By Jodi Pope-Pfingston
It has been lots of fun meeting and riding with new and returning riders on the Slowspokes rides. Ten to fifteen riders embark each Saturday at 1:30 pm to ride 15-20 miles around Monroe County, many for the first time in their lives. I knew it would be a great venue for attracting and keeping new riders, and it has been exactly that. What I didn’t expect is that it would be a source of inspiration that would get my own family out cycling together every Saturday. But, indeed it has.
Two of my older brothers, a nephew, and my sister-in-law have all joined my husband and I on the last three Saturday rides. In fact, they have all caught the bug so thoroughly that they now indulge my riding whims on multiple nights of the week and bug me to show them new routes.
Last Saturday, along with a few other friends, we all ventured out for a ride to the Waterworks. This was a special event for me and my two brothers because we grew up in a house near the Waterworks. On the ride out we laughed about how many times we had ridden the route from home to Buddy Bills as children on our bicycles tricked out with banana seats and spokes full of playing cards, all for the promise of soft drinks and candy. The banana seats and playing cards are gone, and we have added helmets, but we still love riding bicycles together. Although it will take some time before they share my taste in hills. 🙂
