General Cycling Discussion - Age you started riding a bicycle (w/o training wheels)

Hey Everyone,

What age were you (if you can remember) when you rode your bike without help or without training wheels?

I think I was five years old. My family and I were traveling through Spain and we spent the day in a park (I can't remember where). My parents rented my sisters and I some bikes. I was, of course, scared to death. My dad showed me how to do it and how to keep pedaling to keep my balance. Then he had me do it while holding me up. Next thing I knew I was riding and he let go! Wow, what a thrill!! I had never felt so wonderful. I remember the feeling vividly. I felt like I was invincible, I could do anything I wanted, I could go anywhere!!! Within minutes, I was keeping up with my sisters. Time stood still, it felt like we had been there all day!! Recently, my parents told me we rented the bikes for only 1 hour. It's incredible, but I only remember just a few snapshots of that whole trip, but I remember every detail of my first bike ride. I remember the park, the weather, the sounds...everything. That must have been one of the great turning points in my life and probably began my love of the two wheeled machine we call the bicycle.

Lator Gator

I dont remember when I first rode a bike As best as I can remember I've always been riding. Its like I was born with a bicycle attatched to my butt.

cheers :beer:
Snoopy D

I got my fist bike on my fifth birthday, and took the training wheels off the sameday.

I learnt by rolling down the grass slope in our orchard. By the end of the day my legs were covered in bruises.

I took my neice on her first bike ride, but insead of fitting stabilisers, I held the saddle and let her lean into the corners and use her steering.

Im sure stabilisers delay learning and teach bad habits.

BTW, my sister picked the little bike up in France. It has alloy rims, metal ball-bearings in all the right places, and superb little alloy cranks with a nice low bottom bracket. Ive never seen a kids bike this good in the UK.

I actually didn't start riding a bike until 12! I had a very simple childhood in Werris Creek, I just used to walk everywhere. Mind you, a lot of it was spent getting badly beaten in backyard cricket matches!

Chris

Originally posted by Chris L
Mind you, a lot of it was spent getting badly beaten in backyard cricket matches!
Chris

You must have been playing the full-contact version :)

First ride? I can't remember exactly how old I was. I had been riding a friends training-wheel fitted bike for some time prior - I never had my own.

When I finally cracked it I was seven or eight I guess. It was at my Aunt and Uncle's house when I was on holiday there one summer. My cousin did the hold-the-saddle-and-let-go-when-I-wasn't-aware-of-it-thing. I can still remember the feeling when he told me he had let go. After that there was no stopping me. My parents bought me my first true two wheeler shortly afterwards. It never saw training wheels.

I think this was a bit delayed as I really don't think my parents were particularly interested in participating in these things. I am going to make sure that my kids learn these things from me or my wife.

I'll never forget I had a purple Schwinn Pixie with solid rubber wheels.My dad gave me a good shove down the driveway and yelled "Pedal,pedal!".

Don't remember for sure, but I think I was about six. I do remember the bike. Heavy thing that we found in an abandoned tool shed where we were building a house (dad was a designer and general contractor). Brought it home, put new pedals and tires on it, lubed it up. Dad spent a week running along side of me. Let go without telling me. I did great. Next day I got my first road rash as I learned not to pull u-turns in the intersection -- there was a lot of loose gravel where the cars don't drive (OUCH).

So far I've taught three of my children by running alongside of them. The next one gets her bike this Christmas and I'll teach her by taking off the pedals and having her ride hobby horse style for a bit -- I think it will be faster and I'm getting to old for all that running while bent over hanging on to a small bike :)

Kevin S.

My memory is only good for about two years. Except for names. I can only remember names for ,ahhh, I forgot what we were talking about.:confused:

It was the summer that I turned 5, 1970. I was growing up in Middletown Twp, NJ. I had a blue Ross.

An older neighbor boy held the seat as we went up and down the sidewalk from a house or two south of my house. In front of the house next door, he let go and I went. It was great! Then, on my first solo ride, I fell, landing on my face. I ran to the house crying, and my mom put suave and taped a huge pad to my scraped up nose.

I went back out and couldn't be stopped. I rode everywhere - even where I wasn't supposed to.

I never endoed after that, until June, when I hit a sunken water valve hidden by a shadow. I've already well documented that encounter in this forum. :)

Jonathan

Never had training wheels. Don't think they were invented yet.