First Ride Smiles Win

Anna here: Today I rode my bike to Hood River where I met Melissa and her tiny son Kai who was ready for Kung Fu class. Her tiniest son Tate was with the lovely nanny and Melissa had a few free minutes for a new adventure. The bike she's been riding with commitment on a trainer in her living room came out to see pavement for the first time since 2011 when Corbin, her husband, would ride it around the hills of Mosier. The last rides this bike had seen outside were between Celilo Cancer Center and Melissa's house during Corbin's radiation treatment. And now Corbin lives in our memories and our hearts but can't ride with us. It was moving to see his bike back out on the pavement. What was even more special was the smile on Melissa's face and the joy she exuded with every post office box we passed and every pedal stroke she took. The gal is a natural and she pedaled hard into the climbs. Maybe it's because Corbin taught that bike how to hammer but I think it's also because Melissa felt the awesome feeling that you can't get from anything other than propelling yourself along on a bike. And I think she's hooked.