1st Bikes

I started riding a bike like most kids.  I had a paper route, rode to school, and rode with/for a sense of freedom and independence.  I lived in Columbia which even in the 50’s was a relatively bike friendly town.  With the campus sidewalks and the building of wheelchair ramps the area was an easy place to get around. Drivers were use to pedestrians and bicyclists, and while I probably irritated no small number, they managed to avoid running over me.

Interestingly I bought my first new bike about 6^th grade.  I have the memory of a Western Auto bike, but that would not fit with my family’s frugal nature.  More likely it was from Sears.  I still have that bike.  It started life as a single speed with relatively narrow tires, fenders and a relatively typical gearing.  It was used heavily even when we moved into the country.  When I got my first car, more accurately when my brother got his license it got parked in the barn.  When I got in college I found that I was only using the car to get high in, so I sold it and depended on bikes and walking.  I pulled it out of the barn and added it to my stable of bikes as the junk bike.   I changed the gearing so I could carry heavy loads. I road it on rainy days and when I needed to carry large loads.  I added big baskets and better pedals.  At one point I carried a significant amount of wood, mainly 2X4’s for a building project completely on that bike.  It took  multiple trips (who knew about free delivery….)  At that state the bike was notable for the fact that it did not need to be locked.  It was just such a beaten up and ugly bike at this point, no one would take it.  After graduation I was moving to outstate Missouri and a friend asked for the bike, so I gladly gave it to him.  He made a number of modifications, including wider rims and tires, different hubs, different handle bars.  Interestingly the seat remained the same.  Some years later the friend let me know that he was ready to move the bike on, and wondered if I wanted it back.  So back it came.  It has remained in the stable of bikes (now numbering 6) that I have kept and moved.  Now it has a place in the barn.  Periodically I work it over and ensure it is in ride able condition, but it rarely sees the road any more. Lots of memories….

My brother worked at Walt’s bike shop having.  He was in Walt’s class in high school.  It was a small school so I knew Walt as well.  Through my brothers inspiration I bought several used bikes from Walt.  It rekindled by interest in the bike as a way to have independence and a sense of freedom. The first bike I bought from Walt was a Peugeot, which was my first 10 speed. It was not a fancy bike, probably the bottom of the Peugeot line.   I put a lot of miles on that bike, and developed a taste for long bike rides through the area around Columbia.  I added a small wheeled bike with three speed gearing which I really liked for commuting  (unfortunately I sold that at one point when I was low on cash).  

I had a number of jobs through high school and into college.  College was paid for by working, so a 40+ hour job was a necessity.  An opportunity to work at Walt’s came when my brother quit, moving to another job after marriage and the accompanying responsibilities.  I worked at Walt’s Bike Shop for 3 years and learned a great deal about bikes, mechanics, and got a taste of bike racing and touring.  

I bought a frame from Walt, which I built into a wonderful road bike.  It was from M&M Cycles out of England.  It was a racing frame, but I built it as a touring bike with top grade components and four cross spokes.  It was meant to be virtually indestructible….and proved to be over many thousand miles.  It was my main bike for close to 20 years.  I still have that bike as well.  It now is unrideable because of frame rust, mainly because I used it as a bike on rollers for 10 plus years….sweat is not good for a steel frame.  I liked the stiff short wheel base.  It was not a good bike on rough roads, but I was young.  I managed to attach a variety of bags for touring, and had a variety of different wheels when I wanted to go faster, or was carrying a touring load.   

During marriage and career I rode my bike frequently.  I rode on the road or on rollers several times a week.  It was stress reduction, because it certainly did not reduce my weight.  I rode across the state many times as part of Cycle Across Missouri Parks (CAMP). I was part of Bicycle Across Missouri (BAM) the ultra-marathon qualifier for the Race Across America.  But mainly I just rode on the roads around where I live.

Now after retirement I have ridden the KATY Trail, and put several thousand miles a year on trails and roads around the state.  Bicycling became connected to BBQ when I started to arrange rides so I could ride a number of miles, ending close to a BBQ restaurant that provided post ride sustenance….