We have the baby seat that goes on the back of the bike now and there's a second baby seat on the way so my husband and I can both bike with a baby, "on board." Today I thought I'd bike around the park with my daughter to see how it went.
About this park, it's gravel trails. They are nice gravel trails, but gravel is basically rocks of different sizes, hopefully packed down in a nice trail formation. I wanted to try the full circle which is about eight miles, but I knew there were some spots that were hilly and steep in parts both up and down and also windy with sharp curves. Dare I do it with a little girl on the back?
So I dared. Or I was dumb. You be the judge. To jump to the end, we're both back without a scratch, but it was a challenge. I knew I wasn't in a hurry, and I knew bikes had brakes, so I had that going for me on the downhill parts. But I had never done the full route on the bike either, I'd always done it running.
In parts, I was going so slowly downhill that I was working harder to keep the bike balanced in my upper torso and arms than I realized would be necessary. At one point the chain hung on a steep hill just after a sharp curve and the chain dropped off (we're guessing this was user error) so I had greasy hands and a push uphill before I could get the top-heavy, baby-laden bike back in motion.
But that was all good fun. The only part that really worried me was the rock surface. I felt a little like I dealing with the Rocks of Red Riding Hood. If the rocks were too big, the wheels would bounce about on them, which is disconcerting when you have a little one just behind you. If the rocks were so small as to be gritty, the bike would slide or sink into them, which is not a comforting surface to be riding on. I spent a lot of the ride looking for rocks just the right size; not too big, not too small as I rode down the paths.
We got back just as my daughter woke up from her nap, decided she had had enough of this helmet and hot weather. Nice timing.
The Big Boy Update: Today was a school play date for families with either children rising to a new class or joining the school for the first time. My son saw his teacher and her new assistant and had the best time playing with other children, watering the plants and drinking from the water canister. School starts in two weeks. I think he's going to love it.
The Tiny Girl Chronicles: Long bike ride. She likes the seat. She likes the helmet. But the helmet doesn't let her look straight up because of the back of the seat being in the way of the helmet's rear "flair" thing. So she looked down at the road a lot. Then fell asleep. She slept through the most rumbly, rocky ride I think I've ever put her through. Isn't it grand to be a baby?
Fitness Update: Runner envy. I do love my bike. And I loved riding my daughter around with me. I realized as I biked past runner after runner, that I was jealous because I'd rather be running. Wait, what? I was jealous because I wanted to be running instead of doing some other exercising in nienty degree weather? Who kidnapped me and swapped me for someone who not only likes to exercise, but looks forward to it?
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