General Cycling Discussion - Do you remember your first Bicycle?

I remember mine. It was a Star Wars Big Wheel. The body was yellow and the wheels were blue with a huge decal of Luke Skywalker and Darth Varder on the front. Those were the days!!

Yes, it was a piece meal bike, red with 20 inch front tire from one bike and the 24 inch rear wheel with coaster brake. Probably formed from my brothers discards since he got a new bike when I got my first bike. His had a light, a horn between the double crossbars, confy seat, streamers in the handlebar grips, boy was his nice and mine was salvage. Still it was great. HAD a red tricycle before that, but you asked about bikes.

Stingray with a spring.First one to get one with a spring.

Originally posted by Brahman Bull
I remember mine. It was a Star Wars Big Wheel.

Wouldn't a Big Wheel be considered a tricycle instead of a bicycle? |8^)

I remember my first bike. It was a blue Columbia cruiser that got stolen a couple of years later when I let my brother ride it to the corner drugstore. It wasn't a great bike but it was the one I got to take the training wheels off of myself.

Ohmygosh!

That was so long ago! I had a no-brand name, Marsha Brady bike with a white straw basket that had a big flower on the front. All you had to do to stop was pedal backwards. It had those high handlebars that were really wide too.

I remember my dad had a Ross bike with a baby seat on it. It was your basic ten-speed bike. When I outgrew my Brady bike, I started riding his. I had no idea about how to change the gears.

Ha!

Koffee

sure do... seems like it was just over a year ago.. wait it was! :)
first bike ever. about 16 months ago now.. beautiful matt black shiny silver and whoooeeeeee i was so fast.. errr when i wasn't falling of course.
had to ride my beauty home in the middle of rush hour traffic.. on clipless pedals? did i ever mention i live right downtown..? :(
lucky for me the traffic was slow and since i hadn't mastered unclipping yet, i just held onto a few cars..lol

my first bike that i have a clear memory of was a sears 10 speed (i think those were made by Schwinn) all the other kids had heavy ass bmx bikes it was great because we all rode on streets or gravel roads anyway so i could go way faster than most of the kids! i went everywhere on that it was light blue and i remember when i got it we weighed some other kids bmx bike and then mine. at 34 whopping lbs it was a whole 15 lbs lighter than his LOL. I learned to patch tires with no help, learned to put a worn out tire inside the new one to stop stickers from getting thru so easy, I learned to adjust gears and brakes with out any manuals or anything. I wish I could find a bike that is so comfortable again so far no luck.

Boy do I remember it was a bright orange Royal Enfield bmx bike that the salesman told my dad was INDESTRUCTIBLE.I guess he hadn't sold to many to rambunctious 6yr olds I think it might have lasted 8months.At that point my dad took the bike back and got me a green raleigh friction shift ten speed.The rest shall we say is history and a true love of ther sport.

Keepem Spinning
Jeff:D

Mine was an original Apple Krate stingray, wish I had it now I guess they're worth a small fortune. I loved that bike, I had my first off road adventures on it....tom

:) It was blue with 16" wheels and very fast.Thats all I can remember.

Little red Huffy tricycle. I still have it in my garage.

Huffy, of course. With a black banana seat.

Mine was nothing special but this got me to thinking about my brothers first bike. It was in about 1980 when we got our bicycles and my brother had this full suspension (just springs), 20" tire bmx bike. Looks like a little motorcycle only without the motor and probably weighs as much as one. Even had both front and rear fenders.

I was searching Google and came across this picture http://www.njbmx.org/images/GOLD_CUP_74.JPG
Looks similar but I havent found a better picture or any description of what the bike is. Anybody know of any good web pages where I might find pics of older full-suspensiln bikes?

Mine was an old stupid looking BMX with training wheels. I was about 4 or 5 at the time, and I never took the training wheels off because my balance was pathetic and I was worried I'd fall. For years after that, I didn't ride at all (can you imagine a bike-less childhood?). Then, in the finest traditions of Aussie mateship, some of my friends at Werris Creek took it upon themselves to teach me how to ride (I was 12 at the time!).

I wonder if they ever realised the monster they were about to create. :eek:

My first bike was a hand-me-down from my elder brothers and sister. It was a black Hercules pre-WW II, and had brakes worked by rods and bell cranks. I couldnt reach the ground and started with one foot on the sidewalk.

Hey Bull!
Me too, my bike was a pre-war black Columbia with a shock aborbing hub in the front wheel. Did you ever see any of those. My feet couldn't touch the ground, the first time I rode it. It weighed a ton. My friends all had shiny red bikes. I was jealous until we started riding off road, in sandlots and across fields. The big fat tires just motored along where they were sliding all over. This was sometime in the middle of the 50's.

A fat tire Schwinn with a no fenders, 24" wheels and a coaster brake and rear hub which only worked "most of the time". I inherited it from my brother and couldn't quite reach the pedals when I sat on the seat for the first year. I rode bare-footed most of my first couple of years in the warm weather and learned to weight the outside pedal in a turn by losing the toe-nails on my inside foot a couple of times. A lesson I remember to this day. Just less than a half-century ago.

Circa 1960ish: A hand-me-down as well. My sister's Schwinn Hollywood, less the fenders and eventually with a bolt-on top tube.

1956 Schwinn Black Phantom, new off the showroom floor. $70 Danged expensive for that year. My father promised me any bike I wanted if I brought home straight A's. Got the A's for that six weeks, got the bike, hated the bike because it was so heavy and the light was always needing batteries, got straight D's the next six weeks. Rode the bike into the ground.

Boy do I remember the first one!

It would have been about 69 or 70 and the bike was an old hand-me-down from some uncle or aunt! It was BIG and red and heavy. My brother and I couldn't even touch the pedals so we pushed it out to a hay field next to the house, climbed up on a bail of hay, pulled the bike along side, climbed on and coasted down a hill just so we could push it back up again!:D Who needs training wheels, we just fell over, knocked off the dust and grass and kept at it untill we where able to keep it upright to the bottom of that hill. I was the first to actually ride the big red bike because I was a year older and mannaged to grow into the pedals sooner. Then my brother got a new 20 inch bike and I kept the big red bike. We rode every where, fields roads and trails. O for those days! ;)

I was six (1973), a light blue, coaster break, 20 inches wheels. No training wheels: my dad was grabbing the seat, keeping me from falling and then, Oh God! Nobody is there! How do I stop this thing?

It was big and really fast (according to my memories of it). Actually, it has been my faster bike ever :)

Oh my gosh! Frightening memory. I learned to ride on my brothers itty-bitty bike, then my parents got one I think made by the LBS guy. No name on it, but a goofy looking bannana seat with a U-loop seat back. Big U handlebars that swept back a couple of inches. Maroon of all colors. Sheet metal fenders that could be heard rattling a mile away. Man was I glad to upgrade to my Huffy (some upgrade) :p

Since about 7 years old, I favored road bikes. My first bike my dad got for me... A ten speed English racer... that is what I asked for. Thanks Dad.. Took me forever to master the thing.. Even with training wheels..

My first bike was a brand new J.C. Higgins, marketed by Sears. This was around 1947. It was a heavy cruiser, with front coil suspension, a front fender light, and a tank horn. My father and I walked two miles to the Sears store one night to buy it. I rode it home, and my poor dad had to walk all the way home. I lived on that bike for about ten years, until I got my drivers license. I lived in New Jersey, and even rode it to New York City one time. Even in high school, I rode it every day. My high school had a huge bike shed out back, which was typically filled with 500+ bikes on any given school day. And not one of them locked! I never heard of any thefts. Wonder where the frame is now?

I may not remember my very first bike, but I do remember my first road bike.
On my 10th birthday, my Pop loaded me into the car and took me for a drive into the city (Chicago). I had no idea where we were going but I knew it had to be something good, since it was my birthday.

We pulled up to a bike shop, went in and I'll never forget what my Dad said to me: "pick one out." I went nuts. I looked at this bike, that bike, I hopped on some but simply said "ooh" and "ah" to others. Finally, I saw the one. It was as if it had been waiting for me to notice her. I pointed and from across the shop I exclaimed, "that one, Dad, I want that one!"

It was a Flandria 4 speed road bike. Red with white tape on the handlebars. It had wing nuts for quick release on the wheels and looked like it would sprout wings if I went fast enough.

I had no idea what it cost and apparently my Pop didn't care because the next thing I was doing was sitting in the back of the station wagon gently stroking the frame while we went home. I remember dreaming about riding it around and showing off my racer to the kids back home that had bmx bikes. I would fly by them, kicking up dust as I zoomed past them down the street.

So what did I end up doing? I showed off all right. The neighborhood kids could only take so much of my taunting, so they challanged me to jump their bmx ramp. I couldn't refuse, so I tool off down the block to gain as much speed as humanly possible.

I jumped the ramp at a high rate of speed and I had a good hang time, from what my brothers told me. You see, when I landed I was still cruising. Wanting to cap of my feat with some panache, I decided I wanted to skid out leaving some rubber on the pavement.

So I pulled hard on the brake levers. So I thought. It turns out I pulled hard only on one: the front. That was the last thing I remember about that incident. The rest of the memory somes from my brothers who were watching from the front yard and couldn't stop laughing.

As expected, I sailed over the front of the bike, which bounced softly into a ditch while I bounced off of the street a few times. I ended up with my first case of road rash, all over my legs, arms, hands, and my face. No I was not wearing a helmet but I was very lucky.

Anyhow, when my brothers tell this story they still get a good laugh out of it, eighteen years later. Me? I sit back, close my eyes, and listen trying to remember that day. All I can come up with is what I said when I took off down the street before the jump: "you guys are gonna see something you haven't seen before." Of course, nowadays they can watch it all they want on Jacka$$.

I still have that bike. It's in my parents' garage begging to be restored.

My First Bike.

I don't remember the brand. The color was red and it was a girls model. But I do remember where I got it. This would be in earlier 1950s. There was a family that lived on our street. The entire family suffered from extremely poor eye sight. The husband was legally blind, wore thickkkkkk glasses and could see only if he held the item within inches of his eyes. But he could build bikes. He would find discarded bikes and rebuild them for his kids and the kids of the neighborhood. He built one for me and little brother. He could pack bearings, fix wheels, and any other thing needing done, mostly by feel.

This story is not about the bike but about the man. Oscar Johnson died last year. But the gathering room at the Funeral Home was packed with those who 50-60 years ago were the recipient of one of Oscar's bikes.

Just ride.

Robert Tankersley;)

My first was a Hot Wheels plastic tricycle. I rode that everywhere.
Then I got a rusty, bright red garage-sale bike with training wheels -- my first "real" bike.
I got my first "gear bike" (multi-speeds) when I was 11.

I remember mine! I think I was 5 years old. It was a hand-me-down from my cousin. It was a little bitty 12" thing that was totally worn out when I got it. Had solid tires that were about half gone. I remember going over to get it. It was hanging up on a nail in my uncle's barn. Took me forever to learn how to ride on the piece of crap.

I remember my first NEW bike too. It was SWEEETTT!!! It had a banana seat and a 3 speed stick shift on the main tube. That stick shift caused me "man" pain more than once. :( OUCH! I got that bike by selling about a gazillion greeting cards to neighbors and relatives. I rememebr seeing an ad on the back of a "Boys Life" magazine. You could win all sorts of cool prizes by selling these cards. Well I saw that bike and I made up my mind that I was gonna get that bad bay....and I did it!!! :D

A very heavy blue Raleigh Fireball in 1985. Sadly it got stolen shortly after I got it. I wonder where it is now.

I never had a bike growing up since my older brother was always favored. I did use his bicycles whenever I got the chance. My father got him a 20 inch three speed and a Ross cruiser. My brother would later purchase a 10 speed Record Ace that was too big and he rarely used so I would ride it to work. In those days, I never wore a helmet and rode at night without lights. It's amazing I didn't get killed. One day I was doored and flew over the handlebars and was taken to the hospital by an ambulance. I was lucky the injuries were not severe. I was so shaken that I would not get back on a bicycle for another 10 years.

Two years ago, I discovered this forum and a site on bike commuting by Paul Dorn. He became my idol. I got the strangest idea at age 33 to purchase my first bicycle. Yes.. It's true. My first bicycle at 33!! I wanted to begin commuting by bicycle but I wanted a folder since my apartment was too small to fit a regular bike. I purchased a Dahon Piccolo 3 speed and still commute with that bike today. It's become my junk folding bike but people think it's new and cool. The reaction I get from riding a 16' wheel folding bicycle is amazing.

I've since moved to a larger apartment and now have another Dahon, Brompton, Bianchi and Van Dessel. In the summer, I'm going to get a Cannondale R1000 for my weekend ride but first I'm going to sell a couple of the other bikes.

The bicycle has changed my life..

Originally posted by Dahon.Steve
I never had a bike growing up since my older brother was always favored.
Okay, which one are you, Tommy? or Dick?


The reaction I get from riding a 16' wheel folding bicycle is amazing.

I should hope a bicyle with a 16 ft. wheel would get amazed reactions ;)

John

Do i remember my first bike???!!! You kiddin?!! It was a moment of my life i'll never forget. Christmas morning, mid 60's.........i wake up and find under the tree a metallic blue Schwinn stingray with a slick on the rear. It was like winning the lottery.......no, much much better than that !! I don't think i ever wanted anything that bad, before or since.

I had trikes and stuff but I guess my first bike was a red coaster bike. I don't recall the make or whether it was new or a hand-me-down.

I don't really remember my bikes that much (my spectacular wrecks, those I remember). I had an old Schwinn ten-speed that I put a lot of miles on in junior and senior high. In the late 70's I got a good deal on a french racer and put a ton of miles on it til about 82 when I totalled it in a collision with a parked car (don't ask ;) ).

Right after that I got stationed in Iceland and by the time I came back I'd turned into a workaholic couch potato. Since then I've been without a bike until this recent purchase of a TREK 7300.

John

Steve: You mentioned a Ross. I'm still riding a Ross road bike, built in 1985. It's heavy, but an excellent bike.

my biking adventure began with a little red diamond back bmx. i rode that thing like the hellion i still am on a mountain bike. we made jumps out of anything we could find. i still feel the excitement i felt back then everytime i through my legs over the saddle and ride. this is what it is all about.

My first bike was a green Supercycle from Canadian Tire, My dad bought it for me because I passed Jr Kindergarten, like anyone could fail that...
He threw out the training wheels, and My Neighbor, Randy Slate taught me to ride the old fasion way. He pushed me down a hill.
Ive recently revisited the hill. Its not a hill! but 31 years ago, boy, was it a steep rise in the park path!

The first bicycle I'd call my own was a Huffy "Dragster". It was a red, 20 inch bike devoid of fenders with a coaster brake AND a front hand brake. It had the original 'straight' style banana seat (versus the 'bucket seat' style that came later) and ape hanger type handle bars (as opposed to the turn down style that came later as well). Like my Spiro Agnew watch, I remember if fondly. It went through many modifications over the years and despite what most of us think about Huffy's today, it served admirably.

I told my Dad that I wanted to deliver newspapers and needed a bike. The next Saturday, he took me to the LBS and we picked out a very heavy used CCM coaster bike which had a large wrought iron basket mounted on the front. I didn't know how to ride a bike, so Dad told me to get on and he would hold the back steady for me on the ride back home. I think he held on for half a block; but I thought he was back there for much longer. Instead he went back to the car and I pedalled home about 2 miles.

I practiced all weekend, and on Monday I began delivering newspapers.

Originally posted by Cadillac
a very heavy used CCM coaster bike which had a large wrought iron basket mounted on the front.

My first bike memory was a ride in the newspaper basket of my brother's bike. I was about 4 at the time, so I guess I fit ok.

My first bike was a maroon "Majestic". I think it was an English bike, I know the training wheels weren't on it for very long. I got it for my 5th or 6th birthday. It came with a racoon tail (very cool in those days) and was cursed with white tires. My friends could all leave lovely skid marks on the sidewalk, but mine were invisible!

My first bike was a red Mattel Varoom stingray bike; does anyone remember those? Yeah baby, it had a "motor" that tried to sound like a motorcycle engine, but of course it failed doing that, but it beat attaching playing cards with clothes pins to the spokes to make noise! But I was an odd lad and felt to old to have a stupid fake motor so I took it off, I was 7(1962) at the time, I also didn't like cartoons either but that's another story. Anyway I quickly learned the art of jumping over things with it because flying was more fun, and my dad was too cheap to buy me an airplane so I had to make do. And for some reason I never crashed doing those jumps, my friends would try to duplicate my stuff and would all crash, that led to some humorous sights. The only time I ever crashed on it was when I made a large jump over a road that crossed a creek that was about 5 feet high (in my case higher was better because that meant more air time), but upon landing the bike came apart in about 5 or 6 pieces. Fortunately a mechanic at a gas station who saw the whole thing and enjoyed it more than I did, was able to put the bike back together again; the cuts and bruises he could not fix.

I had a hand me down little silver bike from my older brother which I rode training wheel free from the age of 5 then my dad ran it over in the driveway I was so gutted I can still remember that sinking feeling I got when he squashed it :-( I do recall a little red three wheeler thing before then when I was about three!!

Then I got a Raleigh shopper (shame) when I was 12 followed by a Halfords best Apollo ATB bike which I crashed into a wall after losing control down a hill I nearly squashed this old lady too at the bottom along with her Yorkshire terrier!!

Finally I got a Raleigh Azure when I was 14 proper first ATB which weighed an absolute ton and a half hence I lost a lot of weight so it did have the desired effect!! I started serious long distance on this bike and ever since that fell apart I have had three Giants mostly Boulder range with upgrade components!!!

Looking back and seeing the bikes we have today what a damn sight of a change!!!

My first bike was when I was in the second grade in Andrews, Texas. We went to the bike shop to get it. I had never ridden a bike before, but it wouldn't fit in the car, so I had to ride it home. My parents drove really slow beside me all the way home from downtown. It was exciting but also a little scary for a six year old! I think it was a blue Schwinn.

I also had an embarrassing moment on that bike. That year in second grade, I had the biggest crush on my Spanish teacher. One day I was riding on my new bike past his house and took a nasty spill. He came out and helped me up, and I was mortified. It did help when he gave me a big hug as I went on my way though!

I told my wife about my first bike and asked her if she remembered her first bike.

She said that when she was five, just before Christmas some 55 years ago, she knelt beside her bed and prayed that God would give her a bike.

Her mother said, "We have no money to get her a bike."

Her father, a pastor of a small church in Revelstoke, BC, answered, "She didn't ask us, she asked God."

On Christmas morning, there was a brand new bike waiting for her.

Apparently some people from a large church sent some extra money for a "gift for the girl" though they knew nothing about her prayer.

My first bike was a hand-me-down from my brother. It was a blue schwinn stingray. My dad had to replace the banana seat with a regular bike seat so it could be lowered enough for me to ride.

A couple years later they bought me my own bike--a girls stringray type bike from a department store. Next was a 10-speed from sears.

In 78 I bought my very first bikestore bike--a centurion omega. I rode it til 95 when hubby bought me a rockhopper. My little rockhopper now has fatboys since I'm on the road much more than the trail.

kari