How I learned to ride a bike....

I have a secret that only a very few select friends have known about me over the years…. I can’t ride a bike. 

Apparently my Mom had some traumatic events with bicycles growing up, so when my sister and I were young we weren’t allowed to ride bikes on our street.  Not to let us feel deprived, my mom did purchase us brand new bikes when I turned 7.  Mine was pink with a flower basket and my sister’s was yellow with a bell.  We were really excited about our bikes, until we heard we could only ride them in the grass in our backyard…. the bikes soon took up their spot in our shed and were donated by age 12 or so.

For most of my life I have successfully avoided getting on two wheels and being forced to peddle.  I grew up on a country road with no sidewalks and our friends lived kind of far away.  Avoid bike riding to friend’s house – check!

I guess I could have hopped on a bike in college and gotten around campus a bit faster.  Instead I strategically signed up for classes near each other and near a good parking spot.  Avoid bike riding in college – check!

I got a bit braver once I was in the “real world” and my boss was selling her bike.  I was happy to purchase a pink bike for $100 in Washington D.C.  My boyfriend at the time rode his bike everywhere and I had visions of us biking the mall, touring the cherry blossoms and hitting the trails in Virginia.    I hopped on my new bike and started to peddle.  The streets of Capitol Hill are brick and full of tree roots.  I shook, I cried, I wobbled, it was really terrifying.  My boyfriend suggested I bike in the street – I walked my bike into the street and started my way down the road between parked cars and moving cars.  I was a wobbly wreck.  I don’t think I even made it to the next stop sign. I hopped off my bike, put it in storage and donated it three years later.  Avoid bike riding in a major city – check!

For the next ten years or so I was happy to avoid all things related to bike riding.  I’ve been invited on bike rides with friends – no thanks, busy that day.  Asked out on a date to go bike riding – sorry, can’t make that one.  Participate in a mini triathlon – nope, busy.  Take a bike ride tour while visiting a new city – I’ll take the trolley tour instead. 

I had answers and ways of avoiding any and all kinds of scenarios regarding bike riding.  I was planning on living happily ever after without getting on two wheels. 

….until my son turned 6.

I forgot that when you are a 6 year old little boy your most favorite activity is riding bikes.  I also forgot that once the training wheels come off, little boys can peddle really, really fast.   Up until age 6 I was able to walk/run along with my little man while we rode his bike.  Apparently overnight the little man figured out how much fun bikes were, graduated to removing training wheels and turned into Lance Armstrong.

Crap!

I had a heart to heart with my little man.  I told him that Mommy doesn’t know how to ride a bike and therefore his bike riding would be limited to Daddy’s house from now on.   Not to be discouraged he replied, “I’ll teach you mommy!”  He then proceeded to outline his plans to get me to ride a bike.  It included training wheels, going slow and practicing in a parking lot.

I put on my brave face and we went out to buy bikes.  Three bikes later (my mom got in on the bike riding lesson too) three helmets, one bell, one basket and big dose of crazy later, I was having my first bike riding lesson. 

It turned out that bike riding is actually really fun!  Sure I’m still really shaky and I tend to crash into a few bushes now and then, but my little man and I are having a great time.  We pack our snacks and head out for new adventures.  The best part of the ride is when we take a break, watch the sunset at the beach and I see the wonder in his eyes. 

My little man’s goal is to ride his bike to school.  To get there we have to go over a HUGE bridge.  I am completely terrified of the bridge – the down is just a tad bit too steep for me.  But according to my little man I can do it, and with his help I think I can!

Little Man and I on our snack break during an afternoon bike ride