Bikes are Bikes

I had just turned 5 years old when my dad taught me how to ride a two wheeled bicycle. It was an old rusted hand-me-down from my sister Sandra, originally purchased at a thriftstore. I can picture it as a 1950's style cruiser with a red and white spray paint job my dad did behind our tool shed. I remember the way the over spray of white paint felt on the plastic sun baked grips, all cracked and rigid. Dad really tried to make things appear to be new or better than new when he purchased things from a triftstore. Regardless, it was one of the happiest times in my life for I experienced freedom for the first time.

I was only allowed to ride my bike in my back yard for the first year by myself, but as I gained trust from my mom as a "peddling pro", I slowly rode my way out to the front of my suburban home. Just shortly after, I was riding up and down my street which lead to my friends house a couple of blocks away. By 7 years old I was either on my skateboard or my BMX bicycle on a daily basis. Most kids my age in 1981 were riding bikes and had little to no experience with riding skateboards. So, I was part of a neighborhood BMX gang called "THE GENERAL LEE'S" after the car the Duke boys drove.... Yes, it's true I wanted to change my name to Luke because it was both Star Wars and The Dukes of Hazard related... It just didn't fly with my mom or my first grade teacher...

My BMX bike turned into a road bike in the late 80's then to a mountain bike in the early 90's. Through the 90's I juggled back and forth between a cruiser and my mountain bike. Today I ride a fixed gear conversion. If I had the space I would have as many different bikes as I could store. (Fixed, Track, Mountain, BMX, Cruiser, Road, Vintage, Time Trial, ETC...) Because my personality finds change refreshing and exciting, it would be awesome to be able to have a bike to suit my current moods. When I see a dirt trail, I wish I could tear it up with a mountain bike or a BMX. When I need speed, a geared bike or my fixed gear. When I cruise Critical Mass, a vintage 3 speed or lowrider bike would be sick!

Just like everything else, bike trends come and go. (Riding fixed gear isn't so cool anymore, geared vintage bikes are back! LOOK OUT!!!) That's all fine and dandy, but it's the freedom you feel when riding a bicycle that doesn't change. And that is what I will always love about my bike!

-Danny