biking

I thought of myself as a really strong biker, starting my carreer early on. I was only 6 years old, when my dad and me drove all the way to grammy with our bikes and this was 15 km one way through hills that were really long and steep. It was a red single speed bike I had and dad had found it on the trash pile of a wealthy family, and fixed it up for me. Grampa was helping me get the hang of balancing when I was between 4 and 5 years old. You probably wonder why I tell about biking all the way to grammy then, well, my mom and dad decided on separating when I had started first grade, and mom and we two kids moved 15 km away from the village we lived before, and on the weekends dad had us two sisters (the younger one was 3 at the time and rode on a baby seat on dads bike), he would hop on his bike come over and pick us up, putting all the stuff we needed into his orange outer frame backpack.
I remember my lung trying to pop out my ribcage and really getting tired quickly on those long uphill passages, and then he would give me a 'backwind' push to make it easier on me. I always wished for the hill to end and was looking forward to the rush the going downhill was creating.

I kept riding my bike wherever I had to go, public transport was rare (two busses in the morning for the school kids going to the neighbouring town and two in the afternoon), and even in the times of snow on the streets I went with my bike. There were several occasions, when people were amazed on how much I did on my bike.
The parents had decided to get back together after two years of separation and my mom was pregnant, We did not have a car back then, and in fifth grade I had broken my arm (epiphysiolysis on the wrist) in the first sports lesson in the new school.
For the checkup I had to go to the 7 km away hospital once a week, and this one time mom was not well, she used to go there with me by bus, so dad took me by bike and I fell on the intersection where the train tracks met the street, the doc was mad at dad that he put me in such a dangerous situation, having me ride the bike with a cast on my arm. It went well, my hand and arm grew with me as they were supposed to.
The time my second sister was born, I was ten, had really short hair and wanted to see my new baby sister so badly, but the hospital did not allow kids under 14 in the nursery. I had done the biking of 14 km alone, to follow dad who was visiting his new family member and wife, I thought they cant refuse me getting a glimpse of her when I am already there.
The chef doc there was amazed about me riding there by bike and his jaw dropped when he foound out I was a girl, I could not imagine why, it was not really a big deal for me.

Now today, it is completely differnt and I dont really like the development, health problems, stress with the work I had to do to support myself, living in a big city, all helped to let my condition and enthusiasm on riding my bike fade. I have lost my favourite cruiser bike (the second bike I got new and all for myself) to a thief in the first week of living in Mannheim, the bike I had after this one stayed only a 6 month period with me before it was stolen, before it was lost completely, I 'only' had to replace the front wheel because some bad person stole it (the bike was located in the backyard of the house I lived in at that time!)and the bike after that one was stolen in front of the building I had night shift on work, so I had to walk home that night. It is really frustration pure to be ripped so much in this city, so I had decided to not buy a new bike again, only to have it stolen in front of a grocery store or wherever.

It lead to a period of almost ten years before I got a rather decent bike again.
I was given a Scott Spirit (probably middle of the 90ies), and only had to replace the brakes, wires and fit new tyres to ride it again. My arms started tingling whenever I rode for longer times (20 minutes or more) so I had to replace the steering section to get the handlebar higher up and closer to the saddle.
It does look kind of like a mutt now, but I can ride it now without feeling I lose my hands and arms to numbness.

Now I just have to get back to my old self, and the recreational bikers will not zoom by as they do at present.