That’s me above, on my fourth birthday. That was my present. I don’t think I’ve ever regarded as fondly any bike I’ve had since. In fact any I’ll own in the future either. Not even a whizz-bang carbon thing or a sophisticated titanium affair or any of that other stuff.
I met a chap at university who had never learnt to ride a bike. I was aghast. It seems unimaginable that riding a bike can be absent from a persons childhood; at times it seems that’s all me and friends ever did. At first we were allowed up to the cobblestones at the end of our street, but no further. But then it became the park, and beyond. We whizzed around in our little gang, exploring the nooks and crannies of the small world around us.
Not much has changed, even as grown ups we want to roam the countryside, be the first up the hill, to find new roads to ride. Only we stop for tea and cake, and our bikes now cost more than our pocket money could ever afford.
They say you never forget your first love – do you remember yours?
IN THE SADDLE 
Of course. It was a bruised and battered blue bike with white tyres and lots of rust: a hand-me-down that had helped my four cousins to learn to ride before it was shipped in a tea-crate for my birthday. No stabilisers.
Unfortunately mine did have stabilisers. And mud guards. I can’t believe I was so uncool even at such a young age. It did have a name though – ‘Buster’.
My first ever bike was red and I think I leant when I was about 7. It wasn’t a Grifter, so I got laughed at. No stabilisers. Nails me.
My first race bike was a red bottom of the range Peugeot Tourmalet. The shop sold my Dad a 24″ when I was about 5’5″ tall, as it was cheap. They said I would grow into it. I still haven’t.
I can honestly say that I can’t remember what my first bike was. However, my first unassisted ride up and down narrow street next to our house will remain with me forever.
I do remember my (first?) BMX bike that I cannibalised by spraying it with various layers of fluo yellow and chrome like paints.
I also remember my first racer. A thing of beauty. a Blue and yellow Gitane bought from the winnings of putting 10 Francs on a horse! I crashed it soon after sprinting head down to my letter box and loosing the front end on loose gravel. I walked up to our house the face bloodied. I still remember the shock on my dad’s face when he saw me. 3 days of hospital later and some impressive wounds. Here went my career as a printer down the drain 😉
My first mountain bike, a mid-range classic steel MTB has been equally memorable. It was bought from the proceeds of my first summer job. The bike is still at my parent’s home and still going strong.
Nic
oops!
printer, sprinter… all the same, right?
The first new bike I ever had was a splendid Raleigh Arena for my 10th birthday in December 1980. I knew I was getting it and could barely contain myself in t days leading up to my birthday. I was SO excited to run downstairs on my birthday morning and find it propped against the wall by the dining table. I rode it proudly for a couple of years until I grew out, during which time I spawned a host of copycats at school – there was a little gang of us riding around Guildford on identical shiny blue 5-speed Arenas for a while. I loved that bike and still remember how proud I was when I managed to pedal cofortably in fifth gear for the first time. Unfortunately, I don’t have a single photograph of my Arena, but I did find this thanks to the magic of the interweb.