Week 17 of 2012 - Pam

NEW BIKE......

There was a new bike in the Smith house, located at 63021 Fritz Drive in Romeo, Michigan.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure which birthday I was celebrating...I am guessing #7 or #8.  I remember waking up and looking out my window and there on the porch was a brand new, 26" Huffy bike.  It was a white paint job with red and blue trim.  AND...if you look in the picture that Jan just posted, that's the bike!  Notice the extra fancy trim on the back..like a little seat or platform.  I'm not sure that's what it was for, but I immediately gave my younger (the less weight the better or it tipped me over) sisters rides. There was no place for your feet and it didn't take long and I had little feet caught in the spokes, screams and sometimes, blood.  I remember racing with the boys on that bike and it took alot of  "ditch shortcuts" as all our yards had a grass ditch between the yard and the road.  With 50 kids in the neighborhood, you could tell where the hang out was by all the bikes gathered in the yard.  I don't know whatever happened to my one and only bike.  I'm sure that with 6 kids, it was well worn and retired. 

My first real two wheel bike experience, however, was several years earlier, in Lapeer, Michigan.  I remember as a 5 year old, riding a bike that belonged to the Hill family from next door.  It was a full size, 26" women's bike and was missing the handle grips.  I couldn't begin to sit on the seat, but if Dad helped me up, I could balance and go until my legs got tired.  However, one day on the corner of Main and Park Streets, I rounded the corner going north, was going too fast and hit the mammoth tree on the corner.  My only lasting scar is the mark that I still have on my right eye....where the sharp handlebar left its mark.  I didn't get stitches...just the good 'ole butterfly bandage once they cleaned up all the blood!

And does anyone remember putting cardboard or "tin foil" on the back wheel with a clothespin....it would flap and make a racket until it softened up and we replaced it and started all over again.  Sometimes...Topps Baseball Cards were used.  They were a perfect shape and thickness...shame on those that used their Mickey Mantle cards that later were worth big bucks.  Not a problem in the Smith house...no boys (at that point)...no baseball cards.  Some kids had bikes with lights, bells and whistles...even mud flaps on the back.  We were doing pretty well if we had tassels that came out of the handle grips.  WOW!

So, bikes were pretty important and a right of passage to be able to balance and steer and discard the training wheels.  Times sure have changed.....