#93: The Bike Wagon

Summer is in full swing as everyone can tell by the sweltering heat and non-stop Facebook newsfeed updates of albums titled S*u*M*m*E*rrrrrr 2012!!!. Dads around the country are partaking in Dad activities which bring the family together. Whether it is a day at the pool, a baseball game, a trip to Six Flags, or the good ole fashioned road trip, Dad always has something up his sleeve. One of the simplest tactics Dad uses to enjoy some family bonding is the family bike ride, which for children seems like a death march through heat and bugs when there is a perfectly cold living room with a 600 channel TV a mere two miles away. But what does Dad do when the kids are too young to pedal to the zoo and back? He uses the ultimate Dad accessory: The Bike Wagon.

I am not too sure what the Bike Wagon is actually called and I am frankly too lazy to Google it because I am on a roll right now. For those who don’t know, the Bike Wagon is a two wheeled covered seat for two kids that attaches like a trailer to the back of Dad’s bike. Side note, Dad’s bike is almost always a really old “racing bike” where the handlebars curve downwards for aerodynamics Dad never uses. It is always a bike that was top of the line during the Cold War. The wagon gives kids an effortless trip to the ice cream store while Dad sweats through every inch of clothing working literally like a rented mule. Dad likes it because it gives him an extra edge to his “workout” but when he is barely moving the pedals in the lowest gear and still has five miles to the parking lot he realizes how much those toddlers really weigh. No wonder every Dad has “Dad Strength”, they train when we aren’t aware so they can be in peak physical condition.

The mark of a true Dad in the summer can be shown with the Bike Wagon. No one drags a wagon around just for fun, and you can bet the older son or mom won’t be pulling around the little kiddos. As the caravan moves on, Dad is always bringing up the rear with the wagon in tow. Let’s just hope he doesn’t pass out on the bike trail from exhaustion. He deserves a cold beer after the voyage is complete.