Tuck's BIG ride

So I got this new bike for Christmas

with just 2 wheels.

Dad and I have been working on learning to ride

for months.

I throw a pretty nasty fit

about getting on it

but I also do NOT want to ride on the co-pilot anymore.

So we are at an impasse.

And everyone keeps wanting to go on bike rides.

Well, today, they pushed me hard.

We were going on a ride one way or another.

But I'll be honest.

I'm a little scared of my bike.

What if I fall?

What if I can't get going?

What if the turn is too sharp?

Mom and Dad said they'd help me every peddle of the way.

So after some tears and maybe some yelling,

I got on.

We headed down Blackwell

with just 1 topple.

And I got back on.

We took the back Legacy Loop.

I had to walk up a big hill or 2.

Mom and Dad walked with me.

But guess what?

The longer I rode,

the easier it was and the braver I got.

I was shifting gears to make hills easier

and even managed to itch my nose with one hand.

Maybe I like bike riding after all.

Our planned destination was the hidden waterfall and watering hole

in Legacy Park.

Me and Mom stayed on the main path

while everyone else hit the mountain biking path

with the plan to meet there.

Well, Mom and I wandered all over but couldn't find it.

Beckett popped a tire and Dad had to stop to fix it.

Twice.

Just as we were going to give up

(all we could find was a dried creek bed),

we heard voices and found this:

Jack and Wes found it!

The rest of us from above

The water was freezing

but a quick dip was all we needed.

Jack creeped us all out

by claiming there were leaches in the water.

Hmm. 

I wasn't sure I believed him,

but I also wasn't sure I wanted to get back in...

So we chilled on the shore for a bit.

We decided to head back...

and then Weston blew a tire.

I was having so much fun,

I insisted we turn our already 7 mile ride

into a 10 mile ride

with a stop at Dollar General for a cold drink.

Everyone was so impressed with my new found love of biking,

no one could disagree.

I told Mom my "worst-case-scenario" about riding a bike

was falling off and cracking my head open

and dying.

Well, she couldn't argue that that IS a worst-case scenario.

But she pointed out that I fell off

5 or 10 times

and didn't even have a scrape.

Ok. Fair.

I guess I DO like biking.

And I guess I'm better at it than I thought.