I don’t remember how old I was, but we were still in the house in Laura Lane. I must have been six, then, when I flew down the driveway, did a triple lutz, and landed flat underneath a pile of Huffy. I picked myself up and with all the righteous indignation of Jan Brady vowed I would never again ride a bike. I mean, I really said that. I waved my fist in the air, stomped my way into the house, and over my shoulder tossed at my parents, “I will never ride a bike again!”
I wasn’t surprised to see Mikey take a similar attitude thirty-two years later. He may not have squalled like a bear in a trap the way some people did, but it didn’t take his then six-year-old mind long to conclude bicycle riding is an activity fraught with peril. He tried it; he wasn’t a fan. We decided to give him time. Since I eventually came around, I figured he would, too. I spent my tween years riding bikes (and creating jumps!) with the boys in my neighborhood. Surely Mikey would take a lap or two around the block.
A year came and went with no change in his opinion. He scootered. He folded his legs like a praying mantis into tricycles and Big Wheels. But under no circumstance would he ride his bike. Finally, with a two wheel bike from Santa to Nicholas on the horizon, we decided to push the issue. He pushed back.
“Mikey, I know you. You’re not going to like to see Nicholas riding a two wheel bike while you cruise around on a little kid bike. You’re going to be embarrassed.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t think so. Besides, riding a bike is fun! Don’t you want to come out with me, daddy, and Nico on bike rides? You’ll be stuck at home. Doesn’t sound very fun to me.”
“I’ll ride my scooter.”
“We’ll leave you in the dust.”
The threat of being last place in anything was great enough for him to consider it, and after a minute he struck a bargain.
“Okay, I’ll do it. But the only way I’m going to ride a bike is if Santa brings me knee pads, elbow pads, and gloves.”
Millennium children are so different from children of the 70s. I’m surprised he didn’t ask for a security detail.
In the end, Santa delivered. Mikey rode. With heavy jeans and a long sleeved shirt, of course. He didn’t want to get “road rash.”
Love the victory pose after falling down. :)
I had a similar experience. Fell a lot my first couple of tries and decided no more. It wasn’t until 6th grade when my 5th grade cousin coaxed me into learning that I finally was able to ride a bike.
How great! A whole world opens up in him. It’s almost as good as learning to read.
Smart boy . . . and brave, too. Riding a bike is fraught with peril. The last time I rode a bike I actually ran over my own leg. True story. Sadly, that was but a decade ago. Sigh.
My oldest took 2 years to learn. She actually learned quickly when we took the pedals off so she could learn balance first and then pedaling. Second child might get a bike this summer and we are just going to start with the pedals off this time.
Good for Mikey!
If you want, you can tell him that one of your grown-up readers (me) didn’t learn how to ride a bike till she was ELEVEN years old. My younger brother learned to ride a bike when he was four, when I was six years old. I was still using training wheels, and decided I didn’t even want to do that when my little brother could ride without them. So I stuck to roller skates for years after that. Then one day when I was eleven, I was sitting in the living room watching The Empire Strikes Back and suddenly thought, “I think I’d like to ride a bike now.” I went outside and rode my brother’s dirt bike up and down the street for about ten minutes till I had the hang of it. When my mom came home from work, I informed her that I’d learned to ride a bike and I wanted to go buy a ten-speed now, as she and my dad had promised me they would when I learned to ride. The look on her face was pretty funny.
I wish Sam were a little more aware of the peril that is constantly lurking, but no I am usually running after him with the helmet. Love the last picture. Love.
Hi…I enjoyed your post. Made me think of my red white and blue bike in the 70s.
“I�m surprised he didn�t ask for a security detail.” Awesome.
I fell off of my bike as a kid and really have been afraid to ride one since. Paul keeps threatening to buy one for me. Fool. He obviously hasn’t learned how obstinate I can be.
Thanks, ladies. I’m sorry I’m not more talkative today. Nicholas and I both have fevers. We’ve been snuggling on the sofa listening to music for the last couple hours.
Hi Jules! Hope you had a nice holiday and also Happy New Year! :-) I loved this post so much. Such a determined cutie! I love that last picture, especially. True story. My parents bought me a 10 speed bike I think in junior high (the kind with the curled handlebars; this was the mid-80s after all). I was riding on the sidewalk with a friend behind me and right by the corner (where the street sign was) I turned back towards her (to hear what she was saying) and somehow got the one handlebar hooked on the street sign. Of course, the next thing I knew I was laying sprawled in the side street with my friend laughing so hard she fell off her bike too. Looking back, I’m laughing just thinking about it, but oh how my ego was bruised. And I’m not kidding, I never rode a bike again! Well I would have said that up until September of this year! My husband and I went on our first vacation in 10 years to CA (where we met) and the fancy hotel we were staying at had free bikes to borrow. Somehow (was it the wine the previous night?!) I was convinced to ride the bike (with a helmet, of course) all up and down very high winding and narrow roads (but the views were amazing). And I had fun! My husband took a zillion pictures and in every single one I look like I was just handed a million dollar check. Moral of the story, it’s never too late. How I applaud Mikey (at a significantly younger age then me) to just get up and try again! :-)
DD1 came in the house at the age of 5 and announced the (slightly older) girls next door had taught her to ride on 2 wheels.
3 years later in a different house, we had to leave then 6 year old DS to the primary school teacher who lives opposite to learn. He’d ride with us, but only if we’d push him to start. That get’s pretty old when you’re trying to cook tea and you get the 58th interruption to start him off on his bike again. Thank heavens for nice neighbours! I don’t think she said anything we didn’t, but it obviously sounded better from her!
Hope you’re both feeling better soon.
Love the next to the last picture! Kudos to him for knowing what he needed in order to conquer the bike – some people never learn to identify and then articulate that. Hope you all feel better soon!
Oh my gosh! I’m having the same issue with my daughter. We just bought some new elbow and knee pads today. I don’t even remember owning such things until rollerblading became a thing. I’m hoping the new safety gear and the fact that I now own a bike will help her clear the final hurdle in removing her training wheels.