Fun for the next generation

Growing up, I was always on my bike. I rode to my friend's house. I rode to baseball practice. I rode just to be riding. It was automatic fun.

Now I get to ride with my kids, and just like when I was a kid, I'm having fun. Kids are always trying to ride with their feet up in the air, or with no hands. The squeal of brakes is funny (although Tom's brakes did sound rather like a goose today). And they have bicycle bells.

They used their bells a lot. When passing pedestrians, it was as cheery as an effusive "Good Morning!". When passing motorists at intersections, it was a perky "Here I am!". For other cyclists, it was a socially bonding "Great to see you on your bike!".

I'm going to get me a bell for my bike, just to the increase the fun factor.

With kids, your destinations change. The time devoted to those kid-friendly pursuits changes as well. You pop into the gift shop at the Oakland Cemetery (where else can you find "Old Croak" embalming fluid?). You stop for water at a shady spot on the trail. You chase the sound of the ice cream truck.

And that alludes to the pace. You can really look around when you're traveling half your normal speed.

I've always remarked that having kids is a different mindset. It makes it easier to be more like a kid yourself. (I didn't get a photo, but I tried riding with my feet on the top tube of my road bike. It's easier if there is a kid you're riding with, but try it, tell me what your sensation was, and then I'll tell you what it felt like to me.)