Of course, you can't force the issue.
This makes me glad cycling is something I do mostly with my DH and a few friends. I do ride a- lone, but I don't like it, mostly because I get bored on longer rides. I hardly do group rides anymore, and when I do, usually I'm leading the ride.
DH and I have always done lots of stuff together, eating out, theatre, symphony, socializing with friends, and stuff with the kids. I had my gym time early in the AM, so it didn't interfere with family and couple/social life stuff. When DH started riding he always did his rides at the time I was at the gym, or sometimes at night, when I used to be grading papers. It was like exercise was the stuff we did to get it "over with," and now it's our whole lifestyle.