wife is struggling, how to breech the ability gab?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
A few things that can slow a person down are:
Their clothing isn't comfortable for cycling
The bike doesn't work as it should. In particular, gear shifting is clunky or noisy.
The bike is uncomfortable or set up so as to be more work to pedal.
An experienced person knows what a well tuned, comfortable bike should feel like, but a newcomer may think any problems they are having are their fault.
When I set up a bike for my wife it had 1 speed, low gearing, a ladies saddle, and handlebars a little higher than the saddle. That way she didn't have to worry about shifting which she was afraid of, and we picked mostly flat routes so she could pedal along fairly easily. We took the bikes in our van to the bike path so she wouldn't have to ride in traffic which was scary, especially as she did not trust her braking and bike handling in general. These 5 mph rides were not what I like, but it really wasn't about me anyway. Conversely, a ride on a nice sunny day, at an easy pace on a comfortable bike that feels comfortable and works perfectly and in pleasant surroundings is a good way to get started.
She went through a hellish period with breast cancer, chemo, radiation, a mastectomy and an implant which became infected and had to be removed. She quit riding during this time but is getting better although two years later there are still residual problems that kick her butt from time to time. She is looking forward to more riding this spring though, because she remembers those pre-cancer rides as pleasant and fun. I am looking forward to that too.
 
Top Bottom