Warning: first rant in months. Probably boring. Maybe incoherent, I haven't slept a lot since Alice was born.
Also, a caveat - this is something ladies do too. I just see it more often with dudes.
I used to have single/unmarried friends who were cool. Now I have kids. But I still remember hearing the same complaint over and over from random people:
-My girlfriend (boyfriend) won't go mountain biking with me.
-I took her out on this easy ride and she cried.
-He refused to ride this easy waterbar and then walked the rest of the way down.
-I had to wait forever.
Now, getting a friend into riding is hard. Mountain biking is painful and dirty and intimidating. And it's doubly hard when the friend is a significant other. But I see the same mistake over and over. Dude, why is your girlfriend riding a $100 Walmart bike when you're on your $5k carbon wondermobile? Are you really surprised he's having trouble and not having fun?
Don't take your SO on a ride on their current "mountain" bike. Don't borrow a crappy bike that doesn't fit. Go to a shop that rents nice bikes (yes, it'll cost you $75 for the day. HTFU) and get him a bike that fits decently, works decently, and has modern suspension/gears/brakes. Get a decent helmet. Don't make her ride clipless pedals, or toe clips, or get mad if he has trouble figuring out how to shift up/down. Stop as much as she wants to adjust stuff and don't get frustrated if you have to move the brake levers around 5 times.
A decent bike will mean that your SO has a shot at having fun. And you have a shot at going on a ride as a date again.
5 comments:
When I can talk my wife into going, I am on the $300 Diamondback and she gets the $3,500 rental. Great post!
Most annoying bike shop interaction is when boyfriend (it is always a dude, in my experience) says "my girlfriend doesn't need. . ." continuing with some patronising bs on why she only needs a 40lb iron horse when he's on the $3500 special ed enurbro. Thanks for this post--actually, all of your rants. This one is of the sort that helps me remember to just enjoy riding with my SO any time we are lucky enough to have together. It is always fun, always worth it. I am also a better mechanic from learning to work around her desires.
My wife lost control going down waterbars and also started crying. I sold her mountain bike because I thought she would maybe be more excited to ride a CX bike on paved trails/roads, but after buying her Cannondale CX bike she's ridden once.
There was some $ laid out to get my at that point SO, now wife, into the correct gear but worth it. Once your SO is into ride it's good to remember to ride with them. So often I get caught up with riding at the front that I forget to fun interaction of riding with your SO.
I have to say the same for skiing. I used to teach kids. I can't tell you how many young ones were brought in with skis that had rusted edges, no wax, boots two sizes too big, a cotton knit hat and gloves with a Walmart coat, ... And as Dad skied off on his new rig and $1,000 outfit, he'd be complaining about how the kids just didn't enjoy being on the mountain.
Good equipment kept in good condition makes the experience more enjoyable for everyone. As does loving patience and sharing to joy together.
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