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how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:16 am
by fionahills
This is definitely not original but adapted from a book i read recently - ' JUST RIDE - a radically practical guide to riding your bike ' by Grant Petersen -

fits my fella to a tee - bless him: - we are all new riders -he has been playing with bikes for years

1.be coach and trainer - make sure you instruct the family on proper technique and critique their performance - especially everything that they get wrong

2.insist on proper saddle height (even though we were all scared stiff of falling over - and can't reach the ground when we are stopped unless we but our bits on the top thingy) took a while to figure out that it was OK to lean the bike a bit and hence touch the ground.....

3. emphasis the wonders of drafting even at family riding speeds- make sure everyone is scarily close to each others wheels and emphasise the importance of rotaing pace lines - its never too early to make the family into a 'peleton' - there are 6 of us so he has his own little bunch.

4. buy every one expensive bikes and then remind them how expensive they were - thus ensuring that they get ridden - guilt is a bugger

5. make sure they know that expensive bikes make riding up hills easy so that when it gets hard we know its our fault we are not quicker, better, stronger..

6. make sure we all wear lycra - its really practical but getting a body conscious 17 year old into knicks - really???

7. clipless are a must - no sooking - much more efficient and they will come undone if you crash!!!

8. make sure you point out to your wife all the really fast female riders that go past her - if she tries harder she can do it! see they are....


My fella really is a good guy - love him to bits - but I can relate to all of the above- anyone else??? -

fiona

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 6:54 am
by Reman
He did all that and you're still riding? What does a man need to do to go riding in peace :wink:

Nice work Fiona! Trying to encourage the rewoman to ride more so its probably a good thing I avoided most of those.

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 8:22 am
by greyhoundtom
Mmm......time to make sure he gets handed a copy of the book JUST RIDE........print out your post in the form of a book marker, delete the section where "you love him to bits", and place it in the book in a prominent position. :wink:

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:13 am
by find_bruce
I am confident that I am not that guy - but my family may not agree :)

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:54 am
by schroeds
Falling off and losing half my face in a faceplant has seriously helped my family hate cycling!

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 11:59 am
by Nobody
I've done 1,2 & 8 at various times in my life. Number 8 was about 20 years ago though. I've learnt since then. :oops:

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:13 pm
by MattyK
Original - by the same author. Good website for non-racer riders.

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:15 pm
by Howzat
I'm not that guy. When I ask the kids "can you ride back to see if my rear light is on", and then make a massive break-away off the front, it's only so that they won't fall for that one when they're riding in Tour de France. :D

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:28 pm
by bigfriendlyvegan
I was teaching my eldest daughter (11) how to (a) ride a fixie and (b) draft and swap turns on Friday night. I'm not going to be towing her for the rest of my life, she's got to take a turn up front as well.

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:08 pm
by fionahills
Glad you guys are all on the side on the angels...and would never do any of those things.....

Can't call him on it - he's working in WA around Tom Price only home every 5 weeks- bikes are banned on site so he is struggling that we are riding and he is stuck on a spin bike.... would be nice to think we could catch him up and while he's away but not much hope.

He might get a bit sensitive if he knew I was broadcasting his approach to the world...he might think I was taking the mickey...too old to get a new bloke so better to leave him to his delusions that he is 'just helping' :D

fiona

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:32 pm
by human909
fionahills wrote:My fella really is a good guy - love him to bits - but I can relate to all of the above- anyone else???
:lol: :lol:

I know you love him, but can I give him a slap for being so silly! :lol:

I don't have a significant other at the moment but the last thing I would want to do was to pressure them into loving my recreational activities. Furthermore such things should be about enjoyment! Not about having to do things 'right'.


Funny thing is that I never could get an ex of mine into cycling while we were dating. However I lent her a bike after we broke up. Now she is more of a cyclist (at least the lycra clad variety) than I am! :lol:

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:42 pm
by ldrcycles
schroeds wrote:Falling off and losing half my face in a faceplant has seriously helped my family hate cycling!
+1 (said with gap toothed grin :) ).

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 8:45 pm
by Eleri
1.be coach and trainer - make sure you instruct the family on proper technique and critique their performance - especially everything that they get wrong
Mea culpa I'm guilty of this. I held back in Amy's Gran Fondo giving helpful riding tips to my bloke until I was given the heave ho and told to leave him alone. Result! Got to ride off ahead. :evil:

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:27 pm
by bigfriendlyvegan
Eleri wrote:
1.be coach and trainer - make sure you instruct the family on proper technique and critique their performance - especially everything that they get wrong
Mea culpa I'm guilty of this. I held back in Amy's Gran Fondo giving helpful riding tips to my bloke until I was given the heave ho and told to leave him alone. Result! Got to ride off ahead. :evil:
And won a world cup medal as well! I hope you rubbed it in his face.

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:42 pm
by Eleri
bigfriendlyvegan wrote:
Eleri wrote:
1.be coach and trainer - make sure you instruct the family on proper technique and critique their performance - especially everything that they get wrong
Mea culpa I'm guilty of this. I held back in Amy's Gran Fondo giving helpful riding tips to my bloke until I was given the heave ho and told to leave him alone. Result! Got to ride off ahead. :evil:
And won a world cup medal as well! I hope you rubbed it in his face.
Have I stopped talking about that yet? Apparently not :-)

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 10:29 pm
by ColinOldnCranky
Ensure that you are the leader, everyone falling behind to admire your highly stretched semi-stransparent riding nicks which you insist do not need any undies.

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:56 am
by Howzat
Hey, vitamins E, P and O just help the kids breathe better on the family bike rides around the park.

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:50 pm
by Howzat
ColinOldnCranky wrote:Ensure that you are the leader, everyone falling behind to admire your highly stretched semi-stransparent riding nicks which you insist do not need any undies.
...so that they can read "Rule #5" which you had tattooed on your behind.

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 7:13 am
by Rhubarb
Hi Fiona,

I've read a number of your threads thinking "why doesn't she just ask her husband?" but the approach and long absences answer the question. Good on you for reaching out and doing this for yourself.

In the meantime would you care to rate the performance of my mate here: http://youtu.be/J0_lukcqOtk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:23 am
by Kenzo
Lol....

Sometimes riding with family gets in the way of riding for yourself. So you want family to be riding fast, efficient and far.

My wife is talking keenly about getting clip in pedals so she can feel more connected to the bike when hitting up jumps on the trails. Looking forward to the first few clip stacks...

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:20 pm
by ColinOldnCranky
Anyway, my family don't ride so there is not much that I can do to discourage them further. Indeed even the two exercise bikes get no use. :cry:

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 3:52 pm
by BionicW
You're lucky. My hubby says,
'you're paying WHAT for a bike????"

He thinks that because I use road shoes that I'm a Tour De France try hard... :roll: :lol:

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:25 pm
by fionahills
OH Rhubarb :lol: - that's just plain mean :lol: - firstly to film it and then to youtube it....don't you love how they are just making sure you do it the right way...bless...you're young, you still have time, train him well....and lose the camera - you get maximum points for 1. the elegant topple and 2. not throwing a tantrum.

Mind you, mine is still very good and I would not swap him (except when he is providing training tips, especially on hills and in heavy traffic on narrow roads!!!) or when I am over tired, hormonal or just cranky....

Its all good fun and I must admit I am too competitive for my own good - probably wouldn't get nearly as antsy if I could keep up with him.

Anyway joining a local cycling group for sat rides from tomorrow and local bike shop for wednesday rides, & going to a coach on Tuesday - should keep me busy and save me annoying everyone on the forum with my endless questions! :oops:

hope you didn't lose any skin - I could not even speak while riding in clipless for the first 10 days - was scared to death and just had to keep repeating clip in clip out - must have appeared a complete noodle!!

BionicW - despite my whinging I am lucky - he is generally a good egg - does not complain when I take off for 3-6 months on little overseas volunteering projects, has always supported my obsessions (horses and all that goes with them are hideously expensive and time consuming) and has been (is a) great dad -

BUT I am not allowed to get electronic gears til he does and no bike upgrade til I can ride 50km at 30-35kph average - :D His money is safe!!!

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 9:01 pm
by Rhubarb
LOL !!!

Sorry Fiona. I'm a bloke. That guy literally is a mate and that was his wife, not me.

She was very good about it though I thought.

Re: how to make your family hate cycling -

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 9:33 pm
by fionahills
Oops so sorry Rhubarb- I obviously took mate the wrong way!!!

your frind can be saved - but his wife is way better behaved than me.

sorry again for gender re assignment....Fiona