I will never forget the day my parents taught me to Bicycling. The training wheels came off as I watched with a certain amount of trepidation, but I was assured that I would shortly be thanking them for that, and just relax and get ready to have more fun than I could imagine! They were right, of course! It was touch and go at first, and there were some scary bits, but then came that “Eureka!” moment when I got it and sped off down that country lane on my own with the wind on my face and a feeling of exultant joy at having mastered another milestone on that mystical journey called ‘growing up’.
How My Dad’s Vintage Bike Inspired My Love of Bicycling?
Now that mystical journey has brought me to yet another milestone, and it’s called ‘kids of my own’. It’s almost as much fun watching them enjoy the same eureka moments I did growing up as it was experiencing them for myself, my own life reflected to me in the looks of joy on their faces. Now that my eldest is getting ready to move from tricycle to training wheels, I find myself remembering my early bikes, and how much I loved them. My favourite was the vintage sky-blue Schwinn Stingray I inherited from my father when I was age 8. It was in near-perfect condition (Dad took care of his toys, a trait he has passed on to me) and riding it to school was like bringing an exotic reptile to show-and-tell pet day! Everyone was jealous! Dad had decorated it with racing stickers to add to the already high cool factor, and taught me how to tuck playing cards into the spokes so they would make a loud clacking noise, reviving an apparently forgotten art as pretty soon all the kids were doing it! I rode the Stingray until I was too big for it, then carefully stored it away until the day I could pass it down to my future kids.
The Importance of Bicycling in a Child’s Life
Bikes are a very important part of a child’s life, they represent an important step towards independence as we realize we can travel a lot more ground at higher speeds than walking, and see new vistas open up before us as we explored on the backs of our two-wheeled chariots. Picking out your child’s first bike is a very important step, so take your time and make sure you get the one that’s just right for them. Once the kids are up on two wheels it’s time to bring back another wonderful childhood memory- family bike excursions!
Best Cycling Routes in Australia for Families
We Australians are blessed with a land of beauty and adventure, here are some of the best cycling routes in the country for you and your family to try! I look forward to seeing my daughter riding proudly ahead of me down a forest trail on her sky-blue Schwinn Stingray whilst I smile with the knowledge that someday she will be me, watching her future child do the very same.
