A history of my bikes...

Riding from one end of our great isle to the other is no easy task for a experienced rider, let alone a complete novice like me.

Thinking back over the years, I have always had a bike of one kind or another. I should thank my parents at this point for that. So why haven't I been more involved in cycling before now? It's hard to say really, maybe my bike history can provide the answer?

The very first bike I remember riding was fondly called Budgie by the family, although it was the model name not something I made up. It was made by Raleigh, and was a mini chopper type of bike. (see the photo below – not the actual bike but an exact copy!) I must have been about 4yrs old, the bike was a light blue colour, with stabilisers, and small wheels. It was the same bike both my brothers learnt to ride on. My only real memories of this bike are a photo of my Grandma Jones riding it thru Reading University and the day my dad took the stabilisers off. Pedalling furiously shouting at my dad "Don't let go! Don't let go!" of course he had he was just running alongside to make me think he hadn't! Cruel to be kind eh? Just as well really, if he hadn't let go at that point, he would still be holding the saddle to this day and John O'Groats to Lands End is a long way to run whilst holding the saddle of your kids bike, even for my Dad 

From the Blue Budgie my next bike was a Raleigh Striker in silver grey, with a back pedal brake! Simply brilliant for skidding! But that's another story, for Part 2 of my bike history…

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