My First Bike

Okay, I did have a tricycle and a big wheel. My first bike though, one that I waited and longed for, was the red, white, and blue Evil Knievel bicycle. I got it one Christmas morning along with one of those baby dolls that walked (actually she would take two steps and just fall over - 70's technology)

What was your first bike and what did it mean to you? Some people say freedom, and I guess that would be me also. I would say it brought out the daredevil in me and sadly I have lost that fearlessness on the bike somewhat (especially when zooming down hills).

My Christmas mornings were filled with scooters and tricycles and big wheels then on to my Evil Knievel bicycle and finally my first road bike when I was 13. I remember it was icy that year and I waited every day for the ice to melt. I would ride circles in a 10 foot melted patch in the road just waiting to let loose. My teenage years I spent running small errands for my mom on the bike. I would also bike up to the movie theater on Saturdays and then hang out at the library (no bike lock needed). I would speed up and down on airport road while watching small aircraft take off sometimes imagining I lived in a more exotic locale.

Too bad stores aren't selling out of bicycles instead of video games. Too bad we now have stationary bikes for toddlers that are hooked up to the television. Too bad the next generation will be the first to have a shorter life span than their parents.