A nice moment

essex-commuter

Commuting home last night, stopped at a set of traffic lights, man walking along pavement with his son who was on his bike, the boy was about 7 years old.

Boy stops alongside me (other side of the railings that I was holding onto) and starts a conversation....

Boy "Do you like riding bikes"
Me "Yes I love it, do you"
Boy "Yes, do you like my bike, it's 3 days old"
Me "It's a great bike, one of the best I've ever seen"
Boy ....no words, just a great big grin across his face!

Lights changed and I rode off with a wave...and a grin on my face too. Lovely.

ndru

Nice one!

deptfordmarmoset

Vaguely similar: a couple of times when I've passed a parent pushing a buggy a young child's voice has excitedly shouted out ''BIKE!' from inside the buggy. It's lovely to hear the simple pleasure of seeing and naming that a toddler can get from a passing pedaller.

rmhodv

Fantastic

Top man.

EKE_38BPM

In a similar vein, yesterday I was enjoying a pint with a mate outside the Windmill on Clapham Common dressed in red lycra jersey and red gloves next to my red and white bike.

A family with a girl and two boys, all under the age of 7, sit near by and enjoy the sunshine.
Girl playing on a scooter, boys kicking a ball around.
One of the boys, aged about 5) looks at me for a moment and we say hello. He smiles at us and runs back to his mum giggling and says something in her mum's ear. She laughs too.

Over the next 20 minutes or so, I overheard the boy's name (lets call him Jim, not his real name) as they chatted and it stuck in my mind.

When we were leaving, I again saw 'Jim' looking at me as I put my gloves on and sat on my bike. I smiled at him and his mum says, "He thinks you look like the red Power Ranger"
We had a little laugh about that and as I rode off, I said "Goodbye 'Jim'" and he said to his mum "How does he know my name?"
Mum says "Ahh, he's a Power Ranger" knowingly.
Jim says "Wow!"

Nice moment.

DonDaddyD

This thread makes me broody.... :shock:

Clever Pun

DonDaddyD wrote:

This thread makes me broody.... :shock:

I'm pretty sure you're not a burd

Kieran_Burns

A while back I was cycling home, and got to the bridleway section, the top section is usually busy with people walking dogs, parents and kids; so you need to take it easy.

I came up behind a mother and father with their little lad clearly learning how to ride a bike for the first time without stabilsers. (wobbling around a fair bit )

I eased right off and rang my bell to warn them, so the father held onto his son to keep him straight while he cycled along and I cycled past.

As I came alongside I looked down at this little lad and he looked up at this full sized bike, with lycra clad roadie type, with helmet and reflective wrap-arounds on... I had a huge smile on my face and said to him "don't you worry mate, it really does get easier" and the smiles on his parents faces were a sight to behold His Mum shouted thanks and his Dad said "You see, that cyclist knows it gets easy!"

I had a huge grin on my face the whole way home after that.

Agent57

Nice stories. I had it in reverse when I was riding home this evening, and a young lad on the cycle path exclaimed "look at that cool bike!" to his dad. He clearly approves of the Tricross.

nich

I trust you raced him when the lights changed?

You can't go easy on these youngsters. In 10 years time he'll be the next up and coming Bradley Wiggins, and he'll have for you for breakfast. Get those scalps in while you still can 8)

asprilla

Mini Asprilla (aka The Mighty Pickle) usually sees he father in his cycling kit, either first thing in the morning or just before she goes to bed. As a result whenever she sees a bike now she gets excited, laughs and flings her arms and legs about.

I hope her excitement about bikes continues for some time.

deptfordmarmoset

Agent57 wrote:

Nice stories. I had it in reverse when I was riding home this evening, and a young lad on the cycle path exclaimed "look at that cool bike!" to his dad. He clearly approves of the Tricross.

I also got a bunch of protochavs outside Tescos, probably bunking off from school, one afternoon.

Protochav 1 to protochav 2:

Man, that bike's sick, blood!!

I looked up, surprised, and then adjusted my gaze downward a little because not one of them was as tall as my saddle.

Cychologist

awww

Yesterday I rode (slowly and deliberatly) past a little fellow learning to ride with his helpers on. I wanted to say something encouraging, but thought maybe I'd scare him or something. So I didn't. next time I will though.
C

rjsterry

Asprilla wrote:

Mini Asprilla (aka The Mighty Pickle) usually sees he father in his cycling kit, either first thing in the morning or just before she goes to bed. As a result whenever she sees a bike now she gets excited, laughs and flings her arms and legs about.

I hope her excitement about bikes continues for some time.

I get a similar reaction, but had always assumed it was because I look like an extra from In the Night Garden in my lycra.

biondino

Agent57 wrote:

Nice stories. I had it in reverse when I was riding home this evening, and a young lad on the cycle path exclaimed "look at that cool bike!" to his dad. He clearly approves of the Tricross.

Childen say the funniest things

Buckled_Rims

Funny how times have changed. My dad would have clipped me ear for talking to a stranger.

Mmm, that's probably why I really don't acknowledge other commuters

Boy Lard

I bought my 4 year old shadow her first proper bike last week. It's pink, it has a basket and ribbons, but most importantly to her it says Trek on it like Daddy's, which is the first things she tells everyone who cares, or doesn't care to listen.

She does seem to have completely missed my lesson on what to do when there are pedestrians about though, because despite several attempts at trying to explain the proper course of action, she just rings her little bell, put's her head down and cycles straight at them, scattering old ladies and West Highland terriers everywhere.

I already have to run to keep up, which is not my favourite form of exercise. I'f she keeps on like this, I'll have the ribbons and basket taken off, the whole thing sprayed black and she can come and join me at Gisburn Forest.

Matt the Tester

Boy Lard wrote:

I bought my 4 year old shadow her first proper bike last week. It's pink, it has a basket and ribbons, but most importantly to her it says Trek on it like Daddy's, which is the first things she tells everyone who cares, or doesn't care to listen.

She does seem to have completely missed my lesson on what to do when there are pedestrians about though, because despite several attempts at trying to explain the proper course of action, she just rings her little bell, put's her head down and cycles straight at them, scattering old ladies and West Highland terriers everywhere.

I already have to run to keep up, which is not my favourite form of exercise. I'f she keeps on like this, I'll have the ribbons and basket taken off, the whole thing sprayed black and she can come and join me at Gisburn Forest.

LOL she's a menace!.

Wrath Rob

The favourite part of my day is getting though the door, all hot and sweaty after the ride home, and my youngest running up and shouting "Daddy!", followed about 5 seconds later by "Daddy's Bike!", followed by me trying very hard to stop him playing with the dirty chain/wheels/brakes/pedals etc.

The wife has a tradition too, she thinks she has to shout "Drive carefully" down the stairs as I say good-bye in the morning or else I'll crash/get knocked off.