Yesterday we biked about five miles up the Santa Fe trail and back. We would have gone further, but there was some lack of communication about water. Then we made a trip to the bike store to buy things we needed for our bikes, like extra water bottle cages. Berck oiled and otherwise maintenanced our bikes when we got back, somehow punching a hole in his tire. He made me go back to the store to buy a patch kit.

He repatched a slow leak today, and we did another probably couple miles before he realized his leak had returned. We had to head back, Berck on his half-flat rear tire, me finally able to keep up with him, and water for twice as far as we’d gone. We took another trip to the bike store to buy a new inner tube and a portable pump.

The bike store is in a neat location right next to the Santa Fe Trail, though we don’t bike by it because we’ve been heading north and up so we can come back mostly downhill all the way, much better than the other way ’round. I feel like a poser in my Tour de France hat, but then, what better place to wear it.

Berck likes biking because you go fast. I am really enjoying it, especially along the trail. There are all sorts of spring flowers blooming. The trail follows Monument Creek, so there are interesting cliffs and other rock formations along the route. The Santa Fe Trail is very near our apartment, but we take the bikes down in Arthur to the trail head. Otherwise we’d have to navigate a very busy six lane road or ride on the sidewalk, like you’re not supposed to. Plus, there’s a huge hill up for almost all the way back. Maybe when we build some strength we’ll tackle it.

In the meantime, boy does my butt hurt. My hands hurt after the first day, so today I wore my dad’s old racketball gloves, which helped emensely. I’m also realizing why someone threw my bike away. It’s just a Huffy ten speed with mountain bike wheels, and the gears are missing some teeth. Berck’s lube job seems to have made the chain slippery enough to keep falling off today. Berck says it’s my shifting. It’s also much heavier than Berck’s bike. If we keep doing this, I’ll definitely have to get a new one.