I bought a bicycle on Thursday and it broke ten minutes after riding it. Then I walked it back to our village and no one was there to help. So I rode and walked it back to the shop to ask them to either take it back or fix it, Por Favor. They agreed to fix it and had me come back in an hour. I came back after 45 minutes and they said they needed to wait until tomorrow to fix it. Needless to say, I was frustrated. I did get a car ride home and talked with a nice man who had very broken English. We spoke Spanglish most of the way home. The next day one of my friends, Irma, went and picked it up for me.
Today, I was able to ride in the mountains with quite a few of my Guatemalan friends. It was amazing. My bike broke two more times on this bike ride but luckily my friends knew how to fix it. We rode for three hours in the mountains and it was so incredible. Paula, a high school student went with us as well and fell pretty hard. Share with me a bike story because there isn't a lame one. I want details. I love my new bike and I am sure it's going to help me serve Jesus as it already has because I enjoyed his beauty today and my new friends. I think I had a smile on my face the entire ride (except those hills I had to walk my bike up because I am so out of shape). Give me a bike story... I know you have one.
5 comments:
Hmmmm, I remember the first time I rode my aunt's 10-speed - I was a kid and it seemed HUGE! I remember going over the railroad tracks early in the morning, they live in a sleepy town so no one was around and right when I hit the tracks - BOOM, I go flying! LOL I laid on the ground for a second, got up, brushed myself off, and got back on the saddle. Not very glamourous but it taught me alot about perseverance!
I was camping with my family when I was little. There was a store for the campgrounds not too far from our campsite, so they sent me to buy some mayonaise. I rode my bike to the store and had the mayo in a bag hanging from my handlebars on the way back. I must have been going a little fast ('cause that's the only fun way to ride when you're that age) and hit a pothole and went flying. I didn't care so much about the scrapes on my arms and legs, but I was mad that I broke that jar of mayonaise.
I used to ride my bike all the time when I was younger. Lately, though, I am just thankful for my stationery bicycle. It's been a huge blessing as I've used it to get in shape and be healthy. Plus, I can read my Bible while I'm pedaling!
My husband and I went to a bike park about a year ago (maybe not quite that long), and it was a lot of fun. I'm pretty out of shape, so some of the more advanced trails were out of my league. He, on the other hand, is fearless (and pretty fit anyway). We came upon the beginning of a trail, and I begged him not to take it. I was terrified upon seeing the VERY steep hill with a sharp curve, which you could not see beyond. But boys will be boys, and down he went. He flew down the hill and rounded the curve. Next I heard a lot of rustling and clunking around. I hollered out to him, and he admitted that he had fallen. Though he had torn his pants and shirt, not to mention his hands, he was wearing the biggest grin. He determined to finish the trail (hills and all), but he admitted that he was a little wreckless - not having worn a helmet and all. Men!
Hey Tina,
Lets see...where could I start with biking adventures, there's just so many. Here's a good one. Place; Rapid City South Dakota, M hill. It's called that because of the college in town is a mining and technical school, and of course there is a big white M on the side of the hill. The hill was pretty big and a favorite place for people to ride their mountain bikes. It divided the town East and West and once you made it to the top you could see everything. Off in the distance you could see a giant green carpet of evergreens that comprised the Black Hills. At your feet was the sound of civilization and the daily grind. Across the divide was Dinosour Hill which obviously had giant concrete dinosours on it. Well to ride up M hill was a challenge for most people due to the terrain being a sharp incline and very rocky with loose soil and stones. There were a couple of switchbacks that were on the trail to keep it from being to painfull a ride. For me the hill climb was horrible because I'm so out of shape, so the hill became that much harder to ascend. The hard part was deciding to ride the bike up or walk it up. Either way I was so winded I had to stop every 100 feet or so. I finally came to the conclusion that is was faster to ride up even though I didn't go any faster. Upon reaching the top and seeing my friends waiting on me to arrive, I enjoyed the view for a time. After catching my breath we decided to head back down. Yea!...I just got here?! The trip down goes a lot faster than up depending on how adventurous you want to be. The guys I was with were definately on the upper end of the adventurous scale so they proceeded to point their bikes down hill and dissappear in a cloud of dust. As I am standing there watching the dust settle trying to figure out the best method of getting down I decided the cautious route and held the brakes only allowing the bike to move gradually. As soon as I let go of the brakes for any amount of time, my mind started thinking of what MACH number I would attain before reaching the bottom. :) Thus I would quickly lock up the brakes and slide for a ways. This was unsettling at best sitting atop a tall bike leaning forward staring at what seemed an abyss. I decided to try something different which at the time seemed safer. Hmmm...maybe not. I had a bike rack over the rear wheel that I could sit on, so I figured I could sit on it lowering my center of gravity down and back giving me more stability. Well it worked, I was able sit more comfortably not feeling I'm going over the handlebars and digging another trail in the side of the hill with my face. After a while of traversing down the hill the confidence level started to rise and so did my supposed MACH speed. :) After getting most of the way down I could see the finish line 2-300 meters away, alright I'm home free, or so I thought. Well all those loose rocks and soil I avoided, all except one large one in the middle of the single track trail that managed to reach up and grab me at this point. It took my front wheel and threw it into the side of the hill stopping it almost instantly. Now of course since the bike stopped I had to stop also and due to my seating position directly behind the rear seatpost and seat I was abruptly restrained. :) I had the seat in my chest and the seat post in...well you can use your imagination. After sucking some air back in my lungs, which had all but escaped and bringing my voice back down an octave or two I proceeded to get on top of the seat and finish the last little bit slidding down most of the way at sub MACH levels :)
As you know a little about my other bike story. It's a little more dramatic. I lived to ride and rode to live back then and still enjoy it. I would love to ride where your at. It is so beautiful. Tina you are a blessing and I know you are making a difference! Take care.
Post a Comment