Ideas Needed

wheelbuckler
wheelbuckler Posts: 134
edited May 2008 in Family & kids cycling forum
Right, I'm quite a keen mountain biker but I have been trying to convince my mrs to come out for a ride with me, along with my daughter who we would need to buy a seat for.

Trouble is because I am a bit keen on the mountain bike she keeps using it as an excuse not to come out with me - "I'll slow you down and do your head in" is the normal response.

Any ideas how I might convince her to come out, I do not want or expect her to be flying down the trail centres I just want a nice family outing at a more recreational pace

Comments

  • 7stanes-Midget
    7stanes-Midget Posts: 13
    le her choosse the saddle :D
    Ride evrything all the time
    and push it or boosh it!!
  • stumpyjon
    stumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    Pick somewhere easy. The railway line trails in the Peaks are quite good, flat and smooth (will probably bore you silly), Tissington trail and High Peak trails are quite good. Plus you can hire bikes & trailers (how old's your daughter? maybe putting here in a trailer behind your bike will act as an anchor and slow you down, works for me :oops: )
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • Cunobelin
    Cunobelin Posts: 11,792
    Go shopping!

    Sounds silly, but can you get a babysitter for a short while, then try a short trip out to get the paper on a Sunday morning, down to the pub for a quick lunch or other activity simply to show that you can behave and that it is an enjoyable experience.
    <b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
    He that buys flesh buys many bones.
    He that buys eggs buys many shells,
    But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
    (Unattributed Trad.)
  • PrettyBoyTim
    PrettyBoyTim Posts: 163
    The ideal answer would probably be a tandem, but they're expensive and take up a lot of room.

    I'd love to have a tandem, but I can't justify the expense at the moment! :(
  • NorwegianBlue
    NorwegianBlue Posts: 484
    One way of dealing with this is to get her a fast bike with plenty of gears while you ride something with one very low gear that way she will find it easy to keep up, and possibly blast off into the distance. If you also have the additional burden of the child seat hopefully your wife will see that she should be able to keep up.

    This will also give you an excuse to build a nice single speeder. Sorted.
    "Swearing, it turns out, is big and clever" - Jarvis Cocker
  • gjp112n
    gjp112n Posts: 29
    Not always easy, I know, but - just ignore what you want to do and find out what she would like to do ?

    Are there places she want to go / things to see that can be got to by bike ? How important to either of you is the 'mountain' bit ?. Is a carrot needed -'lets go for a ride on saturday afternoon - We'll go for a meal in the evening so we don't have to rush back to cook'

    What about the challenge that is the 'Wigan Greenheart Cycleway' :wink: (if you know anything about it, let me know)

    In the car and down to J21 - you could be on the TransPennine trail in 25 minutes !

    (Wheelbuckler - see what you have done with your little bit of encouragement the other week )
  • PhilTheFish
    PhilTheFish Posts: 82
    I had this issue with my wife 18 months ago. I've got 3 kids (aged 10, 7, and 2). The older 2 can go about 10 miles before moaning, and the youngest is in a rear seat on my bike. It hit the missus last year when we were out all of a Sunday morning and she was stuck at home with a pile of ironing!

    My mate's mum had an old mountain bike in the shed which hadn't moved for years. I took it off her hands and cajoled the wife into coming on a quick 2 miler. After about 15 minutes down a quiet country cycle path she says to me "Why didn't you make me do this years ago....I love it!"

    Now we're all out as a family most weekends in Spring/Summer.
  • Tantrwm
    Tantrwm Posts: 1
    Start slowly I think, we go out as a family once in a while with a mixture of abilities and choose something that everyone will at least get some enjoyment out of. I'm from the South Wales Valleys and a lot of the old train lines have been converted into cycle tracks such as the Taff Trail. Lots of lovely scenery, some slightly challenging ups and downs and a good surface.

    Perhaps treat it as a family day out and ease back on the pace if you are with your wife so she can keep up and not feel left behind. Found this vid on a web site with a family ride over to the Dare Valley park which if you are here might be nice for you all. http://www.realvalleysmedia.co.uk/sportscouncil.htm

    Happy biking x

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