It was once said to me, “If you have done nothing else in life it’s without any doubt that you’ve been on a bicycle at some point.”  So true.  You may have never played soccer or attempted 18 holes of golf but out of the thousands of activities we can involve ourselves in over a lifetime you’ll find very few people that will emit the words, “ I have never ridden a bike.”

We can all remember getting our first shiny new bike, equipped with a pair of training wheels of course, as a Christmas or birthday present and how excited we were to get going.   In my case it was a multicolored pink, white and powder blue Huffy complete with streamers that cascaded from the handlebars.  Then comes the moment of truth.  The moment when it is time to take those training wheels off and face the open road with no fear and show it what you are made of.  This seemed like the make or break time in all of our lives.  It was the time when we set our very first big goal, which was to transition from four wheels to two. Learning to ride a bike when we were younger was like a right of passage- a coming of age if you will.  It was more than just riding a bike.  It represented independence and freedom.

When I was about five years old I can remember when my dad removed the training wheels from my beloved Huffy.  My experience was much like the familiar memory I have of watching the Cosby Show when Cliff Huxtable taught Rudy how to ride her bike without her training wheels.  My dad hoisted me up and plopped me on the seat of my bike as I tried desperately to keep my balance.  As I peddled my dad jogged beside me, his hand clenched to the back of my seat making sure I was okay, offering the much needed reassurance that let me know that I can do this.  I was focused.  After a few yards my dad gave a warning that he was about to let go.  He proceeded to do so and I made it another few feet or so on my own before I felt my bike begin to tilt eastward and I collided with the grass that luckily lined the street.   I was a fighter though.  I sprung back up and was ready to go at it again.  My dad wasn’t the “babying” type so I knew I wasn’t going to get any sympathy from him.  I had to just dust myself off and try again.  We tackled the same routine of ride and fall about ten times with my learning curve greatly improving with each trial.

Then it happened.  My dad once again was guiding my bike and helping me to keep stable when he let go and I peddled like there was no tomorrow.  I was doing it.  I was really doing it!  I was riding my bike all on my own without my dad, without my training wheels.  It was all me!

The freedom I felt was amazing.  That day I had officially graduated from being a little kid to a big kid.  This same freedom carries into our adult lives.  When asked what they love most about cycling 75% of adults surveyed answered, “the freedom”.   Think about it.  When you’re out for a leisurely ride with your spouse and kids or out for a ride with your co-workers headed to lunch or training for your next Iron Man there’s something special about getting on a bike.  You sink all of your inhibitions and worries into that seat, those wheels and handlebars and just ride.  It’s much like when you’re a kid when there are no limitations, no fear.  It’s amazing how pivotal learning to ride a bike was for many of us and how the lessons we learned stick with us.  Maybe that’s why most of us can carve out such a clear memory of that time in our lives.  It’s something that connects us all and reminds us of our ability to conquer and most of all our ability to be free.