This weekend was a perfectly normal weekend for me-since Thursday I've logged around 90 miles on my bike. Nothing too crazy, no camping trips, no big group rides, in fact, I don't think any of my rides were over 30 miles. Just lovely, sunny day bike riding with friends.
Today's ramble was with a friend from college who is brand new to biking. She just bought a used bicycle and it's been fun to take a step back in time with her to when I was new to this whole world of biking. Together we rode from Eastlake to Capitol Hill to Lake Washington and then back through the Arboretum.
Exploring the bike routes of Seattle with Amara
Now that #bikeeverywhere month has started, riding with Amara was a great reminder that we all start somewhere as cyclists. It felt so good to slow down a bit, chat as we rode up hills and through the neighborhoods. Our leisurely pace allowed me to explain tricks that I find helpful when biking in traffic (such as avoiding the door zone), how I assert myself for making left turns, and how to trigger the lights using the bike sensor.
Riding together, it made me wish that I would have had a bike mentor when I was learning the ropes. I will always remember when I got my first bike with Presta tire valves and trying in vain to air up the tires. Nobody at the bike shop I had bought the bike from took the time to explain this basic step to me and for the life of me, I could not figure it out. (I wasn't opening the valve- just putting it on the pump. Ha!) I took my bike into 20/20 Cycles and thankfully wasn't laughed out the shop as they showed me how my bike tires worked.
I am so looking forward to riding more with Amara and hopefully more friends, as they too discover the fun of life on two wheels!