Recreational Work Outs Are The Best!

I won't say how long ago it was, but shortly after I married me and the husband headed to a bike shop in the Bay Area and I bought my very first legit bike.  It was a sleek little blue beauty designed for street riding with skinny tires, a suede seat and multiple gears.  Over the years I've taken bike rides, some in San Leandro (where we lived at the time) others in the Napa Valley both solo and with my kids, and currently in North Sacramento where I live on the weekends.  After moving to the Napa Valley, I realized that as much as I loved the easy speed that the bike tires gave me, riding amongst the vineyards required a sturdier tread – thistles kept penetrating the tires and into the inner tube.  A local bike shop recommended I change out the tires to hybrids – ones that would work fine on paved roads, but tough enough to take dirt paths.  My husband has had several bikes, but a few years ago, I decided to surprise him with a tough Trek bike – so off to the bike store where he tried out various styles.  The bike shop owners at St. Helena Cyclery were very helpful, and we walked out of the store with a fine bike indeed.  And then it stood in our garage for several years, mostly unridden.  About a year and a half ago I began campaigning for us to take bike rides together.  This last weekend, we finally did!  WIth temperatures in the 70's, it was hard to resist, and after replacing an inner tube and pumping up the tires and putting on those silly looking helmets – off we went.  I told my husband we could take a shorter ride for our first time out – but true to his nature, he pushed a little further than what even I had expected. There's real magic in riding a bike, I think.  You can get to places faster than walking, and can check out new sites a little easier since you don't zip by them as quickly as you would if you were in a car or motorcyle.  We came across a super, giant warehouse sale and took a few minutes to browse.  We enjoyed the sights and smells of a warm, early Spring day.  And the husband says that despite some sore muscles he's ready to do it again.  By the way, have you heard about the grass roots organization in Napa that is promoting a walking/biking trail system connecting the entire Napa Valley? The Napa Valley Vine Trail hopes to design, fund, construct, and maintain 47 safe and scenic miles of level, paved, family-friendly, free-access Class I trail, stretching from the Vallejo Ferry to Calistoga.  They can use our help, and think about it … if their vision becomes a reality, any of us, on any given day can hop on to our bike and enjoy a safe ride in beautiful Napa Valley.  Here's to bike riding … one of the best recreational workouts for all ages.

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