Riding with My Girl

Last night, I went on a bike ride with Noel. It was fun and harder than I thought it would be. I like riding my bike, but I am not the kind of person that rides often. I definitely don't ride to race or impress anyone. 

My bike is nothing impressive. I have a bike that Chad bought for me the year we got married after working odd jobs for his brother for a while. It's a cruiser and not built for speed. At this point, it has seen better days, but it works for what I use it for. 

Noel had been asking for a bike for a few years because the bike she had was too small. One year she stopped asking because she was more intent on learning how to skateboard. I'm not sure why she didn't ask much last year. Earlier this year, I had a friend that was having a garage sale, and I found a great bike for her there that was rarely used. It needs to be taken to a bike shop for a tune-up, but for the most part, it was in really good condition. 

As I rode with Noel last night, I could see how she has changed over the past few months. When we got the bike, she would only ride certain streets, trying to stay away from areas the girls that harassed her could be. Last night, she sailed down the streets without a care. It was hard to keep up with her, and there were times she was so far ahead that I couldn't even see her, but I was proud of her.