There's an annual bike ride every September in Boston called Hub on Wheels. The highlight is that Storrow Drive, a major roadway along the Charles River, is closed for the event and cyclists get to ride on a road that is usually closed to us.
Last year Audrey and I rode the 10-mile route - the Storrow Drive portion - together. At the point where the riders on the longer routes split off, Audrey toyed with the idea of riding farther.
Fortunately we didn't. She hadn't had any training, and she was tired after 10 miles, and sore the next day.
This summer I asked Audrey if she wanted to ride the longer route. I told her we would need to do some training rides to work up to the 40-mile length of this year's route. She was game.
So, several weekends in a row leading up to the event we rode. First a little under 10 miles. Then 20 miles a couple of times. And finally 30 miles on the Cape Cod Rail Trail while were visiting the Cape with friends. When Hub on Wheels rolled around, we were ready.
Oh, before the Cape ride I also bought a computer for Audrey's bike so she could see her own speed and distance.
We had to get up at 6am to go on the ride. Audrey wasn't too excited about that.
I had stocked up on energy foods and had them stashed in my jersey pocket. Good thing. Audrey needed boosts now and then throughout the ride. But she powered through and we finished! Just over 40 miles on our bike computers. I was very proud of her.
She was a little sore the next day but not too bad. We'll see if she's game again next year.
The age minimum is 12, so Charlotte has another year before she has to decide whether to give it a go.
Here's the route:
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