Cycling with a spouse has it's challenges. At the end of the ride, your spouse doesn't go off to a separate home. Routines get you out riding and the bikes maintained and the chores done. Rules keep you from resorting to small arms fire to settle disagreements and misunderstandings. The weaker rider will always have to work harder. The stronger rider will always have to hold back.
We've got four rules that work for us.
Rule 1. No whining.
Rule 2. No quitting.
Rule 3. Al is always right. (Wink wink, nudge nudge...)
Rule 4. Marsha always gets what she wants. (Wink wink, nudge nudge...)
We decided that our old routine of riding 5 days and taking 2 days off the bikes needed a change. It wasn't giving us enough time for the rest of our life. Which made us feel stressed. And when you are stressed, you aren't getting the quality sleep that you need. We decided to make a change. Ride 4 days a week with 3 days off the bikes but keep the same miles for the week. Which means we'll ride about 15 miles more each day.
And the rules? Oh, they stay the same. They always stay the same. They work just fine.
And it's always important to know the rules.
(Photo by Tom Burton)
