snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
I included Camp Zeiss in my summer tour that yearNoodley said:
(not to see Mrs Noodley, just to see the place
)
When, How and Why
- Thread starter cyclenic
- Start date
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(not to see Mrs Noodley, just to see the place)I was shamed into cycling at the age of 9. Had huge difficulty mastering the balance as I am incredibly clumsy. Cycled to school and then, at boarding school, had to cycle to Games every day. Bus fares were so expensive at Uni that I cycled everywhere. Achieved my dream of passign the driving test adn didn't touch the bike much apart from some cycling with the children. Returned to cycling when the children were more self sufficient and didn't need me around in the holidays -about 3 years ago. Just need to confirm first tour with Mr Yoyo of the cities of Belgium.
Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
I was about 4 or 5 years old when I got my first bike. It had stabilisers and a front rod operated brake on solid tyres. The tyres were white with a simple ribbed tread and it was a fixed wheel. The pedal rubbers were white too, I spent a lot of time looking at the pedals and the front tyre trying to coordinate pedalling and steering. The brakes were those ones where, if you sat on the bars when your big brother gave you a lift, the mecanism, would pinch your bum and tear a hole in your shorts when you jumped off in pain. I was only allowed to ride to the end of the road an back so I never learnt to corner, just ride to the dairy, get off and turn the bike around and ride back to the crossing, get off, turn the bike around...
When I was older my Dad took the stabilisers off on one side only so I always fell off on the same knee and elbow. Then he took the other one off to even out the injuries.
By the time I was 10 I had graduated on to a proper sized bike. It had 20" tyres with air in and a 'banana' seat and it had a curvy yellow frame and hi rise bars. It also had three speed hub gears. By the time I had reached 12 I had taken the bike apart and rebuilt it with other bike parts and then I was building bikes from the frame upwards with whatever cast offs I could find and the occasional bought bit. By 14 I was welding up extended frames to make semi recumbent choppers along the lines of motorbike choppers with fat rear tyre, low seat, long forks, hi bars and skinny front wheel.
I would cycle for 10s of miles around London getting praised, laughed at, chased, beaten up, all sorts.
Then I learnt to drive and never touched a bike again for 18 years before I bought my Marin Hawkhill in 2000.
When I was older my Dad took the stabilisers off on one side only so I always fell off on the same knee and elbow. Then he took the other one off to even out the injuries.
By the time I was 10 I had graduated on to a proper sized bike. It had 20" tyres with air in and a 'banana' seat and it had a curvy yellow frame and hi rise bars. It also had three speed hub gears. By the time I had reached 12 I had taken the bike apart and rebuilt it with other bike parts and then I was building bikes from the frame upwards with whatever cast offs I could find and the occasional bought bit. By 14 I was welding up extended frames to make semi recumbent choppers along the lines of motorbike choppers with fat rear tyre, low seat, long forks, hi bars and skinny front wheel.
I would cycle for 10s of miles around London getting praised, laughed at, chased, beaten up, all sorts.
Then I learnt to drive and never touched a bike again for 18 years before I bought my Marin Hawkhill in 2000.
OP
OP
cyclenic
New Member
- Location
- Lovely Devon
ComedyPilot said:
What? Where?
BTW ta for all the replies guy's it's nice to read how you all started
weely
Well-Known Member
- Location
- newcastle upon tyne
I was 7 or 8 when i got my raleigh commando. This was the TOP bike as it had twist grip sturmey archer gears.
next came a raleigh fargo racer bike which i swapped for a Grifter. never done a long ride in all that time but was never off it!
I later swapped this for a 5 geared purple chopper that i got from Hardisty cycles in byker , Newcastle, years before it became the Edinburgh coop.
Cant remember what happened to my chopper but it would be worth a small fortune now.
Oh i got £35 gor my grifter and was the straight swap for the chopper. Later that week they had my grifter on sale for £65! I was gutted!
I probably stopped riding at about 14 and only started again at 35(Im 41 now) but have now got the bug and commute most days (16 mile) And to me it means FREEDOM!
I dont know if its just me but i love extreme weather. This morning was the best -4 and no wind. Perfect conditions.
next came a raleigh fargo racer bike which i swapped for a Grifter. never done a long ride in all that time but was never off it!
I later swapped this for a 5 geared purple chopper that i got from Hardisty cycles in byker , Newcastle, years before it became the Edinburgh coop.
Cant remember what happened to my chopper but it would be worth a small fortune now.
Oh i got £35 gor my grifter and was the straight swap for the chopper. Later that week they had my grifter on sale for £65! I was gutted!
I probably stopped riding at about 14 and only started again at 35(Im 41 now) but have now got the bug and commute most days (16 mile) And to me it means FREEDOM!
I dont know if its just me but i love extreme weather. This morning was the best -4 and no wind. Perfect conditions.
For as long as I can remember I've always had access to bikes to ride. Being youngest of three has it's perks on occasion.
But the recent obsession was a mix of factors.
I had been living in Preston, near the centre, everywhere within either an easy walk, or a short bus trip. Fine.
I split with my partner, and returned to the middlands with family, no money, no car (never learned to drive either) ect.
I needed a project to lift my spirits, and found an old bike that had been just sitting in my parents bike shed for many years, the tires and tubes had gone brittle it had sat for so long.
I fixed her up, and she is now my primary means of transportation.
At first I thought I'd just use my bike for getting into town and out, then I started adding bits, met some people who lived a bit away, and decided I could cycle over, and so I did.
Many good experiences have come from having that bike to get me to and fro.
I'm eternally gratefull to the friend who reminded me of my love of riding.
But the recent obsession was a mix of factors.
I had been living in Preston, near the centre, everywhere within either an easy walk, or a short bus trip. Fine.
I split with my partner, and returned to the middlands with family, no money, no car (never learned to drive either) ect.
I needed a project to lift my spirits, and found an old bike that had been just sitting in my parents bike shed for many years, the tires and tubes had gone brittle it had sat for so long.
I fixed her up, and she is now my primary means of transportation.
At first I thought I'd just use my bike for getting into town and out, then I started adding bits, met some people who lived a bit away, and decided I could cycle over, and so I did.
Many good experiences have come from having that bike to get me to and fro.
I'm eternally gratefull to the friend who reminded me of my love of riding.
Dave5N
Über Member
- Location
- Outside The Little Nibble
Just always.
And forever.
And forever.
Keith Oates
Janner
- Location
- Penarth, Wales
I had my first bike at the age of 4, I couldn't even reach the pedals and so my father made wooden blocks to bolt onto them so that I could sit on the seat and pedal. At age 5 I had my first big 'tumble' and still carry the scar over my left eye. I got my first road bike at about 14years of age and it's been my favorite ever since. I started travelling the world for work reasons and the cycling dropped off to just occasional rides at odd times. I used to keep fit with running as taking shoes and shorts with you are very easy. I then did a lot of Hashing (HHH) all over the world and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. About 15 years ago one of the Hashers in Hong Kong suggested that we did a Hash on MTB's and so I bought one and joined in. However, much as I enjoyed that the urge for a roadie was rekindled and I bought a Giant FCR and joined up with some roadies in HK. Since that time I've been very keen on the roadies and have ridden many, many miles in Asia and the UK.
