My Name is Ocean

This is my entry into the Sports Backers creative writing contest as part of Bike Walk RVA’s Bike Month, which is celebrated in May. Events were a bit different this year due to the Coronavirus, and this one was a new addition to the program! Word limit was 500, which was challenging! This is my entry, written from the point of view of my bike. I won a Bike Walk RVA t-shirt!

Ocean is what I like to be called. I am an aqua colored an Electra Townie, and I have lived in isolation for a couple of years.  

I remember when my person first got me. We would go on rides with my brother bike Steel and his person pretty frequently. We even took a trip to the High Bridge Trail in Farmville, which was an excellent adventure. But I guess the novelty wore off, and we were put into the little garage where we sat. I’d get to come out and play every now and then, but for many years, I’ve been alone, sitting in the garage. I’ve been freezing cold over the winter and oppressively hot in the summer. But for some reason, my person decided to rescue me from isolation, and we’ve been riding a lot lately.

When she first rescued me from the garage, she took some time to give me a checkup. She cleaned me off, checked my lights, and checked my tire pressure. Getting air put in my tires kind of tickles! But it feels good to have them properly inflated. I noticed that she has a new bike helmet, too!

We’ve been all over town! We’ve explored Old Glen Allen and the Town of Ashland. We’ve seen horses and cows and lots of wildflowers. We’ve had some close calls with cars. We’ve climbed lots of hills. So many hills… and we’ve navigated through some beautiful trails. I like riding the trails. They are kind of bumpy, but fun! We’ve also seen lots of other cyclists on the road.

Sure, I’m not as fast as some of the fancy road bikes who have passed us, but my person likes that I can take her on trails pretty easily because of my fat tires! I heard her talking about some kind of quarantine and that getting outside really helps her feel better. Well, it makes me feel better, too. I’m glad we could help each other.

I really hope she has fallen in love with me all over again. I have missed being on the open road, feeling the wind against my frame, and exploring new places. Maybe she’ll even get a bike rack so we can go on road trips and see even more exciting places! I’m going to do my best to convince her.  I’m just so happy to be out of the garage!

Have any of my bike friends been rescued, too?  I hope to see you on the road soon! Happy riding!

Thanks for reading! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.