Dear Oscar, Why is there a bicycle in your kitchen? A Concerned Observer

Dear Concerned,

Believe me, I ask myself the same question almost every day. First off, the bike is located directly in the path to my dog dish -- inconvenient to say the least! Secondly, what good does a stationary bike do me? What am I going to do, jog in place alongside my human while she pedals and goes nowhere? As if!

Here's the scoop. Alison is training for an Olympic distance triathlon (see her site). She started mentioning to Mark that she wanted a bike trainer to help prepare for the cycling portion of the Tri. Mark just rolled his eyes: he had once owned a trainer. He spent hundreds on it when he lived in Bolton, rarely used it, then sold it at a loss at a ski swap. "Here we go again," he figured, adding up how much money he was about to throw away on Trainer Number Two.

Then one day, Mark brought me to the Dump. I like the Dump because they always give me dog cookies there. Anyway, after he unloaded our trash and recycling, he glanced inside the "Reuse Room." And what did his wondering eyes behold? Eight tiny reindeer and a bike trainer (the reindeer were part of a Christmas light display)!

So now Ali is riding her bike in the kitchen. (Please note: we actually have two, not one, bike trainer... we have another one on loan now too). It is kind of noisy, and it's not at all like bike-riding outside. Mainly because you don't feel a breeze or see scenery flying past. And you just don't have a yellow puppy bounding alongside you as you pedal.

Ride on,
Oscar