Bicycle For Two

My husband and I in our continued quest for healthy living purchased two bikes this weekend. As usual, the sales person had a few laughs asking questions about bikes, “in our day.”

There have been many changes since our childhood bikes. This bike is the first one I have ever owned. Dan was curious how I learned to ride. I remembered an old red bike my sister Gere had acquired. I called to ask what she remembered about the old bike. She couldn’t remember exactly how she came by it--more than likely discarded by a neighbor. She did remember it was red. She used clothes line pins to attach cardboard onto the spokes to make motor noises.



We weren’t really “taught” to do things. If we set our minds to something, we could figure out a way to do it on our own. At that time we lived in the country, serious country, on a rock road at the top of a hill. Apparently I decided to teach myself how to ride. With the wisdom of a small child, I climbed onto the bike at the top of the hill. I think I tried to brake but slid in the gravel. The brakes did not catch but the barbed wire fence did. The scar on my right thumb is barely visible now. We are still trying to remember if I did this completely on my own or if Gere “helped” me by pushing me down the hill. It would not be my only encounter with rock roads, bikes, and scars!

Now there are helmets, knee and elbow pads, computers and such.  I think this is the point the sales person exited trying to hold down his laughter -- they make pillow top memory foam bike seats! Now, I am sorry – my butt in memory -- that is just too funny. Appropriate for me but, really, that is funny!



It remains to be seen just how healthy these bikes will be for us. Dan struggled breaking into a sweat trying to lower and adjust the seat for me. I suggested he just let the air out of the tires if he couldn’t get it low enough. The first sign of trouble was actually mounting the bike. Getting our legs up and over the bike presented a challenge. In the midst of all of the biking gear, no crane was to be found. Neither are there training wheels for adult size bikes. Really?



Anxious to try them out, we braved the spring showers. Dan says as we are going down hill, “Wow, this is easy. I can do this all day!” Then we actually started up the hill. It was a totally different scenario. Well, it WAS rainy so we cut the first trip out short. The thought of the memory foam bike seat was sounding more and more like a great idea.



Instead of the old small borrowed red manual bike, I now have my own brand new baby blue seven speed bike. Not that I will ever get out of first gear, but it looks cool. We are making new memories. I hold high hopes of memories as fond as the old red bike-hopefully without any additional scarring!

There is an apppointed time for everything.  And there is a time for every event under heaven---
Ecclesiastes 3:1