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

Hello,

My wife had been on the sidelines cheering me on for years. Now she wants in on the fun. I've already pulled the trigger and building her a bad ass BMC ALR01. Waiting on cockpit to come in. I'll post up when it's done in 2-3 weeks? Who's S/O is also a cyclist and what's your take on it? I have concerns:

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.

2. Who's watching the kids?

Let me know fellas/ladies.

Mike

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Willier
Posts: 1647
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:37 pm

by Willier

My advice would be; be patient and don`t rush things. My gf rode a bit mtb, but this year was her full year on a road bike. Now she got used to it, she has also done Maratona small course. Belive me, coffee rides and bike trips with her are pure joy and that reminds me what is cycling really about

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

by MomentumR5

Willier wrote:My advice would be; be patient and don`t rush things. My gf rode a bit mtb, but this year was her full year on a road bike. Now she got used to it, she has also done Maratona small course. Belive me, coffee rides and bike trips with her are pure joy and that reminds me what is cycling really about


You are right. There are other aspects of cycling to enjoy. I guess the longer you do this, you forget the small things you really liked when you 1st started.

alanmclean
Posts: 297
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2005 5:10 pm
Location: Inverclyde, Scotland

by alanmclean

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.

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

by MomentumR5

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.


So I shouldn't slam her stem? Hahaha....

Good advice. Make it more fun than training. I'm sure there will be sight seeing at 1st. Then I'll put her to work up front. :)

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Mr.Gib
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Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 4:12 pm
Location: eh?

by Mr.Gib

Godzuki's wife's bike build thread in the introduce yourself forum is a must read.

Whether it's good if the spouse rides or not depends on the spouse. If they are an athlete and can handle it, then it's great. If not, at best it can be miserable, and at worst people can get hurt. I deal with the other end of the spectrum. I never get to take it easy. Wife is super fit and wants to go hard every ride. My sustainable watts/kg are just a hair better then hers so on bad days I have to suffer on climbs to keep up appearances. :D But even so I spent 2 years convincing her about proper cadence, 8 years pleading with her to keep her head up and focus on the road/other riders, and 10 years try to get her to understand the correct line in corners (still working on this one). This list goes on. :noidea:
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

glepore
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Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

Approach it slowly, recovery days for you at first. Let her learn on her own, at least once she has shifting braking and basic safety down. Let her approach the athletic part at her own pace.

My kids? They watch themselves-all in their 20's, no help there. Benadryl?
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

spud
Posts: 1266
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:52 am

by spud

1) don't coach her
2) encourage her to join a club with different level group rides - let her find a comfortable level to start
3) when you do ride with her, do a hard interval workout before hand so that when you connect, you are happy to ride slowly
4) during those rides, keep instruction to the bare minimum - one or two themes at most. Maybe play follow the leader
5) pick a ride with a destination/reward
6) chose routes with as little traffic as possible, and even terrain to start with. As she gets better, you can introduce her to more challenging hills/terrain.
7) ask her periodically if she's happy with the riding, or if she wants more challenge
8) if she wants more challenge, for instance learning to draft, encourage her by saying, "OK, push your fears for 5 minutes and lock on my wheel" Give her appropriate technical advice (stare at my ass, not the wheel, no brakes, if getting too close come up the side), then let her relax. Do it a few times in appropriate places on the route so that she can slowly get habituated to sitting on a wheel.

wobbly
Posts: 296
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:50 pm

by wobbly

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.

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Conza
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Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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by Conza

wobbly wrote:^^ 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.


Noted. Partner interested and wants to keep fit in the off-season. Running takes its toll and riding is far more entertaining/fun.

Month wait til the bike arrives. Helpful tips above in the thread. Keep em coming.
It's all about the adventure :o .

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Mr.Gib
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Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 4:12 pm
Location: eh?

by Mr.Gib

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.
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

AJS914
Posts: 5397
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

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.

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

by MomentumR5

Mr.Gib wrote:Godzuki's wife's bike build thread in the introduce yourself forum is a must read.

Whether it's good if the spouse rides or not depends on the spouse. If they are an athlete and can handle it, then it's great. If not, at best it can be miserable, and at worst people can get hurt. I deal with the other end of the spectrum. I never get to take it easy. Wife is super fit and wants to go hard every ride. My sustainable watts/kg are just a hair better then hers so on bad days I have to suffer on climbs to keep up appearances. :D But even so I spent 2 years convincing her about proper cadence, 8 years pleading with her to keep her head up and focus on the road/other riders, and 10 years try to get her to understand the correct line in corners (still working on this one). This list goes on. :noidea:


I will check out that thread. Thanks!

Man, sounds fun riding with your wife. I do know a few female cyclist that can dish it out with the best of the men in our area. I'm not expecting her to do this. She was a successful tennis player in HS and Tennis coach in College. Also did some running. This was a long time ago. So she knows what it takes to excel in sports. Just hadn't done it in awhile.
Last edited by MomentumR5 on Thu Oct 12, 2017 6:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

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

by MomentumR5

glepore wrote:Approach it slowly, recovery days for you at first. Let her learn on her own, at least once she has shifting braking and basic safety down. Let her approach the athletic part at her own pace.

My kids? They watch themselves-all in their 20's, no help there. Benadryl?


I have a 2 year old and a 2 month old. I'll have the Benadryl on tap. HAHAHA....

by Weenie


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

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

by MomentumR5

spud wrote:1) don't coach her
2) encourage her to join a club with different level group rides - let her find a comfortable level to start
3) when you do ride with her, do a hard interval workout before hand so that when you connect, you are happy to ride slowly
4) during those rides, keep instruction to the bare minimum - one or two themes at most. Maybe play follow the leader
5) pick a ride with a destination/reward
6) chose routes with as little traffic as possible, and even terrain to start with. As she gets better, you can introduce her to more challenging hills/terrain.
7) ask her periodically if she's happy with the riding, or if she wants more challenge
8) if she wants more challenge, for instance learning to draft, encourage her by saying, "OK, push your fears for 5 minutes and lock on my wheel" Give her appropriate technical advice (stare at my ass, not the wheel, no brakes, if getting too close come up the side), then let her relax. Do it a few times in appropriate places on the route so that she can slowly get habituated to sitting on a wheel.


All very excellent. Thanks man.

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