Sunday, March 10, 2013

Bicycle Built for Two

[Our night out with BBQ and Blues was fun, but not what we expected.  We got there nice and early and saved a table for the other two couples.  As it got later and they didn't show, I texted one woman.  She told me that she had been stuck late at work and couldn't come after all.  Texts to her husband to see if he wanted to join us anyway went unanswered.  The other couple simply didn't show up.  I would never make a stink about it to them, but I do think it is kind of rude to make plans together, then not bother even contacting anyone when your plans change.  Does this ever happen to you?  However, a large group of couples arrived after the band had started and could not find a place to sit, so they asked if they could crowd our table.  We all squished in and laughed and chatted and listened to music.  I danced a couple times with Chuck and once with one of the women at our table.]

Chuck is a really good cyclist.  I am a toodler. I have never owned a pair of bike shorts, or a helmet or anything.  I briefly owned a 10 speed in high school. 
And now I know why I should have stuck with this MO.  Leg fat!  I bent over and took this photo of my thighs, which is why they are upside down.  Leg fat is also the reason that whenever I wear gartered stockings, I always cut off the elasticated part at the stocking's top. Don't want that elastic cutting in to my leg fat and leaving bulges.  Today was sunny but nippy, so I was happy to pull on a pair of tights over the bike shorts.  Maybe by summer, I will not have so much squishiness going on.
 There it is!  Our new (well, second-hand, but you know what I mean) tandem.
 Chuck and his ex-girlfriend Marianne used to have one.  She bought it for him as a birthday gift, but when they split up, it mysteriously disappeared from the house. The specially designed roof-rack as well.  He was really sad about it, so we saved up and got another one.  We still haven't seen Marianne (who is now our next-door neighbor) out riding around with her boyfriend on the other one.  Maybe when the weather is warmer. 

Tandems are good:  never any arguments about who was going too fast and leaving the other person behind, etc...  And it is fun! I laughed my head off a lot of the time we were out.  The stoker position is a little odd and takes getting used to:  you need to pedal at the speed the person in front wants to; and you can't steer either.  That's disconcerting.  At one point, we were going through some tight places and I couldn't help steering.  It does nothing, though, except jiggle the seat under Chuck's butt.  I have a feeling that we will be doing this a lot as the weather gets warmer.

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