John and I have always been bike riders. I have ridden 10 speed bikes since my college days. After my daughter was born, my vision started to diminish. At first, I would ride following closely behind my husband’s lead. I couldn’t enjoy riding while I paid close attention to following another bike.
When we moved from the country to a small town with a bike path close by, I had my chance to bike to the store. I didn’t trust my ability to steer my own bike.
We talked about getting a tandem bike. John wanted to see if this was a passing fancy or a lasting commitment. He bought two different bikes. With a welder, he put welded two bike together to create a tandem. It worked but it had some give in the joining bar attaching the two parts. The front was red while the rear piece was green. It was quite a sight!
We rode the bike until August. John decided that we were serious about riding together. We went to the local Schwinn bike shop. It was heavy and had only ten gears. We rode that bike for several years, even attaching a come along to the rear axle to accommodate our seven year old daughter to learn to balance with us. On one long hill, the rear wheel gave out. The shop couldn’t fix it until the replacement parts came in, in about six weeks. This was in the middle of biking season. What to do?
Another bike store was having a sale on their end of season inventory, including some tandems. We drove there, and tried a Burly tandem and brought it home. The Burly was a sky blue fifteen speed with three clusters of gears to shift to. With the hills in our area, we used all the shift positions. John had to work to shift smoothly from the large to the smaller gear cluster.
I had no shift or brake controls. I was free to enjoy the ride.
At first, John told me of every bump so I would lift up off the seat. It is too dangerous for us to pedal standing up. We gradually learned to become a team, anticipating changes in the terrain. In twelve years, the tandem traveled over 20,000 miles. We wore the bike out.
As our riding distance increased, the counties around us added more paved bike trails. Throwing the bike in the rear of the truck, we rode many of the Rails to trails in West and Mid Michigan.
Biking was not without occasional mishaps. The design of the tandem does not allow for quick turns. Too quick of a turn will cause the bike to slide sideways, tumbling the riders. We average at least one fall each year.
One fall three years ago tumbled us into the main street of our town’s main road.
We retired the Burley and looked for another bike. We found a grey Trek with fifteen speeds and a lower cluster to climb the larger hills and a step over bar on the stoker’s position. These accommodations have allowed us to continue to ride as we get older.
The years have passed when we would bike two to three thousand miles in a season. But we continue to enjoy the shorter rides and the time together .We set no goals for mileage for the season. We ride as if each ride could be our last. Someday it will be.
Racing a storm
“Honey, I think that thunder clap sounds close.”
Pedal!”
“Did you see that lightening strike?”
“Pedal”
“I don’t think we are going to make it back before the storm arrives.”
“PEDAL!!!”
carolaspot@aol.com August 7, 2023
traveling up and down the blind highway 