This afternoon, we headed to the Mystic YMCA for some swimming time. All the kids did lessons over the winter, but with our summer horse schedule, we decided not to do lessons right now. Instead, we will do 1 or 2 evenings a week at the pool as a family and I will coach the kids. The kids have an event coming up in June that we are specifically training for, so stay tuned.
After plenty of lap work, we headed out and stopped in Mystic Cycle Center so I could replace me helmet (the padding was worn out from age, not damage from an accident). On the outside rack, there was a used bike in awesome condition that was a good size for Alex. Just a hair large, but he will fit it great in a month or two. Alex had seriously outgrown his previous bike and the price was unbelievable based on the condition, so we decided to get it. By the time we were done, everyone was hungry and we didn’t have anything planned for at home. Five Guys was on the way home. We all worked out. Five Guys uses real potatoes for their fries, so it’s healthier than McDonald’s. We love Five Guys and to quote Amanda “Five Guys has THE BEST hot dogs.”
We finally got home and it wasn’t dark. What do you do when you bring home a new bike? That’s right. Alex, Vicki, and I went out for a short ride while Anna fed the horses and Amanda watched a show (swimming was enough for her). I meant to do a short loop. I underestimated the length of the short loop and how long it would take with Vicki on a small bike. I missed a turn, realizing it as we cruised by the turn. The kids were doing fine, so the “short loop” got a little longer than planned. However, light was fading fast, as in, the sun was well below the horizon. We made it back to the house just before dark. The limiting factor on the ride was definitely the bike Vicki was riding. She was working at least twice as hard as Alex. So now we are watching for a used bike upgrade for Vicki. In the end, we rode 7.7 miles in 55 minutes. They should sleep well tonight.
Along the way, I spent time teaching the kids about safety when riding along the road. We talked about safety in a bike group, marking hazards for other riders, maintaining your line when cars pass, announcing passes, etc. We did have 1 scare when a large SUV decided to fly around us on a curve, into a blind hill, with a guard rail on our side and high bank on the other side. As the SUV came around, a car crested the hill and discovered the SUV in his lane. Now, the car appeared to be speeding as well (common on our road) and instead of hitting the brakes, he swerved to the side and hit a large rock on the embankment. The sound of the loud pop was his tire blowing out. Of course, he was well over 1/4 mile down the road by the time he was able to slow enough to stop and check the damage.
The incident highlighted for the kids the fact that you can never trust drivers to do the safe thing and you have to be vigilant on the roads.
