There goes the neighborhood

[firestonepilot]

For three years my wife and I had been talking about getting bikes to ride on camping trips
and around our home. This spring I noticed our neightbor had a men's and a ladies bike setting
outside and had been there for several years, but they were older and I thought cool looking. I tried
to get the bikes from them but they wouldn't let them go. Every week I asked if I could have them to
fix up or at one point said I would buy them but nothing came of it. We bought bikes and began riding
every evening after dinner. The neightbors watched, and afterwards we would have coffee with them and
talk. Once in a while I would still bring up the bikes they were letting get ruined outside.

After a couple of weeks watching us they decided to get their bikes fixed. Took them to a local man who
works on bikes and they picked them up today. The bikes look great. I'm glad I hounded them long enough
to get them fixed. This evening they will be joining us on our bike ride. The neighbors on the other side of
them saw their bikes today. Now they want to fix their old bikes up so they can ride also. Hopefully by next
spring we will have our entire neighborhood riding their bikes again. Wouldn't that be cool. Thanks for the
inspiration RRB.

 

[user 135]

Sweet story. I would rather see more people getting on bikes than getting a good deal.

 

[axsepul]

Nice, I wish I could do that. Nothing but hills around here!

 

[jerrykr]

Great story!

Be sure to start out slow and on short rides.

You don't want anyone to be discouraged or felt left behind just because you have been riding longer and are in better shape then they are when they decide to start. Remember you stated slow too.

Sheryl and I occasionally ride with people who could leave us in the dust on their road bikes, and we tell them to go on and not wait for us.

But, they are more about the ride than the speed and the distance, and the result is that everyone has a good ride and improves at everyone's own pace.

Stop often for water, and stop and smell the roses.
.

 

[B607]

Stop often for water...
.

You still have water in Texas? We barely have any left up here so I thought you'd be all out. Gary