I liken the feeling of riding a bike to that of the Geico Insurance ad featuring a pig named Maxwell.
In the commercial the puppet leans out the car window with a pinwheel in his hand (or in this instance, hoof) yelling “Weeeee we-weeeee!” as he leans into the wind.
Earlier this spring I felt the same way when I climbed aboard a borrowed bike and rode the Luverne Loop for the first time.
I didn’t necessarily yell “Weeeeee we-weee,” but I certainly heard the giddy words in my head. When I finished my six-mile jaunt, I felt happily exhausted and I have Den Herder Construction to thank for the opportunity.
The bike I was riding was through “Roll On Luverne” and purchased with a grant through the Statewide Health Improvement Program. Local sponsors pay for the maintenance of the bikes.
Den Herder Construction was listed on the basket of my bike as the maintenance sponsor.
My inaugural ride occurred in May when the Luverne Area Chamber organized a “Bike, Walk, Ride” event on The Loop trail.
The May 16 event was a rare rain-free day (though a few sprinkles did fall) and the evening event was an opportunity for me (and others) to experience The Loop.
The event began at The Lake where I grabbed a bike, dropped the camera bag into the front basket, scooted off and eventually headed north.
I prayed I wouldn’t fall flat on my face because it had been years since I’d ridden a bicycle. But the old adage is correct that you never forget how to ride a bike.
Turns out, scientists have studied why we don’t forget.
Called procedural memory, our brains just remember how in our youth we could balance and pedal on those two wheels.
One memory from bike riding I can’t forget looks me in the mirror each morning.
Tucked between my now wrinkled brows is a small scar, the result of riding my bike into a curb decades ago as a youth.
This spring’s “Bike, Walk, Ride” didn’t end with blood running between my eyes (thankfully). Instead I happily pedaled on a smooth path and enjoyed every minute of it.
I did worry that the one-speed borrowed bike would be hard to pedal up the inclines. Surprisingly the calibration was spot on, and I didn’t struggle to pedal.
Coming back on the trail heading south is when the real fun began.
The Loop winds around the northwest portion of Luverne. It curves around St. Catherine Church Cemetery and hits James Street, where The Loop is all downhill from there.
I glided past the farm fields, the school’s baseball and softball complex, behind the homes located along The Loop, and all the while I couldn’t help but utter in my mind, “Weeeee we-weeeeeee!”
I can’t wait until The Loop is completed around the southeast side of Luverne. The terrain looks a little more challenging, but the borrowed Den Herder Construction bike and I can meet that challenge.