Sunday, May 14, 2006

The Way Back Machine

When little M was born a friend said 'When you have kids, you often relive your childhood'. The friend didn't say whether this is good or bad, it just is.

No racing for me yesterday, so little M and I took grandpa to the Bay Trail for a ride. A few minutes of watching Little M and the Wayback Machine kicked in gear and here is where I went!!


Every summer morning from the age of 10 to 16 I would get on my green Schwinn Varsity and ride half way across town to swim practice. The Midwestern mornings were cool and humid. Most people were still sleeping so the streets were quiet and clear. Some mornings I would pick up friends and we would have little races on our way. Other mornings I would ride on my own, often trying to ride 3 miles no-handed the whole way. In any case, those morning rides were simple, blissful moments on the bike.

A sunny day on the bike path, the ocean breeze, Little M's joy and freedom...sometimes reliving our childhood is all good.

5 comments:

Dr. Xeno said...

Sweeet! My green Varsity lasted about 2 weeks before theft; university towns. This takes me back too man - we were multisport athletes ahead of our time, if we get sick of racing we should invent our own duathlon, swimming & no handed biking... or something like that. I did my first tri on some sort of heavy ol' Schwinn, I think it was my Le Tour... such a dorkified Fred. Well, that much hasn't changed!

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

this post makes me happy.

Merkeley Bike said...

Some days, I miss those suicide brake levers.

Mine was ulitimately stolen too, damn university towns!

Gianni said...

Ahhhh, the way back machine. I still have a scar on my ankle from riding my drilled out Schwinn BMX down our dirt road in Clearlake, then hitting a rock at about, oh, 35+.
Same bike got jumped into the creek several times as well off the dock, with a rope tied to the back to fish it out.
I bet little M was lovin' it as well.

Dr. Xeno said...

did sum good lake jumpin' back in the Georgia days with a life vest lashed to the bars for padding & floatation