Congratulations on your planned cycling adventure. We have been tandem riding since we first met and it has been an important component of our relationship. When I was young I was a nationally ranked competitor and rode over 10,000 miles a year. I did not realize that they even had competitive aerobic dance instructor championships when I met her, but it turned out that she was the Northwest regional champion. And her routines were much more demanding than I would have given them credit for.
I am not much of a dancer so she took up tandem cycling for me. I had had other female tandem partners but never one who was half as competitive. I first noticed this when we were out on the road or on a bike path. When we would see other cyclists ahead of us, I could feel extra power coming from the rear of the bike. Often when we would pass them they would try to catch our back wheel and draft on us. If they were dressed in the latest cycling fashion and riding expensive bikes she would find much more energy than usual. Often when they couldn't keep up we would hear some type of derisive comments.
The first time that I took her on a century (100 mile bike ride) we were with a group of experienced cyclists. We had been hit by a car recently and our expensive road tandem's frame had been sent back to Santana for repairs. So we were on our folding tandem which has a weird looking heavy frame and cheap components; it resembled a department store bike to our new aquaintances.
The people we were riding with were from Seattle, wearing expensive cycling clothing and some riding bikes that cost much more than our old van. They were concerned that we wouldn't be able to keep up. They said that they liked to keep the pace up around 20 mph and they gave us a map to find the way to the restaurant in case they dropped up along the way.
They needn't have worried. Their appearance and dismissive attitude added fuel to my wife's competitive nature. So we ended up setting a punishing pace only letting others take the lead when we were not completely sure of the route. Every ten miles I handed her a food bar and reminded her to drink her caffeinated energy drink. By the time we got to the restaurant they all looked a little beat and no one would believe that she had not been on a century before. She looked fresh and ready for the second half of the ride even before we ate. Of course with her competitive nature, even if she had been exhausted she would not have let anyone know it.
But she was feeling good and when we got back on the bike the pace we set blew the group apart. They were able to keep up on the way out with the knowledge that they had a long rest stop ahead but they were pretty well beat on the way back. So we had to back off and try to keep an eye on the guy who had invited us and gave us the map because he was struggling.
Needless to say we were never invited to ride with them again. I think that we had shattered the group's self image and they didn't want to be reminded that a couple of hickish looking people on a weird looking heavy folding tandem could ride them into the ground.
Of course we are older now and our competitive nature has eased a great deal. We have been working on two construction projects for three years and it has kept us off the bikes, but we are starting to train again and hoping for some good adventures this year.
I am smiling right down to my pedals reading your story.
I too am competitive, but my ability and stamina are going to need some building. I took some time off to heal from a bad health scare in 2016, and am tired from riding 20 miles at and average speed of 12mph.
I am feeling 100% this year though, and need to find a trainer for inside work. The weather stinks too much to ride outdoors in the Washington monsoons in Winter. My 93 year old MIL is now living with us, and my Wife is caregiving, so she is distracted. I will have to get strong enough to power her through when her loving chore is over.
For those who think old peeps riding a bike is crazy, just remember the joy of being a child, and add in the challenge of getting better every day at it. We have more time and $$$ to “waste” on the nearly pure ecstasy of “hauling ass” with the one you love right behind. We even added a trailer to haul gear, all the comforts of home in a 2’ x 2’ trailer.