Teaching my wife to ride

[Thoglette]

To be frank though, the issue is not motivation to get out and exercise per se (she's always been the sporty type), it's convincing her to devote some of her very limited time to cycling, and that would include sitting in a coffee shop. We have two young kids and they being in day care only 2 days/wk, my wife spends those free days being as productive as possible which means, atm at least, fixing up the house (she's renovating the kids play room and her own art studio/study) and the yard. Both rides thus far have involved dragging her out late in the afternoon and then 'rushing' home to pick up the kids.

Three thoughts:
A quick run to the shops (500m away) is as quick as the car. Especially if there's back roads/paths creating short cuts.

I bought a tandem to pick the wee ones up from school/sport/dancing etc. Now sold as they're no longer "wee" but it worked.

Both my commutes are quicker on the bike than public transport and faster than driving at rush hour. A bit slower rest of the time. As they are long enough to warrant getting sweaty (11km, & 34km) the key is end of trip facilities (shower etc) so that I can make myself presentable when I get there.

[Newcastle Dave]

Just an update for any that may be interested.

A little over 12 months since my wife decided to learn to ride (at 50 cough, cough something I wont say) she is now riding regularly. Although she will only ride on bike tracks or VERY quite back streets (Blacksmiths, Swansea) she now rides at least a couple of times a week.

Her longest ride is 30 km (with a coffee stop in the middle) - the full length of the Fernleigh track and return. She has ridden an 18k solo ride (Warners Bay foreshore track plus the new extension) when I was working and none of her friends were free.

She completed the "she rides" program, and I can pass on that she would recommend that to any female riders out there who are just starting out or need to gain confidence (mind you, they did much the same as I had her doing, starting off round the netball courts before doing the Fernleigh Track after a number of weeks, but doing it with a number of other ladies helped).

I doubt she will ever ride in traffic or do really long rides, but that's not what she wants to do either.

[Mububban]

Just an update for any that may be interested....

Awesome stuff. Thanks for the update! And she's only 50, she's got decades more riding ahead of her

[audrey27]

My wife is in her sixties.
Two words motivated my wife to ride. Coffee shop. If you have one within ten minutes make that a first goal. And spend more time talking and drinking coffee than riding. Confidence will grow.
She moved from a cheap heavy nexus hub step through bike to a chain gear bike. Then to a Giant Liv womens road bike, which she loves as it is lighter for the hills but a bit twitchy. Fixed that by swapping the bars for a wider set off a mens roadie. She prefers it to a hybrid.
Then came the selle ladies gel seat, and the padded nicks... And the 50km rides.
Last year it was a trip to France to ride down the Loire. Awesome progress in three years.

Wow this is a good strategy and soo sweet! I am enjoying this thread for learning the strategy on how to teach your beloved to love rides.