tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post1134767757463083409..comments2024-03-18T08:41:35.438-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: 'So My Husband Wants Me to Get a Bike...'Velouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-69697436292139744302014-04-04T06:21:12.131-04:002014-04-04T06:21:12.131-04:00Well, my experience:
I bought long time ago an ele...Well, my experience:<br />I bought long time ago an electric foldable bike to go to work (10 miles away). After some time, I bought my wife a non-electric foldable one for leisure. When we go out together, she gets the electric one....and I pant :-) (but enjoy my panting and she does the electric)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-32096962778715913162013-11-11T09:13:12.321-05:002013-11-11T09:13:12.321-05:00Great post. My Wife and I used to cycle a lot tog...Great post. My Wife and I used to cycle a lot together, when we met she had a high-bar UNIVEGA she had bought new in a bike shop, I had a Raleigh Gran Prix. Mid range road bikes even then, but we had a great time. We had kids, two, and they were close enough together that we put seats on the back of each and rode the tykes around for a while. Then they grew, and our jobs did too, and we just kinda got out of it. Fast forward 30 years... our grown daughter is living in Baltimore and has become a real urban bike gal. I love it! She's inspired me to get the bug again, so, I've been Craigs-listing, buying, restoring... and I finally bought my first-ever new bike, a modern touring bike (Kona Sutra). My "mid-life crisis" does not involve a Porsche... I want to ride across the country!. My Wife's drop-bar Univega was seeming a bit uncomfortable for her now, she was enjoying it less, so I bought (on Craigslist) a TREK multi track. She loves the upright position, the twisty shifters, and the wide, soft, sprung seat! STILL, however, she does not ride at the pace I do and, I believe, without the fervor either. But we enjoy riding together, I try to offer her as few tips as I can bear but some (like shifting points) come out from time to time. ("You're pedaling madly on a flat surface, you can shift now! Work less!"). Apparently not enough to annoy her, but we just plain ride at different paces. I try to cope by riding along most of the time but sometimes riding out and circling back. Not a problem. I dream of us bike touring together but I fear that she just does not want to do that. So, I'm resigned to the idea that I'm just going to tour the country without her. Sigh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-59754804357025560532012-09-15T07:28:14.279-04:002012-09-15T07:28:14.279-04:00This is about people, not their bikes. People bri...This is about people, not their bikes. People bring their unique character to bikes...not the other way around. There are some people who don't want to go racing around on feather weight carbon racers and some people who don't want to coast around on beautiful leisure cycles. <br /><br />Riding with another person is about sharing the personal experience and enjoying the ride. If two people get along and think about people first...the bikes won't matter.<br /><br />Kids know this and get it. That is why you often see a kid with a walmart huffy riding with another kid who has a 2000 dollar high end road bike. They don't care--they just want to ride with their friend.<br /><br />Men aren't the only ones who make the mistake of forcing people into "their way" of riding or "their kind of bike". I have seen both genders do it. <br /><br />Being snobby, obsessed, and judgemental about bikes is getting a little out of hand. I think people are getting too caught up in the gear and materials. Let's not forget that the bike is just a tool. I don't want to see bikes become status symbols like cars. That will just take the fun out of it. <br /><br />Do what you want to your bike and have it reflect your own personality but don't forget everyone has their own unique way of doing things. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-75248682992229155942012-09-05T16:27:01.868-04:002012-09-05T16:27:01.868-04:00I wonder why bicycling seriously attracts so many ...I wonder why bicycling seriously attracts so many men, and why so many women find it off-putting. Perhaps the technical aspects and the danger, as well as the need to master the thing. My wife finally has begun to enjoy cycling, but doesn't really go at it with any vigor, or with any intended destination, both of which are for me part of the fun. But I have learned from her to enjoy pedaling at a leisurely pace while woolgathering in quiet neighborhoods with her, and go off on mad charges on my old steel racer or on errands on my own. I have spent a little time teaching her a bit about safety, which she does seem to appreciate, as she never biked much while growing up.urbansocrateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04736720241492467377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-70541244006983848562012-09-03T04:23:19.574-04:002012-09-03T04:23:19.574-04:00Thanks. I am tired of riding alone and wish my wif...Thanks. I am tired of riding alone and wish my wife would cycle but she doesn't want to, says its painful. She took her old bicycle to the dump years ago and has never had a quality machine. We used to cycle together decades ago, now I'm taking voluntary early retirement I really, really wish she would ride with me, maximum 30 mile a day stuff. Found this blog looking for advice about a maximum comfort women's bike to see if I can persuade her to try it, but probably I will have to live with the disappointment and continue riding alone. Better that than bullying or sulking.<br /><br />Thanks for acknowledging the problem and offering sincere thoughts.Rambling Steve Appleseedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01253230751743695265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-10454445015914101912012-06-11T17:13:07.998-04:002012-06-11T17:13:07.998-04:00I normally would never comment on a blog but I stu...I normally would never comment on a blog but I stumbled across this blog entry and the comments and this speaks directly to me. My husband has a very technical road bike with all the bells and whistles. He rides extremely fast at a high cadence and. Although it was my own decision to purchase a road bike, my previous biking experience - over 10 years ago consisted of meandering down the street or seawall on my old BRC Trekker mountain bike. I went for a carbon framed Trek and have since felt pressure by my spouse, and our friends, because I feel uncomfortable to use a clipless pedal system. And pressure to increase my cadence. "Pedal, Pedal" is the refrain I hear on a regular basis. My spouse also insists on accompanying me to the shop and "translating". Like the Anonymous entry above, I started losing any joy I had in riding my new bike. Until recently. I made a decision to ride at my own level, ignore the pressure of my well intentioned spouse and friends and ordered a good pair of platform pedals that I can use until I feel comfortable enough to attempt my Look clipless pedals again. I went out for a ride for the first time in over a month and guess what, I enjoyed myself! I even managed to keep my cadence in the 80 - 90 range! And if/when I feel comfortable, I will progress again to the clipless system. In the meanwhile I have some excellent road shoes for indoor spin class! My point is, EVERYONE, and their brother, sister, cousin, etc.... will have their own opinion about how you should cycle. And they will not hesitate to share it with you. Even strangers cycling by in the park will have a comment. So what! Just do what you feel comfortable doing when it comes to your cycle, gear, technique, etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-73436811826775903042012-05-31T19:26:04.422-04:002012-05-31T19:26:04.422-04:00Hummm, Interesting topic. My husband and I met as...Hummm, Interesting topic. My husband and I met as racers in college. At one time I did ok keeping up with him, but as time went on, I got tired of always having to go out and "hammer along" It started to impact my health. When I started slowing down, my husband would get angry and wonder why I was so "slow". A relative assessment since I was still winning and placing in races. After a while his constant berating of my performance took a toll and sucked the joy out of riding together. It took a while, but now I just ride for fun, usually by myself. I secretly hate that I allowed him to destroy the joy I got from cycling together. He is just a stronger rider and won't compromise his ability just to ride along with me, even after all these years. It's a little sad. It's a sadness I've kept private, but I can tell by these posts it's not that uncommon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-21984046463236927132012-05-21T20:02:27.301-04:002012-05-21T20:02:27.301-04:00I just found your blog and am loving every minute ...I just found your blog and am loving every minute of it, especially this post. The best thing that happened to my biking relationship with my fiance is him letting me lead as opposed to me trying to catch up with his fast, racing machine with my hybrid. He can follow my leisurely ways and sometimes I actually surprise him with my speed :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-43691737983665758012012-05-17T02:58:57.080-04:002012-05-17T02:58:57.080-04:00a tandem bike is gold in this circumstance.a tandem bike is gold in this circumstance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-5126130420038550132012-05-11T11:32:36.322-04:002012-05-11T11:32:36.322-04:00nice post, but these things can go perverse: i lov...nice post, but these things can go perverse: i love old beater bikes, the older the better. my girlfriend, for her limited cycling experience, finds modern mountainbikes attractive, with all the wrist-aching bent-over-posturing, nasty, clunking deraileuring that involves. so, that's how it is, no amount of "lending" her my old raleigh, or even recumbent seems to cure her yen for lycra and painful posturingderfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15596980838764306792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-44031759101502054382012-04-27T13:26:37.895-04:002012-04-27T13:26:37.895-04:00I've been lucky with my wife and all of my pri...I've been lucky with my wife and all of my prior girlfriends - they all had nice bikes before I met them. Not that my wife always rides with me now but before kids we rode a thousand miles a year together. Now we bring the little ones with us most of the times we ride together.<br /><br />My experience is that yes, men are more likely to hammer and be stern and all that but I know as many women who can ride faster than me as men. There are all types out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-44610758149305225762012-04-13T18:39:54.003-04:002012-04-13T18:39:54.003-04:00I've ridden competitively for sixteen years, e...I've ridden competitively for sixteen years, everything from crit's to 24HR solo mtb; I have eight bikes and ride'm all. I purchased two bikes for my wifie; neither one suitable alas... Now though she wants to ride and I'm directing here HERE. I'm leaving the kit at home she'll be in control when we're riding together and whatever she ends up with will be her choice. Love the blog really, thanks for the effort.dthompsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-55218972234078473452012-03-13T12:02:57.428-04:002012-03-13T12:02:57.428-04:00While I agree with your advice, the undercurrent o...While I agree with your advice, the undercurrent of sexist rankles somewhat. This scenario occurs in all walks of life where one party in a relationship is trying to "encourage" the other to join them in a hobby. <br /><br />Head to your local mall on any given Saturday to see it operating the other direction - the henpecked boyfriend being forced to try on clothes by an overbearing girlfriend trying to give him a "style update".Mr Willnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-47838425501205761772012-02-13T18:31:34.395-05:002012-02-13T18:31:34.395-05:00I've seen both extremes a) husband five time s...I've seen both extremes a) husband five time state champion (an animal); wife loves to ride;<br />just doesn't have to be on a never ending breakaway; result: now divorced; husband married to a non-cyclist. Ex-wife still riding just doesn't need to be "the leader of the pack." b) man meets woman while riding his bicycle; woman also is riding her bicycle; next morning, man meets woman for a 125-mile two day ride. result: 22 years later, man and woman continue to ride together (now as husband and wife).<br />PS to Velouria: I have my degree in Animal<br />Husbandry (wife doesn't mind).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-82681996275200684722011-08-22T19:16:24.430-04:002011-08-22T19:16:24.430-04:00Wow, your third paragraph was me!! $1000 and ten y...Wow, your third paragraph was me!! $1000 and ten years later (sans that boyfriend) my 2000 Marin Pt. Reyes hybrid has been ridden maybe three times and is covered in rust and dust. I was terrified of it so I never rode it, just pushed it around the porch for years and then relocated it to the basement to wilt and collect dust. I wanted to ride it, tuned it up periodically but I just never felt comfortable on it so I didn't (your clipless peddle write up also echoed my experience, ugh! Anyone need a 10 year old pair of Sidi's in perfect condition?) I happened to ride a cruiser bike in Calistoga recently and loved it! It reminded me of what fun it is to ride a bike! Hence my search for a new bike and discovery of your blog. I want to get rid of my Marin hybrid and start fresh - first with an upright cruiser style bike (your Superba is very interesting to me) and next with a comfortable road bike with drop bars that I could love as much as my first drop bar 10 speed that I rode daily as a kid. I found your blog yesterday and have spent an inordinate amount of time on it catching up. Really enjoying it, thank you! Wish you could be my personal bike shopper..Zellyfishnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-55053369184355957242011-08-19T14:57:34.677-04:002011-08-19T14:57:34.677-04:00Trudging up an OOOld post I know, but I would like...Trudging up an OOOld post I know, but I would like to make one arguement for the ugly hybrid. My hybrid is my daily comuter bike. I'm not comfortable on a roadbike in downtown Minneapolis trafic, which is my daiy grind. I'm more than happy on my road bike on trails and side streets, but in rush hour, city traffic I like the increased ability to see everything around me that I get with the more upright position of my hybrid, and since my day to day rarely takes me more than 10 miles round trip, long ride comfort is a non-issue. We also have a fair amount of bicycle theft in the area, so late nights when my bike is locked up outside bars or on campus, having a $500 dollar bike instead of a $1500 dollar bike is just fine by me. <br /><br />All in all I agree with the above that in order to realy enjoy cycling you need a bike that does one thing really well. My road bike does long rides really well, and my hybrid does short distance/busy street biking really well.Christinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-19543101063900366972011-01-07T13:09:49.508-05:002011-01-07T13:09:49.508-05:00Anon 6:54 - Hilarious : )Anon 6:54 - Hilarious : )Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-67342196962075224202010-08-27T18:54:16.675-04:002010-08-27T18:54:16.675-04:00Reminds me of a time I went riding with an ex girl...Reminds me of a time I went riding with an ex girlfriend - it was a bit of a disaster, I have always gone out biking on my own or when at uni rode with competitive male sporty types. When I get on a bike I have to go as fast as possible in a slightly reckless fashion, suffice to say my 'riding style' did not go down at all well.<br /> <br />I just got a 3 speed raleigh roadster with rod brakes, try racing traffic on that ! (my researching it brought up this site)<br />Im going to go out riding with my girl (if she is up for it) she has a posh lightweight racer and is a keen cyclist, Im going to try and beat her on the old thing !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-32326522617354767992010-08-17T18:30:36.840-04:002010-08-17T18:30:36.840-04:00Five years on and I have got the cycling bug . ...Five years on and I have got the cycling bug . It's great I can now buy loads of nice clothes and shoes not to mention wow Cannondale bike .<br />Come on ladies let's show the men we are worth it you never know you might just reach the summit first !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-89078728966157277502010-07-24T20:47:58.835-04:002010-07-24T20:47:58.835-04:00Fish n' Chips - That sounds great! And vintage...Fish n' Chips - That sounds great! And vintage roadsters are great for rehabilitating male cyclists : )Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-82417501620838715542010-06-21T07:07:56.777-04:002010-06-21T07:07:56.777-04:00I know this is an old post but I just found your b...I know this is an old post but I just found your blog and am enjoying the content!<br /><br />I can totally vouch for this post. I used to cycle as a teenager and really loved it. So when my husband bought his bike I figured I could have a go too. However he was on his new super fast road bike and I was on my 70s vintage cruiser. Oops! <br /><br />He was all testosterone - doing tricks, going speedy. After that ride I refused to ride with him. He figured I didn't like biking. A few years later, we have moved to a small beach town and I now bike everywhere! He has also since adopted a vintage roadster -- our bikes are known in town and we have a blast riding together!Fish n' Chipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13872072787778903357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-49085491104185168462010-05-21T13:03:44.890-04:002010-05-21T13:03:44.890-04:00Justine - I remember that SNL commercial : ))
Tou...Justine - I remember that SNL commercial : ))<br /><br />Tours of the Loire Valley and Vermont! Lucky girlfriend.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-77192200952341165172010-05-21T01:53:47.943-04:002010-05-21T01:53:47.943-04:00Friends don't let friends ride--much less buy-...Friends don't let friends ride--much less buy--hybrids. They make me think of that old Saturday Night Live sketch. It was a "commercial" for New Shimmer: "It's a floor polish! No, it's a dessert topping!"Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-83725231121834251812010-05-21T01:51:10.056-04:002010-05-21T01:51:10.056-04:00I confess...I was once one of those awful husbands...I confess...I was once one of those awful husbands who prodded, lectured and was even more of a pain in the rear than her saddle was. After we split up, she never touched a bike again.<br /><br />Later, I had a live-in girlfriend who was motivated by curiosity. She was already doing a bit of riding herself, and wanted to try whatever I did or was using. I started off riding my clunker with her; soon, after seeing me come back from my long and hard rides, she wanted to ride more and check out some serious equipment. It got to a point where she could keep up with me for a couple of hours and we did a tours of the Loire Valley and Vermont together. If it weren't for one small matter, we'd still be riding together!Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-65191005902307948222010-05-21T00:47:02.600-04:002010-05-21T00:47:02.600-04:00This is good advice, not just for those considerin...This is good advice, not just for those considering cycling, but those considering committed relationships in any form. Nice work!BGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15650718276049777977noreply@blogger.com