My First Set of Wheels

Image from Depositphotos.com

Our Resident Hound asked, “As a kid, did you ride a bicycle? Tell us about the bike, where you rode it, who you rode with, etc. Did you continue riding bikes as a grown-up?”

I had one bike growing up. My parents got it for me when I was in the third grade. It was blue, and it was a basic one with coaster brakes. I had a difficult time learning how to ride it and suffered lots of bruises before I got the hang of it. My family lived in a quiet suburban neighborhood with sidewalks, and my mom was quite protective, so my bike rides were limited to a five-block radius that made up about half of the local elementary school district. A busy road called Division Avenue separated our half from the other half of the district, and it wasn’t until I was in junior high that I was allowed to cross that busy street to visit some of my other school friends.

Riding bikes wasn’t something we did for recreation. Once I learned how, it was simply a mode of transportation to get to a friend’s home. My friends and I didn’t ride bikes together – probably because their moms also didn’t like them going any farther than they could see. I never rode my bike to school – maybe I was afraid of it being stolen, or maybe I had too much stuff and I didn’t have a basket on the bike. Or maybe it was because I had to walk with my little brother. I really don’t remember why, just that my bike stayed home.

I don’t remember riding my bike much after elementary school. Again, I don’t remember why. Maybe I got involved in activities that required transportation to places farther than my parents would allow me to ride. Also, the school district is home to a GM plant and a furniture factory, and road traffic is quite busy at certain times of the day, so maybe that’s another reason bike riding isn’t a preferred mode of transportation. The junior high and high school were about five blocks from my house, in the opposite direction of the elementary school. I do remember there were bike racks at both buildings, and they were always full, so maybe I didn’t want my bike crammed in between others. Plus, the racks were on the opposite side of the building from the crosswalk where I’d go to return home. Maybe I figured that by the time I fought the crowd to get to my bike, got it unlocked, and walked it to the crosswalk, I could be halfway home on foot. Anyway, my bike was largely unused from that time on.

I don’t know when my dad got rid of that bike, but I never really rode again. I bought bikes for my kids and tried to ride them from time to time, but I never learned to use hand brakes. The only pedaling I’ve done since grade school has been in a gym.

Was bike-riding a big part of your youth? If so, do you still ride?