Le Tour de Washtenaw County

Today was the start of a new adventure: riding a bicycle! Yes, I learned to ride a bike as a child. But it's been a long time since I've "gone for a ride" for pleasure – fifteen years, in fact. The Fat and I had decided to go out on our bikes that fateful day long ago, and while we were passing through a nearby neighborhood, a car passed me on the left. I was so startled that I promptly drove my bike into the curb and flew off into the grass. No real harm done, but I was shaken by my own incompetence, and the Fat swore never to take me riding again! I acquired a few unrelated concussions in high school, so after that, we all decided it was best for me to stick to my own two feet as much as possible.

Dave enjoys cycling, though, and starting suggesting I join him a couple summers ago. Recently, the stars began to align: he acquired a new speedy road bike from my friend last week, so now he had two bikes in his possession – perfect for riding together! I decided that if I were going to get used to bicycling again, Ann Arbor is a good place to start: it has an extensive network of bike paths that are separated and protected from car traffic, and most of these routes are quite scenic. I got a new helmet a few days ago, so we were all set!

Here we go:

Today, we went for a short and gentle ride along the Huron River, made even shorter by the fact that I got a flat tire at our destination, an old historic mill. However, I did not crash the bike into a wall, or another person, and I did not fall off even a little along the way...SUCCESS!