Quote Originally Posted by Veronica View Post
Maybe I should post this in VB's good vibes thread, but I'm so glad Thom and I don't have this issue. He's always climbed faster than me and I've always had more endurance. I've asked him to help me get faster on climbs and he's started pacing me. It's hard, my heart rate is wicked high and sometimes I feel like I'm going to puke. But hopefully it will make a difference with my climbing.

He's riding a little slower than he would normally and I'm definitely riding faster. But the encouragement he shouts at me helps. Well kinda, sometimes I just want to punch him!

In the "macho" guys defense, if they are out there for a training ride, not on a no drop ride, they should be riding their own ride and not caring a hooey about you.

V.
Ditto on riding with DH making me stronger. That is definitely the case for me. And to be honest, most of the time, he's pretty good about sticking with me. It's the climbs where I get lost behind. For the most part I don't really mind but once in awhile it just irks me. I like to be able to lead once in awhile, especially on the flats when I CAN go fast. I'll mention it and I'll lead for awhile and then he'll pass me when we stop for a light and it just peeves me. Then one day I suggested he go out and do some hill repeats before our ride so he'd be a bit tired and not feel like he needed to hammer, and he still ended up riding ahead of me.

Our latest solution, which works quite well for me, is that he goes really hard ahead of me for about 3-4 minutes, then turns around and rides hard back to meet me. He goes further, and harder and I am seldom on my own for more than 4-5 minutes. I feel safe (I am still a bit freaked about being along if I'm stung by a wasp), and I feel like I can ride my own ride as well. We can't do this everywhere we ride because some roads are too busy but it works in many places.