We have a new member of our family: a Specialized Dolce road bike.
The cost of Said New Member of the Family was equivalent to the hospital bill after giving birth. The main difference? This baby doesn’t cry and was able to ride from birth. To say I am thrilled is an understatement. I have wanted a road bike for two years but minor things like unemployment and starting a new business made this an impossibility.
When I won the Microsoft Office Winter Games Contest, I received the cash equivalent of a trip to Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. Hence the new road bike and dental appointments for the entire family.
Mama’s gotta be practical as well.
I first fell in love with cycling in high school when an ankle injury forced me to forsake my dreams of playing college soccer. I spent hundreds of hours biking on Calgary’s extensive network of bike paths, which my dear dad introduced to me when I was 13 years old.
I bought a mountain bike 10 years ago, thinking it would ignite a flame by combining two of my great loves: cycling and mountains.
It never really did.
Sure, I enjoy mountain biking but doing so is an impossibility with two small children. It’s heavy, clunky and slower than a stream-lined road bike. Add a bike trailer that hauls 80 lbs of kids and you get your butt kicked by Grandpa on the bike paths.
I only wish I was kidding about this.
What finally moved me to action: a small chunk of cash to play with and a persisting knee problem that has temporarily forced me to abandon running and high-impact sports.
Basically, this just means that I am old and my body is starting to fall apart.
I bought my bike from Wheat Ridge Cyclery, a local leader in bikes, clinics and services. I was so excited about connecting with such a great business that I even signed up for their Women’s Only Bike Maintenance Clinic.
Me. The woman who can barely figure out how to pump my tires.
I opted to ride my bike home from the shop and followed the Clear Creek Trail for the duration of my ride. It was there I vowed to kick some serious trail rat butt with my ultra-fast bike.
And then I spotted my first victim. It was all too perfect. Not only was he male but he was also on a mountain bike.
You know. The slow kind.
I kicked my bike into high gear and started pedaling, my prey within reach.
Until he saw a girl trying to pass him and kicked it into even faster gear.
We dualed it out until in the end, I waved the white flag and he left me in his dust.
In my defense, he was probably an Olympic mountain biker or something.
Next time, I’ll just go after Grandpa to save my ego.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 