Well It SEEMED Like A Good Idea

Oh those ideas in life that seem really good and really fun on the surface. Those things that come into your life and you go,

WOW, that looks like it is going to be a boat load of fun

And then they aren’t.

Yes those ideas.

This was one of those ideas…..

A bunch of years ago HHBL and I looked at each other and thought,

You know, a TANDEM bike that we can ride TOGETHER would be such a boat load of fun that we won’t ever want to come home and feed the kids. Lets buy one!

And so we did. And you can see that we have a lovely and in really good shape tandem bike. It isn’t top of the line by any means but it isn’t a bottom feeder either. And we paid good, solid money for it.

And then we rode it a total of four times.

Four. Times.

And that might even be a generous count now that I think about it. It might actually be three times. And I don’t think we ever left the neighborhood. This bad baby has maybe 25 miles on her. She is like the car that was driven to church and back by a little old lady from Pasedena.

Ignore the flat tire, that is immaterial to the discussion.

STOP looking at that flat tire!!!

Now back to our story. So, why did HHBL and I stop riding the tandem? Or to be more precise why did we never actually start riding the tandem.

There were a number of reasons that I can think of but the biggest factor is that when I am occupying the “second seat” I just can’t see where we are going. Call me crazy but I really like to see where I am going when I am pedaling down the road.

Silly I know, but there it is.

I have no control over anything when I am back there and I like to have control of my world. I like to see what is ahead of me. It doesn’t make for a great ride when you have to lean to the right or to the left to see the path ahead.

It tends to make your tandem partner mutter at you and tell you just to stop that and pedal!

Of course there is one good thing about the tandem. I can have this in front of me.

Well hello there!!!

But then I can also have that view when I am riding on Hi Ho Silver. And if I am on Hi Ho Silver then I can also ride beside HHBL and talk to him and enjoy his scintillating witticisms and not just ride behind him with no power to say GO LEFT! GO RIGHT! Can I draft behind you because I am tired.

And sometimes I can ride WAY behind him because my biking mojo has just given up and gone to get a beer and some pretzels, leaving me panting and retching by the side of the road.

Not that that has ever actually happened. No, nothing to see there. Move along.

So, the tandem has been listed on Craigs List to see if we can sell her. She needs to go to a good home where people will love her and ride her rather than perpetually languishing in the shed, taking up space that the mice need to build their new condo.

Anyone want to buy a tandem bike with 25 miles on it?