There is something magical about a new set of wheels. Especially in the sunshine on the first real warm day of spring. Some of the riders were experienced cyclists who expertly hopped on the bikes and sped down the hill. Others were more cautious. But they were all trying. They were all out riding.
The one who brought tears to my eyes was an adult wobbling down the sidewalk on a bright yellow mountain bike, trying to figure out gears and brakes and steering. By the time he rode back, a few minutes later, he was looking much steadier and more confident.
I'm not sure who bought bikes that day and who didn't. I do hope that all of those cyclists have some kind of bike to ride in the days and weeks and years to come.
But as magical as a shiny new set of wheels can be, any old bike can still get you where you need to go as long as you can ride it.
Take Jasper's bike, for example. I bought this bright pink beauty at Tim's Used Sports Equipment for him last summer. We had several kids' bikes in the garage that we thought he'd use. But he's got the build of a true hill climber and is quite short for his age. So Anna Sierra's hand-me-down bikes that she was able to ride at his age were too big for wee Jasper.
I remember when we chose this bike the mechanic who helped us asked if we wanted to come back later when there might be another bike in stock that was red or blue or some other 'boy' colour. I didn't. And neither did Jasper. It's a great little bike. It's perfect for him. There's even a "wicker" basket that doubles as a front seat if a stuffie is coming along for the ride. It might have been $20. All that matters is that he hopped on that little bike and sped down the sidewalk, delighted that he finally had a bike he could ride.
Some of my favourite travelling memories are of the days I was able to borrow a bike from a friend or rent a bike from a train station or a hostel and set off on my very own two wheeled adventure. Those bikes didn't fit me perfectly, were often heavy and usually had less gears than I was used to. But you know what, with a little air in their tires, they were bikes I had incredible rides on.
Those borrowed and rented bikes took me around Vancouver Island after a stint tree planting north of Prince George. They took me through narrow laneways and up to a hilltop donkey sanctuary after a sailing adventure in England. And they took me along canals and past fields of flowers in The Netherlands.
In Chandigarh, India, where our family spent a year when I was 15, three super sturdy one-size-doesn't-quite-fit-all Atlas bikes took my brothers and I to school every day.
So to everyone who's in the market for a fabulous spring bike, I wish you well in your search for the perfect bike and hope you have all kinds of great rides with your shiny new wheels. And to everyone who is cruising along on clunkers that they own or that they've borrowed, may you love the ride you're with! Because a set of wheels is a set of wheels.
Happy Spring and Happy Riding!
Want to tell me about the bike of your dreams or the bike you happen to be riding? Write to me, Kathleen Wilker at familiesonbikes [at] momentumplanet dot com.
Latest Comments
Just lovin' all these sweet rides!
Posted by Kathleen April 04, 2011 17:42:52
yeah! for old bikes
Posted by Vicky April 04, 2011 14:37:51
love my clunker
Posted by jenny April 04, 2011 14:15:23
So true
Posted by Darcy April 04, 2011 09:14:17