My SO is also much faster than me, so I'd go nuts if I rode with him *all* the time. However, I've found that trying to keep up with him has greatly imporved my speed and traffic skills. I am pokey on my own and nervous about traffic, so I'll get stuck waiting 20 minutes for a gap in traffic that is huge enough for my tastes to cross busy streets. I also have a habit of slowing waaaaaay down for corners that desperatly sprinting behind him is helping to combat. Now if I ever get cut off and need to make a sharp turn to keep from getting hit, I am much better equipt for it!