Heather Bikes

I was having so much fun with my mom this weekend I just didn’t have time to be on the computer.

Saturday, the day all started with a lie.

I had decided to take the train upstate and bike the remaining 60 miles to my mom’s house to surprise her for Mother’s Day.  I had done this once before, back in 2008, before my Tour of the Mediterranean.

I left my house around 10 in the morning, after spending a fruitless hour looking for two pairs of missing bike shorts.  I finally gave up, deciding that either a mouse had taken them and was using the chamois as a nest, or some dumb pervert had broken into the apartment and mistakenly taken my clean shorts.

It felt so great to be back on my road bike.  I don’t think I’ve ridden it all year.

I was on the Williamsburg bridge, walking my bike after getting my second flat, and cringing at the thought of how much I was wearing down the cleats on my bike shoes, when my mom called.  She had heard that there was an accident with the Staten Island Ferry and wanted to make sure I was ok.  She asked what I was doing that day, and I lied, saying that I was riding to Nyack.  I don’t like lying, but it was for a good payoff.

Luckily by the time I got to Bike Works on Ridge St., it was almost 11am and they were about to open.  I got off the phone with my mom and decided to buy a new tire since the other one was worn and I had already gotten two flats on it that morning.

On my ride up to Grand Central, I called her back.  She was asking how far Nyack was from where she lives, and I knew she wanted to drive down to meet me there and take me back upstate but I just played dumb.  I told her I was about to meet up with friends to do the ride, right as I was really in Grand Central buying my train ticket.  I got into the station 3 minutes before my train left.

It was a perfect day for a ride.  The sun was out and it was so beautiful!

This hill even feels long when you’re in a car!  It continues waaay beyond the bend.

It’s TOO CLOSE TO THE ROAD!

I think that scenery always looks more beautiful when you see it on a bike.  This ride was incredibly beautiful.

Coming in to the final stretch, this was about 3 miles from my destination and I was getting tired!

It was cool to see this on the way to the house.  She’s the best realtor!

Here, I’m thinking of how to surprise her.  Last time I just went up and rang the doorbell.  No one ever rings our doorbells, unless they are trying to convert us to something.  I was thinking about calling and telling her I was sick and needed her to pick me up in the city and then just waiting for her at the end of the driveway but decided that would be too mean.  So I went into the garage and called her and said ‘I miss you,’ and then went into the house as she said she missed me too, and she was so surprised to see me.  ‘Oh you liar,’ she exclaimed as she hugged me.  Well, I think it was worth the lie and we had a great weekend!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!