Tour de Burley

Every once in a while I'll hitch the Burly up to the fixie and go for a spin with Gina and kid. Sometimes we'll start at Gravelly Point (next to DC National Airport) and head north to Bethesda along the Capitol Crescent trail, grab lunch, and head back. I don't know how it started, but the ride north is really a race. There's no starting line. No one yells "go". But surely, we're both thinking, "I'm gonna ride this sucka into the ground." And then, somewhere near the begining of the ride, with no words exchanged, it's on. 9 miles of aerobic hell: Gina on her Bianchi road bike, me on my fixie hooked up to 70+ pounds of whatever I happen to be towing: burley trailer (the double wide version), 4 year old kid (two of them one time), 80-pack crayola box, coloring books, pack of fruit juice boxes, stuffed animals, extra shoes and clothes (I will not enter a public restaurant wearing lycra), plus whatever knick-knacks my kid happens to sneak by me and throw into the trailer. The competition is usually friendly except for one time when Gina wound up on crutches for two weeks (sorry dear, I really didn't mean to swerve in front of you that close). The ride Northward is a slight uphill most of the way. Normally I don't even notice it, but when you're fully loaded up, well that's a different story. Gina usually wins. But not today. She was a bit off pace after not riding for a couple of weeks and I happily took advantage of the situation. Pathetic on my part, but I'll take whatever ego boost I can get. So what's the prize for the winner. Absolutely nothing. But the kid gets ice cream from Giffords.



The ride back is usually more casual and today we stopped to take pictures. But next time, I know Gina will be gunnin' for me. She'll have her riding legs back and then it will be business as usual again. Honey, wait up!