Show VEM 1TME ©F TTM dading with more than 5 million purchased in the USA last year But all you have to do is visit your local bike path country road or park on the weekend to see how popular cycling has become There are many reasons for the increase of baby boomer riders Many new riders are injured runners who have disbenefits covered the sport’s For others the primary motivation for cyding seems to be a desire to be free to eat without restraint I have an office friend who never met a plate of food he didn’t like He rides a couple of hard hours on Saturday morning so he can really put it away on Saturday night And yet he stays thin There’s a little bit of that in me too After a long ride I can polish off two scoops of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey without remorse non-jarrin- g JA Cycling is a great activity te share with the kids After my wife and I take our Saturday ride 2 go for a road ride with Ryan We explore the streets of Emmaus for an hour jabbering nonstop We talk about baseball cards cy- When a young couple have cling stars Greg LeMond and Davis Phinney and the differences between Emmaus and our old town in Vermont And we sprint occasionally in races to the next streetlight To be honest 1 don’t always win Ryan’s a hot rider — fast strong fearless Which makes me a bit anxious at times I wish he’d ray more attention to traffic and remember to stick near the right edge of the pavement And he has this attitude: “Cool dudes don’t wear helmets” (or so he says) So it’s a struggle to get him to wear his But he must I know the stats too well More than 400 children in the USA were killed last year in cycling accidents — 75 percent of them from head injuries Yet deadly head injuries are largely preventable Helmets today are lighter more comfortable and more effective than ever And helmet manufacturers know kids can be fickle so they’ve boosted their designs adding everything from dinosaur stickers to jazzy geometries One company makes a kid’s helmet cover that looks like a human skull “Radical” says Ryan Maybe he’ll wear it "Before dinnertime I escape with Jana who wants a companion for a couple of laps around the block It seems like only a few months ago that she asked me to take off her training wheels Her “solo” cycling is a shaky triumph at the moment Sometimes she doesn’t steer straight and often she’s a little late hitting the brakes But her fixed smile of just-for-f- un two kids two jobs and one weekend how do they find togetherness? i pedal the dirt trail and aim toward an oak on the hilltop I steer between sharp rocks roll over a fallen branch and stand on the pedals for extra oomph as I power up the final pitch Lise my wife is riding ahead — not too far ahead I hope Beyond the summit I see Lise leisurely sipping water from a plastic bottle as if she’s been waiting for eons It figures Mountain biking is a great equalizer I’m bigger and stronger but Lise’s fine balance and coordination more than compensate The first time she rode a Blumenthal By Tim ' of Bicycling magazine 4 USA WEEKEND April 27-2- 9 1990 Jana Lise Tim and Ryan Blumenthal of Emma mountain bike she felt at home And when you’re comfortable doing something you usually enjoy it We’re here in the back woods on a springlike Saturday laughing and smiling getting a little muddy and a little tired More than anything we’re enjoying the quiet of a forest near our home in JEmmaus Pa This is the most focused time we’ll have together all week With two kids two jobs two dogs — but one weekend — outings like this are precious Bicycling is an everyday thing for me It has to be — I’m the mountain bike editor of Bicycling magazine But it’s also an activity for my whole family: Lise who works part time in Bicycling’s us Pa are a ng family apparel department and creates calligraphy from home Ryan 8 whom I must constantly remind to wear a helmet and Jana my soon-to-daughter who recendy outgrew the training wheels on her bike As we wheel our way around our neighborhood town and surrounding countryside it’s clear cycling is becoming more popular We see more families riding together as we do and more middle-aged folks on bikes The statistics register the popularity Nearly 20 million of us rode our bikes regularly last year while 70 million more climbed on at least once says the Bicycle Federation And mountain bikes — with fatter tires straight handlebar and rugged frames — remain the sales be accomplishment is priceless has Learning to handle a to be one of the best moments of childhood Jana helps me remember My first I er bike was a tiny red skipped the training wheels and went into the real thing My two-whee- ler two-wheel- |