Childhood freedom your bike gave you. Your stories....

[steve keay]

Was having a chat with my partner tonight telling her about the freedom my first bike gave me as a child . if I remember I got my first bike around the age of 13 a brand new Royal Enfield Club 5 speed racer. the miles I cycled with my mate on this bike was amazing, From Hyde in Cheshire we cycled everywhere, Jodrell bank nr Macclesfield. Edale, The Blue John Mines, Manchester Airport. working out the rough mileages as we never went the shortest routes we must have cycled between 30 and 60 miles every weekend. miles from home enjoying every mile of freedom. Some days we would get on the canal paths and cycle the whole day.
I never recall any problems I cant even remember having a puncture. we were mad. I remember slip streaming a transit van down a long hill one day and the driver when stopped at the lights at the bottom saying he couldn't believe how quick I was going. When I left school I used to commute a 14 mile round trip to work winning a bet one day that I could get home and back in my lunch hour. Happy days for sure

 

[Gatters]

yep, at 14 years old I cycled hundreds of miles with a schoolfriend of mine, youth hostelling about 60 miles a day, did it two years running,in the school holidays, all pre-booked and homemade panniers made from army/navy stores haver sacks can you imagine letting your 14 year old do that nowadays? It was a long time ago...mungo jerry and chicory tip era

Hyde eh Cec Duckworths

 

[steve keay]

wow Cec Duckworths there's a name from the past . Guess we had the best of times. as you say cant imagine 14 yr old being allowed to do that now.

 

[ufkacbln]

at auctions and then maintained and modified ourselves (anyone else remember "apehangers")

From where we lived was a three mile trip on the Old Ramsey Road to the back of RAF Wyton where we would spend days with a packed lunch watching aircraft (Canberras, Victos, the occasional Vulcan or Lightning)

Or there was a similar trip to se friands at Hemingford Grey and down to swim at Houghton Mill if teh wather was good

Or the longer trip to Earith to see the hovertrain trials




We lived on our bikes!

 

[Saluki]

I used to ride for miles and miles when I was a kid. We would clear off to Gt. Yarmouth for the day, around 23 miles each way on the direct route, which we rarely took. We used to cycle up to Cart Gap at Eccles on Sea often too, about a 50 mile round trip. First I would go on the hated Raleigh Twenty then on the Puch Pacemaker, which was a vast improvement.
In the hols we would be out on our bikes most of the day, as long as we were back by 6pm, our parents didn't overly worry. We had an emergency 2p in case we needed to call for help.

 

[mustang1]

I got my first bike around age 5, a Raleigh budgie. Didn't go anywhere apart from around the block or a couple of my cousin's places who lived nearby. When I was older and got a Raleigh chopper, I went further afield but it wasn't until I got road bike around age 12 or 13that I started venturing out. I recall meeting a couple who were riding drop bar bikes and I asked if I could join them for a short while and they readily agreed.

They asked me where I was going. "Just riding around" I told them. "How about you?" I enquired. They told me they're on a world tour on their bikes and my only thought was why would they say something silly, no one rides those distances on a bike!

Only many years later I found out. I wish I believed them and asked them more questions.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I remember as a 16 year old cycling through the Trough of Bowland, past Lancaster then up to Silloth in Cumbria, We stayed the night at a mates grandparents house then rode back the following day. On looking it up it was a 250 miles journey, but we didn't think about it at the time. If i hadn't had a bike it would've probably meant travelling no further than Blackpool for the annual wakes week holiday.

 

[Simontm]

First time I went to Brighton was on my BMX, I was about 13. Using my inate idiocy, I went down the A3 to Guilford then to Horsham then down to Brighton. I then bunked my way on the train back to Victoria went to Forbidden Planet then cycled home

 

[buggi]

I don't really remember going far on my bike. Just round about the estate. My brother got a bit further... He got to go to A&E a lot on his bike until the docs advised my mum to take his bike off him coz he had reached x-ray max dosage. It's not that he couldn't ride... But coz he was thought he was Lee Majors, The Fall Guy !

 

[raleighnut]

I used to ride miles on my old 3spd clunker and struggle to keep up with the lads on racing bikes, then in 1976 I got my hands on 'The Secret Weapon' my cousin Graham's Carlton Clubman, still got it. and technically it is still his bike.

 

[subaqua]

Freedom my bike gave me was avoiding the bullies on the way home school. I could be home in a couple of minutes and then be back out on bike doing 40 odd miles every night. I was fit , healthy and happyish.

I still go out on the bike if I need to think about problems

 

[Mireystock]

at auctions and then maintained and modified ourselves (anyone else remember "apehangers")

From where we lived was a three mile trip on the Old Ramsey Road to the back of RAF Wyton where we would spend days with a packed lunch watching aircraft (Canberras, Victos, the occasional Vulcan or Lightning)

Or there was a similar trip to se friands at Hemingford Grey and down to swim at Houghton Mill if teh wather was good

Or the longer trip to Earith to see the hovertrain trials




We lived on our bikes!

Apehangers, yes there's a name from the past !

Banana seats anyone ?

 

[Milkfloat]

I once got in trouble for letting off 'bangers' at school floating on the pond. It wasn't because of the noise, disruption of threat to wildlife, it was because the day before I had played hooky, taken my bike and gone to France (from Kent) to purchase the bangers and a flick knife for my mate all whilst telling my parents I was going to be late home be use of the school play. I hope my kids don't follow my ideas of freedom quite so closely.

 

[Katherine]

The freedom that my bike gave me, was freedom of transport. I didn't have to use a bus ( they stopped running at 6 o'clock anyway ) to get around. I cycled to school, college, youth club, evening babysitting etc.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I once got in trouble for letting off 'bangers' at school floating on the pond. It wasn't because of the noise, disruption of threat to wildlife, it was because the day before I had played hooky, taken my bike and gone to France (from Kent) to purchase the bangers and a flick knife for my mate all whilst telling my parents I was going to be late home be use of the school play. I hope my kids don't follow my ideas of freedom quite so closely.

Ah yes, French pétards always created a good deal of excitement.

I did lots of London to the coast and back rides, all on the major roads, armed with just about enough money for a portion of fish and chips on the seafront. Curiously, I don't remember ever going to Brighton - I think I was 60 before I ever did that ride (and took the train back...)