Both Emilia and Carson had been riding older, much smaller bicycles, and since they had been using them daily, Todd and I decided they were ready for an upgrade.
In addition to going around the neighborhood, I have taken the kids on bike rides on the Jordan River Parkway. We are fortunate to have direct access, without requiring the kids to ride or cross any major roads.
On one occasion we rode south to a Native American monument on the trail, for a total of 10 miles RT. They were tired but had fun.
The weather has been near or above 100F for the past several days, so we have to wait until evening to ride.
Our second ride was with the entire family. This time we rode north to Gardener Village where we stopped for some shaved ice before heading back. The ride was fraught with mishaps that made it less enjoyable.
1. The two youngest kids rode on the bike trailer. They are both pretty big for it and were in each other space causing a lot of unpleasant screaming.
2. Todd's bike chain fell and got jammed. We had to unhook the trailer in order to fix it, and in the process, one of the links was pushed out of place causing the bike to shift gear every time it completed a whole rotation.
3. We spent too much time at Gardener Village, and it got dark on us as we rode back.
4. We took one wrong turn and had to backtrack for nearly a mile.
5. Emilia's handlebar hit a wall and caused her to lose her balance and fall off her bike.
Needless to say, we were all frazzled by the time we made it home.
I was proud of Todd and me for keeping our cool through the entire ordeal. But it'll be a while before the kids agree to go on another family bike ride.
