Flashback Friday #28

Let's go ride a bike.

Many of my faithful readers (both of you) know of my brother Sir Gattabout. They have read of how he scared me, blackmailed me, tricked me, and was generally mean to me. There is one thing he did do to me that I will always be grateful for. He made me learn how to ride a bike. You are probably asking, "How do you make someone learn how to ride a bike?" Let me proceed.

I was sitting in the house one sunny day, reading a comic book (a favorite activity at the time), when my brother walked in the door. He had been out bike riding with his friends, and he came in to get a drink after they had gone home. He looked at me, and said "What are you now, 10, 11? Have you ever learned how to ride a bike yet?" I told him that I had no desire to learn. With that he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me outside to where his bike was parked. "You're going to learn to ride this if it takes all day", he growled .Knowing my brother like I did, I knew that I had better give it the best that I had, or I would be had.

He walked his bike to the back yard and told me to get on. He told me, "I'm going to push, you pedal and steer". We were off. I was pedalling for all I was worth. I turned and asked him how I was doing. Then I realized, he was 20 feet behind me. I panicked and crashed. He ran up to me and hollered, "What did you look back for? You were doing great."

Again we went to the starting position. He said, "Don't look back. I'm going to let go, but if you don't know that I did, you will be fine." With that we pushed off again. A little better. Again. A little better. Again, again, again, and again. Each time a little better.

By the time Mom & Dad got home, I could start off on my own. We brought them to the backyard to watch. Sir Gattabout fairly beamed with pride over his accomplishment.

After Mom & Dad went in the house, he delivered the crushing blow. "Now that you can ride a bike, you better keep your hands off mine." But wait, his was the only bike we had. I learned a new skill, but was prohibited from refining it. It's not fair!

I went into the house dejected. Dad was on the phone and Mom was in the kitchen. When Dad hung up the phone, he asked me if I wanted to go to Columbus with him Saturday to pick out a bike. He had just gotten off the phone with an uncle who was retired and repairing bikes had become his hobby. People would bring him old bikes and parts, and he would refurbish them and sell them cheap to the parents of kids who couldn't afford a new bike.

Saturday couldn't come fast enough. When we got there, I was shown the bike that were restored. A lot of them were girl's bikes (and at that age, any boy riding a girls bike was marked as a sissy). Then I spotted one that I wanted. It was an aqua green metal flake, 20 inch bike with a banana seat. It set us back $15.

When we got home, Mom wanted me to only ride in the yard so I rode only in the yard (when she was home). Every day I was on that bike. Sir Gattabout and I would ride down to "the bridge" (more on that in another post) a half mile away. We would race to see who could get home fastest. (he always won). We even made a bike track in the backyard, so Mom wouldn't know that I was taking my new ride to the streets. A whole new world was opened to me.

One day we were down at the bridge throwing rocks in, when Sir Gattabout looked at his watch. "Oh No! " He exclaimed " I lost track of time and Mom & Dad are probably home by now. With that we hopped on our bikes and roared home. I almost beat him, because I would be in trouble for having my bike out of the yard. We turned the corner, and breathed a sigh of relief. No car in the driveway. As we pulled into the driveway, Mom & Dad pulled in behind us. BUSTED!

I lost my bike for a week for taking it out of the yard. My brother lost his too for encouraging me to do so. However, my parents were impressed with the skill I had shown while they followed us, so my yard boundaries were removed when the grounding was lifted.

I rode that bike ragged for a couple of years. Then one day, Mom and Dad pulled something out of the car trunk. A brand new Huffy BMX bike (I believe it was one of the first). I now had two bikes. I was moving up in the world. Anytime one of Aunt Shelly's kids came over, I had an extra bike, so we could go riding together. Sometimes they would ride double over to my house, and the three of use would ride the neighborhood. Oh the simple pleasures of youth.

Recently at an auction, I bought a 10 speed for $5. It needs a new tube, but I'm hoping, come spring, to relive that part of my childhood again. I haven't ridden a bike in close to 10 years, so I hope that the adage is true. Once you learn, you never forget. Thanks big brother.

Check out the Flashback Friday carnival at My Tiny Kingdom.