By Monty Siekerman
A bicycle built for two will probably get you from here to there with half the effort, but for Rob Alexander it also has another positive benefit.

Photo: Rob and his daughter Amelia riding along SR 81. The two were headed home on Monday after Amelia's volleyball camp practice at the school where she will be a sixth grader in the fall.

Rob, who heads the ONU political science department, calls the two-seater bike Tandem Talk Time.

He says the time spent riding together catches him up on his daughters activities, thoughts, and opinions. Parent/child talks are important, he believes.

Not only does a bicycle built for two provide an important parental time, but he relates that his older children find Tandem Talk helpful in getting to know dates.

He said that he and Amelia not only pedal around Ada, but also neighboring towns like Alger and McGuffey to learn about the nearby communities and the county.