Who wants abike

[Des Taff Jenkins]

In the TV News the other day, Three hundred and fifty thousand bikes sent to land fill every year, I couldn't believe my ears, as a young six year old the bike my Dad knocked together was my pride and joy which I rode until going to Sea School, to send it to the tip would have been sacrilege, and yet I suppose one shouldn't be surprised with today's waste by parents, children get the message, , I was driving along one of the main roads here in Cooma last year and there was a pile of bikes on the footpath, they had been abandoned by kids.
Weird.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Saw them on the news and could not understand why so many had been dumped.
Council building bike lanes like mad taking half the bloody road over and no one to use it.

[Rodney Mills]

I cobbled a bike together from bits and pieces, the only thing was I could only find the frame from a girl's bike. I convinced my mates who were jeering at it it that it was a dirt bike and great for racing.

I was living in Southend on Sea, Essex and my father lived in Walthamstow in London, about 35miles away. He said he had bought me a bike for my 13th birthday, but I had top come and pick it up and ride it home. Which I did.

I wonder how many parents today would let there 13 year old ride 35 miles on major highways today. I used to cycle to Colchester and back with my mates, carrying tents, poles, food etc. again on major roads, to camp over Sat and Sun in Colchester, about the same distance away and think nothing of it. 70 miles there and back.

I wouldn't have let my sons do it today.

Cheers, Rodney

[Doc Vernon]

Had two Bicycles in my Young Days, the first one was just the Normal everyday sort, but had thicker Tyres than most. This one i used to go on Week End Rides with my mate then Richard in Cape Town. We used to cycle long distances and our favourite route was from where we lived in the Gardens, up towards Kloof Neck Road, through the Table Mountain pass and down towards Camps Bay etc along then to Hout Bay, then on to Simonstown, and then back through the Suburbs . A lovely day out !
The second was a Raleigh Drop Handlebar 3 speed (was in those days a real good un) , this one i used to go to High School each day, riding from then where we lived Woodstock Area, to Cape Town High School. Loved that Bike , it was a lovely Blue . Would never had dreamt of getting rid of the two at at tip! How disgusting! LOL

OH THE CAHNGE IN LIFE!!

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Yes in the old days we could change a Tyre, put the chain back on fix the brakes, I used to carry a little bag wit Tyre patches in it. Our route to the beach used to be via a Polish Spitfire squadrons airfield, set in a steep valley, going at a hundred miles an hour and hoping that no planes where taking off as we shot across the end of the runway.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Had a bike made of odd bits, rode it to do the paper round I had, cycle 15 miles each way to do a small job I had, and my mate and I would cycle from South London down to All Hallows to go camping.

To ride your bike to school you had to do the cycling proficiency test first.
There was a bus strike soi we could not get to school, too far to walk.
So a couple of us rode our bikes to school only to be told we could not do that as we had not done the test.

Well it's like this sir we said, either we ride to school or we do not come at all.
Spent the next six weeks riding to school, no test ever mentioned again.

[Johnny Kieran]

Blimey Rodney! reminds me of doing similar. Old bit's of bike put together was the norm, I don't remember anyone having a "new bike". As kids, we'd ride from Dagenham to Southend, or anywhere else we wanted to be. The roads here are just too busy and dangerous for biking these days.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Had a bike made of odd bits, rode it to do the paper round I had, cycle 15 miles each way to do a small job I had, and my mate and I would cycle from South London down to All Hallows to go camping.

To ride your bike to school you had to do the cycling proficiency test first.
There was a bus strike soi we could not get to school, too far to walk.
So a couple of us rode our bikes to school only to be told we could not do that as we had not done the test.

Well it's like this sir we said, either we ride to school or we do not come at all.
Spent the next six weeks riding to school, no test ever mentioned again.

Hi John.
Glad you where only a little one when you cycled to All Hallows, that's where my wife to be's family used to take her to the beach.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

My mate and his family often went there, they had a big bell tent which held all six of them.

We only used a two man one, and had some great times down there.

[James Curry]

Never had a new bike until I was in my late 40's.
As a kid I got my brothers old bike, who got that bike from my Dad, who got that bike from his brother, who got that bike from his Dad who was my Grand dad.
It started life in the family as being borrowed from Cammel Lairds shipyard
Each of us left our stamp on it I am sure, well apart from my brother who was not interested in anything mechanical.
I was to small for it by the time it got to me. My Dad put two wooden blocks on the pedals so I could ride it.
When starting off I had to push off from the kerb and when stopping again find a kerb. If no kerb , get off the seat , stop and lean the bike well over to the side , failure to do so could lead to crushed nuts.