We started with a tour of how cows are milked.
Yesterday, one of my VS housemates was in DC. We thought it would be a brilliant idea to rent a tandem bike and traverse the Mount Vernon trail, all 36 miles of it. Having never ridden a tandem bike before, I had the mistaken belief that we would hop on like any regular bike and away we would go.
This was not the case. Getting started on a tandem bike with two people who do not know what they are doing is NOT easy. I seriously thought we would have to turn right around and take the bike back. It was one big wobble-fest. And not just "ooh i feel a little uncomfortable by how much we're wobbling". It was like three feet of severe swaying before we tipped completely over. Three feet might be generous. But we eventually learned how to communicate, figured out a rhythm, and ended up having a very pleasant ride. It's an absolutely gorgeous trail. And once you can figure it out, tandem biking is very, very enjoyable. I rode as stoker for most of the trip, or the person who sits in the back. After about 5 miles of clenching furiously at handlebars that do not move, I finally relaxed and let go. We decided that if we ever did it again, I would take a book or newspaper to read during the ride. Tandem bikes do have the nickname "divorce maker", which I now understand. It really does take a lot of communication and give and take to make it work. And I could see how people could get really mad and frustrated if they weren't working together. If you ever try it, be sure to take someone along to laugh at your first attempts, because it is a truly humbling experience for someone who thinks they know how to ride a bike.
1 comment:
I really want a pig.
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