Mom's bicycle

Mom's bicycle
Originally uploaded by jbellis

I told Matthew I would go on a bike ride with him once a week, and he's holding me to it. Even in New Jersey.

Dad has several very expensive bikes, but he doesn't trust me on those. So I took Mom's, which looks like this. She uses it to bring back groceries from Trader Joe's.

I considered removing the crate and bags, but it would have been a Big Deal to remove them, and a bigger one to put them back on. So I rode it as you see it, with the bags brushing my heels on the upstroke.

Two wheels and ready to ride

Today we went to a park. The temperature was only in the low 90s, but the humidity was around, oh, 120%. Matthew brought his bike and I brought a wrench. We took the training wheels off right there in the park. He climbed aboard and I clutched the back of the seat. Matthew pedaled and I ran around and around and around the playground.

After about fifteen minutes he rode with just a light touch on his shoulder, and some time after that, no assistance at all. He biffed it a few times, but got right back on the bike.

I am proud of him.

Glad he was so quick to learn, because I was dripping like a popsicle in a sauna. The humidity turned Melissa's hair into very tight corkscrews and Isaac had a halo of tiny damp ringlets around his head.

Look Ma! No training wheels!

He rode around in a circle about 20 more times, then I declared it time for A/C and lunch at MoMaks. After we got home he had to ride again- even in the rain. "Come watch me Mom!" Okay, but I watched from the dry porch steps.

Look out world, here he comes! He's got places to go and things to see.

Update: He rode like an old hand today, and even persuaded his Dad to go on a bike ride with him. In the middle of the day. In July. In South Central Texas. Now that's love.