That'll teach me.

[Shadowfax]

Hubby has a week off this week, seeing as I've been doing quite well on my introduction to road riding. I asked if he'd like to come out for a ride with me. I picked a figure of 8 route in and out of our local town and along the valley taking in a couple of back roads I hadn't used before. He was a little dubious and said there are a few hills on the route. Pfft I said' I can do hills' Ok he said and agreed to join me.

So off we went yesterday. Parked up and after his little pep talk of which most I could not decipher we set off. Me in front and the emerging monster barking orders behind ! To be fair he probably spoke a lot of sense as this was my first time on busy roads.Back to the point we came across the first hill and I just stopped and walked up god it was steep and he just road up and down waiting for me using the excuse he couldn't walk in his road shoes ! After a liitle descent we came across a whopper I thought the first one was bad !!!! I didn't even attempt it and told him to ride on. So he shoves it up 2 gears sprints up the hill shouting some old b....cks about Cav. going for it . What a twit. Anyway even though he was the perfect companion the rest of the ride and bought me lunch after, it is the first and last time I go out on my own with him. His loss !

 

[buggi]

well you deserve the humiliation for not even attempting the second one! Defeatist attitude.


seriously tho, sometimes its harder to push the bike up than actually ride it.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

It was his fault he should have led & protected you from the wind, give him hell he deserves it you should always have your strongest riders on the front

Alan..

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

My OH operates a policy of keeping me in front right up until he runs out of gears on climbs and then our different riding styles really show. He has very muscular thighs and is most definitely speed and sprinting. I am totally the opposite. I plod along at the same speed for hour after hour without stopping. He sprints to the tops of climbs after sitting behind me for a while (usually up until the point where I tell him to get on with it and stop sitting behind me on my wheel) and by the end of longer rides, I am supporting him. Due to my health issues, we usually ride with a pannier, so at the beginning of long rides ( +60 miles or so), he will have the pannier, but by the end of the day, I will have it support him. (Our mountaineering is exactly the same, he is a fast climber, I do distance better.)

What I am trying to say, is find your niche and work out what you are best at and don't worry about holding him up. Each person is different and better at somethings that others. Also look at your gearing - you may benefit from some lower 'granny' gears. My OH is on a 12-26 cassette, I am on an 11-28 cassette. I have 2 extra teeth lower than him for climbs. In other words, when he runs out of gears, I still have 1 more left compared to him. This suits my riding style (and lack of muscles) much better even though we are on identical bikes (or at least they were when they were purchased, except for sizing).

 

[hobbitonabike]

I went on a ride out with my hubby yesterday on a hilly route. I really seemed to struggle on the first half...having to stop and walk on a few but after refuelling with a sausage bun and a coffee I held my own better lol. He climbs much better than me but just waits at the top and then we carry on. But we go out to spend sometime together doing something we love so it doesn't matter about speed. We just enjoy it!

 

[welsh dragon]

I go out on my own. Enough said

 

[gavroche]

Every time I went out with someone, I was always the lanterne rouge, so I have learned to live with it. My philosophy is that someone has to be last, so why not me?

 

[summerdays]

It's ages since I've been riding with Mr Summerdays, but he is far better than me on hills, which I'm incredibly slow on. I just give him permission to disappear to the top of the hill, my way is better I think as he can get cold waiting at the top.

 

[Trull]

Seems like you two need to make the cyclists pact for hillclimbing, which states that:
1) No one gets left behind
2) Always wait at the top of the hill
3) Climb at a pace which suits you

Also I feel for you - having to get off a bike is horrible, could you speak with your LBS to get lower gears fitted? swap for a triple? I run 28x42x52 to a 11x31 freehub which means I can winch myself up every climb.

 

[alans]

I ride with another bloke's better half on a bike that keeps us together at all times thus making hill climbing an ability-levelling experience.

 

[swansonj]

Hubby has a week off this week, seeing as I've been doing quite well on my introduction to road riding. I asked if he'd like to come out for a ride with me. I picked a figure of 8 route in and out of our local town and along the valley taking in a couple of back roads I hadn't used before. He was a little dubious and said there are a few hills on the route. Pfft I said' I can do hills' Ok he said and agreed to join me.

So off we went yesterday. Parked up and after his little pep talk of which most I could not decipher we set off. Me in front and the emerging monster barking orders behind ! To be fair he probably spoke a lot of sense as this was my first time on busy roads.Back to the point we came across the first hill and I just stopped and walked up god it was steep and he just road up and down waiting for me using the excuse he couldn't walk in his road shoes ! After a liitle descent we came across a whopper I thought the first one was bad !!!! I didn't even attempt it and told him to ride on. So he shoves it up 2 gears sprints up the hill shouting some old b....cks about Cav. going for it . What a twit. Anyway even though he was the perfect companion the rest of the ride and bought me lunch after, it is the first and last time I go out on my own with him. His loss !

Get a tandem. Or alternatively a new husband.

 

[byegad]

I went out with a very mixed bunch, and was the only one on a recumbent trike. On the first up hill we split up with me being last but one to the top.

Everyone waited and when the last man arrived we rolled down the other side, the best climbers very deliberately slowing down and spreading across the road. No one could get passed. As the next hill started at the bottom of the descent I had done my best to get passed, but they really weren't having it! Recumbents, whether two or three wheeled really go down hills! (Less air resistance.) so on the next hill I lagged back again and was last to the top.

Again everyone waited politely so I mentioned that, had they let me through I'd have been in the lead on the up hill for at least half of the hill. Seeing as we were riding in the Yorkshire Dales there was going to be a lot of hills. So maybe they should let me rip down hill and reduce the delay to the group.

After that I was well in the group at the top of the climbs and the guy who had been last up the first hill was the slow man of the group.

 

[Old Plodder]

To enjoy your cycling, you need to know your own pace, & stick to it.
Ride uphill at your own pace no matter who is with you.