Four Miles. Mostly flat with a few inclines. A Schwinn Sierra 21 speed bike with me aboard. A trailer attached to the rear frame with two boys seatbelted and helmeted inside (also a briefcase with my laptop and lunch behind them). Here's how it went:
We roared out of the gate (our long channel road to the network of neighborhood streets that lay ahead) and turned south onto the first two lane of our trip. No traffic and we were making good time until the first incline rose above us like Everest. Hands twisted the grip shifters, cycling down through the gears to one that would allow my leg to actually descend on the pedal and make the bike ascend the mountain slope road before me. I bailed out on the first cross street I came to to catch a breather and build up momentum on its flat surface for the rest of the incline and that slingshot action got us to the peak. The boys cheered and the trailer's safety guidon flapped in the brisk wind that greeted us at the crest as if we had planted our national colors atop the peak. We coasted a little to the next intersection and crossed our first major artery, a long straight two-way loaded with the usual commuter traffic (1 or 2 cars) which we successfully navigated across and down another side street to one of the biggest roads we would cross on the journey, a four-laner which emerged before us like a mighty river at spring thaw. We watched the currents and chose our path and crossed her without incident. Then rode down to our next cross street getting passed by a couple of mini-vans, most likely feeling very guilty for not helping the environment out as much as me and the boys were and undoubtedly not even going as far as us...gas guzzling infidels! Then came the mighty down hill. We roared down the lane past the high school like an olympic bobsled team or the mighty peloton descending the Pyrenees on the Tour. At the bottom we held the sharp 90degree turn despite a lack of embankment at fullspeed as we knew what lay ahead and were greeted with our second ascent. My legs screamed, sweat poured, tears trickled, the boys had simultaneous instant growth spurts and gained 50pounds--EACH--and I couldn't find a low enough gear, so--we cheated. We broke off the ascent midway up and cut through the grocery store parking lot and avoided the crest of the hill on that road altogether. Unashamed and unabashed for having chosen the easier path, we then cruised the sidewalk along the busiest road we travel on, an actual 4-lane numbered route. It was heavy with traffic and we were nearly blown into the cement wall beside us when a semi passed us as we went under a highway bridge. God spared us despite our having chosen the easier way and then He provided us a small seam in the traffic and we crossed onto the campus grounds and enjoyed the silence and beauty of campus before emerging on the east side and up a small incline to the bike path on main street. It would be a long straight sprint to the finish line (church). We built up speed and then throttled back to conserve for the finish. We timed the lights perfectly and never needed to stop and reached the church parking lot and did our victory lap around the building and to the far side where the daycare kids were outside playing already. They roared and cheered as we rode past and we arrived at the finish line (daycare entrance) and set a record (actually it was our first time so whatever time it was would be the record) of 20 minutes door-to-door! I dismounted and disembarked my passengers and signed them in. Then remounted my steed for the short trip back to campus to open the library. The trailer much lighter now and the trip much quieter. No hills, just flat bike path.
Hmmmm. Just how does one get a bike and trailer in the door of the library anyhow?
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