Redartz: One thing we all had in common, back in the Bronze Age, was our form of transportation. As kids, and frequently as college students, a bicycle was the cheapest, easiest, and (in my opinion) the most fun means to get from place to place. These two-wheeled wonders were, and are, great exercise and good for the environment. No fuel required, except some generous leg power. And for some of us, that bike in the garage became a close friend (think of Ben Hanscomb's bike "Silver" in the Steven King book "It"). In my case, the bike was almost an extension of my body, especially during the summer months.
In my pre-teen years, this cherry-red beauty was my steed. Very much like a Schwinn Stingray, but not a Shwinn ( I think it was a Huffy).Only one speed, but a hand brake, banana seat and slick rear tire. I loved that bike (and boy, could it pop a wheelie!).
A few years later, in high school and college, a Schwinn 10-speed Continental much like this one was my ride. It got me back and forth across town, to school and back, to driver's education class, down many country roads, and of course to the comic shop. Unfortunately it was stolen, a fate that befell more than one bike in my former possession (still hard to figure how they cut the heavy chain lock when I had parked it in the bike rack outside the local library). For many years after, it was a car or walking. But after parenthood hit, the call of the two-wheeler summoned me once again. I still ride, although not nearly enough...
What got you around town? Do you still ride? Ever ride in a bike-a-thon or race? Were you unfortunate enough to have suffered a crack-up or two (I did, but only needed stitches once)? Share your cycling stories today!
5 comments:
In the late 60s, many a young lad lost his health and his bicycle's health on Pike Street Hill in Gary, Indiana Lol. Just too steep, too quickly for those $50 Schwann banana-seat knockoffs from Sears! And the sissy bar didn't help as you somersaulted, I assure you!
I haven't ridden a bike in years, but I was always on one as a kid. I used to pop a few wheelies on my old bike (with the banana seat) ... in fact, I did so many I wrecked the handlebars! Later I got a Scorpion, which looked cooler but didn't do wheelies quite so easily. It took me a while to get used to the brakes on the handlebars ... I'd always had them on the pedal before.
I seem to have had those exact bikes or close to it. We were always finding old bikes and fixing them and sprucing them up. Definitely had a lot of Schwinns over the years.
I can remember making little ramps or going down near the creek where there were some muddy and bumpy paths. Fun - day after day.
Once we didn’t tighten the front wheel on correctly and after a little wheelie I saw that front tire just roll away and the forks hit and I did quite the somersault. No helmets back in those days - but I could’ve been the poster boy for helmets for sure.
Sometimes cereal would include prize reflectors or flags or clickers for bikes. Those were fun to add. I remember sending away for an orange neon flag on a long whip pole that we hooked to the back of a bike.
Funny how many kids you could get on a stingray. Kid on the handlebars. One behind you on the banana seat. And even one standing on the back lugs.
Good exercise though... I am 100% positive I cannot ride anywhere near as long or as fast as I used to. Those days are gone.
I lived in a small town with very little traffic during the summer, so my friends and I pretty much rode bicycles everywhere we went. We had a community college in town that was relatively deserted during the summer, so we had the run of the place. Back in those days, you'd leave your house on your bike in the morning and stay gone until dark and you never checked in or anything, a concept unheard of today, even in a small town.
I started out on one of the banana seat one speeds, moved to a three speed when I was 10 or 11, and finally inherited my uncle's 10 speed in high school. After I finished school, I rode a lot at night for exercise, but increasing traffic put a stop to that.
I haven't ridden in years, unless you count the stationary variety. 😉
Mike W.- hand brakes were convenient (and seemed pretty advanced at the time). They can be a nuisance to adjust, though. And Scorpion is a terrific name for a bike!
Marti- imagining your wreck makes me wince! Losing the front wheel? That had to hurt. And great reference to those cereal premiums. The clickers were cool, better than sticking the proverbial baseball card between the spokes. Then there was the bike-sized license plates you got from boxes of Honeycombs. Had one on the back of my bike, although it was the wrong state.
Graham- you're right, back then spending the whole day away from home was second nature during long summer vacations. All we had to do was be home for supper. Makes you wonder what we could have accomplished if we'd had smartphones in our grubby little pockets...
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