Cycling with Sheebie!

Friends and Kitties!

Without further ado, the news is that Scott and I bought bikes.

Now for the back story.

Eonicals ago when we lived in Illinois Scott and I both worked for a local municipal water treatment plant, in fact, that's where we met.  There must have been something in the water (snort) because three couples met and married in the same year in the department.  We're all still living in connubial bliss (double snort) too.  However, all was not sweetness and light at work--Scott had a tyrannical micro-managing boss, and the facility director was a complete failure at his job.  Even now I'd like to kick him inna fork...what a wussy.

Scott was miserable and to combat his funk he ate and ate and ate, and knew he needed to work out.  My boss and our friend (Hi Kyla!) was getting into cycling, so Scott gave it a spin and liked it a lot--which was saying something because he detests "standard" forms of exercise.  He bought himself a Giant (brand) touring bike and started riding.  The treatment plant was located right next to a bike trail and the two of them started doing daily rides at lunch, almost 30 miles, as well as going on organized rides.  I was working second shift at the time, so I didn't participate but I did want to go biking with him on our days off.  We got me a bike, and I spent some time on it, but it never really "took".  I imagine the fact that I was starting to slide into a deep depression curbed my desire.  Eventually Scott quit his job at the water department (long story in itself) and his cycling tapered off.  We moved to Nevada two years later in 2001 and sold our bikes in the move.

Fast forward to 2005, and Scott wanted to take up cycling again--but there were no good places to ride.  Our house is at the City limit and there weren't any trails nearby and the roads, well, let's just say rules of the road here in Vegas are optional, at best.  Furthermore, our immediate neighborhood is quite hilly, i.e. discouraging, for starting out.  Scott purchased an inexpensive bike and gave it a good try, but the lack of anywhere to go easily killed his desire pretty quickly.  

Things have changed in our corner of Henderson in the past few years though.  The County and City have jointly constructed miles and miles of hiking and biking trails, one of which is--you may have guessed it already--right across the street from us in the new park-to-be!   It links up with  paved trails all over the valley, around the mountains to Hoover Dam, and even goes by both of the water treatment plants where I am employed work.

Predictably, Scott got the bug to ride again.  I suggested looking on Craigslist and he found a sweet Trek mountain bike almost right away, like it was meant to be.  Then a blogging pal (Hi Barb!) got herself a groovy ride named Elvira...and I turned 637 kinds of green because I didn't have a bike.  I wanted in on the fun, too, dammit.  So Scott trolled Craigslist again and found me one for a hundred bucks, just to see how I liked it.  Well.  I liked it, very much.  I cannot believe I've let this much time go by and not had a bicycle.  Sometimes I'm a real idiot.  I rode my hundred-dollar bike all over for a week, then for a lark I tried Scott's out--mind you his has all the high end stuff--and if you thought I was green with envy before you should have seen me after my spin around the block.  Call me Kermit.

My husband, being an extremely perceptive man, made the only decision he could for uxorious harmony intelligent choice.  He looked on Craigslist for the third time and found me a better bike--not quite as "robust" as his, but then he weighs more than I do--with disc brakes, fancy-pants shifters and full suspension.  I love it.  I've been out riding every day.  I even have a tiny saddle sore on my nethers!  (I got some padded pants on Friday to help with that.)  We're gonna keep the first bike in case we have company who'd like to ride with us.  I have a ways to go to build up some stamina because my lungs give out before my legs do, but my first goal is to easily ride the five miles of the bike trail to where I work on Fridays and Saturdays.  It's uphill most of the way, which means downhill all the way home!  I'm gonna try it out on my days off this week and see how far I get.  I predict I'll croak on the first big hill, it's a doozy.  

All in all, we're both having a blast whinging about sore muscles, sleeping great, and (best of all) eating more chocolate.  Because now we can!

Just back from a ride!
Don't panic, I just took my helmet off.  More like I need pads--I spilled earlier and skinned  my elbow.
Yes, the same one I landed on when the shopping cart attacked me two weeks ago.

Happy Sunday, and have a Great Week!

XX  Sheebie  XX