Emily, what about a tandem? We may have talked about this before--my brain is shrinking, I think :-P.
I'll never be as fast as Chris, but I ride a lot on my own. And we have put 8-9,000 tandem miles since we started in 2005, in addition to riding our own singles regularly. We have a blast.
And for all those who instantly say, "I could never..."--rent one and try it first.
"My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved;I have been given much and I have given something in return...Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and an adventure." O. Sacks