zoned.
Never cheer before you know who is winning

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Stolichnaya
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Location: Vienna, AUT

by Stolichnaya

As far as who is watching the kids, well, a babysitter. But my wife and I also swapped a weekly date night to a long weekend ride together. (I have better booze at home, so why have a date night at some bar or restaurant when we can enjoy the outdoors together?) It keeps it fun and light and has brought her back to enjoying cycling after a period of hiding in her alter-ego, Super Mom.

mattr
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Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:43 pm
Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

MomentumR5 wrote:1. We all know it can be dangerous. Split second decisions are made all the time. I can put myself in it but not confident with her. She's never ridden before. This is mainly my concern.
Cycling really isn't dangerous unless you put yourself in dangerous situations. i.e. dicing with traffic at speed, pointy end of races etc.

Any social cycling/club rides/*most* chaingangs should be as safe as any other sort of endurance sport in the vast vast majority of cases. Unless your club is full of dullards who need stabilisers (on the rise i understand)

It's motorists, media and the courts that have persuaded everyone that it is horrifically dangerous and that you'll die as soon as you start cycling.......

wheelbuilder wrote:Unless they are a CURRENT endurance athlete, you don't stand much of a chance.
My GF did a bit of running/social orienteering as a teenager, then nothing into her mid 20s when she took up cycling, certainly wasn't into sport in any meaningful way, more beer and food. Took a year or so from first getting on one of my spare road bikes to her first race (3/4WVJ) in which she finished 2nd from last (only finishing just ahead of friend who persuaded her not to quit, and almost an entire club who got the hump as the "flatish" course had a couple of drags in it. They got off on lap 1.)
In her second race season she was bunch finishing in mens races and getting results in womens (top 20's).
Third season it was the pointy end of national series womens events (top 5) but not often enough to get points to upgrade beyond 2nd cat. And a few results (around top 10 ish) in mens/mixed events. Much the same in her 4th season.
Then we emigrated to a country that has an utterly dire race scene and a club culture that is laughable.

And kids.

MomentumR5
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 3:47 am

by MomentumR5

wheelbuilder wrote:
AJS914 wrote:I gave up long ago trying to turn girlfriends into cyclists. If they already aren't an endurance athlete, most likely they aren't going to enjoy the sport. They may like the idea of having a bike and doing an occasional 10 mile ride on a trail but that is painful for someone who trains. If they are already a serious runner or something you may have a chance.


Quoted for truth.

Unless they are a CURRENT endurance athlete, you don't stand much of a chance. Just makes for arguments and resentment no matter how hard you try and how patient you are. My most regular training partner (2 days a week) is a female roadie whom I have worked with at various shops over the last five years and has become a close friend. My wife has come to peace with the fact that this woman is my cycling partner, and she is my wife. To my wifes credit, she cheers us both now, and very much likes this woman. I know it sounds like a possible complicated situation, but luckily for me, it just isn't.

If you have to ride with a female, my advice is make it a Friend Zoned Sports Hottie. Make 100% certain it remains Friend Zoned.


Hot DAMN! This doesn't fly with my wife. I had to drop a female riding friend that is on our Male A-group level. Wife wasn't happy that it's possible I'll spend more time with the female cyclist than her. Between work, being a husband, kids, and riding. Not much time for other things especially with other women.

Ohhh yeah, photo of your said training partner? HAHAHA......

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wheelbuilder
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by wheelbuilder

MomentumR5 wrote:
wheelbuilder wrote:
AJS914 wrote:I gave up long ago trying to turn girlfriends into cyclists. If they already aren't an endurance athlete, most likely they aren't going to enjoy the sport. They may like the idea of having a bike and doing an occasional 10 mile ride on a trail but that is painful for someone who trains. If they are already a serious runner or something you may have a chance.


Quoted for truth.

Unless they are a CURRENT endurance athlete, you don't stand much of a chance. Just makes for arguments and resentment no matter how hard you try and how patient you are. My most regular training partner (2 days a week) is a female roadie whom I have worked with at various shops over the last five years and has become a close friend. My wife has come to peace with the fact that this woman is my cycling partner, and she is my wife. To my wifes credit, she cheers us both now, and very much likes this woman. I know it sounds like a possible complicated situation, but luckily for me, it just isn't.

If you have to ride with a female, my advice is make it a Friend Zoned Sports Hottie. Make 100% certain it remains Friend Zoned.


Hot DAMN! This doesn't fly with my wife. I had to drop a female riding friend that is on our Male A-group level. Wife wasn't happy that it's possible I'll spend more time with the female cyclist than her. Between work, being a husband, kids, and riding. Not much time for other things especially with other women.

Ohhh yeah, photo of your said training partner? HAHAHA......


Of course......I'm a pics or it didn't happen guy myself. She is super paranoid about social media presence so she won't do pics from the front!

Image
Never cheer before you know who is winning

MomentumR5
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 3:47 am

by MomentumR5

wheelbuilder wrote:
MomentumR5 wrote:
wheelbuilder wrote:
AJS914 wrote:I gave up long ago trying to turn girlfriends into cyclists. If they already aren't an endurance athlete, most likely they aren't going to enjoy the sport. They may like the idea of having a bike and doing an occasional 10 mile ride on a trail but that is painful for someone who trains. If they are already a serious runner or something you may have a chance.


Quoted for truth.

Unless they are a CURRENT endurance athlete, you don't stand much of a chance. Just makes for arguments and resentment no matter how hard you try and how patient you are. My most regular training partner (2 days a week) is a female roadie whom I have worked with at various shops over the last five years and has become a close friend. My wife has come to peace with the fact that this woman is my cycling partner, and she is my wife. To my wifes credit, she cheers us both now, and very much likes this woman. I know it sounds like a possible complicated situation, but luckily for me, it just isn't.

If you have to ride with a female, my advice is make it a Friend Zoned Sports Hottie. Make 100% certain it remains Friend Zoned.


Hot DAMN! This doesn't fly with my wife. I had to drop a female riding friend that is on our Male A-group level. Wife wasn't happy that it's possible I'll spend more time with the female cyclist than her. Between work, being a husband, kids, and riding. Not much time for other things especially with other women.

Ohhh yeah, photo of your said training partner? HAHAHA......


Of course......I'm a pics or it didn't happen guy myself. She is super paranoid about social media presence so she won't do pics from the front!



Clicky POW! Haha.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



Mep
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Joined: Fri May 28, 2004 4:11 pm

by Mep

I'll echo the "start with a shitty bike" suggestion. We all learned to appreciate the good stuff because we started from much less. I took that for granted with my wife and tried to give her the very best on day one.

We sold that bike. Now that we've worked back up to her current bike, she appreciates it much more and has tangible feedback on what could be better.

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