To Bike or Not

Bike Series Post 1 (Like I have another one written)

I visited Lindsey in Oregon in October.  I used to walk 4 or 5 miles a day but have had to cut back.  On the visit, we discovered that I could ride a bike without my leg hurting.  I also realized that we might have a generational misunderstanding when I kept asking didn’t she have a girl’s bike?  Lindsey told me there was no such thing anymore. I was pretty shocked as thought that I had been trotting along the side of Mia’s bike trying to unsuccessfully hold it up a few months ago. Maybe she meant real bikers use the unisex bikes.

 I think that her bike was too tall for me, plus I had to stop a little differently than I normally did on a girl’s bike.  The new way involves braking, tilting the bike and then at a run put my foot down.  Lindsey wouldn’t let me ride in the gravel (probably a good move on her part) so walked me to the paved trail and we agreed she would come back for me.

I have to admit that I was thinking once she leaves I am going to ride anywhere that I want maybe I’ll just ride triumphantly back home uphill on the gravel!  Then I thought “Are you crazy?  Uphill?  No, if it was flat but uphill might be a tad ambitious for the initial ride.   What if you fall and get road rash?  How will you explain that to her?  What if you break something? You don’t want to lose bike privileges do you?”  I have vision….I can play out scenarios in my head (a talent not everyone has).

So, I rode up and down the bike trail practicing.   I practiced braking and slowwwwly putting my foot down on the bike trail. I thought that my stopping skills had improved and was truly impressive.  The other bikers thought I was crazy but they didn’t ring their bells properly so too bad your opinion doesn’t matter.

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Anyway, at the allotted time Lindsey showed up and I rode toward her intent on showing my new stopping skills. (as noted, I had practiced).  The plan was to glide up next to the trash dumpster and stop – TA-DA!

Well, I didn’t exactly glide up it was more a stumble up and there was a 50/50 chance for a while that I was going into the dumpster headfirst . I had a helmet on which came within inches of hitting that dumpster.   I heard Lindsey gasp or maybe it was me.   I did, however, successfully stop next to the dumpster and not in it.  I tried to pretend it was all planned that way but did not insist on riding up the gravel hill and took the car since she had driven it down and everything.

I did want to mention later that we saw a girl’s bike.  I think it was called vintage.

This got me thinking about bikes and my history of bikes so will continue on with a bike series……since we don’t have a travel series yet and am sure everyone has been missing the blog. Some of you will be featured in the series – Lindsey, Charlie, Mia just to name a few.