First Long Ride as a Family

So we purchased a tandem bike. It isn’t high end but it shifts and rides well. We attach the trail-a-bike to the back under my seat and away we go. Now the other problem we had was transporting this bike around. A tandem is longer than a car is wide so we couldn’t really carry it on a traditional bike carrier. It would fit in the Prius with the wheels removed and handle bar turned and Sidney’s seat and the passenger seat down. But then what good is the bike without the riders. So we found this neat contraption that you mount on the top of the car. It has a pull out U shaped mechanism that extends off the back of the roof of the car. The front wheel is removed from the bike and the y thing attached to the front of the U shaped piece and bolted in place. Then you extend the back as far as you need to and lift the back wheel into the trough. A strap secures the back wheel. Kirk can basically load the bike himself although it is easier with two. Sidney’s trail-a-bike goes on the other side in the rack on top and the wheel in the middle. It leaves plenty of room for us and all the things we need inside. We have used it to haul the bike to the park and up to Whaler.

So we took the tandem out the first time to George Bush Park. We rode about 22 miles that day just testing out how the bike felt and making sure Sidney did OK. George Bush Park is a great park here in Houston with baseball fields, soccer fields, shooting range, equestrian center and maybe 15 miles of paved bike trails. It connects into another park called… which offers several more miles of bikeway off of the roads and in some pleasant areas. We have seen turkey, deer, cardinals and many bugs and other birds. It is a real treat to have such a space available in the city and just a few minutes from home.


Our next adventure on the tandem with trail-a-bike was a 55 mile ride to see the wild flowers that bloom here in the spring. We did that ride at the end of March. The flowers weren’t spectacular because we have been in a severe drought. But it was still lovely. The ride was well supported with stops every 8 to 10 miles. The day was rather windy but stayed cloudy so it wasn’t hot. I don’t think Sidney pedaled much but she managed to stay on the bike all day. Oh and she has her own little pair of bike shorts. She received tons of encouragement from the other riders around her. The most wonderful part of the ride was the support and encouragement she received but also that she gave back. She would always cheer the bike riders around us or sing for them. She was the youngest participant that we saw. I am proud of her both that she did such a long ride with us but that she is such a positive person. Hopefully these are the things that will keep her wanting to ride and do healthy and fun activities.