Summer Bike Ride

My sisters and I used to ride bikes all the time as kids. We lived in a neighborhood burgeoning with children and families, so we'd often encounter our friends riding bikes to and from swim team practice in the summer months. We knew all the shortcuts, which neighbor's property brought you from one street to another, the houses where the mean, cranky neighbors lived (whose yards you were obligated to walk your bike through in lieu of pedaling fast).

In those years before I ever registered the desirable freedom a learner's permit or a driver's license held, my bike held a freedom all its own. Being able to speed down my street, turn any direction on a whim, and pedal until our legs ached...it was so exhilarating! Katie and I taught ourselves how to ride with no hands, balancing the handle bars between our knobby knees. I of course was the cautious one, and reluctant to fall ever, but she did not ever demonstrate such a fear.

Now that I'm a grown-up, biking is less of a necessity and more of a leisure past time. I do currently own a bike, a $25 steal my parents scored at a local garage sale. Yet, I'm hopeful to acquire a beach cruiser in the next few years or so, hopefully by that time we'll live in a more bike-friendly neighborhood. But when I do, I'm going to invest in this clever contraption, ideal for those who enjoy biking and cold beverages.

What's your favorite place to bike ride?

image/iamblessed

image 2/etsy