My husband use to ride with me when I rode my single, but I was so slow, that on hills he would literally ride circles around me. He would ride up the hill come back down and pass me again. He never criticized me about my slow riding but I could tell he really didn't enjoy going so slow. We decided to get a tandem and his first thought was that we would be able to go really fast on it since he wouldn't have to worry about leaving me behind. When he first starting doing that, it scared me so much I didn't want to go anymore. Finally something clicked in his head and he decided that he better make the tandem rides my speed, otherwise he might as well sell it. Now he does his single rides alone and I do mine alone or with my friends who ride my speed. The tandem is our recreational ride (my speed) and he knows it and now enjoys it. He has the best of both worlds, he can race on his single and enjoy my company on the tandem. Funny how things turn out.