Biking - From My Wife's Prospective

My wife decided she wanted to play along and write something for my blog. I introduce you to my wife.

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Let me start by saying that my husband has an addictive personality so the day he met me at my office and said "...don't be mad at me....." - I knew I was screwed. Check that - I knew our bank account was screwed.

Before this, I had never purchased a bike that didn't need to be walked to the front of the big box store and rung up. I had never spent more than $150 on a bike. I didn't even know this world of cycling existed. I didn't even know that people actually clicked their shoes into the pedals thereby LOCKING their feet INTO the pedals. Seriously, WHO does that?!

This world was completely foreign to me.

Foreign until a red and white Trek road bike came into my life. And immediately I knew that this was his new thing. And, of course, it didn't stop with the bike - how could it? No.....we went full throttle into cycling, thankyouverymuch. We had to have a bike seat (which I would later learn was actually called a saddle) that matched his bike, we had to have water bottles AND water bottle holders (which I would later learn was actually called a cage) that matched his bike and we had to have handlebar covers (which I would later learn was actually called tape) that matched his bike. Eventually I knew that this would all lead to a checking account that matched the color of his bike.......red.

At this point I should probably also tell you that my husband is a rockstar. He does nothing half-ass. If he plays the part, he wants to look the part and he wants the same for his entire family. I tease him a lot about his bike stuff and if he weren't such a hard working and faith driven family man, I probably would've asked him to stop by now. But he is those things and more - so I shoulder through and put up with his impulsive and matchy-matchy needs.

Because the Trek bike was 7 years ago and now? Now, he owns more bikes than we have members of our family. He owns a road bike - two actually, a commuter bike (apparently this is strictly for commuting), a mountain bike (for all the bad-ass mountains in Northern Indiana), a single speed bike and a cross bike (I'd love to tell you what these bikes do but I have no clue). He also owns the Go-Pro camera system so that he can videotape all of his biking adventures to play back for me in slow-motion, with fade transitions, set to the beat of some kick-ass song. It's how he rolls, pun intended.

And then one day, it happened. I didn't even see the urge coming. I showed up at some speciality bike store - not a Target or a Dicks Sporting Goods but an. actual. bike. shop. And, I bought a bike. A road bike. With skinny tires. With a saddle that matched. With water bottles and cages that matched. With tape that matched. With shoes that LOCKED my feet INTO my pedals.

Call me crazy but I love spending time with my husband - he's a blast to be around and we have one hell of a time when we are together. So, I was sick of sending him on his way every Sunday for hours upon hours of solo biking. I wanted to be with him. The fact that he would go out on these rides and leave me home with our three kids probably didn't factor into my bike buying decision whatsoever. Probably.

I can honestly say that it's a decision I have yet to regret. Other than those damn pedals - my inaugural fall happened last year and I will tell you that the moment you are tipping over and mentally realize your feet aren't coming out of those things, is a rude awakening. According to my husband, now that I've fallen, I'm a true biker. Funny, I thought the time I biked over a snake and screamed. like. a. little. girl. made me a true biker.

(A sweet ass pic of us during a moutain bike ride - not a road ride - for God's sake people, there is a difference. Also, this was not the ride that involved the stupid ass reptile that decided that the middle of the road was the place to freakin stop snake.)