Back when I was a kid riding my bike around the block was just about the single most exciting thing I knew of. I would get out there and just ride and ride, going faster and faster all the time. I loved the thrill of the speed, the feeling of the wind on my face, and the exhilaration that comes from racing a friend, the clock, or just my imagination. Riding my bike was a passion, and it wasn’t one that I lost a love for… Until I discovered cars and girls.
I’ll be honest with you, cars and girls ended up being something of a distraction for quite some time, but I promised myself that would all change here in Australia. With the spoils of better weather and motivation to stay in shape I decided to buy a bike and take to the roads with the enthusiasm of my younger self, if not the boundless energy.
I did have a bike back in England, a heavy mountain bike with nobbly tires and a trip computer; evidence of my good intentions at the time of purchase. I didn’t live in the mountains though, nor did I ride it through anything more challenging than the occasional puddle on the street.
I’d bought the bike with the intention of riding to the shops and the beach to watch the occasional sunset now and then, but those rides never quite happened. The trip computer clocked up a grand total of 57 miles, a number that would flash on its little screen every time I moved the bike to hang my washing in the sun room. Each time it would blink a little more faintly, seemingly giving up on me as the battery faded in tandem with my motivation.
I could blame all kinds of factors like the weight of the bike, the gears that needed tuning, or even the unpredictable nature of the British weather that would lead me to elect to take my car rather than run the risk of getting drenched in yet another unforeseen rain storm. Truthfully though, I was just too damn lazy to choose pedalpower over horsepower.
I remember my first bike very well with it’s training wheels and colored tassels at the end of the handle bars. It was blue with a white seat and white tires, very cool long before cool was ever something I cared about or even knew had a word. It was a simple bike, the classic shape. It wasn’t a racer, but that didn’t matter because I was!
Here in Australia cyclists have to wear crash helmets. However, such safety precautions were of no concern back when I was learning to ride my bike without the training wheels. I can still recall the images of my Dad running along with me on the path by the retirement apartments just around the corner from where we lived. We would start by the little park where the swings were and he would run along holding the back of the seat while encouraging me as I pedald.
I remember that was fun, but then he would let go and his voice would quickly be behind me so I would turn around to see where he was then lose my balance and fall off the bike, scraping my hands and arms along the rough surface of the pavement. Many a time I would be in tears saying I didn’t want to ride anymore as he picked me up and told me we would have another go. What’s wrong with my Dad? I would think to myself. How come he had the easy job and I was the one getting all beat up? That didn’t seem right to me.
Of course, in the end I got it. The training wheels came off and the small accidents that happened at slow speeds while I learned how to ride unaided turned into much faster more spectacular accidents as I pushed the limits of my abilities and the boundaries of my belief. Trips to the emergency room were a common occurrence, almost a weekend ritual for a while according to my Mom. I didn’t mind though, as I saw it, if we weren’t supposed to go fast we wouldn’t have invented the wheel in the first place.
So I’ve bought myself a new bike. It’s a locally made ‘Flight’ single speed hybrid in black. I don’t really know much about bikes, but it’s pretty much the bike I envisioned riding here back when living in Melbourne was just a day dream.
When I first got it I couldn’t wait to get on it and go for a ride. I had a smile as bright as a six year olds as I took to the road for the first time. That smile was born of a combination of things. The bike, the summer weather, and the location.
I felt the same as I did when I was got my first racer; a shiny red ten speed kalkhoff with big dynamo lights and a built in wheel lock. Riding this new bike was every bit as great as back then. I was so excited, so utterly bubbling with joy that I let out a whoop. Yeah, I know that’s not entirely cool, it’s certainly not fitting of the hipster mentality within which these bikes are so trendy. But I’m no hipster, nor am I a member of the lycra clad brigade. I’m just a guy on a bike, getting there under my own steam, wherever that might be.
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Scrap bike helmet law says health expert
Your bike is rad
Flight Bikes
Jellybean bikes
Build your own fixie
Wrote the following comment on Jan 29, 2011 at 3:58 pm
nice wheels mate. I think your reminder of the fun that can be had on two wheels has encouraged me to dig my bike out. Nothing quite beats the feeling of flying past the stationary tin boxes in the morning rush hour.
Hope you get more than 57 miles on this one.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 29, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Nice one matey, as you know, I’ve recently become a MAMIL (middle aged man in lycra) and am cycling lands end to John o groats in May. Perhaps we could do a cycling tour when I come over?
I too remember my childhood bikes with affection, my griftet, my commando :-)
You’ll definitely stay trim using your bike, so much more fun than the gym too.
Nice post about finding joy in the simple things.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 29, 2011 at 9:03 pm
Now that you mention it, I kind of recall you had a bike tucked in your place in Liverpool :P
Wrote the following comment on Jan 30, 2011 at 12:10 am
You make me pine for my old Chopper bike. What a bike that was. Of course these days I replaced it with my Ducati 1198 Strada, but even so, my old Chopper was probably my first love even before Kelsi McShannon.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 30, 2011 at 2:48 am
This post reminds me of my old Mongoose BMX. I always fancied myself as a bit of a stunt ride. It wasnt girls or cars that put and end to that but McDonalds. Good luck with your bike though!
Wrote the following comment on Jan 30, 2011 at 10:19 am
Kid on a bike or guy on a bike – you’re a great storyteller! Thanks again Simon.
ps. What a backdrop to your bike photo. I have to say, I did find myself peeking past the bike to look at the boats. :)
Wrote the following comment on Jan 30, 2011 at 10:21 am
@Wilvo
*finding joy in the simple things* I like that Wilvo. He has the knack doesn’t he? :)
Wrote the following comment on Jan 30, 2011 at 11:03 am
He certainly does Paula
Wrote the following comment on Jan 31, 2011 at 8:04 pm
You no longer have the bike from when you were a kid but, because you stopped riding, you still have the chubby cheeks…..fancy a race?
Wrote the following comment on Feb 1, 2011 at 1:48 am
@Garry: You’re a cheeky git you know that! As for a race, sure mate, you come over here and I’ll race you around Albert Park!
@Paula: Thanks for the comment Paula. The backdrop is just a little ways down from St Kilda beach. There’s a boat park (or whatever its called) there. Not bad huh. I’m liking this Australia!
Wrote the following comment on Feb 2, 2011 at 12:09 pm
Simon I know you love your americanizations but I think I’ve spotted a genuine mistake in this post. Surely it should be pedal rather than peddle? :)
Wrote the following comment on Feb 2, 2011 at 1:41 pm
@Garry: It took 11 comments before someone pointed that out! That’s too funny. You know I kinda like the fact that it’s the wrong word, I want to find a way to keep it, but lets be honest as I’m not peddling anything in this post it doesn’t look like a clever title, it looks like a dumb title so as much as I want to keep it, I’ll change it :-)
It’s funny, only the other day I was chatting with someone about how my spelling is poor and how you won’t see that many spelling errors but you will see word errors just like this.
Thanks for pointing it out Garry.
Wrote the following comment on Feb 2, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Hey Simon, nice wheels mate! So tell us, how much did your fixie set you back? Are you planning on customising it?
Hey, you should check out the Little Mule cafe and bike shop in the city. It’s at 19 Somerset Place, near the top of Bourke Street. I have a feeling it’ll be your kind of place. https://www.thelittlemule.com/cafe
Wrote the following comment on Feb 2, 2011 at 7:29 pm
@Matt Allenson: The bike was orginally $399 but in the post xmas sale it was reduced by 20% to a tasty $319 which I was pretty pleased about.
I’m not sure I’ll customize it really. I might get some white tires and some leather handle bar crips, but to be honest I don’t think it’s worth my time and money doing that much to it. But you never know.
I can’t stop creating cool fixie bikes at this site. But in fairness, I think my bike is pretty damn cool, and I’ve got a real buzz out of seeing people admiring it when its locked up on the street.
As for that cafe. Thanks for the headsup. I’ll check it out for sure.
Wrote the following comment on Feb 3, 2011 at 1:39 pm
You’re such a hipster with a fixie! You can’t deny it dude. Even Urban Outfitters are selling fixies. You can log onto their website and build your own fixie.
https://bikes.urbanoutfitters.com/
Wrote the following comment on Feb 3, 2011 at 4:37 pm
Ha! I’ve seen those funny signs in Portland too.
Wrote the following comment on Feb 5, 2011 at 10:03 am
I had to come back to see if you’d changed it!
I also have to admit I reread the entire post just to make sure it wasn’t a clever misspelling based on your salesmanship :)
Wrote the following comment on Feb 7, 2011 at 10:42 am
@Garry: Just so you know, there is a little checkbox under the main comment box that you can click to get followup comments delivered to you by email. Like the email subscription, its spam free and you can unsubscribe easily at any time.
Just tick the box next to the words “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.”
Wrote the following comment on Feb 9, 2011 at 6:56 pm
OUCH!!! So I just had my first wipe-out on the bike! Ironically enough I crashed on the road when my front wheel dipped into a tram track – that’s EXACTLY what the picture at the top of this blog post is warning riders in Portland about!
I’m fine, bike is fine, but the crash helmet really did its job because my head really hit the road hard! Leg is all grazed up, but hey, war wounds have a certain kudos to them ;-)
Wrote the following comment on Feb 21, 2011 at 7:34 am
I say keep the white walls, very retro cool. Also fantastic that you bought it from a local builder. Glad you are okay after the crash.
Always remember, courtesy of one of Jon’s customers, “Helmets are for wusses and Smart People!” :)