My partner - who until very recently was a competitive racer - and me - a cyclist with only a couple of years on the road, good general shape, but nowhere near his strength on the bike - ride together occasionally in the shoulder season, and it gets really complicated and unpleasant.

When I'm in top shape, in the summer, however, we can ride together. On the flats, I can hold on to his wheel for my dear life at nearly 40 km/h for a little while and I really find it a lot of fun. But it's not for every day. As soon as we hit the hills, I'm toast: I can't get up there as fast as he does. However, on rollers, I have a chance because I'm crazy about going fast on downhills, and I can muster enough momentum to get ahead of him... for a little while at least.

Most of the time though we just can't really ride together, but we still get out of the door together for day-long rides. If we're on a scenic ride, he carries the camera and has a 'picture quota' (he's mandated to take, say, 10 pics an hour). That slows him down a little bit. He'll wait for me at the top of the next hill (with the camera ready to shoot... so I better smile). Or he'll turn on side roads if they have a steep hill, go there for a while, and come back behind me (I know it's him because of the way he breathes...).

It took him a while to understand that when I said he should feel free to ride around me in circles, I really meant it. I still have to repeat it once in a while. Sometimes if I'm having a bad day, fitness wise, or a bad headwind, we can get in a nasty fight, especially if he's in the mood to hammer because he doesn't get a lot of time to ride. Now we've learned to recognize those days, and we're careful not to ride together then. Or we'll agree ahead of time that at X place he'll wait for me so I can catch his wheel (long flat stretch with headwind), and the rest of the time he can do whatever he pleases.

I don't think we're ready for the tandem. Too much communication is required. And I love the freedom of my own bike...

I hope this provide if not help at least some inspiration... You're not alone out there. But please don't break any more bones!!!!