In my never ending quest for more fun with bikes and more time (and fun) with Noah, I finally got a ride in with him in the trailer.

Scene 1: Enter the trailer

Really, I guess this should start with “enter Noah” but I’ve only got a few seconds here before you move on. So I EBay a bunch of stuff I’m not using and purchase a trailer… about a year and half too early it turns out. Ever the eager beaver am I, and in this case, hugely misjudge where Noah’s at as far as this was concerned. So I stored a large box with said trailer over the winter.

Scene 2: Try, try again.
Assembled last spring, Noah stepped in, pronounced it worthy of further study and stepped out. Getting him to wear a helmet for longer than three seconds was out of the question. It was an affront to his dignity that I even tried.

No helmet no trailer, soooo no trailer. I, btw, don’t think it’s absolutely necessary for him to wear it in the trailer, but I’m not going to try and explain why “no” in the trailer and “yes” on the trike, or why when we ride on the trail it’s ok, but not when ride on the road. So there.

Winter sets in and still no trailer ride with Noah. We continued to try but he was never interested. Then it got too cold as far as my wife was concerned, so I folded it up and once again, stored it for the winter. The plan became the just-work-the-trailer-into-conversation-about-going-to-the-park-when-the-weather-warms-up type stuff. Parentally sneaky, but isn’t that what parenthood is all about? I think so. (Plus I just received notice that I’m in the running for longest dashed sentence. Rocks.)

Scene 3: Behold the trailer!
In hopeful preparation, a couple weeks ago I rehydrated the trailer, inflated the tires and trailed it behind my bike round and round my short driveway for a mile (no, really, I measured) to make sure everything was ok. Nothing loose, no strange tipping, nor lack of soundness. Cool.

Today, as we prepare for the last couple of days of Passover (and the sad end to my vacation) Lisa needed some time with Noah out from underfoot, and the weather was calling. Taking one from the Better Daddy(tm) playbook, I whip out the ever so casual, maybe I should try and take Noah for a ride in the trailer? (Thus collecting good husband points, good daddy points, and bike time at once. A triple play!) And so we went. He’s been excited lately because the weather warmed up and we’ve been making excursions to various parks (slides, swings, pirate ships, bikes, trikes, outdoors!) and so with his helmet (just like daddy) on his head, his bear in his hand, he buckled up and off we went. First just around the corner to make sure everything was cool from his perspective and then down the block and back and then around the neighboring streets. Only once did he complain about the wind (he’s not a fan), and it was not generated by us, it was a sudden gust.

He did get a little freaked by a passing car—a nice, polite toot, and plenty of clearance on the pass, but stupidly I didn’t warn Noah. He very quietly said “Daddy” and I looked back at him and something had taken the wind out of his sails. I pulled over and he added, “Something’s behind us, Daddy”. I made sure he was OK, explained it was just a car, and that he had a window where he could see out the back if he wished, and we moved on. It took a few minutes, but he was fine. Hopefully we both learned something.

But mostly he was singing, and shouting out directions (“Go this way Daddy!”) and singing some more and enjoying the experience. And since he never seems to want to go home or inside once he starts, suspect there’ll be some nice long rides in our future. Wheee!