Did you ever get a bike for Christmas?

blackpoolkev

I remember being confronted by a Raleigh Chopper,it was far too big for me,I was only 6 and despite this I managed to nurture a love of cycling.

Surely somebody has a more interesting story about the bike you got for Christmas?

Cleat Eastwood

I got a dragster-yellow- it was cool.

dizzyblonde82

I remember one year, probably around 1989, when me and my brother were given matching black and yellow apollo bikes from halfords, my brother's bike got nicked about 2 months after Christmas.

upperoilcan

Yup,i was given my first mountain bike which came in the fine form of a Peugeot Ranger,a 10 speed beast,this all happened before i got to secondary school

daviesee

I got a bike circa '74. It was definitely a BSO but I was grateful.

I have bought all my decent bikes which have been getting progressively better. :P

sandyballs

Got a Raleigh Burner in 82, loved that bike. Got my first road bike in 86, i used to bunk off school and ride all day till it was time to go home and pretend how my day had been. Those were the days, i still love riding alone, unsociable i know. Have just treated myself to a Giant TCR Advanced frame and some Red loveliness to go on it. Still undecided about what wheels Santa will bring.

Pross

I've had a few, the last one was my first ever 'racer' a 5 speed job that left me frustrated on Christmas day as I couldn't get the pedals on it (didn't know about the reverse thread thing!).

balthazar

My first proper road bike, a Nigel Dean Edge, in 1988 when I was 14- I still have it. It was a lot of money, hence spread between about 2 Christmases, 3 birthdays, savings, earnings, assurances that cycling really isn't going to be forgotten about... I was hyperventilating, shaking, and sweating opening that box. The most wonderful thing I ever owned and Christmas day was spent wobbling and slithering around on icy roads in slightly-too-big cycling shorts.

napoleond

1981- Raleigh Strika
1983- Kuwahara BMX (can't remember model but it was ACE!
1986- Muddy Fox Courier (still have it and ride it)

rajMAN

1978 - Secondhand reconditioned no-name, single speed thing - times were ard back then but I was happy!

demorider87

I got my first geared mtb for christmas one year. A 15 speed Coventry Eagle Calibra. Steel frame, grip-sh1t shifters and centre pull canti's, marvellous

After that I went down the 'build my own' route, so I've had a set of Junior T forks, DH wheel for my old Bighit etc etc.

mr_goo

Remember getting a racing bike towards end of 70s. Think it was made by Cinzia and was blue metallic, other than that did get a Raleigh Ranger when a nipper.

ddraver

I got most of my child bikes for Christmas, A little yellow thing i had first, then a red (I think Diamond Back) one for proper riding, then a Giant which took me through to adulthood.

The red one did nt have gears on the front and I was very dissapointed because you had to have them to be cool(apparently, I looked at it and immediately said in my little child voice "it has nt got front gears" and sulked for the rest of the day). My Parents still tell the story about that to this day... (I don't remember being that worried but..)

I suppose that might be why they did nt listen to me when I told them they did nt need a triple when they got their roadies recently.

random man

I got my first bike at xmas '62 when I was 7 - it was a BSA with a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub and 24" wheels. Unfortunately we then had the hardest winter for years and I couldn't ride it until March, but once I got going it took me miles.

tim_wand

One year I really wanted a bike. There was a lovely black and orange Peugeot in the LBS I lusted after all year (Thought I was Merckx)

Come Xmas morn I received what to my Selfish Teenage mind was a scant selection of gifts minus a bike and went into a strop.

Later that day I refused point blank to go to my Aunts house, and my old man who was an ex-marine let me know in no uncertain terms that none attendance would result in this being my last Xmas.

Sure enough after siting there for about a hour in a strop with everyone taking the P*ss I was lead into the garage where said bike was waiting.

What an ungrateful little Tw*t. I ve always been dead humble about Xmas since that day.

tim_wand

Still think the best Advert ever is the Yellow Pages Ad were the lad gets a bike. I m always saying (A la Kevin Websters dad/ Peter Armitage) " I was right about that saddle" whenever someone gets a new bike.

Do you reckon it was that saddle that turned Kev into a Wrongun?

squired

As twins born the week before Christmas my brother and I have been used to getting combined presents. Sometimes this was one present between us, covering both Christmas and birthday, sometimes one each covering both. When we were about 12 years old we got idential road bikes from the whole family, which is where our love for cycling started. When we were 15 we got money from everyone and used that to get bikes built. Last Christmas I was very generous and bought him a rather expensive mountain bike.

tim_wand

squired wrote:

As twins born the week before Christmas my brother and I have been used to getting combined presents. Sometimes this was one present between us, covering both Christmas and birthday, sometimes one each covering both. When we were about 12 years old we got idential road bikes from the whole family, which is where our love for cycling started. When we were 15 we got money from everyone and used that to get bikes built. Last Christmas I was very generous and bought him a rather expensive mountain bike.

Nice to hear from the Schlecks before Christmas

Zoomer37

Got a Skyway TA when i was a ladd. The only thing more beautiful at that time was Linda Lusardis boobs.

seanoconn

Got my first road bike in about 1988. A second hand peugeot. I wasn't too thrilled as it was second hand and was worried what my mates would take the piss! I gave it a try and said it was too big for me. My dad could see my obvious disappointment and took me to the bike shop on boxing day. He let me choose a brand new raleigh, which i was very happy with. We got the new bike home, compared it with the second hand bike and turns out it was exactly the same size! :oops:

I learned two things after that. The second hand bike which my dad took for his own, was ten times the bike the raleigh was and that i was a spoiled little brat!

Blacktemplar

Got the obligatory Mk1 Chopper in 1971, but my first 'proper' bike was a steel Austro-Daimler Puch in the mid-1970's. Wish I still had it, but it got nicked in 1979.

Drysuitdiver

christmas 85 or 86 , i got a brand new raleigh phantom , made with what is now quaintly called "gas pipe" it had 27x 1 1/4 2 tyres . my mate had a raleigh in team colours with 700x 23 tyres and my other mate had an equipe .they had more gears than me and were lighter. i could still beat them on a timetrialround the estate though and on long road runs . i still look at it in the garden as i brought it to London with me, but havent rode it for years. used to clean it weekly and polish the chrome rims . I remember debadging it and cutting out 531 badges from cycling magazines and laminating them in school before sticking them on the frame.

McBain_v1

First 'serious' road bike: Raleigh Quasar with 10-speed Sun Tour gears. Must have covered over a 1000miles on it before I upgraded to my 531c Raleigh competition with Shimano 600 on it - which is still my winter bike

kettrinboy

For Xmas 1976 at the age of 13 i got a brand new Puch Clubleader, 5 speed Simplex gears and i remember the first time i shifted to bottom gear the chain went over the top and into the spokes ripping three out, my dad went mad, anyhow got it fixed and over the years it went through a succession of cowhorn and apehanger bars mainly to pull wheelies on ,then back to drops again,it got nicked and i got it back again,got ridden absolutely everywhere and I was still using it up until the early 80,s when the BB finally disintegrated, brilliant first proper bike though.