We rode tandem through Stanley Park in Vancouver.

My husband, Josh, and I went to Vancouver in 2014. One morning, we decided to rent a tandem bike to explore Stanley Park. We chose the world-famous 5.5-mile Seawall path, riding counterclockwise from Coal Harbour to English Bay.

If you’re looking to test your marriage, this will do it.

Neither of us had ever ridden a tandem bike before, and we learned pretty quickly that we’re not great at communicating roles.

There is a surprising amount of trust required to ride a bicycle built for two. The person in front steers, brakes, and decides where you’re going. The person in back pedals along while trying to resist every instinct to take control of a bike they cannot actually control. You have to start together, stop together, lean together, and somehow communicate all of this while continuing to move forward.

I’m not the best at taking directions—I can admit that. We already knew this after a disastrous (now funny) kayaking adventure on our honeymoon.

Apparently forgetting that incident—or assuming this would be different—we decided Stanley Park was a perfectly reasonable place to learn how to ride a tandem bike.

Riding tandem through Stanley Park in Vancouver.

For the most part, it was. We rode along the Seawall with the water beside us, taking in one of the most beautiful parks we’d ever seen while slowly figuring out how to operate as one person with four legs.

Then we came to the stretch beneath the bridge.

The path narrowed—or at least it felt like it did—with walkers and joggers on one side and the water uncomfortably close on the other. Suddenly, our inability to maneuver this ridiculous bicycle became a whole lot less charming.

For a few minutes, it seemed there were only two possible outcomes: we were either going to run over an innocent pedestrian or ride directly into the water.

After several shouts from the front (Josh), I finally quit trying to help, held on, and let him take over.

We didn’t die.

By the time we finished the ride, I think we were actually starting to figure it out, so I’m sure we’ll be pros next time. As long as our marriage can survive a second attempt.

Written by: Parwick
Photo credit: Parwick, 2014