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08-10-08, 12:48 PM
I hadn't thought of it in years, but when I started reading this forum it reminded me of my first bike. I don't know where my dad found it, but I seem to recall him saying he found it in the trash somewhere. It was yellow and rusty and it had solid rubber tires and the cranks would not stop turning until the rear wheel did. I was about 4 years old and it had no training wheels, and I remember falling and crying and getting so frustrated that I couldn't ride like the older kids could, until finally, after a couple hours of trying and some coaching from Dad, I could actually stay up and ride.
I had that bike for 2 years, and I remember realizing I didn't have real brakes like the other kids. I didn't really go fast enough for it to be a problem, but I could slow down by resisting with my legs. If my feet came off, and the cranks were spinning too fast to get them back on, I'd have to drag my feet, often with the pedals whacking the backs of my legs as I tried to slow down.
Two other things stand out in my memory about that bike. One of my neighbors, a native American kid a few years older than me, used to borrow it and do long skidz, his weight forward over the handle-bars just like I see the fixie riders doing today. I tried to emulate him once and ended up getting thrown off, which was particularly embarrassing and frustrating since it was my bike and not his. Another thing, that bike would absolutely kick my ass when I got a shoelace twisted up in the crank or chainring. I later got a freewheel bike, and I remember being so surprised that I wasn't laying on the pavement and bleeding after getting my shoelace caught.
Anyway, I haven't ridden a fixie since, but I thought I'd share the story of my first bike.
I had that bike for 2 years, and I remember realizing I didn't have real brakes like the other kids. I didn't really go fast enough for it to be a problem, but I could slow down by resisting with my legs. If my feet came off, and the cranks were spinning too fast to get them back on, I'd have to drag my feet, often with the pedals whacking the backs of my legs as I tried to slow down.
Two other things stand out in my memory about that bike. One of my neighbors, a native American kid a few years older than me, used to borrow it and do long skidz, his weight forward over the handle-bars just like I see the fixie riders doing today. I tried to emulate him once and ended up getting thrown off, which was particularly embarrassing and frustrating since it was my bike and not his. Another thing, that bike would absolutely kick my ass when I got a shoelace twisted up in the crank or chainring. I later got a freewheel bike, and I remember being so surprised that I wasn't laying on the pavement and bleeding after getting my shoelace caught.
Anyway, I haven't ridden a fixie since, but I thought I'd share the story of my first bike.