She started riding it in the cul-de-sac near her house, just to get the feel of it. Once she had mastered the left turn and felt comfortable braking, she took off down the street and around a few blocks. Little by little, the inevitable Bike Fever took hold. The Curves gym of which she is a member was two heavy-traffic streets away, but she started riding the 1/4 mile when before she drove. Way to go, Mom! Since Curves gym doesn't have bike parking in front, Mom struck a deal to park it in the gym's back room, much to the delight of the other patrons. 
This was just the beginning.

I was in Turkey for a month at the 2007 "Towards Carfree Cities" Conference in Istanbul when I got an email from my Mom saying that she had outgrown cruising around the neighborhood and decided to go on the Springwater Corridor Trail. This was something Mom and I had talked about doing, and she decided to take the plunge. Alone? How about instead with five friends from a cooking class, most of whom hadn't been on a bike in rather a long time? Ambitious? Yes. Daunting? Well, not if you and your five friends have a picnic complete with wine to celebrate the trip with.


Now THAT'S what I call a bike trip!

ACT IV: Interview With Mom
(will soon be available at a blog near you)

Next Week: Moving a House/Apartment/Puppet Theatre by Bike