## The Bike Trip (Part 2): The Ride:

Post by jennifer » Mon May 26, 2008 6:48 pm

Well, the first part of my story went over pretty well. So, it's time that I move onto part two of the story. Here we go,
Sean lead the way with a short head start as he pushed his foot down on the pedal for the first time. Mary followed matching his pace as best she could a few feet back and on the left. I of course followed in the trailer not so much under my own power. The day was warm and pleasant for the time of year and my two siblings seemed to be having a good time. The two of them pedaled down the first part of the paved trail that ran as far into the distance as I could see. Sean slowed from his initial pace so that Mary could comfortably keep the distance between them even with me in tow behind her. She was at a slight disadvantage to my brother, but she kept up with it well. The two of them talked back and forth as the trip began about the spring greenery and the plans they had made for the summer. I sat in the back of the trailer helpless and just watched as the view passed by. It really was an amazing experience.
For the first few minutes, I fiddled with my ropes trying to see if I could manage to free myself, but the confines of the trailer made it difficult without much room to move around. Also, the straps and pads didn't help my cause either. After a few minutes, it became clear that I was staying tied like I was until either Sean or Mary decided it time to release me from captivity. Their conversation was pretty much geared towards the two of them and it seemed to me like I was just part of the baggage towing behind my sister. I was with them, but their focus was on the path ahead and the landscape. I seemed almost forgotten amongst the best parts of the world around us. I decided to let them be. This was their trip and I had just wanted to come along for the ride anyways. I shifted my attention and looked from side to side outside the windows of trailersâ€™ sides.
The path we followed was a paved bike trail specifically designed for this sort of trip. However, it was a hidden treasure it seemed at least at this early hour of the morning as I didn't see another single person around for the first hour and half of our trip. Both side to the trail were surrounded by nature in every way that it could present it's beauty to the human eye. As I glanced from side to side, I saw the wooded edge where for many of the bushes the first flowers of spring had opened brightly and glowed in the suns light. The trees all around were fresh with new leaves after what finally had proven the last frost of the season. As we whizzed pasted I caught a glance of a dear out in the distance and several birds as they nested quietly in the trees surrounding us. The day was warmly calm with a gentle breeze and a open sky except for a few white fluffy clouds that dotted the horizon on and off. It didn't take long for me to get lost in the gorgeousness of the world around me. I forgot that I was in a bike trailer. I forgot that I was with my siblings. I forgot that I was tied up and all strapped in. It was one of the most amazing views I ever undertook as a child and I was so happy that I had decided to come along on this trip. Then I got a wake up call.
(I should note, that I don't remember the scenery all that vividly, but I have been through the area recently and it is still one of the most gorgeous.) Up to this point in the ride, the path had been pretty straight and level being paved and all, suddenly, we came to the top of a really large hill. It was about 120 feet from the top to the bottom at a fairly steep incline. Mary pedaled forward over the edge without warning and the dissension began without any chance to brace my self. As the trailer followed my sister's bike closely behind I was pushed forward by the downward pull of gravity. It was at this point that I realized the way I was tied had a real problem. I couldn't move my hands or feet into any sort of a position to brace myself against the forward pull. Luckily, I was strapped in pretty good, otherwise I would have flipped over completely and ended up in a tangled mess. As it was I was pushed forwards solidly into the stroller harness as we descended the hill. I stayed that way for a few seconds until we reached the bottom where I was jerked backwards slightly as the path releveled off.
As the tension left the straps, I wriggled backwards a little bit in the seat to where I had been positioned earlier. Mary looked back at me for a moment sensing my movement in the trailer. "Are you okay back there little sister?" She shouted backwards in my general direction. "I am ok, just caught a little off guard, keep going." With that reassurance, Mary turned her attention back to the ride and continued forward. The trip continued onwards for the better part of the morning as my two older siblings rode down the trail making the long loop that composed the trip. The scenery continued to be bright and colorful all around us. The trail was paved for most of the first leg of the trip, but after about an hour my brother and sister made a turn off onto a dirt path leading deeply into the woods. This leg of the ride was a little different, as the tree canopy thinned out the sunlight from above as we made our passage. Also, the path was not nearly as smooth as the paved one we had left earlier and it had more of a hilly terrain that the other one did as well. Sean moved up in front and Mary flowed in behind him in single file to accommodate the narrowing path.
As we turned each corner and went over the dusty road, I got jostled around quite a bit. I knew every time we hit a bump in the road or that the patch changed directions. I would get sloshed around a little bit and the seat belt shift to a new sitting position on my body. It was a new experience to me not being able to use my hands or feet to brace myself. It was an interesting experience to say the least. With my hands tied behind my back, there was nothing to hold onto and my legs were held folded against each other and I couldn't push them against anything else. I was stuck really good without many options on the matter. Still, the harness kept me snuggly in place against the seat and kept me from getting moved around too much. Also, I was glad to be padded up, because they took most of the risk away from any bumping and bouncing around. Still, even under these circumstances, I was having a really awesome time of the whole trip.
After a while I got used to the movements of the trailer along the trail and learned how to anticipate something so that it wouldn't be a big deal. Once again, my focus shifted from the ride onto the beautify scenery around me. The view was absolutely breath taking as the three of us pedaled through the forest towards the second leg of the trip. We had been riding for a little over three hours now and finally, Mary brought her bike to a steady halt behind Sean. She put on the brakes and then halted the two of us without much difficulty. I watched as my sister stepped off the side of her bike and steadied it in place using the kick stand to support it as she dismounted.
Mary took her helmet off and hanged it from the handle bars by the chin strap and then she came back to where I was sitting in the trailer. "Having a good time Jen?" My sister asked as she began to unzip the door to the side of the trailer. I nodded and told her that it was a wonderful experience. I was glad that I could come. My sister reached down and popped the connecting strap on the shoulder and crotch belt on the harness I was wearing loose. Then she undid the lap seat belt freeing me from the seat.
"I am surprised that you are comfortable sitting with your legs tied like that for such a long time. Do you want me to untie you we are going to have lunch and it might do you good to get up and walk around a little." I nodded again and replied. "Yeah, that sounds good to me I am getting a little stiff like this anyway." Mary bent down and went to work on the two coils of rope that held my ankles to my legs just below the opposite knee. After a few minutes, my legs were finally free. I could sit cross legged for a long period of time as a kid so being tied like this wasn't that big of a deal for me. When my legs were free Mary helped me out of the trailer and helped me to stand on the ground. My legs were pretty stiff from the experience. I don't know whether the pads or the ropes contributed to it, but it was probably a combination of the two of them. I was a little unsteady on my feet at first, and Mary had to support me. But after a minute or two I regained my footing and was able to stand on my own.
Sean was standing a few feet away unpacking a number of things from his backpack and laying them on the ground. From what I could tell, it was probably our lunch and I was more than hungry at the moment. Mary walked around behind me and started to loosen the knot confining my hands behind my back. I thought to jerk away at first, but then I accepted her offer. It would be easier to eat with the use of my hands and I wanted to get my helmet off for a little while too. I stood patiently as Mary set about freeing my hands from the ropes. One advantage to the pads was that they kept the ropes from digging into my skin at all. A moment latter, I pulled my arms out and stretched them from the long morning of captivity. After a quick yawn, I reached up and unbuckled the chin strap on my helmet and placed it upside down on the seat of the bike trailer. Then, I took out the mouth guard and deposited it inside. With that done, I headed over to where Sean was unpacking lunch from his bag a few feet away.
Mary made a little side trip around the trailer and withdrew a blanket and a few cans of pop from a pocket on the back of it. She brought them over and spread the blanket out of the ground in front of us while Sean finished getting everything else settled. Once the blanket was spread the three of us sat down together without a long wait. My brother handed out each of us a couple of peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches. Surprisingly, they were not smashed up from the time spent in his pack. We also had a large plastic bag of ships that we shared. They however were a little more worn for the wear. Still, they tasted good as the three of us munched on the blanket under the shade of the trees in the area. I still had the rest of my pads on. Sean shed his wrist guard but left the rest of his as well. As the three of us ate, we talked mostly about the trip and what plans lay ahead for the rest of the day. At one point, Sean asked me how I liked riding along all tied up like I was. I responded that it made the ride much more interesting and went over my difficulties in bracing myself along the trail in greater detail.
"You should have let us know Jennifer. I would have stopped and at least untied your feet for the ride down." Mary comment surprised at my complaint about the situation. "I didn't want to interrupt the ride. You two seemed to be having a fun time and I didn't want to interfere. Besides, I was strapped in pretty good and I was really enjoying the ride the way that it was." Mary and Sean looked over at each other and smiled back at me. The look of concern left my sister's face and was replaced by one of relief and a warm smile. Finally, she spoke again. "Well at least your having a good time of it Jennifer. I am glad we brought you along it is nice to have the company." I shared in their sentiments and the three of us finished our meal. We took a little time afterwards to just sit and watch as the world moved around us. I was well rested from just sitting all morning, but I am sure that my siblings needed the break. After about another half hour of resting, the three of us got ready to get back on the road and finish the circuit.
We all made took a moment to use the bathroom in a nearby public set of bathrooms that were set along the trail about 200 feet ahead of where we stopped for lunch. Then we set about getting settled to go forward. The three of us returned to where we had left the bikes alongside the trail. Mary and Sean packed up the blanket and the trash from the lunch we had just consumed in preparation for departure. Meanwhile I headed back over to the trailer where I had left my helmet and the ropes from earlier. I popped my helmet back on and did up the chin strap as Sean and Mary came over to where I was standing. "So Jennifer, are you ready to get going again?" Sean offered. The buckle on my chin strap snapped into place as I looked up at my brother. "Almost, just one more thing to do." I replied as I turned leaving my brother facing my back side. I crossed my wrists behind my back and waited for Sean to apply the ropes. To my surprise and dismay, he responded differently than I expected him to.
"It might be better if you weren't tied up for the rest of the trip Jen. It a lot more rugged through the second leg of the journeysâ€™ and were heading through town after we come out of the forest. So, it might be better for your safety if you aren't tied up." I turned to face my brother and brought my arms back to my front. What followed was a quick argument between Sean and me on the matter. I wanted to be tied up for the rest of the trip and he didn't think it was a good idea. Still, after a few minutes of a heated debate, we came to a reasonable compromise on the matter. As Mary pushed her first foot down on the pedal, I found myself seated strapped into the trailer with my hands lashed together in front of me. Sean tied them together parrellel at the wrists and cinched them off nice and snug in the middle of the tie to tighten it down securely. With me harnessed back in and restrained a little bit we resumed the second half of our ride.
My brother was good to his word on about the trail and it's condition. The patch changed from a level trail to a much steeper set of hills. There was no paved road through here to follow. The whole experience was plagued with a great deal of unevenness in the trail and I soon found myself bouncing around in the back of the trailer once again. I was glad to have my legs free this time as I could brace them against the floor of the trailer to keep myself from bouncing around so much as earlier in the day. I probably would have been black and blue if I couldn't I held onto the side of the trailer with my bound hands for added stability. It was a really bump ride. But, it was one of the funnest that I had ever had. It was like being on an amusement park ride never quite knowing what the next jerk would bring next. Mary and Sean spared no speed along the trail and move at as quick a pace as my carriage would let them. I was strapped in tight and perfectly safe. All of us were having a good time of it.
The view as we passed was just amazing. There were trees and a bushes with flowers and fresh leaves as far as the eye could see as we rode underneath the canopy filtering the sunlight into a soft glimmer. I wished the whole experience would never end. However, nothing that fun lasts forever. Eventually, the path exited the wooded area and dropped back into the heart of the small town near where our campsite was. Mary and Sean moved onto the main roadways without much hesitation on the matter. The traffic was almost nonexistent and we only saw a few cars as we glided down the even road. The path they chose led down several side roads and past a couple of farms in an area that was a little more rural than what I was used to seeing. We glided past a meadow that must have had nearly a hundred cows grazing in it off the side of the road. It was quite a site to me not being from the country to begin with. As the terrain had evened out, I just sat back and relaxed enjoying the view as it slid past us on the sides of the road.
I looked down at my bound hands for a moment and gave the ropes a couple of solid tugs. I had almost forgotten they were tied together during the ride. My mind was spent elsewhere. I examined the ropes carefully. There was nothing special about the way they coiled around my wrists. Sean had secured them from below with a simple knot. I probably could free myself if I wanted to. But, I just left they alone, being tied up was part of the fun for the day and I was having a great time. It wasn't much longer before we made the final turn and pulled back into the parking lot from where we had departed. Sean led the way and Mary followed in tandem behind him. My siblings brought their bikes and my trailer to a halt behind the van. Sean and Mary dismounted their bikes and took a few minutes to rest before attending to me. I was more than content to wait. Sean came over and opened the side of the trailer. "Well, Jennifer it looks like we made the full circle, did you have a good time." I just nodded and gave my brother a wide smile as he worked my harness loose and helped me out of the trailer. He untied my hands and left me standing next to the side of the van.
My brother and sister began to unload the camping gear from the back of the van and placed it in the trailer that I had just climbed out of. The camp site was about a quarter mile from where we had parked. Once they had the first load settled, Mary mounted her bike and Sean and I took up a slow march next to her as she pedaled slowly towards the camp site. After a few minutes we arrived and Sean and Mary began to unload the first round of equipment. Once the unloading was complete, Mary left me and Sean and headed back to the van for what would be the second trip of roughly six to move all the gear down with the trailer. The two of us she our pads and helmets and began the work of setting up camp for the night. It had been a long day and I was better rested than Sean was. But, he still put forth a good effort and before long we were set up and ready to go.
The three of us had a fun time camping for the rest of the evening and until the next morning when we broke camp and went back home. It was an awesome trip for the three of us and I was grateful for the chance to go. Two years later I rejoined them for another run at it, this time with my own bike. Unfortunately, I didn't get tied up for the rest of the weekend, but it added some fun to the whole experience. I hope that everyone has enjoyed this little anecdote. I will have the next story posted over the next two weeks or so. Until then, take care.
Jennifer

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Post by JESSI » Mon May 26, 2008 7:07 pm

Sounds exciting
but good

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Post by ReaderG » Mon May 26, 2008 7:36 pm

Sounds like a great time with what was a family tradition. Curious, did all seven of you ever do that trail as Amy grew older?
Gerry

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Post by jennifer » Tue May 27, 2008 8:47 pm

Thanks for the replies to the story guys. As for the question of the 7 of us all going together, I don't think that all of us ever went at the same time. By the time Amy was old enough to go much in the capacity that I did here, Sean and Mary had moved onto their adult lives quite a bit. They came back for a year or two on and off, but I don't think we ever all went. After my parents got older they stopped going a few years ago. The are too old for such a long trip.
Jennifer