Bikes, usually a boys first love. Jack thanks for bringing up the old good memories.
For Christmas when I was about 7 or 8 I got a New 26" Western Auto bike. It had tanks with a horn button on the side, electric lights via a couple of C cell batteries, streamers coming out the handle bars and was about 10 feet taller than me. We lived in the country, the road past our house was gravel. Oh how I ate gravel learning how to ride the bike.
It pretty much sit until the next summer, we went to NW Iowa to visit Dad's parents. He loaded it up in the trunk of his '49 Plymouth for the trip. My grandparents lived in town, sidewalks, Dad pushed me on the sidewalk running along side, my feet barely could reach the pedals. One push we were going much faster than normal, sort of down hill, I yelled at Dad that we were flying, no answer. I looked and Dad was not behind me, I twisted my little neck all the way around, Dad was a 1/2 a block away smiling. All this was etched in my mind, which left me for a moment to write this down. While my mind left me to fend for my self I ran into someones yard and rolled over. Thank god my body protected the bike as it ended up on top of me.
Dad dusted me off, pushed me up the little hill, spun me around and shoved me off again, this time I felt the wind in my face and had a different feeling, I was free and could ride. I rode that bike for quite a few years. Back home in the Ozarks on gravel roads I paid the price for speeding on loose gravel, turning too sharply and several other errors had me scratched up until I mastered it.
Dad would load it up when we went to my Maternal grandparents so I could ride with my cousins. The first time we flat tracked around the old farm house I went wide and pulled away, it was getting dark, I never saw it coming.
Most of you have heard the term, clothes lined. Grandmas darkened copper clothes line hit me at the adams apple, I remember that and the pain. I was out for a little while, when I came to my cousins were in the process of farm boy 1st aid, they were dragging me to the pond to wet me down to wake me up, so they said. I was leading the pack, they saw it happen. They told me I did a back flip and the bike kept going. I hit in a big dusty heap and bounced a few times.
we moved and Dad gave my bike to one of my cousins. I rode my Lil Brothers 24" Western auto to Football preseason for a few years.
Fast forward a few decades, almost 4 to be precise. I had divorced and for some reason had lots of extra energy, I was a single parent, I did the laundry, ironed clothes and vacuumed the house twice a day, yes I did. I had been walking and kept seeing folks ride by on their 10 speed bikes. One day I saw some used bikes for sale in front of the feed and grain store. I bought a Japanese cheap 10 speed and started riding it, I was the in charge for the evening shift, I rode every morning, I kept adding miles, I was in shape and my legs looked like a French bike racers. I was putting the pedals to the metal so to speak one day to see how fast I could go. I broke the chain, foot flew off the pedal and the steel pedal chewed up my rt calf, it was touch and go, I thought I was going to wreck, finally got stopped, pushed the broken bike home the 5 or so miles while blood ran down my calf into my tennis shoe. I took it back to the feed store where I bought it and traded it for a 26" Motebecane delivery bike. It was heavy, had lights front and rear, baskets and looked like french delivery bike in an old movie.
I went to a bike store to look for something better. Egad! Some were priced like a good used car. I was sliding down an isle to calm the sticker shock induced heart pounding and ended up talking to a fella who was quite a bit shorter than me, I was still over 6' 1" at that point, He was a foot shorter. He told me he rode in all the KC charity rides and needed a smaller bike, he was looking at women's or kids small 18 speed road bikes. He said he wanted to sell his big bike. Hmm, how much, what is it and where is it?
It's 5 or 6 blocks from here, it is a Motobecane. I said huh? He said it is a French road racing bike and I'll take $50.
Followed him home, in his garage was an immaculate Black racing bike, 27 or 28" tires, I was hooked. He said he can not longer ride it, when the hundreds of folks at the charity rides all hit a stop light he can't reach the ground and falls over into folks who get ticked off.
I rode that bike for several years daily. My job changed and there were not many places to ride in the next town. I kept it, ended up selling it some years later to a person who knew what it was. He was so happy I figured I sold it too cheap.
Fast forward a few more decades. My wife wanted to ride last summer, bought her a new bike. I gave 10 bucks for a nice Raleigh 10 speed at Salvation Army for me. I rode it quite a bit and should have ridden it more, but spending time on the SW Forum was more fun.
It's tough out there, pedal responsibly.
