Home > Haute Mamas > Archives > 2008 > May > 20 > Entry
Cruising the cruiser
“Mar, you need to keep up.”
I said that approximately 2,716 times over the weekend.
Poor little Margaret followed me all over Grand Junction this weekend as we rode our bikes everywhere. I think she might be getting her a new bike for her birthday next month, as the one Santa brought her two Christmases ago is getting a wee bit small — even after we raised the seat her knees still some too close to her chin.
Plus since I’ve become addicted to my bike, I think she needs some gears so she doesn’t have to listen to me nagging her to keep up every 30 second.
Even with my haranguing, she seems to be enjoying my bike obsession. Getting her to throw on some clothes Sunday morning so we could bike to the grocery store was a lot easier than getting her dressed to drive to the store.
And let me tell you, Bill and I were very careful about what we were buying. It all had to fit in the basket on the front of my bike and in Bill’s backpack — Bill had to carry the 5 lbs. of sugar, I have a hard enough time riding without an overloaded front end.
See by nature I’m pretty clumsy. I trip over my own feet and am always knocking over my drinks with my long, pendulous arms. I’m no better on my bike.
On the way home from Margaret’s piano recital Sunday (she rocked her two songs), Bill was showing off and riding with no hands. I tried it and almost took out Margaret and side-swiped a parked car.
I won’t be trying any more fancy tricks. Stop, start, ride, turn, that’s about as fancy as I get. But I love riding my bike anyway. And we have a pretty bike friendly town. I know there are still those that will argue the bikes shouldn’t be allowed to ride the windy, narrow Monument road, but you’ll never see me and my cruiser there — that just seems too scary for a klutz like me.
I don’t ride because I want to be healthier or because gas is so expensive (although those are definite perks), I ride because it’s so much fun.
So if you see a dorky girl smiling while riding a red cruiser, that’s me … if you honk, I might just ring my bell.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Robin
Comments
By chris
May 20, 2008 7:59 AM | Link to this
another piano recital for Margaret? and she did well? way to go, Margaret! which pieces did she rock, Robin? any video? maybe playing the piano will be like riding a bike for Margaret….once she learns, she’ll never forget how-to do it! Yay, Margaret!
By Robin
May 20, 2008 8:13 AM | Link to this
Chris, yes, Margaret’s recital went really well. She played a solo piece called Cherokee Dance from memory. And she played Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast as a duet with her teacher. She struggled with Be Our Guest for months but she played it beautifully. Piano is still a struggle with her, but she does take pride in playing well.
By Lynn
May 20, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this
How fun! I remember my first bike I bought with money I got from my First Communion. It was a blue Schwinn with a blue and white seat, no gears because they didn’t have them when I was 7. I learned to ride a two-wheeler on that bike - no training wheels. My brother would swipe it and ride it and crashed it one day - I could have killed him except he landed in the pr icker bushes! Ha, ha! It had a dent in the rear fender forever more.
I rode that bike everywhere - and I mean everywhere! We did tricks too - like riding with your feet up on the handle bars, and no hands. How did we do that? One day I crashed in a spectatcular way and my girlfriend had to scrape me off the road and drag me back to her house where her mother did her best to patch me up.
I kept that bike until I moved to Grand Junction and foolishly, stupidly, sold it at a yard sale. I still miss her.
By Richie Ann
May 20, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
I’m jealous because I totally want a cruiser with a big mama seat! Sounds like the start of a great summer.
By Robin
May 20, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
Oh yes, Richie, the big mama seat is a must … that and a bell.
Lynn, Margaret ran into the back of my bike Saturday so now my back fender is all tweaked. I guess that’s what fenders are for.