Bonnie's first bike ride

Granddaughter Bonnie was born on Feb. 27.  3 or 4 months later I started clamoring to take her on bike rides, in my baby-seat-equipped BOB trailer.  (Mackie was about that age when I strapped a bucket on her noggin and started taking her for rides… although she'd almost always fall asleep.  There's something soothing about it.)  As Bonnie got older, it got a bit contentious at times.  While I respect her parents and their responsibility to make safety decisions about their daughter, I don't know if they recognized my experience as a SAFE and deliberate cyclist, who would accept full responsibility for their daughter and avoid putting her in harm's way.  (I believe a quick trip around the sidewalk at the park is considerably safer, statistically, than strapping your child in a car seat and going driving!  But whatever…)

 

Well… the dry spell appears to be almost over!

 

For Christmas, they gave me a baby bicycle seat.  (Or "Brat Bucket," as they are called by at least SOME bike-shop employees… when out of earshot of the customers.  Haha)  This isn't the kind that clamps on behind the rider - it's the kind that mounts in front of the rider and behind the handlebars.  Actually quite a clever design - and the seat itself can be installed or removed in about ten seconds, by undoing one thumb-screw.

 

I started assembling it Friday evening, and installed it on my secondary "beater" bike on Saturday morning.  And Bonnie's mom told me after she got up from her nap, I could take her for a ride!  Woo-hoo!

 

It was a bit cold - mid 30s - but Bonnie was bundled up nicely.  And it was mostly a "shake out" ride - to test the gear, see what her reaction would be, etc.

 

It was quite the positive experience!  Bonnie was returned unscathed to her mommy!  I wasn't able to see her face - based on the helmet position, I think she spent a lot of time looking down at the ground rushing underneath, or at Cousin Mackie who was riding her bike immediately in front of us.  All the sounds I heard from Bonnie were HAPPY sounds!  I'm very positive for the upcoming warm months.  I envision going riding with both of my princesses on the Greenbelt, around the neighborhood, etc.

 

Hollie, Bonnie's mom, snapped this photo.  Mackie said "I don't need gloves!"  (I believe more truthfully she just didn't want to take the time to go put some gloves on.)  At the end of our 10 minutes or so of riding Mackie said, "I can't even feel my fingers!"  Ha!