The Ride There are many kinds of gifts for Father's Day. A son setting out to help his dad live out an ongoing, if increasingly perilous, dedication to an athletic life may be one of the most loving. BY BRYAN PAIEMENT I WAS APPREHENSIVE when my dad, Pierre, decided that for last Father's Day, he wanted to bike with me from his house on Mud Lick Road in Southwest Roanoke to Fincastle-25 undulating miles. A recent event had rendered him suspect-an outright liar-at least when it came to his heart. It had happened on Mother's Day, when we spent the afternoon at the Peaks of Otter Lodge enjoying their brunch buffet. Everything seemed normal. We sat around the table with my mom and dad and my wife's mother and her grandmother as the waitress asked for our drink orders-lots of sweet tea, and wine for me and my mother. I wasn't surprised by Pierre's decision to pass on alcohol-nine times out of 10 he's on a diet where some life sta- More THEROANOKER.COM MAY/JUNE 2016 | 69http://www.THEROANOKER.COM