First Thing That Comes To Mind When You Think Of Bicycles

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Never learning to ride these flimsy, unsteerable two-wheeled instruments of terror, even though my parents tried to get me to learn and my brother would tease me unmercifully (he could ride a bike no problem). For some bizarre reason no one had heard of a thing called training wheels, and by the time they did, they said I was too old to have them on a bike.

Not being able to figure out how anyone who didn't have the balance of a professional tightrope walker could ride one of these instruments of terror.

And when we were teenagers, my brother once had a bad accident while riding an instrument of terror that was too small for him to ride. His face was badly cut up, and he was in the hospital for several days. It felt kind of weird to be visiting him in the hospital since back then *I* was always in the hospital getting ear surgery.

I like bikes.

I was very sad when my 3-speed bike was stolen when I was 11. I had gotten it for Christmas when I was 9.

It sent me into a pretty deep depression.

All the week-long treks I used to do, sometimes averaging over 100 miles per day. Climbing hills and mountains, and descending at high speeds. Annihilating a buffet after a long, hot day in the saddle.

I'm envious----you deserve the buffets!

I eat the buffets sometimes without exercising.

Maybe that's why I'm getting fat?

racing a classmate to and from an area where we liked to play. Sometimes we swapped bikes.

I appreciate the envy. Many people thought I was crazy. Being able to eat 5,000 or more calories in day, and still lose weight, was a definite perk!

Wobbling, falling, grit in palms, skinned knees, can't ride on sidewalk, crazy reckless drivers, horns honking, exhaust fumes, puddles, potholes, stray dogs, stray cats, gravel, bike path ends- what now?!?, how to hand signal for...?

Being out of breath.

Having a pedal car that I let a boy borrow and I borrowed his blue bike with training wheels. I liked those training wheels and wanted some on mine when I got my own bike, despite not needing them. I just thought they looked cool!

I've never ridden a bike much. I was never into stuff like that & there was never any place for me to ride my bike as a kid besides our yard. My parents live on a major highway with no sidewalks & deep ditches on side the road. Ridding a bike is unsafe around there. I haven't ridden since I was a kid.

I have a Bikee recumbent, it has a soft seat bottom large enough for my ample caboose, and a rear suspension to soak up the abundant bumps and ruts on the country roads I ride on. so when I think of bikes the first thing that comes to mind is that it gotta be a bent bike - recumbent, that is. I also think of the hazards such as sharp things on the ground that puncture tires repeatedly. local yahoo truck drivers who are hostile to 2-wheeling riders on "their" roads. also aware that there are many bicyclists who give the rest of us a bad name by scofflawing road regulations, running lights, ignoring stop signs et al.

What I don't understand is that you need to know the traffic laws to drive legally, you need a license & knowing the rules of the road are very critical to get it. But anyone can ride & bike on the road while knowing nothing about the rules. I think bicyclist should need a license to ride on the road & there should be a test on the rules to get one.

^ You beat me to it