Your first Bike

CdrJake

Ok so this thread may have been mooted before, so if it has I apologise.

Your first real bike? Mine came at the age of 10 when my parents presented me with a Raleigh Chopper for my birthday. Surprisingly I was somewhat underwhelmed and was more delighted with the maths set my grandparents had brought me. However when I found out I was allowed to take my bike back to school and that I could ride from my boarding house to lessons I soon discovered the freedom cycling held, especially at weekends when I could cycle from the dorms to rugby and cricket training as well as prep 'the long way around'.

Alas the chopper bike has now gone, but I have graduated over the years to my current steeds a Trek Madone, Kona Jake, Focus Black Forest Pro 09, Focus Cayo Ultegra (The training and every day bike alongside the Jake) and the Brompton.

I do still have the maths set!

itboffin

You know the rules pictures or they don't exist

CdrJake

itboffin wrote:

You know the rules pictures or they don't exist

Oh dear god that involves using more technolgy! I have this bloody iPhone thing that I'm only just getting to grips with, let alone digital cameras and this downloading nonsense.

roger_merriman

My first real bike is a old MTB that was the jump from kids bikes that couldn't handle much to a proper full on bike, it could take on the hills on my door step. The old warrier is now carting my niece around in it's dotage.

PBo

CdrJake wrote:

itboffin wrote:

You know the rules pictures or they don't exist

Oh dear god that involves using more technolgy! I have this bloody iPhone thing that I'm only just getting to grips with, let alone digital cameras and this downloading nonsense.

but you twitter, so we don't believe this faux-luddite pretence!

CdrJake

PBo wrote:

CdrJake wrote:

itboffin wrote:

You know the rules pictures or they don't exist

Oh dear god that involves using more technolgy! I have this bloody iPhone thing that I'm only just getting to grips with, let alone digital cameras and this downloading nonsense.

but you twitter, so we don't believe this faux-luddite pretence!

Believe me I have only just got the hang of the twitter stuff, and that was through tution from NGale (cheaper to send a Twitter DM than to text her, so the tight arse aspect appeals to my wallet)

If I use a computer more than needed, they will start to expect me to use the hell that is CAD at work.

FeynmanC

Sun Solo 5spd, that i upped the spec on when i could afford bits and bobs from pocket money, from about 12yo to 15yo.

Then I got a diamond back BMX with trick pegs when I was 14 and changed the brake levers to something a little more snappy.

Then they both got nicked from my parents garage when I was about 16 and I got an electric guitar with the insurance payout. Girls seemed to find guys in bands more interesting than guys on bikes. :twisted:

itboffin

CdrJake wrote:

PBo wrote:

CdrJake wrote:

itboffin wrote:

You know the rules pictures or they don't exist

Oh dear god that involves using more technolgy! I have this bloody iPhone thing that I'm only just getting to grips with, let alone digital cameras and this downloading nonsense.

but you twitter, so we don't believe this faux-luddite pretence!

Believe me I have only just got the hang of the twitter stuff, and that was through tution from NGale (cheaper to send a Twitter DM than to text her, so the tight ars* aspect appeals to my wallet)

If I use a computer more than needed, they will start to expect me to use the hell that is CAD at work.

Woa! I thought you said CAD...! that's like so 1990s :P

ince

Raleigh Burner in red with yellow pads and tyres. I did have a small red bike prior to the bmx but god only knows what that was. From the burner I went on to a Raleigh Scorpio (I think it was called) with bronze paint work I nicked off my dad. Was way too big, but I managed :P .

Then at 16 I got into motorbikes on the road. I did have a bso from a famous toy store about 10 years ago then the Subway about 4 years ago and I now have the Gt and the Ribble fixed.

facemunk

I was 11 years old and desperate for a Grifter... instead, I got a Raleigh Shopper


with a basket.

CdrJake

itboffin wrote:

CdrJake wrote:

PBo wrote:

CdrJake wrote:

itboffin wrote:

You know the rules pictures or they don't exist

Oh dear god that involves using more technolgy! I have this bloody iPhone thing that I'm only just getting to grips with, let alone digital cameras and this downloading nonsense.

but you twitter, so we don't believe this faux-luddite pretence!

Believe me I have only just got the hang of the twitter stuff, and that was through tution from NGale (cheaper to send a Twitter DM than to text her, so the tight ars* aspect appeals to my wallet)

If I use a computer more than needed, they will start to expect me to use the hell that is CAD at work.

Woa! I thought you said CAD...! that's like so 1990s :P

When it comes to design and planning I am still in the stone age and believe that pencil, paper and a set square are best. I have minions to translate by drawings onto computer.

DevUK

I had my brothers old Raleigh Strika in metallic dirty green. Awesome bike, untill the handlebars fell off, closely followed by me!

I remember flying down my street as a kid, with a damp pavement, and slamming the back pedal brake on. Naturally the next thing to slam was my face into the pavement

Ahh, those were the days

Mr Sworld

Raleigh Commando, a class bike!

itboffin

shouldbeinbed

a Universal Apollo - little red thing when I was 6 or so, I got a gold and blue drop bar one a couple of years later and that was it for me.

they came from Cedar Cycles a big barn place somewhere near Cambridge.

Kazz_uk

Mine was a Raleigh, but i can't remember the name of it, so needing some help
Was in the 90's when i was about 10-15, MTB i think, greenish. The name Gecko springs to mind, but i don't think it was that, any guesses?

Jay dubbleU

No idea what it was but it had a rusty steel frame, Brooks saddle, curved handlebars and no gears - painted it white and bought it new tyres - about 1960 I think

marchant

A Raleigh Chipper for me. BTW, are the cranks in that picture of a Commando at a 90-degree angle?

whyamihere

Raleigh Firefly which I got for my 11th birthday.

jonginge

The first bike I can remember was a Raleigh Tomahawk

My mate had one too. Did we race? I think so. Was very jealous when he got a grifter

Wallace1492

I have no idea the make of my first bike, but it had solid tyres and one of those lever brakes on the front, you know, the sort with no cable. Was a rough ride....

deptfordmarmoset

Jay dubbleU wrote:

No idea what it was but it had a rusty steel frame, Brooks saddle, curved handlebars and no gears - painted it white and bought it new tyres - about 1960 I think

Not quite as long ago as you, I started cycling around the end of the 60s. But I simply can't remember my first bike - they tended to get recycled between friends and passed on from brother to brother so it's all a blur.

The first bike I do remember was a white Youngs bike (they were based in Lewisham, I think, but I'm not sure they still exist). 10 speed with centre-pull brakes (what happened to centre-pull brakes? They were seen as being top of the range back then), it was a pretty good frame. It took me fairly regularly from SE London to the south coast and back on fine-weather Sundays. The most epic ride I did on it was London - Southampton and back, which must have been around 170 miles - and about 14 hours in the saddle. It would have been quicker but I was so knackered on the final 1/4 of the journey that I stopped at just about every transport caff on the way for big mugs of sugary tea. I took the bus to school the next couple of mornings!

soy_sauce

my first bike was a purple BMX with stabilisers when i was 3-5 years old, didn't own any bike since then until i got my current Rockhopper.

PBo

Mr Sworld wrote:

Raleigh Commando, a class bike!

That's an innovative crank alignment!!!

risi

One of these:



A Prophete Sprint.

Must have got that when I was about 12/13 or so (early 80s). I used to cycle along the main Weston-Bristol road to secondary school, on my own, from about 14. I think I still had this when I started university, but I can't for the life of me remember what happened to it when I replaced it with a 1990 Rockhopper.

richor

BMX raleigh burner, one of the blue and yellow jobbers, w/stunt pegs!

MonkeyMonster

After a stunning ice blue metallic tricycle, I graduated to a raleigh budgie - the little brother of the grifter.

Then upgraded to suicidly front braked commando but different to that one before. This came in commando collaring with the biggest saddle you will ever see. You could literaly speed up and do a front flip (safely) the brake was that good.

Followed by a falcon whose name i've forgotten...

secretsam

Raleigh Arena, second hand, bought by my p155ed off step dad, not happy that I learnt to ride (my mate taught me when I was 13)

Think it had been crashed, was a bit wobbly, possibly bent forks

girv73

My first proper bike was a Raleigh Tomahawk, though I had a little trike before that. I've not found any pictures of the Tomahawk, but I do have a video of me on the trike!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HODj1h6FJ4s

lardboy

A Raleigh Milk Race. Not my picture, but it was very much like this one:


I wish I still had it, but I think my parents sold it for about £20 back in 1990, when I got my first motorbike. I was off a bike until 2007, when I got my Subway 1 which lasted about 10 months before upgrade-itis hit.

TommyEss

Raleigh Husky - metallic green, single speed, and square-edged solid rubber tyres - if you balanced it carefully it would stand up on its own.