My wife as of late has been wanting to ride with me one time per week. We are both in training for upcoming tris. While we are not going to win or anything, we usually place in our age groups so there is a competitive drive to train hard. The problem is…to put it bluntly…she slows me down. Today we averaged 19 MPH over 40 miles where I would usually be over 22MPH. Its not like we are not around each other all the time and this is our “special time together”. This sounds selfish but I am making her faster while she slows me down. After racing season is over we can ride all she wants but right now shouldnt she take a chill pill…by the way she is reading this as I write and she just kicked me…as many of you probably want to right now 
We have this problem in my house. Just go by yourself once or twice a week if you want to blitz your ride. The other times ride with her. My wife is a little slower but most of the time I don’t mind.
Um, do you ride hard every ride? Don’t you ever do recovery rides?
DOH! I hate when my wife reads over my shoulder.
The only advice you need here is:
Work it out with your wife. Put down the mouse and move away from the keyboard. I’m sure you’ll come up with some kind of (eeek!)
COMPROMISE!
(Let’s see, another AG second place and a wretched home life? or, Time spent with the person you said you wanted to spend the rest of your life with because she’s a hot tri-babe WHO CAN ACTUALLY RIDE 40 FREAKIN’ MILES AT 19MPH!)
“WHO CAN ACTUALLY RIDE 40 FREAKIN’ MILES AT 19MPH!”
Good point.
That’s huge!!
No complaining allowed.
End of thread.
I know…and I do appreciate the fact that I am married to a hot tri babe who can ride fast but I still have that selfish side of me I guess. This summer we have ridden together about 6 or 7 times (actually she just yelled in from the other room TWO OR THREE at most).
Yep. Do the right thing.
Put her in front and check out her back side.
I know, isn’t that great!? That’s what I do with my wife! And, I know, I’m actually going to get some with this particular backside at some point, maybe. Which is more than I can say for most of the guys on this website. (Opening for inuendo laced reply here.)
Go hard on the hills and when you get to the top circle back down, hook up with her, and ride the rest of the hill with her. Just let her know ahead of time that this is what you’ll be doing. She’ll be relieved to know that she’s not interfering with your training. Trust me on this.
Don’t ask me…we all know how I would answer that…BUT since you are both competitive and are doing good, she should realize that its hurting you. However, you have to live with her.
I train with my wife almost everyday. We are lucky that our swim and run speeds are pretty similar. I’m a bit stronger on the bike and will sometimes ride ahead and double bike or just stay with her at let her set the pace. If she is leading she will push herself to go faster so as not to slow me down, so I think there is some benefit in it for her as well. We have done many many of the same races and a few separately, but we have always stayed together at our 7 Ironman finishes, crossing the line together. Could I go a little faster if I trained on my own? Maybe. Would I enjoy it? No. I can always try to go faster but the time I spend training with my wife means a lot more to me.
Gary Mc
Sometimes training with my husband slows me down 
.
There ya go!
Just as hard to find boys that don’t have “manly” issues with faster riding wimmen folk.
Such a problem…
G
Come on. Enjoy your time with her on the bike . . . or just get her pregnant.
My husband and I have this problem. My husband purchased a very nice cannondale r800 for me as my first bike, his way of showing he wanted to include me. I am slow and average 16 mph to his 22+ mph. It has been a challenge for us to ride together. He now takes our childrens bike trailer loads it up with about 60 lbs of water. This keeps us well matched and even gives him a good hard workout!
22mph avs, if you are in the car she can sit beside you. BS on the avs for each of your rides. If you are that fast, you’d know how to work it out and have her ride with you on your easy days.
Do the warm up with her. Do the hard part by yourself. circle back to finish any hard efforts that she has then ride home together. Or have her draft you as you ride somewhat faster than she can. Ez for you tempo for her.
Ahhh…I can’t believe it! I am constantly reading posts on this forum about men bitching that their significant other is uspet with the amount of time that they are out training and not spending time with them. Here you have a spouse who understands the need to train and you still find something to complain about!
My husband is a pro, whereas my goal is to stay off the back page of the results, so believe me I slow him down when we train together, but he still finds time to ride and run with me. We just time it so it is on his recovery days or else I mountain bike while he runs the trails!
Be happy that you have a wife who gets and supports your obsession
Having not read the pther replies, I only have one word for you:
Tandem.