Bikes

Notice anything about Alan's bike?

No training wheels.

Today while I got to run, Oliver and Alan took the training wheels off Alan's bike and took it for a test ride. Apparently, Alan is ready to be on 2 wheels... and he didn't fall off. But one close call and he was ready to go inside. I'm sure it won't be long and we'll be going on regular bike rides together.

Yesterday we went out around "the big block" with a stop at the park to play. Before the girls' school break I had my bike overhauled. It rides like (almost) new.

In college that bike was my most prized possession. I rode it to class everyday in whatever weather. As a freshman I rode it to the grocery and everywhere else because I didn't have a car. I can't get on it now without remembering all the rides before. Sophomore year the ride to campus wasn't long, but the first half was all up a big hill. Sometimes that year I'd just go ride through the North Carolina countryside. Once I unintentionally rode for about 3 hours. I'd just head out the backroads and end up on a sparsely traveled highway. I had no idea where the road went - still don't - but it was beautiful country. Cows. Big fields. Old houses. A winding road. I'd ride out for awhile and eventually turn around and ride back home.

There are lots of people riding bikes around Tucson all the time. Many of them wear very professional looking jerseys. They don't make me want to get on my bike and ride. But when I'm driving down an old country highway passing fields and cows and old houses, I sometimes think I'd like to see it all from the seat of my bike.