New Bike!

I got a new bike on Saturday!

I don't know for sure how long it has been since I've gotten a new bike. I do know that I got it at the Canadian Tire in Summerside PEI, so it must have been before July 1983. And I'm fairly sure it was at least a year before that because I remember doing a lot of biking around Summerside. There was a 10 km loop that I loved to ride, sometimes all by myself. I think I was probably 11 when we bought my blue 10-speed, the same bike that is in my backyard here in London, leaning against the fence, and showing its age. I loved that bike! It was my primary mode of transportation for several years, until I turned 16 and found a new love in driving a car. I thought it was the most beautiful bike ever made. It took me everywhere, to the beach, to friends' homes, to the corner store. And now it sits abandoned in my backyard. Old, rusty, unloved.

But my new bike is shiny. My new bike has 18 speeds. My new bike has full suspension (whatever that means). It isn't a fancy bike. But it gets me from Point A to Point B and, most importantly, it allows me to ride with my kids. Now that Janelle has cast aside her training wheels, riding bikes can become a major family activity. Yesterday we parked in downtown London and explored some of the bike trails along the Thames. Chris and Connor were way ahead of us girls, but we were both proud of ourselves just for being there! I didn't ride nearly as fast as I did on my blue 10-speed 25 years ago, but that's okay. Janelle needed me to stick with her. It was a beautiful ride on a beautiful day, and I am so looking forward to this new stage of our family's life.

Today I rode to school with the kids. And I rode back after school to pick them up. That was plenty for today. I am sore in places I forgot could be sore. I guess I'm showing my age as much as that old blue bike! But unlike that bike I'm determined to get myself into prime biking condition so I can keep up with my kids. There are lots of fun biking trips ahead!