First Annual Collins Family Cyclefest 2009!

The title of this post should be read with the same voice and volume that those Monster Truck Rally commercials use because the COLLINS FAMILY CYCLEFEST! ...FEST ...Fest ...fest 2009! was exciting stuff for the Martin family.

Exciting mostly for Emma and David who did the actual cycling, but the boys, Willa, and I had a great time too.

Reuben (co-founder and fellow cycler of the COLLINS FAMILY CYCLEFEST 2009) explained it best in his email:

"This Saturday @ 9:00 AM. Bring yourself, a water bottle, and a bicycle to the Collins household this Saturday (July 11th) for our annual Cyclefest. This year, we will be cycling to Stillwater and back using a combination of urban streets and off-street bike trails, including the Gateway State Trail (always a treat!).
When we get to Stillwater, we will eat lunch at Leo's Grill & Malt Shop (careful not to overstuff or you'll have a miserable ride home...). Then we'll do whatever we want for however long we want (how's THAT for planning, eh?). We can let our overstuffed bellies rest while we stroll main street, take a break, photograph the historic lift bridge, take a swim in the St. Croix, nap, or buy overpriced goods at niche luxury stores!
Total round trip will be about 60 miles. If we maintain a leisurely 12 mph pace, we'll be in Stillwater by 11:30. Lunch & stuff will take until about 1:00 (or until we're bored) and we should be back at my house by 3:30. The route & pace will be geared towards novice cyclists - so don't let inexperience keep you away. Weather forecast for Saturday is 82 degrees and sunny."

I said good bye to Emma and David with many misgivings over my little girl who'd never ridden longer than 5 miles in one go, but they made it downtown without a hitch...
 
Curtis, Emma, and David

The boys, Willa, and I planned to join them in Stillwater with the car at 11:30 for lunch.
Of course things don't always go as planned (especially with the Martins are involved), so we waited for the bikers by "photograph[ing] the historic lift bridge."
 
Taran, Calvin, and Enoch watch the boats sail the St. Criox.

While David changed the blow out on his bike...
 

We got hungry. So we bought some "overpriced goods at niche luxury stores."
 
Willa eats an organic apple in front of the River Market Community Co-Op.

While David changed a flat on Emma's bike...
 

We "stroll[ed] main street" and beyond, and found ourselves a set of stairs that led to another set of stairs. And then another.
 

Finally! They made it!
We overstuffed ourselves at Leo's and then all the Martins and Martin bikes loaded into our van while the other Cyclefestees rode back.
 
Great job Emma!

Thank you Collins Family, see you next year (or next Sunday).