Alice is my recumbent bike. i got her about three years ago at jeff's insistence. he had just re-discovered the joys of biking and wanted to share that with me. problem: due to health problems my right leg would go to sleep after 10 minutes of riding a "normal" bike. solution: Alice, my recumbent bike. it took some getting used to riding a recumbent. i never felt comfortable riding her on the road (too low) and it was real work to ride her up steep hills (something to do with the wheel base and the tire size). i also never got used to people staring or pointing at me as i rode by (not a lot of recumbent bikes here). but overall it was wonderful to be able to ride with jeff and kids. we even "double dated" with jeff and his bike at a bed and breakfast on some beautiful bike trails in Minnesota for jeff's 50th last summer.
My health has improved bit by bit by bit due to the surgery i had last september, exercise, and slowly learning to hear and respect what my body is saying to me. this spring i decided to try out my old upright bike. to my utter amazement i could ride without my leg going to sleep. after the second time i took out the bike (just to be sure the 1st time wasn't a fluke) jeff took me to his favorite bike shop to get fitted for a new bike. he said it was for him, because he wanted me to have a better bike so i could "keep up with him". i had my doubts but the guys at the shop assured me that it's kind of a drag to ride with someone that rides slower than you do, especially when you are doing long distance road riding. so before i really knew what was happening i was trying out bikes and found one i really liked and jeff insisted that we buy it "for him". i'm happy to report that after a bit of tweaking the saddle and the handle bars i was able to ride a 25 mile road ride and be appropriately tired the next day instead of "paying for my fun". it feels SO GOOD! like finding an old friend that you had lost contact with and thought you would never see again. and when you sit down to visit again you remember just how good this person is for your life.
so Alice, thanks ever so much for the ride! you introduced me to Gunnar, my new "old friend". happy trails to the three of us!
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