Bike Obsession

Oh, how I love biking. Let me count the ways: 1) Freedom! 2) Changing scenery 3)No bouncing Necessary 4) You can take it anywhere 5) Easy on the joints 6) It will still fit me when I'm 75 lbs smaller!

I've always loved to bike. When I was given my first real bike, I biked EVERYWHERE! I remember going all the way to Alice drive and feeling invincible. When I went to college I thought I'd bike everywhere, but I ended up living too far away from school and never even had a bike.

Finally, for my birthday this year I bought my first bike! It is my baby. Well, Bella is my baby, its my second baby. I call it my Navigator: because that is its actual name (I can't be creative all the time, OK?) and thats what the cool bike place people call it.



So here it is. The black panel on front is where I attach Bella's basket for non-bumpy slow rides. See, doesn't it just scream: Ride me anywhere! I can handle the mountains, dirt trails, I have shock absorbers and comfort features, I am so cool, Ride me!
Well, thats what I hear anyway.

So I started biking the neighborhood with Bella. I thought we had hills around here (hehehe) but I was in for a surprise! Once I built up my endurance, I was too fast and bumpy for Bella, and ventured out to our local rail trail: a paved road where the railroad was that is covered by trees and lots of wild life. There are fun dirt and gravel trails and even a wooden part that feels like a roller coaster!

By late spring my director at work and I began biking together. We started with 10 flat miles and have worked up to almost 30 now! Harriet is the reason for my second bike: my third child. It is a shiny, new, fabulous road bike: you must ooh and ahh now.



It is fairly expensive, extremely light, amazingly fast and handles like a dream. It will last my entire life, and be used for my triathlon. I use it only for long rides because it has skinny fast tires you can only ride on pavement, and my Navigator can be ridden on any surface. But Oh, I love them both.


I've recently found a trail that is 30 miles with real, honest to goodness hills and gorgeous scenery. One day I'm going to take my camera to show you how gorgeous Darlington County is. I ride by historic mansions, gorgeous lakes, through corn fields, and by old school houses. It is so wonderful! And an excellent work out.
There is, however, one draw back to biking. Weather. BOO rain. And stationary biking sucks. I made Bella walk in the rain with me the other day when it was lightly raining and almost too dark because I couldn't bike.
Oh, and for all you safety conscous people, I wear a helmet, gel bike gloves and pants, and even a reflective vest when I ride at dusk or in traffic. I'm a safety girl!
So, I am obscessed, and created this nauseating slide show of my new children. Enjoy!