A different approach: Hope to encourage my wife to ride

[Pax]

OK I kmow there is nothing I can do if she doesn't want to ride...but I am not ready to give up yet (its only been 20 years since Mrs Pax used to ride and I am not a quitter )

I don’t really know if this belongs in Women’s, General or Retro…Mods, feel welcome to move it if you want.

I am going to try a different approach to Hanzao viewtopic.php?f=50&t=26233 . (NB this is not in any way a criticism of Hanzao…I just know that if I try his approach I will fail dismally with Mrs Pax…)

Mrs Pax rode when we were first married (1983) and off and on until we had kids (1991). Her riding peaked when we had our Gitane tandem between 1985 and 1991 (I’ve talked about my regrets about selling that in other threads).

Since about 2000 I have tried to talk her into getting a modern, comfortable bike with indexed gears and decent brakes but she just isn’t interested. What she has consistently said is “I have a perfectly good bike in the shed”…

The bike that she is referring to is a stock standard 1983, Malvern Star, 5 speed, step through bike which I bought for her when we got married. We were poor in those days and both needed bikes to get around.

This is it with Mrs Pax at Sunshine Beach on our honeymoon (along with our pride and joy the 1958 FE Holden):



It hasn’t been used in any meaningful way since we got the tandem (probably 5 or 6 rides in the 25 years from about 1985).

Mrs Pax is a bit of a live-simply-hippie (I love that about her )…it really is the kind of bike that will suit her (even if I “KNOW” that there are more efficient and comfortable bikes around) So I am actually going to listen to her and get it operational to see if that leads to the odd ride for a coffee at the local café…then who knows

I’ve dug the bike out of the back of the shed. Hmmmm….it’s not a disaster but it’s not great.







Tyres are very cracked (though they hold air), the breaks are as useless as I remember them and there is a fair bit of rust (nothing structural). The wheels and spokes are pretty bad.

I am not going to do a whole lot to it initially, I’m working on the theory that if I replace the chrome wheels with alloys not only will it fix the wheel / spoke issues but the brake pads will have better grip too. Obviously I’ll replace the tyres and I will put a new saddle on (focus on comfort).

Should I paint it?? Any opinions? I guess that I’ll leave that up to Mrs Pax in the end.

Don't know what I'll try if this doesn't work

[GraemeK]

New Tyres and tubes and give the edge of the rim a rub with emery and the brakes will be just fine - if you replace the brake blocks.
I reckon finding out if its going to get ridden before you do too much work would be a good idea and in the end I doubt that making it pretty will be the make or brake thing.
My advice is try to ride to interesting places like local markets or coffee shops or the like -- Not that I am an expert but I have taught my wife to ride a bike at the age of 55 and now she is addicted and just likes to ride for the pleasure of it.

[boyracer]

get her a basket for it...

[fleecedog]

Oooh good luck! Can't really offer you much advice since my BF and I did it very similar to Hanzao's way. I was always drawn to the lycra and the hot bikes long before I took up cycling after much talk and contemplation I bit the bullet and bought a bike with him. The key to it is to do everything together and make everything about you and her while bike riding? So I reckon you should definitely consult her with the painting of the bike/basket etc.
I found that was what made me really happy, doing all the lycra shopping, pedals shopping, bike shopping, saddle shopping together with him and then going for a spin with him. It's just such a nice US time and I imagine it will be that way with your wife too!

I do however think that your approach will be (fingers crossed) very effective. We bought a very nice entry level roadie and I didn't even hop onto the trainer before going out with my clipless and stacking three times and hitting a stationary car. It was almost enough to turn me off riding with him yelling at me to brake, change the gears, shift, pedal harder, stop freewheeling etc so this is definitely the non-stressful way to go!

If you two do get out and ride though, it is such an rewarding experience and I wish you all the best! I

[fleecedog]

Oooh good luck! Can't really offer you much advice since my BF and I did it very similar to Hanzao's way. I was always drawn to the lycra and the hot bikes long before I took up cycling after much talk and contemplation I bit the bullet and bought a bike with him. The key to it is to do everything together and make everything about you and her while bike riding? So I reckon you should definitely consult her with the painting of the bike/basket etc.
I found that was what made me really happy, doing all the lycra shopping, pedals shopping, bike shopping, saddle shopping together with him and then going for a spin with him. It's just such a nice US time and I imagine it will be that way with your wife too!

I do however think that your approach will be (fingers crossed) very effective. We bought a very nice entry level roadie and I didn't even hop onto the trainer before going out with my clipless and stacking three times and hitting a stationary car. It was almost enough to turn me off riding with him yelling at me to brake, change the gears, shift, pedal harder, stop freewheeling etc so this is definitely the non-stressful way to go!

If you two do get out and ride though, it is such an rewarding experience and I wish you all the best! I

[Mulger bill]

A good clean, new rubber, chain, brake blocks and grips and away you go on a picnic which you'll carry. Nothing too far or too hilly.
Favourite coffee shop next and so on. Give her time to recover between trips and offer to massage any part of her that complains.
If you still have the FE, load her up and head back to Sunshine Beach, try to unlock some old memories?

Good luck with it.

Shaun

[s-s-a]

Hmmm how about a nice internal geared hub? That would make it look extra schweet and give Mrs Pax a few more gearing options.

Personally I would also lose the spoke reflectors and any other "add on" that doesn't look fabulous.

My favourite products for making old duco and fittings like the chain guard look brand new are car polish, followed by MR SHEEN.

Also hop on to www.terrybicycles.com and find her some lovely new cycling threads - if lycra is not her style there is plenty of "street wise" cycle clothing for women on that site - with strategically hidden chamois for cycling comfort.

Steph

[Pax]

So new wheels, overhalled the brakes (new cables, a bit of lube, tightenning etc), nice comfy saddle, cleaned up the rust, adjusted the shifter, bit of an overall clean up and:

Mrs Pax rides again!!






It's ok everyone...don't panic I know there is no helmet but ...I haven't got her out onto the road yet, just down the long driveway for a test ride



Real riding on the weekend; ie to the coffee shop

[Mulger bill]

Brilliant!

[Max]

Good one, Pax!

Max

[hannos]

Real riding on the weekend; ie to the coffee shop

But you can't! it's not a Pinarello or Cervelo!




And Mrs Pax has a huge smile too!

Good work!

[Pax]

Real riding on the weekend; ie to the coffee shop

But you can't! it's not a Pinarello or Cervelo!




And Mrs Pax has a huge smile too!

Good work!

It gets worse...Trace is on a 1983 Malvern Star and I'm on a 2010 Malvern Star...we really are not taking bike bling seriously enough!!

[hartleymartin]

I ride to the Coffee Shop on my decrepit Raleigh Twenty wearing jeans (loose fit) and a tweed coat. Showing up wearing normal clothes and riding a bicycle with a basket will just highlight their poser-ness.

[Apple]

Just saw this thread; I am overseas at the moment in hippy town California where everything is organic and recyclable.
Great photo Pax, I think Mrs Pax looks fantastic. Good on you for fixing her old bike she looks like one hippy I mean happy lady.