I’ve always loved a bicycle.. right from the age of 4 when I had my first two wheeler. I wasn’t a sissy I wanted the real thing two wheels, no tricycle for me or so I thought. My Dad rocked up one day with a tiny bike that he refurbished, it was navy blue with thick rubber tyres and a tan coloured seat. I couldn’t wait to jump on and ride, it was the early 60’s so my street was safe to learn to cycle as there weren’t many cars around in those days. So there I was in the middle of the road sitting on my bike, my Dad behind me, then it occurred me , what do I do, how do I get moving with both feet off the floor? My Dad of course had the answer and shouted out “ put your feet on the pedals and ride” came up behind me and pushed to get me going, consequently I fell off and rather upset refusing to try again. A couple days later Dad said “let’s try again I’ve put stabilisers on your bike” that was the business, finally I could cycle , despite that fact I had four wheels instead of two, for the time being any how.

Sadly I can’t recall what happened to that little bike, I guess it got passed on to another learner. 

Despite my constant nagging for another bike, I was without one for quite a few years, then once again my Dad surprised me with yet another refurbished one. A grownup bike, well, certainly bigger than my first one. Racing green in colour with ape hanger handle bars which was the new trend at the time along with pedal back braking… that was the bees knees! Speeding around an empty car park then back peddling the brakes causing the back wheel to stop suddenly which would then make amazing tyre marks on the gravel, very exciting to me! Quite often though I would end up sliding along the gravel as well. 

In 1968, I finally received a brand new bike, the newly designed Raleigh Twenty, that was the ultimate, I was in seventh heaven with that bike, cycling around feeling very trendy with my tiny transistor radio hanging from the handle bars blaring out the hit parade.

I’ve had numerous bicycles since then, for me cycling gives me freedom and solitude to be in my own little world.