Melissa's thread on favourite childhood games got me to thinking about my first real bicycle. I had a beat-up tricycle, which I loved. I rode it till I was six, because I had nothing else. I knew how to ride a two-wheeler, having practiced on my sister's bike. But we didn't have much money for extras (something I know now, but didn't really understand or worry about then), so I didn't have my own two-wheeler till about a year after learning to ride one.

One day, I was riding my trike around the dirt parking lot of the church across the street. By this time, the dinged-up trike was quite wobbly and hard to steer, in spite of many meetings with my dad's wrench. Still, I was having fun when my dad came out and called me home. I pedalled over, and found out I was invited to go to the dump with him, one of my favourite outings. There was stagnant water there which made a pond of sorts, and my brother and I used to throw rocks at the bottles floating on the surface. It was a regular environmentalist's nightmare, but fun for us. This time, though, my beloved tricycle was to take up residence there. Dad said it just couldn't be fixed any more, and wasn't safe to ride.

I was a little sober on the way to the dump. We got out, and I can still picture my big, strong dad flinging my tricycle out over the water. I was really sad, wondering what I would do without it. On the way home, however, Dad surprised me by stopping at the used bike shop and we picked out my very first two-wheeler! Oh, I was so proud as I wheeled it out of the shop! I found a new freedom with that bike, going all over the neighbourhood with a speed hitherto unknown.

Years later, my three oldest children scrimped and saved and proudly wheeled their own hard-earned, brand-new bikes out of a shop. There was no match for their smiles, except maybe in the understanding smiles of the grownups watching them as they maybe remembered their own first bikes.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), January 22, 2002

Answers

Cool story, I remember my first bike a little but you talking about your tricycle made me think about the one we have hanging in the barn. It was our daughter's first bike and even though she is 12 and not riding it anymore, I haven't been able to get rid of it. Isn't it silly the things we hold onto?

-- LaDena,Tx9 (littledena77458@yahoo.com), January 22, 2002.

I was raised out in the boonies-----we used our horses everyday for working cattle etc/etc/etc/---can't remember learning to ride--as I was ridind long before I was walking---- so I never had a bike---- My hubby & I now have a 2 seater bike & we go on many bike tours with groups & just take off & ride ourselves---- must say I still prefer a horse!!! ha! But I ride in the back seat & I do the hand signals & I have the horn!!!! Ours is a classic old schwinn-two seater & I swear it cost more than my first P.U. & beat up horse trailor!!!! But we have a lot of fun & it is really good exercise for us!

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), January 23, 2002.

Dah!!!!!!!!!!!! It is either the cold & crud I have or Alzheimers as it was me who posted & for got their name-----but ya all knew it was me any way--didn't ya!!! ???? ha!!!

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), January 23, 2002.

Now I'm really----really crazy---as it did post the first time--- "NEVER MIND"!!!!!

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), January 23, 2002.

I never had a bike, but a friend of mine had plenty of bikes in her family and so I learned to ride one of their's. One of the first things I bought as an adult was my very own bike.

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), January 23, 2002.

It was a brand new, red and white Schwinn bike! My dad came home with it one day for me. It was not a full size bike and was as boy's bicycle but how I loved that bike! I rode it all over our small little town! Daddy bought it for me at a time he was making good money and it is the only brand new bike I ever had and also was my most favorite one! He also gave me a Mickey Mouse watch that same birthday, boy was I rich! Most I ever got for a birthday!

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

Oh......a pink huffy with a banana seat! I rode it on sidewalks that were about 100 yrs old & were crooked from frost heaving & tree roots! One day that caught up with me & I ended up with a big goose egg on my forehead! (No permanent damage - I don't think!) ;)

-- hmm (h.m.metheny@att.net), January 23, 2002.

I saved my money from chopping and picking cotton. Saw my bike in Steven's General Store, and wouldn't take my mother's suggestion to wait until we got into town to look where there were more options. Only bike I ever had. Later I put long handle bars and a banana seat on it. Must have put enough miles on it to go to the moon and back.

-- Randal at home in Brazil (randal@onebox.com), January 23, 2002.

My first bike was a used and worn out red Schwinn. I thought I was living in high cotton when I got my first and only new bike, a medium blue Huffy with a bananna seat and a big, fat rear tire, which was great for skid marks. I then moved up to a bright yellow Huffy ten speed, which I bought used for $35 from my cousin. Like another post listed above, I must have ridden enough miles to go to the moon and back on those bikes...how I miss being that age again.

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.