I have a new boyfriend, his name is Fred.

Tonight Nick and I went to look at a racing bike. It was pretty easy to find one for Nick as he is of average height but a bit more of a challenge for me. I am petite in Canada and in the Netherlands I am a little person. Dutch children come out of the womb larger then me! As a result, finding a used bike seemed like an impossible undertaking. So, with a limited budget and a miniature wife Nick has made it his mission to find me a bike :)

This past weekend I went for a 1hr 45min run in preparation for the half marathon and Nick came along on his new road bike to keep me company. On the run we had the opportunity to see some of the beautiful and extensive network of bike paths. From Maastricht we can bike to Belgium, to Germany and all the way across the Netherlands. After the run Nick came home and continued on the search for a bike for me. He stumbled across a website advertising all kinds of used bikes in a variety of sizes 44 and 46-cm and only 10-min from our house www.fredrompelberg.com. Nick did further investigation and found out that the man who owns the business, Fred Rompelberg, is a local legend. He holds the Guiness World Record for cycling at a speed of 268 km/hr. Nick made an appointment for us to go see the bikes tonight after work. When I rang the doorbell Tiny came to the door with a big smile, this is Fred's wife - a very tall, slim, and strong looking women, then Fred came to the door. He reminded me of Robert Redford for some reason. He is a 65-year old man with a zest for life like I've never seen and his wife was the sweetest lady. She repeatedly asked us if we wanted coffee and vlaai (amazing dutch desert). They adjusted the bike and made it a perfect fit for "my small but mighty frame" as Fred said. He proceeded to tell me to become one with the bike. I loved it! Nick and I had a wonderful time. Fred's wife took pictures of us with the bike and with Fred. They gave us; energy bars, signed water bottles, signed photos, magazines, and bags. Needless to say we bought a road bike and I have a new boyfriend, his name is Fred :) Did I mention I named my new bike Fred?? Kind of cute isn't he?