Bicycle Memories . . .

While I've been obsessed with bike shopping I've been reminded of my history with bikes.

I learned how to ride a bike when I was four. My grandpa was a John Deere tractor salesman and we had everything in green and yellow. Little model tractors. Trucker hats. (It was the '70s) Wind breakers. And, my lovely banana seat bicycle.


(This is not my bike but very similar.)

My dad likes to share the story about teaching me how to ride a bike. Like many parents, he taught me how to ride my bike by holding the back of the seat to help me balance and running along side me as I pedaled. I was very nervous about the whole balance thing and kept telling him, "don't let go Daddy. Hold on, Daddy. Don't let go!" Being the sneaky guy that he is, he would get me going and when I had my balance he would let go and run along side me telling me he was still holding on. Eventually, he told me he wasn't holding on and I was riding on my own. I freaked a little but didn't fall and I was off and riding. :-D What a great dad.

When I rode my bike to school in kindergarten they didn't know what to do with me. They didn't have a bike rack for the kindergarteners. Why I couldn't use the bigger kids bike rack I don't know, but that ended my biking to school until I was in first grade. But that didn't stop me from riding all over Morgan Hill.

A year or two after my brother was born Mom and Dad got some ten speeds so that we could go on some family bike rides. I have one clear memory of a ride in Paradise Valley. Dad was riding with C in a kid seat on the back of his bike. C was probably around 2 and was very excited about the bike ride. He got so excited that he started squealing and rocking side-to-side in his seat. Mom and I thought this was pretty funny. Dad not so much.


(Mom and Dad's bikes looked a lot like this.)

When I was about 8 or 9 I decided that I wanted to ride a ten speed. Mom and Dad weren't in a position to buy me a new bike. Somehow I talked Dad into lowering the seat on one of their bikes. I was always a tall kid, but keep in mind that Mom is 5' 10" and Dad is 6' 2". I learned some very creative ways to get on and off that bike and who knows how I reached the pedals. But didn't care I was riding a bike with gears!

I rode those bikes for many years. When we moved to Rio del Mar bike riding wasn't as easy as in Morgan Hill. We lived in a very hilly area, and being fairly lazy, I didn't really want to ride up hills. I do have a brag a bit. My friend A lived down the hill from us and I learned how to ride to her house with no hands the whole way. Oh yeah.

Recently, my BFF reminded me that when she met me she was very impressed at how much I rode a bike. My last big adventure on one of those 10 speeds was the summer of 1983. I was on the Santa Cruz Aquatics Team and we had morning and afternoon practice. Dad would drive me to afternoon practice, but I had to get myself to the morning workouts. I'd take off in my swimsuit and Dolphin shorts for a 5.5 mile ride to practice, work out for an hour or two and ride home. One day I remember I was flirting with Eddie, :-), and crashed my bike into a parked car. D'oh! The bike was fine but I had a nasty bruise on my shin. Anyway, sometime after the summer of ' 83 the trusty 10 speeds were stolen from our carport and that was the end of my riding for 24 years.

But, it seems like I am back. S, my SIL, says I always look so happy on a bike. (Clearly she hasn't seen my face when I'm riding up a hill.) I'm hoping to add to my happy memories of bike riding and make up for those 24 years.

I promise to write about swimming tomorrow.