Saturday, May 7, 2016
Sunday, May 1, 2016
On Their Own Two Wheels
Last weekend, out of the blue, the kids asked to have the training wheels removed from their bikes. It came as a surprise because they didn't know how to ride without the training wheels. They spent almost no time on the bikes last summer, preferring instead to play on their scooters. But last Saturday they decided it was time to be independent. Within a very few minutes of practicing in the street, they were riding solo with minimal support.
The next day, they were up early and asked to go to a park to ride their bikes. Happy to oblige the request, we packed up and drove to a local state park with long multi-use trail (MUT). Robert was off on his own almost immediately but Sammy required some coaching to get the bike going. They were both doing fine after a half-lap around the park.
Robert's skills are quite good. He seems to intuitively understand how to balance the bike and absorb shock with his arms and legs. His balance is excellent. At one point, while waiting for his sister to catch up, he rode around in figure 8's. It requires good bike control to swing back and forth from one loop of the 8 to another, yet he did it effortlessly. He also climbed a short hill by getting his butt off the saddle to deliver more energy to the pedals; again, not something most kids do on their second day of riding a bike.
By the end of the afternoon, both kids were comfortable enough to ride on unpaved surfaces.
Yesterday, we took the kids to a rail trail in the Hudson Valley for a change in scenery. We rode 8 miles through quiet forests from Highland to New Paltz, New York.
We finished up by going out onto the Walkway Over the Hudson to admire the view and take a photo.
Having the entire family on two wheels is liberating. It opens up a host of possibilities for summer vacation.
As always, if you want to view a larger version of any photo, click on it in your browser.
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