So if you are friends with us, or read this blog with any regularity, you probably notice that Daniel and I don't do too many "normal" dates. Since becoming parents, dinner and a movie almost never happens, and when we do have some time to ourselves we are more likely to do an outdoor activity that we both love.
A few weeks ago, Daniel found out that there was going to be a Trek Demo Day at the Enterprise South Nature Preserve in Chattanooga. Luckily for us, we live within 30 minutes of this park AND Daniel's dad lives about 10 minutes away.
It worked out that Jack could go spend the afternoon with grandparents while Daniel and I went and had a little fun. Win-win for everyone.
We did a demo ride in Charlotte back in 2007 (can't believe it was that long ago!) at the US National White Water Center and had a great time. While getting to ride full suspension bikes is amazing, we still have the same bikes we had back in 2007. It's hard to upgrade when we have so many hobbies and are bikes our functional, even if they are uncomfortable!
This time Daniel tried the Fuel Ex 8 and I was on the Lush 29. Like our previous experience, we were both impressed. The single track trail was fun. We squeezed in just over 3 miles on our ride. I can't speak for Daniel's specific experience, but my bike took a little getting used to. The wheel base was much longer than my current bike, the frame was bigger (17.5-inch frame instead of my usual 13.5-inch frame), and the tires were also bigger (29 inches instead of my usual 26 inches). This meant that I felt a bit out of control through the turns – especially since I am used to being able to make tight turns with my smaller tires. Also the bike had disc brakes that were really grabby. Through those turns, in conjunction with the brakes I wasn't used to, I did some sliding. On the other hand, the suspension was spectacular... maybe time to upgrade?
It was fun to get back on a real mountain bike trail again. I think our last real trail ride was in 2010! Once I got comfortable, I started picking up my speed and enjoyed finishing at a faster pace. I hope we can start mountain biking more often... This might be more of a possibility since Jack can go hang out with grandparents that are close by!
While we rode bikes, Jack had a blast too. He worked to "fix" Grandpa and Esther's toys and they even found the neighborhood ice cream truck.
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If you like biking and are interested in doing a Trek Demo Day, check out this link to see when the next event will be in your neck of the woods. Even if you don't plan on buying a bike, it's a great FREE activity to get out and do!
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