Braap!

Brian has had a dirt bike for almost a year now, and I've watched him ride around on the dirt trails at Metcalf. Truthfully it didn't look like that much fun. Just kind of hot and dusty. And secretly I was a little afraid of the bike, even though I said I wanted to try it. It was loud and made me nervous. And everytime he said he was going to go ride, I always thought "why would you want to do that when you can go ride your mountain bike instead?'

But yesterday I got up at little before the crack of dawn and went to Folsom with four other girls to spend a day in the dirt learning how to ride a dirt bike.

I was nervous. When we got all suited up with enough padding to make breathing difficult (I felt like the little brother in his snowsuit in the "Christmas Story") and shuffled our way out into the hot sun to the bikes I thought no way was I ever going to be able to ride. But I told myself to at least sit on the bike. Anyone can sit, I don't care how uncomfortable their motocross boots are.

So I sat, and it was good.

Then we started the engines, and it was good.

Then we practiced rolling forward on our bikes waddling like little ducks with our bikes underneath us, engines going, and that too was good.

Then we got the signal to lift our feet on the pegs and ride. That was not good. THAT was FANTASTIC! I haven't had so much fun on a bike, well, since I rode my bike. We rode back and forth, then in circles, then weaving through cones, and then we stood up on our bikes and rode. I felt so pro, standing up and riding in circles. I was like Chad Reed, except a really nice Chad Reed and not all arrogant, because you know, it was just my first lesson and all. We learned how to shift gears and go fast! And I wanted to tear around the circle, like "braaap!" but that sort of thing was frowned upon because it was still my first lesson and all.

From the looks of the park there were a lot of trails , and I was hoping we would get to go down a beginner trail, but instead we rode a half circle that was full of gravel. I don't like riding gravel on my mountain bike, so I didn't really like riding it on a dirt bike. And after that we were done. I was so glad to get out of my gear and take those awful boots off, but I was very sad to see my little red bike go. I had so much fun, I can't wait to go out again!