How to Introduce Your Sweetie to Cycling - from Bicycling Magazine
How to Introduce Your Sweetie to Cycling - From Bicycling Magazine
Learning to ride as a couple can be a challenge, especially when one cyclist is just starting out. Riding with a significant other is almost like being part of a professional cycling team: You need to figure out each other's strengths and weaknesses in order to succeed. But with a little guidance from you and even more patience—um, also from you—your significant other can become a cyclist too.
RECALL YOUR MISTAKES
Think of the things you didn't know when you started cycling, and the mistakes you made. Most likely, you're still learning, too.
GET INSIDE THEIR HEADS
When you are working with new riders, try to understand where they're coming from. Are they intimidated by traffic or by riding close to others? Do they have fitness from another sport that might transfer to the bike? Have they used shifters before? Do their bikes have the correct gearing to pedal up most climbs? Ask these questions and listen to the responses. Your partner will usually tell you if he or she is ready to try something new, or has had enough learning for the day. Sometimes, it's good just to ride easy and enjoy the scenery.
HAVE A PLAN
Do a series of rides that will slowly increase the new cyclist's confidence, skill and fitness. When introducing clipless pedals, for instance, do 30-minute practice sessions in a parking lot or field, focusing on clipping in and out before you hit the road.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Avoid the temptation to correct every mistake your partner makes. Pick a specific theme for each ride—for example, drafting—so that you can focus on one skill at a time, and build confidence by providing positive reinforcement.
Do You Know the Bike Laws in Your Area?
AGREE TO DISAGREE
You and your spouse may have different levels of aerobic power. One way to deal with this is to let the weaker rider draft behind the stronger one. On long climbs, the faster rider can ride ahead and wait at the top—or double back down the hill to pace the other rider.
TAKE IT SLOW
If you're the stronger cyclist, these rides should feel easy to you; don't expect to get a workout. Take more breaks than you think your partner needs. One of my coaches always talked about TTT, which stands for team time trial. But he meant it as an acronym for "things take time"—something I appreciate much more now than when I was a neo-pro.
Alex Stieda, the first North American to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, with 7-Eleven in 1986, leads tours and skills camps (stiedacycling.com).
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ilter on
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Why do they assume I draft or use clipless pedals? Why would my spouse, who is just being introduced to cycling and not racing, want to do the same? Perhaps I am not the intended audience. But still, no mention of tandem riding?
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Permalink Reply by Naomi Ruth Jackson on
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I'm working on a peice about cycling as couple or as a "date" activity. This article was a good supplimental resource, but doesn't really give you the whole picture. Some people connect over their mutual love of cycling, but have totally different styles. For long time couples, some partner's just aren't interested. This article gives some great ideas on how work with your spouse/partner once they're on the bike and going, but I would be more intersted in hearing about ways to encourage reluctant partners to try it in the first place.
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Permalink Reply by Craig S. on
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The editorial of Bicycling Magazine has been basically unchanged for the last 30 years with every article being something along the lines of "Get Fit Fast Now!" or "Climb Hills Like a Boss Now!" or "There are No New Articles This Month!"
Bicycling has rarely included any articles catering to an urban/commuting/riding for fun crowd if you don't count the various wrenching articles which can be kind of interesting. Also, the writer is Alex Stieda who is an ex-racer and currently comments on the world bike racing scene. With all this being said, it's no wonder that they assume the readers are interested in the lycra-clad go fast scene, as am I.
ilter said:Why do they assume I draft or use clipless pedals? Why would my spouse, who is just being introduced to cycling and not racing, want to do the same? Perhaps I am not the intended audience. But still, no mention of tandem riding?
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This whole exercise sounds like an exercise in huge frustration and if the results of This Survey are to be believed, the last thing I'd want to do is get a girlfriend/wife/mistress/whatever to riding a bike.
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Our experience has been fine so far. Perhaps we have not finished learning :) I remember reading a few good articles giving detailed advise for both captain and stoker while waiting for our tandem to arrive. After couple test rides on the lake front, we did two 25 miles event rides w/o incident. My wife learned to bike as a kid, though never had a bike of her own. A few years back, she rode a few miles on a single bike. Then the tandem last summer. She did not have any strong riding preferences or habits, and that might have actually helped, as we did not have conflicting styles or anything.
Cameron Puetz said:I wouldn't use a tandem to introduce a significant other to cycling. My girlfriend and I enjoy riding a tandem, but it took a lot of learning at first. If we hadn't both been comfortable cyclists when we tried a tandem, I can't imagine it having gone well.
ilter said:Why do they assume I draft or use clipless pedals? Why would my spouse, who is just being introduced to cycling and not racing, want to do the same? Perhaps I am not the intended audience. But still, no mention of tandem riding?
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Permalink Reply by David P. on
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I think that is a safe assumption for the target readership for Buy-cycling, who tend towards the cycling-as-sufferfest end of the spectrum.
David
ilter said:Why do they assume I draft or use clipless pedals? Why would my spouse, who is just being introduced to cycling and not racing, want to do the same? Perhaps I am not the intended audience. But still, no mention of tandem riding?
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I had it easy, didn't even have to try. My S.O. started riding in May when we found a fabulous replacement for her crappy old MTB; she had not ridden regularly in years and had never ridden in the city, something she was a bit terrified by. By now (she's still riding through the winter!) she says things like "I don't know what I would do without a bicycle..." and "I don't want to live anywhere where I can't get around on a bicycle."
We rode a tandem for the first time recently on a trip to CA and I agree that I don't think it's a good idea if your partner is not already a reasonably confident rider. It does require very good communication between captain and stoker. We were rather comical at first, until being told that the stoker is the one that should push off.
David
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Lucky you :)
I should admit we are not ready to ride the tandem in the city (traffic) yet.
Also, our tandem is a bike friday with small wheels and low top tube. It may be easier to control, maybe.
Btw, this is one of the articles I found useful, in addition to Sheldon Brown`s. His method seems to make start and stops easy.
http://www.precisiontandems.com/artpropermethod.htm
David A. Pertuz said:I had it easy, didn't even have to try. My S.O. started riding in May when we found a fabulous replacement for her crappy old MTB; she had not ridden regularly in years and had never ridden in the city, something she was a bit terrified by. By now (she's still riding through the winter!) she says things like "I don't know what I would do without a bicycle..." and "I don't want to live anywhere where I can't get around on a bicycle."
We rode a tandem for the first time recently on a trip to CA and I agree that I don't think it's a good idea if your partner is not already a reasonably confident rider. It does require very good communication between captain and stoker. We were rather comical at first, until being told that the stoker is the one that should push off.
David
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Thanks - that's a great link.
Our first ride was on a beachfront path, but we were confident enough on the second ride to ride it in traffic. Downtown Santa Monica is, however, much nicer to ride in than Chicago.
David
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on
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There is a truism among tandem riders that wherever your relationship is going, it'll get there faster on a tandem. Sounds like it worked for you.
David A. Pertuz said:[snip]
We rode a tandem for the first time recently on a trip to CA and I agree that I don't think it's a good idea if your partner is not already a reasonably confident rider. It does require very good communication between captain and stoker. We were rather comical at first, until being told that the stoker is the one that should push off.
David
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