Can you remember when, where and what you learnt to ride?

[HorTs]

I can't remember how old I was (I guess around 5 or 6 in '86-'87) but it was on a yellow and chrome BMX type Raleigh bike at a local recreation ground. Though knowing my mum it was any old bike and had a Raleigh badge stuck on.

How about you?

 

[edwardd67]

Learned on a bike my grampa built from a frame he fished out a river.
In fact my first 2 bikes were built by him.
Roughly 1972-73 I was 4 or 5 years old in Robertson Park in Renfrew remember it like it was yesterday.

 

[HorTs]

Learned on a bike my grampa built from a frame he fished out a river.

You've got to love a fished bike.

 

[Fnaar]

Had a yellow 3 wheeler with solid rubber tyres and a girly basket on the front... till aged 5 I graduated to 'the blue bike' which had already belonged to 2 older siblings, had one rod brake and a once-white plastic saddle. and was a rusty heap by the time I got it...I still used to clean it and try to look after it, in my 5 yr old way. I had it for 2 yrs I think, then it went to my younger brother.
I don't think I ever 'learned' to ride as such, and I don't remember stabilisers, it was just that all the kids on our road (there were squillions of us) all used to hang around on bikes most of the time, so you just got on with it.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I went from one of these http://www.tricyclefetish.com/images/research/boyontrike.jpg to a two wheeler without ever having stabilisers. I can remember whacking myself when my dad ran alongside holding the thing then letting go, then all of a sudden i could ride a bike!I was about 30 but he always said that i'd get the hang of it in the end!!

 

[tyred]

I do remember a very ancient Raleigh tricycle that had been passed down through many members of the family. Would have been in the early to mid 1980s. I then graduated to another hand me down, a smaller, cheap copy of the Raleigh Chopper. I'm not sure who made it as it had been painted many times.

 

[Drago]

Early 70's, Willsborough on the edge of Ashford in Kent, Raleigh Chipper.

 

[Saluki]

I had a tricycle. It had a big 'boot' thing at the back, like a bread bin, for carting things around in. It had a solid front wheel with blue leaf shapes from the hub to the tyre (solid tyre at that). The bike itself was dark red.
Later I had a two wheeler made by Raleigh, a blue one, with stabilisers for about a week and then Dad said that stabilisers were stupid and dangerous so I had to learn to balance quickly. The park, so I'm told , is where I learned not to fall off or collide with the swings. I don't remember the park, but I do remember the bike.

 

[accountantpete]

Yes a green BSO bought for Christmas. Every fibre in my brain was telling me that it was impossible to stay upright with two thin wheels but my dad gave me a big push and sheer terror did the rest.

 

[Black Sheep]

a Raleigh 'Bullet' bike, was silver, yellow and red (faded due to being second hand and passed down from my brother)

Learnt to ride on our road / the occasional trip to the shops - dad ran 1/4 mile pretending to hold onto the seat, we got onto our road, he let go, I promptly fell over.

a later attempt at learning to brake (having learnt to ride) I decided that the brake was too complicated and that the back end of a reliant robin (blue) would stop me much more effectively

it did, so effectively that it hurt.

 

[Night Train]

I learnt to ride on a little bike that had stabilisers, solid white rubber tyres an a single rod brake on the front wheel.
I think I was about 5 or 6 years old.
It was sort of like this shape but smaller.

Prior to that I had a tinplate tricycle that had solid steel disc wheels with blue and white painted on spokes.
Like this one.

I also had one of these, I started my obsessions early!

 

[Hugh Jampton]

Raleigh Budgie when I was about 4 or 5

Mine was a turquoise blue

 

[Kiwiavenger]

i first learnt in a park off kellaway avenue in bristol when i was about 10 (ish). was on a steel framed peugeot flat bar bike with knackered derailliers (i took them all off and ran it single speed) had to ditch the bike after a substantial bent frame when i locked the front wheel and threw myself into a lampost! luckily my helmet saved me

little man is currently learning on this

a proper balance bike will be sourced for his birthday as he doesnt bounce on it, just grabs the handles and runs with it!

 

[Svendo]

late 70's, on the drive of Cherry Tree Farm round the corner from my house, Mr. Moore doing the saddle holding duties. Riding a Raleigh Blazer (see avatar).