Feature
With Valentine’s Day upon us and romance in the air, Owen Rogers
asks cycling couples whether our sport can be one for lovers
THERE’S ROOM
ON MY BIKE
FOR TWO
Pictures: Alamy, Daniel Gould, Andy Jones
ycling is many things
to many people. It is both
a solitary sport where
we clear our heads and a social
sport where we can chat to our
heart’s content. But how does
cycling fi t into relationships? Is
the bike a place where romance
can blossom? Can we fi nd quality
time with the love of our life on
the road?
Work and domestic pressures
often make time with your partner
diffi cult to fi nd. Add hours spent
training for your next event,
and quality time is even harder
to come by, so riding with your
partner could be just what
the doctor ordered.
A disparity in abilities can be
a concern, but cycling is a sport
where you can go as fast or as slow
as you like; indeed, a recovery
ride can be as good for you as an
eyeballs-out interval session.Matt Rowe, husband of
WaowDeals rider Dani and coach,
says: “We coach a few couples,
and I guarantee there is a place
in your training week to ride
with your partner. They will get
a lot more enjoyment out of their
cycling because they are doing
something with you and will
resent you a little bit less because
you are not riding on your own
all of the time.”
CW spoke to fi ve couples — both
professional and amateur — and
while there might have been a
few niggles and the odd falling-
out from riding together, they all
viewed the sport as a positive part
of their relationships.
If you still need convincing
that cycling with your partner
will work, fi rst consider all
those Valentine’s gifts you could
‘share’, then read what our couples
have to say.Nikki and Matt Brammeier
As a road rider with Aqua Blue
Sport, Matt Brammeier’s race
programme is the complete
opposite of cyclo-cross rider
wife Nikki’s, but the pair use that
to their advantage. Indeed, the
Brammeiers are lucky enough to
ride together most days.
“Our endurance rides are
usually the same pace, give or take
a few watts,” notes Nikki. “I’ll do
my efforts while Matt’s doing his,
then we just ride together the rest
of the ride. It’s pretty good for me
as I can get a really hard ride in
just tagging along with Matt and
a group in Girona. It’s one of the
reasons I don’t need to race much
in the summer!”
Their race schedules also allow
Matt to work for Nikki during the
cross season, an arrangement not
without its issues.20 | February 8, 2018 | Cycling Weekly