We Are Family

I met Nicole and Beth at the entrance to our neighborhood on my commute home. It was fun to have my little girl help me walk my bike along the sidewalk. She grabbed the fork, the frame, and the handlebars at different times to help her Dad. It was the sweetest thing. I'm glad that she kept her fingers out of the spokes.

A little later that evening I got my whole family out for a ride around the neighborhood! It was fun riding through the Ward and being able to stop and talk with neighbors, rather than just hurrying on from place to place without any contact. Nicole had to deliver some papers around the neighborhood, so rather than drive -- like we can afford that at $4 per gallon -- we hooked up the Chariot and went visiting. Nicole was amazed how much easier 5 km was on a bike than on foot. (Well, to be honest it was more like 4.5 km, but I counted the Boy Scouts 22 miles as a 25 miler, so I'll count this as 5 km.)

We had the chance to stop and talk with several neighbors along the way. With the visits we ended up around a two hour trip, but it was fun. We did have a little challenge on the ride. As we started heading back from the far point of the ride, I heard a click from Nicole's bike that sounded suspiciously like a thorn embedded in a tire. I looked as her tires turned, but didn't see anything, so I didn't mention it to her. After our final visit stop, about four houses away from home, she saw that her tire was low. Turns out that she heard the click as well, but thought it was just something that made her sound cool. I don't know how often I've preached the gospel that a properly adjusted bike should run silently when being pedaled, but for some reason people think that ticks, clicks, and rubbing sounds are normal. THEY AREN'T!

Anyway, we all had a great time, by the end. Beth took the longest to enjoy the ride, but once she finally fell asleep, even she was able to enjoy it. She also really enjoyed the stops when she could get out and play with other kids. I'm not sure why Beth resists the trailer. It may be that the helmet forces her head forward. I'm trying to figure it out so that she can enjoy her rides more.