On the Road Again

I started riding my bike when I got one at age 10. My Mom worked at M. Wards in the midway area; she found one in the bargain basement. My parents were over protective as they were in their 40's when I born, and neither one of them had ever ridden a bike. They felt that at age 10, I was more responsible and wouldn't kill myself. Hwy. 280 was under construction at the time. We could zoom on our bikes all the way down to University Ave. & back to Lauderdale. It was great fun, the new concrete was so smooth and conducive to riding at great speeds, plus there was no traffic. Unfortunately our fun ended when Hwy. 280 opened. In those days if a kid wanted to go somewhere you either took the bus or rode your bike. Your dad had the car at work, so that wasn't an option. We rode our bikes to Como Park for picnic lunches, we rode our bikes to the St. Anthony Public Library for books and then stopped @ Miller's Drug Store on Como & Doswell for a 10 cent cherry coke or phosphate @ the soda fountain. We even rode our bikes to Apache Plaza or Har-Mar to shop. I also had to ride my bike to my first 2 jobs; when I was 16 & 17 years old. I was a shelver for the Roseville Dist. #623 summer reading program for 8 yrs. Each of the 10 elementary school libraries was open 2 hours once/wk for book checkout. My job was to shelve the books back @ each of the libraries. We went to two schools/day, 5 days/wk. Of course I couldn't get into Driver's Ed. until August so naturally I rode my bike that summer! The next summer I started as a clerk typist evenings at CW Transport a local trucking company on Fairview Ave. I rode my bike there as well after the shelver job. Then I begin riding my bike to the U. for the next 6 years and have been basically riding ever since. For college graduation my finance bought me a lovely deep yellow 5 speed Raleigh Sprint from the Bike Shop in Dinkytown. This is the bike I ride today. After all those years of riding the old M. Wards bike (13) my Mom put $5. on it and sold it just like that! I just got 2 new tires and brake pads 2 weeks ago and was able to go for 2-6 mile rides this past weekend on the Raleigh. The guys @ Eric's Bike Shop keep me on the road. They often tell me they wish their Moms would ride bike for exercise. They fill my tires with air and give me a reflector when I lose mine and/or advice as needed. These days and for the past 12 years since my Mom died, I ride laps around the Maple Grove Junior High parking lot as well as the local Catholic church. This is so safe, no sand, no traffic, not much wind and lights at night. What more could a person want? When our kids were young, I rode all over Maple Grove with the three of them, to this practice and that. I started each of them in the baby carrier. The dr. yelled at me when I rode while pregnant after 5 months. Recently, in some of my best years I have ridden 550 - 650 miles, but for the last 3 years I've only ridden about 270-320 miles in a season. You should try it, it's a great free way to exercise plus it clears your head and helps a person focus.