OF RIDING WITH THE BRIDE
by Steve Strain, Club President 1996-1999
November 1998
Here it is the first morning of regular time. Lily the wonder dog still thought we were
on daylight savings and awoke at her usual time which is now 4:30 AM. The light comes
early and while it makes for a lovely morning I cannot help but think about the darkness
that will bless us in the late afternoon. After work rides are a thing of the past until
spring. No more sprints for the yellow sign on Thursday night, no gathering on Tuesday at
Typhoon of Tokyo. And no after school rides with the bride.
As some of you know Miss Karen has been riding. She has been through several rights of
passage for cyclists including using the woods bathroom before a ride. She has fixed flats
without her husband who was off tearing around and has weathered a broken spoke. We have
ridden together and ridden apart. It has made me more aware of other couples riding
together. I have sought to learn from my married friends what makes for a successful
cycling marriage.
There have been several lessons. I learned from Nancy Randall that it makes one's
spouse upset if you run off and leave him. Earlier in the summer Nancy told me that Joe,
in a fit of coaching, told her that she should "ride like a man." These are
Joe's (yes the same Joe who models) words not mine. Since that time I have watched Nancy
run off and leave Joe in her dust which would be just like a guy to do. Train harder Joe
if you want to keep up with your wife.
The Randalls are in their twenties. Thus I sought to benefit from the experience of a
rider who was a little older. Tom Baker and his young bride Carol often ride with the club
and I viewed this as a grand opportunity to pick up some pointers on riding with the bride
and making cycling a vital part of our marriage. And Tom is a teacher so who better to
learn from than our own Mr. Baker.
It has been an education. On one ride as Carol pulled away from him Tom kept the
marriage together by hitting her wheel and knocking her over. Thus they got to share a
moment of marital bliss as Tom stopped to help his wife in her hour of need. I paid close
attention. I noticed for a period afterwards that Tom sped off with the fast pack and left
Carol to ride with her friends in relative safety.
But the greatest lesson was the day he called her not Carol but by the name of some
prior wife. The Waterford even shuddered to hear that and we all waited for Carol to take
off her helmet and knock the boy upside the head. We all joined in the chorus and were
kind enough to remind Carol, or Donna, or whatever Tom calls her, about his miscue.
Through it all Carol smiled and never cussed him out and left with him and continues to go
out in public with him. So for all you married guys and those of you with significant
others study the Bakers. If she still loves him after all that surely you can get out of
trouble for leaving dirty socks on the floor. I do think that I'll continue to refer to
the bride as Miss Karen.
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