The trail-a-bike was an instant success, from the very moment G laid eyes on it. She gets fired up just talking about it. Most impressively, she knew what it was looking at it and figured out what it does almost on her own. It took 1 awkward time of her getting on, and one awkward time of me figuring out how to get her on and off safely, and we were both hooked.
The first time she wanted to stay in the cul-de-sac, the next time to the mailbox, the next time to only the end of the street. Then around the block, and before she knew it I shanghaied her to the Pink Park and back, with barely a whiff of concern. Curiosity and a genuine appreciation for the rapidity of our journey were the dominant emotions. Then home, then to the park again.
I told her it was called a tandem, and the next time she brought it up, she stumbled and reached for the right word, settling via gravity on “2-bike“. Why not? And so I have not corrected her, and now she says things like: “Dad, when we get home can we ride the 2-bike?!?” Which seems to capture much better than “tandem” the whole togetherness aspect of it.
Togetherness on just about every level that riding a bike could be, which i discover more and more each time we ride. I am constantly getting yanked to the right or the left as G leans and wiggles expecting training wheels. I stopped paying attention to it and focused on holding my line, the bike is more stable then you think, but it dramatically adds to the core workout aspect. I’m hoping the demonstration of balance will contribute to her shedding the training wheels for good.
Flow is something else I’m hoping she’ll learn. We climb in a steady cadence – mostly I climb and she gabs and tells me how hard she’s working, but when she kicks it in you can totally feel the 44 lb powerboost. We roll downhill smooth and steady, drop over hills into the park and swoop with momentum onto the sidewalk for another rep. We both have bells.
The kids around the cul-de-sac got jealous, it was kinda cool. I had to take them on rides down the street and back. i did. G rocks harder. Every time some kid snipes about her gender-neutral colored shoes or her muscular shape or her not-sharing her giraffe, i will say “get on the trail-a-bike you 4 yr old pussy!”
I jest. Not.
I bought G an extremely comfy helmet and well-fitted gloves\pads at Xmas. This too has gone over better than I could have possibly hoped. She views her pads as part of the ride, she has embraced putting her gear on as part of her ride. She always hated her helmets, but now she wants to take it on and off herowndamnself, and does. She almost bit off my nose when i got between her and her gloves.
I am tempted to end a post like this tidily by saying something predictable like “what a great little girl!” But then I think, really, what a great little girl.
For the record, I still hate kids.
