haydon_peter Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 I watched This Video on Pinkbike earlier and it got me thinking about when I learnt to ride a bike. My parents cannot remember exactly but I know I was a fairly late starter and think I was about 6 or 7 when I learnt to ride a bike. Some friends from up the road had learnt to cycle before me and they gave me a bike that they no longer needed, it was a dark red Raleigh with a fixed gear and solid rubber square profile tyres. I rode it with stabilisers around the garden but was not able to ride without the stabilisers until my parents took me to the old cattle market just down the road. In a large open area of flat concrete with nothing to crash into and a push from my Dad to get me started I was away cycling on my own! Learning to ride a bike has to be the most important thing I have ever done, I have made so many friends and had so many life changing experiences because of cycling and it all started many years ago on a bike that by today's standards was a very basic piece of kit! So, how old were you when you learnt to ride a bike, where did you learn to ride and what was your first bike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewEH1 Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 (edited) I can't remember how old I was, I'm guessing I was around 5-6 years old. It was black and green Raleigh with stabilisers, and I loved it. Luckily in my estate there was a large shared garden so I could ride about without getting in danger. Edited November 14, 2011 by AndrewEH1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Rainbird Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Dad used to race road bikes so I was on all sorts of bikes from a pretty young age. Taught both of my brothers to ride, the fastest method being to duck tape Charlie's hands and feet in place and push him down a hill. Soon learnt to stay upright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I have memories of my mum teaching be actually, in the back of the house. Must have been 4ish, maybe 5. It was a white and blue 'bmx' brand bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 First bike: Raleigh Budgie Yo in a colour not too dissimilar to the Atomic Rust GT Backwoods which was my first 'trials' bike. Check out the fur lined wellies and wooden blocks on the pedals. Haven't changed a bit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD™ Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I learned at 3, with my Dad just raising stabilisers till they weren't doing anything then taking them off. Simples! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muel Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I was 6 before I got the stabalisers off. My Dad chose a slightly different tactic with my brother though, he never put them on in the first place. He was riding shortly after he turned 2. (Before he could speak properly). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss-Higgy Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 My brother and sister ended up getting me riding bikes at the age of about 8-9, and it was more a case of learn to ride without stabilisers or your gonna hit this wall.. I was attached to a bit of rope tied to my sisters bike then taken down a hill! And then down through the underpass. I made it that why bikes don't scare me i guess. God my siblings used to terrorize me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolver Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 First bike, one that had optional stabilisers, was some red and white apollo bike. Think I went for stabilisers, and then one day I said, I'll try it without, and mum or dad gave me a bit of a hand getting started and I was away. My mum tells me I got the hang of it pretty quick, quicker than my brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Dunstan Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 My stabilisers were taken off by my nan when I was 3. I can remember that my bike was red, and that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew62 Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Me old mum taught me. It was a day where we'd set out specifically to learn to ride with stabilizers. It hadn't been the most successful of days and I still couldn't quite do it. As the sun was setting my mum decided to call it a day, and I did the usual 3/4 year old "No, I don't want to, i'm not going home"! She then did the usual parenting response of "Fine, I'm going home anyway, you can join me if you want to", and walked off hoping as a scared child i'd follow her. I did not. I can still distinctly remember the feeling of "I've got to do this now" as in my stupid childish brain I thought it was my last chance ever, and I went for it and wobbled like an absolute bitch, but just held on at which point my mum turned round to see me riding. Then we laughed, we cried and we rode off in to the sunset knowing that life would never be the same again. I may have embellished on the last sentence for dramatic effect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Dunstan Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Me old mum taught me. It was a day where we'd set out specifically to learn to ride with stabilizers. It hadn't been the most successful of days and I still couldn't quite do it. As the sun was setting my mum decided to call it a day, and I did the usual 3/4 year old "No, I don't want to, i'm not going home"! She then did the usual parenting response of "Fine, I'm going home anyway, you can join me if you want to", and walked off hoping as a scared child i'd follow her. I did not. I can still distinctly remember the feeling of "I've got to do this now" as in my stupid childish brain I thought it was my last chance ever, and I went for it and wobbled like an absolute bitch, but just held on at which point my mum turned round to see me riding. Then we laughed, we cried and we rode off in to the sunset knowing that life would never be the same again. I may have embellished on the last sentence for dramatic effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaybs41282 Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Annoyingly... I can't remember! I remember my first mountain bike though, it was a neon green and orange emmelle with pink grips.... Classy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.KYDD Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Raleigh Jungle, aged 4, big hill. Try one, graze knee Try two, sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Quigley Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I started very young. Think at about 5 I was ridding down a hill, one of my earliest memories now that I think of it, and one of my stabalisers fell off, don't think my dad was too great with a spanner. Got home later and just took the other one off myself, I think I had been fairly competent beforehand and the stablisers were just on there for show pretty much. On a related note when I was 3 I had a plastic trike. I was playing in the front garden and decided to go down the sea front on my own (about 1.5 miles away). Came home to find my mum on the phone to the police saying I was missing. Now I don't actually remember doing this but my mum always reminds me of it. Apparently I was very casual about the whole thing and couldn't see why she was upset, obviously I do now. haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeperson45 Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I live in a circular cul-de-sac, so I spent most of my young childhood out on the street with the other neighbourhood kids (sounds pretty gansta). One day it was getting dark and my dad said time to come in and I was all like 'No f***king way, old man.' He said why not and then I was all like 'Got to practice riding my pimpmobile without stabilizers so I get a tonne of woman'. So I practiced for a while and got it. I think I was four at the time. I may have made myself appear more gansta than I actually am in this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Gibbs Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I was four on a red and white Raleigh BMX! My Nan came up to visit us in Scotland she taught me how to ride up the football pitches. Happy times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topsy Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Was around 4, 4 1/2 when i got some sort of mauve bike with yellow forks and a whinnie the poo bell I never really thought I needed to learn to ride withour my stabilizers but after half a year or so my dad took them off for safety reasons. (also broke my collar bone then because they probably hooked into something, no one really knows. At anyrate i was flying..) I only know that wehn I was allowed to ride again my dad as very surprised how well I actually could ride withour the stabilizers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azarathal Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Raleigh Jungle, aged 4, big hill. Try one, graze knee Try two, sorted I loved that bike Think I was about 3ish to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greetings Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 (edited) Since my dad was always heavily involved with making documentaries, I've got my whole early life on film including first attempts at riding a bike. Took my first steps at Wimbledon Park, one of my strongest memories is not knowing how to use brakes or get off the bike once going. Basically I'd keep my feet on the pedals until I crashed into something or went so slowly that I lost balance and toppled over. As of today, I've got that part pretty much dialled. This was my first proper bike, I was almost 6 years old then: It was red, no idea what brand. The 28" bike we still have and I occasionally use it. Edited November 16, 2011 by Greetings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonsieurMonkey Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 I was 3/4, my Dad is very sports sports sports, so it was kinda, ride it or live outside. Anyway, it was a purple Raleigh and I took to it pretty quickly, me and my brother used that bike until we were pretty old as a little stunt bike, perfect for popping wheelies on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aener Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 (edited) I don't know - it was a gradual thing, I think. I remember having stabalizers on my purple Raleigh Bruiser, and I remember not having them on there, but I don't remember taking them off or getting on it for the first time. I only have one memory from before I was five, and this wasn't it, so I'd guess I must've been four. Edit: Can't find any pictures of the actual model, but it was something very like this, with skinnier tubes on the front triangle in a very fetching purple. http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?pc=1&pt=9&pg=5975 (Won't let me use [ img ] and [ / img ] tags "You are not allowed to use that image extension on this board." Edited November 16, 2011 by aener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD™ Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 I'm gonna assume you never had brakes either, because it makes me feel better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davetrials Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 I bust a wheelie on my awesome cycle straight of. 9im also quite drunk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.Wood Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 At 1:35 on a wednesday afternoon, I miss those days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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