Getting your significant other on a bike

[Scotty T]

My wife rented a $5400 e-bike, Specco Turbo Vado, we went round the lake, 38km loop, furthest she's ridden in 25 years. She had to have an e-bike after that so she got an older Townie Go second hand.

It's very basic, but adequate and she's put over 200km on it in two months.

One of her friends has a step thru 3 speed Merida City and was interested in e-bikes, had a short spin on the Townie Go and ordered a kit which I fitted for a case of good beer. Said it has changed her life, husband is a keen commuter and has been doing rides with her, she had health issues and was struggling with a non e-bike.

Another friend was also interested, did a 10km loop on the Townie Go and asked us to keep an eye out, this week we found a 2018 Townie Go with 150km on the clock, basically new. Wife picked it up today, and I took it for a shop run, about a 7km loop. It's the 8i with Nexus 8 speed and roller brakes, Bosch drive. It's sensational to ride, and if I had the coin I'd buy the other one the seller had which is the step over model, old couple that had to give up for health reasons.

Friend hasn't picked it up yet but she hasn't ridden since she was a kid and plans to commute about 8k each way. I think she's not quite aware of how easy it will be.

 

[ozzybmx]

Good work ! I would love my missus to enjoy riding.

Bought her a new Giant Full-E1 Pro in 2017-18 cant rem exactly, she test rode one and loved it, bough her one and from that day it was an argument to get her out on it, sitting now with 400km on the clock, 150km of those are me riding to my mates over the hill for beers and 100km friends or family riding it.

In Jan she hit a water bar, flew forward and over the bars, face planted the fire road 200m down from Black Stump in Derby, heading towards the dam. Now refuses to ride at all.

Did over $700 damage to the bar mounted screen/electrics and a whole lot of damage to herself (see the order I put that in)

Has not been on it since

 

[rextheute]

My offsider fell off in St Helens @ Xmas .......hit the post in the middle of the bridge just after leaving the caravan park .
i asked at the time ‘ how did you manage that’ ?
not the correct Q...

The scar on her knee would be 6 inches long and angry - it makes me sad to see it .

One of those Townies would be perfect for her .

 

[SummitFever]

Recently built the wife an ebike and she has been loving it. Means I do far less waiting and on some climbs she's now the one waiting for me! Rides with her are now good training kms whereas before they were more like recovery miles. I need to build a bugger battery so we can do some epic rides together.

 

[Litenbror]

Recently built the wife an ebike and she has been loving it. Means I do far less waiting and on some climbs she's now the one waiting for me! Rides with her are now good training kms whereas before they were more like recovery miles. I need to build a bugger battery so we can do some epic rides together.

Is a "bugger battery" what she does to you if she has to wait to long?

 

[Stredda]

Nice work on getting her on a bike.
I think the key to getting anyone on a bike regardless of what type of bike, is having a good experience.
Once you are hooked, you can have a shitty day but you know that is not the normal and there will be more awesome days to come, so in most cases you will stick with it. If you are only just starting out and you have a bad experience that can be the end of it.

It's taken my wife a while to warm to it, (years) and although she isn't a regular rider (mainly due to time constraints) she now loves going to Derby and we are heading to St Helens this weekend and she is keen to ride the new trails there. She is even doing the Challenger events at the Tas Gravity Enduro Series, even after a big off on Upper Flickerty Sticks in the last Derby round resulting in a sprained thumb and a very grazed and messed up forearm.
She was a trooper and finished the race, very proud of her.

 

[SummitFever]

Is a "bugger battery" what she does to you if she has to wait to long?

Bloody typos...

Ebikes are great for 'equalizing' things but it does mean that less experienced or less skilled riders can now do the sort of speeds offroad that it takes other riders a lifetime of training to achieve. I can see how ebike power has the potential to write cheques that the rider can't cash.

 

[Litenbror]

Bloody typos...

Ebikes are great for 'equalizing' things but it does mean that less experienced or less skilled riders can now do the sort of speeds offroad that it takes other riders a lifetime of training to achieve. I can see how ebike power has the potential to write cheques that the rider can't cash.

Yeah it's fun when you find them but sucks when you make them.

Can see the concern regarding speed and inexperience, you can get in to trouble much faster than you could naturally. Another though though is we tend to make mistakes and crash when we are tired (at least I do) so it is possible in some situations riders could crash less due to lower fatigue.

 

[Scotty T]

We have a long history of biking. In 95 we bought MTB's, I had been racing on the old Repco and upgraded. She did a few of the Sydney classics with me and other riding friends, Oaks, Wiseman's, but on Pipeline at Woronora at the start she OTB'd hard, she soldiered on for the ride but was not keen at all after that.

2003 or so our son was 4 and we'd moved to Canberra, I was working for Caroline Buchanan's dad so naturally we all started racing BMX. Did that for 6 years or so, she liked that it didn't involve climbing or staying in the saddle for too long. We stopped around 2011.

A couple of years ago she got back on the old MTB but it wasn't much fun, so I got her an older SC Juliana that was a mate's wife's bike. She rode it a few times, but hasn't been really enthused and we all know that Mtb'ing can be a drag when you're not bike fit.

Her e bike requires some effort to ride, more than the newer mid drives with different assist levels, so she's gradually building a bit of bike fitness. She's keen to do shuttles so that will be the next step.

 

[HamboCairns]

My wife enjoys the odd ride at Smithfield (green trails) on her Trek Marlin. I wish I hadn't rushed to buy it now as I don't think it's that good, no upgrade potential and bit heavy.

On the plus side, it's a 29er so it rolls well!

I'd love to upgrade it to a 1x drivetrain and put some taller bars on it but it's probably not worth spending on it, might as well save for a new bike.

 

[Scotty T]

We were lucky knowing a mate who gave us a deal, my advice to anyone would be full suspension used is better than hardtail new.

This cost between the cheapest Marlin and the next one, and is better than the best one.

 

[HamboCairns]

We were lucky knowing a mate who gave us a deal, my advice to anyone would be full suspension used is better than hardtail new.

This cost between the cheapest Marlin and the next one, and is better than the best one.

View attachment 368277

Well yeah, if you're very lucky knowing a mate who is giving away a Santa Cruz. Have you seen the douchbag thread?

 

[Scotty T]

Well yeah, if you're very lucky knowing a mate who is giving away a Santa Cruz. Have you seen the douchbag thread?

Was way pre covid but yeah would hate to be looking now. Main point was full sus. We went through 2 saddles too before she rode a friend's bike and found a Bontrager was comfy, also my saddle of choice. The one pictured was very racy and she hated it.