When I think back on my childhood, I think a lot about my bikes. I remember having one with a thick pink banana seat and streamers off the handlebars. I got a fancy mountain bike for Christmas in high school. I remember getting on my bike and going in search of the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow on an over-cast day in Provo. I remember pedaling so hard that I had to lift my feet because my legs couldn’t keep up with the pedals. I remember the wind hitting my face and feeling that little bit of freedom, although I’m quite certain my parents gave me more freedom that parents give today. I remember riding with friends from Utah Lake to Bridal Veil falls on a bike with no brakes, which made for a scary ride down; but we loved it.
Fast forward to now. I still love to ride a bike, but I don’t do it often. When my oldest was smaller we got him his first bike. It was a hand-me-down and the training wheels didn’t quite fit so it didn’t always work properly. Apparently, we traumatized him with that. He refused to ride the bike. I’m still not sure if this is because he knew that I really wanted him to ride, so he decided he wasn’t going to ~ you know, power struggles at their finest.
Last year, my tall daughter mastered riding her 12” bike with out training wheels. I was ecstatic. By now, my oldest was riding a 16” bike with out training wheels so we would load our youngest in the trailer and go for bike rides through town. It was such fun.
On a trip last summer, while Bryan was in a conference, the kids and I rented bikes. My oldest rode a bike with hand brakes. My oldest and my daughter rode bikes that fit them – they weren’t too small like the bikes they have at home. My oldest thought it was very cool to ride a bike with hand brakes. Right then, I decided that it was time to get some bigger bikes for the kids for Christmas.
Santa came through and brought them both 20” bikes, which is the perfect size. For my son, a black bike with hand brakes, and for my daughter a blue bike with foot brakes. And for my youngest, a bright red and yellow bike with training wheels.
I had visions of family bike rides to the park. I had visions of my kids begging to go around the block on their bikes together. I thought that maybe they would want to go find that pot of gold somewhere.
Christmas was almost five months ago. My oldest has not been on his bike at all. Not once. Not. One. Single. Time.
My daughter rode her bikes a few times and then realized her older brother wasn’t doing it so she wasn’t either.
My youngest rode his bike around for weeks and then got a little too confident, went down a hill, and crashed. He wont get on it now. {Which part of me can understand, and part of me wonders where I went wrong in the teaching of getting up after a fall.}
It breaks my heart.
Well, that might a little extreme, but it does make me sad. I feel like they are missing out on this piece of childhood all in the name of stubbornness. Or power. Or fear. Can it really be fear? They’ve all done it before. And done it well. With out injury.
Sigh.
What are your favorite memories from bike riding? Do your kids ride bikes? Do you have any advice for me? Should I give up on them and go ride my bike when they aren’t around? Should I bribe them with money? Should I issue a challenge? Why does this bother me so much? Am I crazy?
7 comments:
You should definitely ride. Invite them along, and if they don't want to go then you ride, girl. Ride like the wind!
I have nothing against bribery.
I need to get on the bike again - it's just the whole "warming up the crotch" thing. I hate that part. ;) Jacob wanted nothing last year for his birthday if he could not have a bike. So he got a bike. That, if he got on, he rode about half a mile per hour. He was terrified the wind would tip him down, terrified of riding over slopey driveways, terrified of everything. And for months we nagged him to ride and he wouldn't. All of the sudden this spring, he has taken off. Going fast (as you can with training wheels), and having a blast. It has made me so happy, since riding a bike was such a huge part of my growing up years. In high school, we lived not far (ok, I just googled it - 6.2 miles) from the beach and would ride to the Santa Monica Pier, down to Venice, and home. How I wish I was in shape to do that now!
Go riding if you're feeling the desire. If the kids want to come, great. If not, let them choose and don't cheat yourself out of the joy of it. This may be a phase too. SOmetimes kids are into things, sometimes not. Aspen goes through phases where ALL she wants to do is ride her bike and other times where I can't get her on it if my life depends on it. I think they'll get back into it again at some point.
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I loved riding bikes as a kid too and I still do! I got my bike 3 years ago and I love to go ride. Not often enough with this rainy cold weather but I do love the time I can go.
Bribery is always acceptable.
If you want to ride, ride. Kids or no kids, you have the right to do what makes YOU happy too. :)
I bought my first bike when I was 9, with $40 that I earned myself (it took me a year to earn it). The bike was black and gold, a boys' bike, and I LOVED it. I loved that I was the only girl I knew that didn't ride one of those sissy banana seat bikes (that's the tomboy in me showing through). I would ride my bike for hours, HOURS I tell you! Man, I miss that bike now. :)
As for the kids thing, you're a lot nicer than me. I wouldn't even think of bribing, I just tell my boys, "We're riding bikes today, no questions asked."
Oh I loved this post. I was a mega bike rider when I was little. My favorite Christmases involved bikes. I remember when I got my maroon Malibu Cruiser Dream bike like it happened yesterday.
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