Sweetness is this Nishiki FS3 mountain bike I bought back in 1993. I was in college at BYU and spent a lot of time on my bike. I was spoiled as a mountain biker to live 15 minutes from some of the best single track trails in the United States. My favorite trail was the Alpine Loop which ran across the Wasatch Mountains between Provo and American Fork Canyons.
When we moved to Texas I gave up mountain biking. I was very busy as a new young father and husband, plus I was in Texas, no mountains… I saw lots of road bikers here but figured the mb scene was non-existent.
Sweetness and I got together some in 1997. I lived just 1.5 miles from my work at USAA and would sometimes ride there. That brief reunion ended with a nasty wreck involving my chest and a concrete curb.
With my current efforts to lose some weight and improve my general health I started walking. Walking is slow and boring, and I don't run unless being chased. I decided to bring Sweetness back into my life. It had been sitting in our garage only occassionaly even glanced at for the past 11 years.
This morning I gave it a good tune up and took it to McAllister Park in San Antonio. The park is about 2 miles from my work, and has over 20 miles of dirt trails. I rode a 6 mile loop around the park that included some fast level trails, some rocky technical single track, and some minor up and down hill riding. For my first real ride in 13 years it was exhausting but excellent. No crashes, they say you never forget how to ride a bike, that seemed to be true. But hauling around my big fat backside is a little harder then the riding I did in college, all the more reason to lose the weight.
The riding ended when I blew out the sidewall on the back tire while bouncing over some rocks. The 15 year old tire could not take the pressure. I was sitting on the ground looking at the tire and contemplating the trip to the bike shop for a replacement. I was a little bummed cause I really like the tire set I have and I was worried I would not know what new tire to get. I went into the shop and found the exact same tire I had! I was shocked they still made it. The dude at the shop seemed a little bewildered at my excitement over finding that tire.
Sweetness rides again.
Spring is my favorite time of year right now, ask me in a few months I will surely say winter. But for today, spring is great. So during my lunch break I went for a bike ride in McAllister Park. I have been bringing sweetness with me every where I go lately, but due to rain she has spent most of her time just languishing in my back seat. So far this year we have been on 7 rides, all in the last 2 weeks. We have riding around McAllister Park 5 of those times, it is our favorite local ride mostly due to its proximity to my office. We rode once around my neighborhood but since sweetness and I were both made for trail riding we avoid pavement as much as possible. Last Thursday night we found ourselves in Austin so we rode about 10 miles around Town Lake.
