Bike Bonanza

Merrit rode his bike without training wheels (or stabilizers, as they say here)! Woo hoo! Go, Merrit! Here are some highlights of his big day:






Earlier in the day, Mike went on a 20-mile bike ride. Here he is getting ready to leave:

Mike here. There's a bike shop right across the street where I got some general maintenance on my bike done. They gave me a map of bike trails all over the northeast. So I picked a trail head that was close to our house and I really didn't have any expectations. 

I just wanted to get out and get some exercise. But what I found was an absolutely incredible bike ride that I could never have planned myself. It led through quiet long stretches between farmlands and fields, under bridges, and between  hedgerows. The path is used by the locals as a general footpath and as a horsetrail. It took me further north, and just on a whim, I took a right towards the coast. I ended up in the town of Seaton Sluice. I wasn't done yet...I didn't want to turn around. 

I continued north, all along the coast which was great because I had worked up a sweat and I was being cooled off by the North Sea breeze. The view was panoramic. All along the way, I was nervously passing horses, because I had never passed a horse on a bike before and didn't know what they'd do. 

I got up to the town of Blythe, which is an old port town, where they have a long stretch of windmills built onto a pier that stretches out into the ocean. 

I figured Blythe was a good place to turn around and head back. I followed the same trail all the way back to my front door. Twenty miles in all. I hope to post a video or photos of my next ride soon.