Yesterday, my husband Vince and I limped our bikes down to the local bike shop for their annual tuneup.
I love my bike and it’s been loved. Each rip on the handle bar grips tells a story. The gears shift in a temperamental manner that keeps the cadence of my pedal interesting. The seat grows softer and more comfy each year, a trend I’m fighting to avoid replicating myself.
Vince loaned his real bike to one of our kids (we don’t remember which) and never saw it again, so these days he rides my dad’s old bike, a beauty in her prime more than 30 years ago. This weekend, the chain broke and I really wish I would have taken a picture of Vince riding that chainless bike two miles down to the bike shop.
I do have a picture of my mom riding her bike this past weekend. Normally, she wears a helmet but she got so excited when my sister pumped up her tires, that she hopped on to take it for a spin.
Given a choice, my mom would rather bike than submit herself to any other mode of transportation, so she’s thrilled to see the ice melt off the roads as biking season in Wisconsin finally begins.
If you want to feel like a kid again, or get a little exercise, or feel the wind in your face, or shrink your carbon footprint, strap on a helmet, hop on a bike and pedal away.
We’ll see you out there.
The other reason your mom didn’t need a helmet was she was in granny gear, No pun intended That’s what us old timers called the lowest gear. Safe and slow. God bless her. NICK.
Nick! I saw some garlic sprouts yesterday!!!
Great news. Who said you didn’t have a green thumb. That was that warm snow blanket on them.