Your First Bike? (the pedal kind...)

[jaxthedog]

I fervently believe that the bicycle is the "gateway" vehicle to our affection with our two-wheeled beasts. Christmas rolls around and a stroll about our neighborhood finds lots of tots with new bikes. I wonder how many of them will grow up to enjoy the thrill and beauty of motorcycling.

In the spirit of the holidays, here's my memory of my first two-wheeler.

http://thechurchoftheopenroad.blogsp...o-wheeler.html

Whatever you celebrate over the next week or so, I hope it is happy, peaceful and surrounded with love.

[Bobmws]

My first bike!

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[lkchris]

Yeah, get on a racing-style bike after years and years riding just motorcycles and it will scare the heck out of you. No tires, no suspension, no brakes ... in comparison. I've been hurt way worse in a bicycle crash than any motorcycle incident.

[GILLY]

I came from a large family so we had a lot of hand-me-down garage sale bikes. Single speeds, 2 speeds(that you don't see much anymore) and 3 speeds. This was before you really saw cluster gears much, but I do remember 5 speeds (no multiple sprockets up front).
I remember an old JC Higgins single speed I used on my paper route, no idea where it even came from, just an old derelict single speed boys bike we had hanging around. Put saddle bag baskets on it to haul papers, I worked that thing to death, tires every 6 months or so, a new basket once a year, I'd replace the kickstand once in awhile, but it wouldn't last very long and would break, so ended up just laying it on it's basket after it broke, while I delivered the paper (back in the old days, when you didn't just give the paper a toss, most times it went between the screen door and house door, sometimes in a mailbox).
First new bike I bought (with paper route money) was a Raleigh Record 10 speed in yellow and black, when they were still made in Birmingham, England. Wish I still had it.

[henzilla]

Yeah, get on a racing-style bike after years and years riding just motorcycles and it will scare the heck out of you. No tires, no suspension, no brakes ... in comparison. I've been hurt way worse in a bicycle crash than any motorcycle incident.

You had the wrong bike!
I have had Shimano and now Camagnolo top line stuff and they will stop me in a heartbeat. My missing mountain bike had disc brakes that sent you sailing if mis-applied. It also had dual suspension...which WAS nice.
Now my issue was the standard front brake lever on the left side...I switched mine to be like the m'cycles so I wouldn't do a stoppie or worse an endo!
I have seen a lot of broken collarbones from bicycles...luckily not me!

I had hand me down bikes until I was about 11...got a Stingray that year . Had some heavy duty paper boy bikes as well...had to upgrade the axles to a larger set because I broke them with 200+ papers I tried to carry in one load on Sundays. I left the driveway one day with a full load of Christmas ad papers and the bike stood up on it's tail when I met the road, leaving me hanging in air for a minute...my brother just howled
Had a heavy Raleigh 10 speed in Junior High, then discovered better European machines with Reynolds 531 frames ( go figure) My current 8 year old 18speed is an American Cannondale frame with Italian Campy Record goodies. I was riding it when Helen pulled up on her m'cycle and told me to "get a motor" as she roared off from the light...I met her face to face a few years later and laughed about that encounter.

Back to the OP...ooops
It seems to me young kids do not take to bicycles as we did ...they get pissed and want a Nintendo instead...sadly.

[kantuckid]

My generation- the "war babies", we lived on bikes! My first came from Harding Wheel Co., in Topeka,KS ~ 1950. My Mom & I walked downtown & she bought me a blue, refurbed 26" balloon tire bike for $4. I had to use steps,etc., to get on & off and have been riding bikes & MC's ever since, to include some really neat pedal machines. I rode a nice 10sp to work in the 1960's when it was not so common & a nice Motobecane(I traded leather work to a hippie/head shop/bike shop owner for that bike) to class in the 70's when I returned to college One son raced NCAA road racing in college & oldest still does mtn bike long distance races in his late 30's.

[40401]

No matter what the bike; most of the kids in my circle of friends clipped a playing card to the front fender brace. As they slapped on the spokes our bikes sounded (to us) like real motorbikes. We wore out a lot of cards and probably annoyed a lot of adults.