Lil' Mountain Biker

Clive and I went mountain biking this morning at Veteran's. We went a couple weeks ago, too, but I never got around to sharing it on the blog. But this morning, we set out for some father-son dirt time before work.

Last night I bought him a cheapo water bladder to put in his little Kelty backpack. He thought he was super hard-core with his hydration system. Those little things make a kid feel like a super hero. I love that enthusiasm.

He's a great rider. Today he said, "Dad, you have to pedal up those hills. That's hard. But you get to ride real fast down the other side." Yep. You got it, Clive. In the photo above, the exposed tongue is a sign of his concentration. He kills it on the descents. On the climbs, I slow down a bit and have to wait on him. But he hangs with me on the downhill... with a bit too much reckless abandon, I might add.

A slight detour to look at the creek. For the first thirty minutes he wanted to "head to water to try and spot some frogs." Here he is trying it with an aerial view.

I packed him some donuts to eat in the woods. Quote of the day right here. "I like mountain biking. Because you just sit on the ground to eat your donuts." Yes, son. That's why we ride mountain bikes.

And this is Clive saying, "Can we stop taking pictures and keep riding?" I like the cut of his jib.

I'm loving how much he's into this. He screams and hoots and hollers on the ride. The enthusiasm really gets me pumped for his future on the bike. And as of now he's on a coaster brake single speed. But it'll be so much fun to teach him the ins and outs of riding a real mountain bike when the time comes. For now, though, I'll soak up these awesome dad moments.

Get out there.