Mia’s Cycling Adventure

The Girl Wants to Ride

“Dad, I want to ride with you tomorrow,” Mia declared to me as I pumped up the tires on my Divide and readied it for the following day’s cruise out to Chongming Island. Now at the last minute, Mia suddenly expressed an interest in going.

Annie’s family was holding a gathering at a small resort in Dong Ping National Forest Park on Chongming Island, which would be a great time to get a few kilometers on the bike and to see a little of the Shanghai countryside.

In keeping with tradition, there will be plenty of seafood for the eating. Her uncles would insist on drinking a bottle or two of baijiu, a strong Chinese white liquor while proposing numerous toasts to long life, health and happiness. Aunts and uncles would banter the night away remembering older times.

In the evening, Annie and her uncles will play mahjong (an oriental tile game that originated during the Qing dynasty) until wee hours of the morning. The competition will be keen. Like most Chinese, Annie’s family are serious players who take no prisoners. Money is always involved. Chinese rarely play for free. When the sun rises, there will be winners and there will be losers. Fortunately, Annie’s a wicked mahjong player and she’ll be flush.

Annie’s family are great people and the weekend promised to be an exciting time.

A Higher Level of Commitment

“It’s a long ride under an unforgiving sun. The riding will be hot and humid. Are you up for the journey? It’s a pretty big commitment. Once we begin, there’s no turning back, no one to come and get us, to bail us out,” I reply.

“I want to go. I won’t complain, and I’ll make the ride. Can I go?”

“Okay, you’re on. Get your bike ready and start drinking water. You’re going to need it. The forecast says sunny and 40 degrees.”

Annie looked at me with a furrowed brow. Inside, I shared her concern. But how’s a kid going to grow if they never have to face the challenges and a little adversity? The die was cast. We were going to ride.

A Wider Perspective

Getting kids on bikes and out on the road provides them with a wider perspective of the world. Cycling long or short distances is an excellent opportunity to expose young people to the independence travel offers. It affords them the opportunity to experience the world first-hand as it exists, rather than seen through the windshield of a car or the portal of an airplane. Perched on a saddle over the handlebars of a bicycle, kids are directly in and exposed to life while being vulnerable to the environment.

Pedaling along, young people can expand their horizons and experience nature in a novel way. It’s a great opportunity to meet and interact with people other than in their neighborhood. Time spent cycling together is also quality time spent with your kids. It’s a moment in time for them to experience the difference between rewarding and fun activities.

Fun activities are like when you go to the movies and get yourself a large buttered popcorn and a large soda, and then set back and enjoy the show. Moreover, there’s very little input on your part other than sitting and watching.

Rewarding activities require a certain amount of effort, maybe even struggle on your part. It may not be so fun while you’re doing it, but once completed it will bring you a lot of satisfaction for having made the journey.

A Hot and Humid Trek

We quickly realized that riding out of Shanghai and into the countryside during the dog days of summer is an oppressive, sweaty affair. Enduring the 90% humidity and intense heat with the mercury boiling at 38 degree Celsius seemed to be the biggest challenge.

Rolling through the suburbs and outskirts of Shanghai provided us with a chance to see the city from a different point of view. Skyscrapers and elevated thoroughfares casting long shadows gradually gave way to sprawling factories, followed by patchworks of farms, and then agricultural districts.

Continuous and adequate hydration coupled with sufficient protection from the sun was the key to riding in the heat on such a bright sunny day. Drink, drink, drink, or you will drop became the mantra. Dealing with the hot weather became another great teaching point for Mia. Take care of yourself on the road or you will go down.

Slathers of sun block and continually chugging water and juice kept us rolling through the streets and along backroads of suburban Shanghai. Neighborhood after neighborhood revealed the diverse and stratified nature of modern day Shanghai. Under the steel and glass veneer of this contemporary metropolis lay different and distinct classes of people.

Shanghai a place where Maseratis and Lamborghinis coexist on the same streets with humble handcarts and rusty cargo bikes. It’s a city where modern skyscrapers tower over simple shops and noodle stalls. Seeing it all from the seat of a bike is a great way to take it all in.

The midday sun was a hammer, the humidity oppressive, but we kept on rolling along. No longer shaded by the skyscrapers, we often found ourselves seeking out patches of shade along the hedgerows to cycle in at every opportunity.

Quality Time Together

Once we settled into the ride, I passed the navigational over to Mia. It was her turn to set the course and direction of our adventure. Following a quick walk through the Gaia GPS app on my iPhone, Mia was off on point as I struggled to keep up.

At the ferry dock, Mia purchased the tickets and got us on the boat. The ticket agent and docking crew were both impress and pleasantly surprised to hear her rattle off Shanghainese like a native.

Churning along on the ferry with the diesel motor chugging away, we glided steadily across the mighty Yangtze. Resting our arms on the side rails, we watching the muddy brown water slip alongside the hull. Our conversation eventually worked its way around more important things in life, such as friends at school, Mia’s social life, and of course, boys.

Upon rolling off the ferry at Xinhezhen on Chongming Island, Mia and I zigzagged our way through the patchwork of farms and tiny villages, gradually working our way to the hotel. Once at the resort, Mia slugged down a couple bottle of cold water and hit the supine position for an afternoon siesta. I wasn’t far behind her.

Out on the road, we meet new people and had a glimpse of how others live. Occasionally we passed other cyclists who gave us a hearty wave. On the ferry back, we met a young road cyclist named Owen, who was also making a two-day ride to Chongming Island.

Mission Accomplished

Mia rode from doorstep to doorstep and back again without whimpering or complaint. We covered 150 km in all. Rolling the bikes onto the veranda, feeling the air conditioner’s fresh cool air, she was glad to get home but definitely enjoyed making the journey and meeting new people along the way.

Going to the movies and playing video games is fun, but in my humble opinion, going for a ride is much more rewarding and an opportunity to build wonderful memories for the future.

Adventure cycling is a great way to introduce kids to alternative forms traveling. Get your kids out there. Give them a chance to explore.

Get out there and make memories for the future.

Please comment below and let me know what you think. Thank you much.

Cheers, Johnny