I haven't told you about my friend Aimee. She is the one who patiently taught me to ride, and was with me when I rode my first rails to trails. There are poles at the intersections where trail meets public road. About 10 feet from the poles I would start weaving every time, usually tipping the bike at the pole. If I knew there was a landmark I was supposed to go around, I went toward it every time. Her very sound advice was to always look ahead 15 feet and not focus on the ONE THING I wanted to avoid.
The other thing I did was grip the handlebars like mad. At first I did this constantly. I was so scared and tense! "Relax your hands, are your knuckles white?" she would say. Of course then the closer that pole came, the harder I gripped.
Poor Aimee. That first ride, I was so scared to stop the bike for fear of never getting started again! It took me about 5 tries every time. I stared straight ahead, too, no looking around for me. "Just relax, you're doing great!" She was so kind. So pitifully kind.
We went to the beach together and took our bikes. Jim would take the lead, Aimee in the rear, with me in the middle, they were my armored guard. "Car's coming..." She would say. I went immediately into weave mode, trying not to hit it as it passed. We turned right, down a short street, Jim took a quick, unexpected left, Aimee and I went right. She used her expertise turning skills. I hadn't yet learned sharp turning skills, so in my attempt, I took a turn into a square of gravel, which turned out to be a pit (Jim says this was a freshly graveled parking area, I say it was a trap). I ground harder and harder till I got stuck and toppled over, Jim and Aimee chuckling.
The two of them traded off babysitting so I would have someone with me at all times. He got daring and took me to the front of the street, around civilization (and cars). Around a gas station, small strip mall, and down the next street.
I took Aimee for a spin around the gas station once, just to show her I could. We passed a curve with a berm and guess who got their pedal caught on it. It was a possible crash, but I righted myself. Of course, Aimee, ever kind, says, "I've done that before!"
On a morning jaunt, Jim and I rounded a curve and turned down a block with a stop sign at the end. He should've known better than to change his mind at the last minute about heading onto the next street. I didn't know whether to stop or go, so I ran into the stop sign and toppled over. "I'm ok!" I yell. He shakes his head, again in wonder at what he's gotten himself into.
Later, we head back up that same street, and a guy comes jogging by, making a WIDE berth around us. He yells, "Are you ok? I saw you crash the stop sign earlier!" Marvelous. Someone was watching.
Next morning, not realizing we're headed down the same street, I hear a voice from above: "Hey, watch that stop sign." I realize he's watching me - not God, the guy from yesterday! He's up on his porch, which is where he saw me yesterday. I coast through the sight of the accident - "Good job!" says the voice from above. I told Jim, "Remind me never to come down this street again."
Aimee and I got to ride about a month ago, and she was so pleased with my progress! "It's just so much fun watching you learn, seeing you progress in your confidence in yourself!" What a cheerleader she is. This is a girl that rides that rattlesnake trail like it's nothing. I saw her once after a bad wreck. She was bruised head to toe and had some pretty bad gashes. Does she ever quit? Heck, no! The girl's 6 months pregnant and finally just hung up her bike!!! Her words to me after the great rattlesnake "real mountain bike trail" ride: "I hope this doesn't discourage you from going back. Rarely do you ever see a snake when riding like that." Now THAT'S who I wanna be like!
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