Maddi Takes Off the Training Wheels

Jess and Maddi had been keen for a bike ride for a couple of weeks. The wet weather had put paid to that idea last weekend, but the warm 28 degree day today meant we were right to go.

Well... almost...

Bike tyre pumps are in the top ten of the most aggravating things in the world. We have three of them, and all three are nothing like the ones we had when I was a kid. I know bikes have changed, but I don't remember tyres being so difficult to keep inflated.
Anyway, all three bike's tyres needed inflating. The first pump broke half way through the second tyre on Jessie's bike, basically letting the air out faster than I could pump it in. It got thrown against the wall of the garage with a number of obscenities following it. The second pump did little better, and soon followed it's cohort into the wall. The third, though a little better, had been designed for stroller tyres and not bike tyres, so although it worked to a certain degree it was hard work, and a lot of swearing continued to flow, stuff that the girls probably didn't need to hear, but copped anyway.
To be honest the valves on bike tyres these days just don't cut it as far as I'm concerned. It is almost enough to make you go out and buy an air compressor for home just to do this job. Maybe I'll do just that...

Anyway, 20 minutes later and we were finally off. Maddi had never ridden a bike without training wheels, and had in fact taken to riding her scooter on most of our bike excursions. However, she does take well to my 'forced invitations' for things like this, so she pushed along with her legs dangling and balancing her until we reached the bike track that goes through the Croome Sporting Complex, and then I got her to slowly get herself to push on the pedal and think about her balance. She took to it like a duck to water, and our confident little girl basically just got up and went without incident, and was riding along without any help whatsoever. Great stuff.

It was a warm and draining day, and so the girls decided that a trip to Terry Street shops was in order (as most of our rides end up in that direction). Soon, a Streets "Cyclone" recharged the batteries as only it can.

The long-promised storms finally tried to roll in by 5.30-6.00pm, but despite the angry skies, only 5mm of rain fell over the course of a number of hours, which was most disappointing.