I think I was about 5 when I got my 3-speed blue banana seat something-or-other, followed a couple years later by a blue, banana seat 5-speed Huffy (with a huge, car style shifter on the top tube...yowch!). But the first bike I really remember with fondness was a red Sears 10-speed I got for Christmas, probably 6th or 7th grade. I remember going out on a snowy day and riding laps up and down the street, trying to find just where the traction ended. I guess I should be doing criteriums or cyclocross now! As I think about it, it sure was nice to not know or care about cycling clothes, components, and heart rate monitors.

It was a red Schwinn Sting Ray with a silver banana seat, the Easy Rider handle bars, and a slick rear tire. COOL! Very cooool.
Of course I painted it blue and trashed it jumping over stuff on home made ramps. Wish I had it in mint condition now.

East German single speed 24" with an 'original' Sachs coaster brake (the factory was in the east). It had 'Made in Germany' written on it (i.e. it was pre-wall).

It had been run over by a tractor and broken in two, then braze welded back together. It lasted for about 18 months and then fell apart in two pieces. This was in 1984.

You'll find pictures of a lot of these old rides in our Vintage Bicycle Picture Database. (over 600 pictures and counting)
It's amazing to see how much style (and weight) went into these old bicycles.

-Vin
Menotomy Vintage Bicycles, Inc.
https://OldRoads.com

ROFL I just picked one up today! September 7, 2005 A Huffy Desert Rose girl's bike!

Does it bring you back?

Black heavy single speed Schwinn... got it in the early 60s. Rode it everywhere.

First "10 speed" was a Nishiki International in the mid 70s... Rode it everywhere. Was simply amazed at the smooth feeling of hard tires on smooth pavement... "smooth as glass" feeling.

My first bike was some 5 speed huffy. It was Neon Yellow. I got it for christmas when I was 7. That's about all I remember.

My first bike in 1947 was a Hercules. It was built in the 1930s and was passed down to me from my elder brother. It had stirrup brakes operated by rods and bellcranks from the handle bar levers. It was a bit big for me so I could only start and stop if I had a curb next to me to put my foot down.

The first time on a bike that I can remember was on a wooden seat facing backwards on the back of my mother's bike. I was 3 yrs old. We were going on the bridge over the river in Totnes, S Devon and my brother and sister were running along behind.

Anybody remember the Huffy Sigma? Not my first bike, but one of my firsts. Gray with big white discs on the wheels. It was truly the bee's knees.

First bike was blue and white 26" wheels, fenders, front brake, front spring, and single speed coaster hub. Not sure of the brand. But from 1954 to 1959, I rode that thing everywhere, including out in the Arizona desert. Delivered papers on it and went out on a couple of camping trips, carrying gear in the paper bags. Think I got hooked on riding about then. Also used to play street polo on bikes and a croquet set. Learned to tolerate road crash from that.

sun

Mine was a red Raleigh, can't remember much about it apart from its stabilisers.