Lean in and let go

you're not in control

I always thought it was a death trap.

Yellow and old with seats side by side, ‘the buddy bike’ sat for years in a dusty corner of the shop.

Ever ridden one?

They’re a tandem bicycle - a bicycle built for two. Only with the buddy bike, the riders sit side by side.

Both riders have pedals and cranks that were connected through a central bottom bracket.

Both have handle bars.

On one side the handle bars control the steering.

On the other side they’re there to give the rider something to hold on to.

And this particular day?

It was a radiant pre-spring Dartmouth day.

It was that day at the end of winter when the sun was out in all its glory. We were wearing t-shirts. Best of all, it was a Friday afternoon.

The mood, was just shy of jubilant. We were popping with giddy excitement.

I always found it alarming. How do you balance that thing?

How do you keep it going?

What happens when you stop?

Pair by pair the crew circled the parking lot.

Finally it was my turn.

“Go with Hank. You two are about the same …