I was on a similar path of today's teens, at 12 I was a chubby asthmatic boy who mostly stayed home. Then one of my friends, excited about Greg LeMond in the Tour de France, dragged me out and we rode our bikes 15 miles from home and turned around. The distances grew, and by 16, we were regularly doing 100-150 mile rides. We both had mul…
I was on a similar path of today's teens, at 12 I was a chubby asthmatic boy who mostly stayed home. Then one of my friends, excited about Greg LeMond in the Tour de France, dragged me out and we rode our bikes 15 miles from home and turned around. The distances grew, and by 16, we were regularly doing 100-150 mile rides. We both had multiple near fatal crashes and mechanical issues 50+ miles from home, but the strength, both physical and mental, we gained from pushing ourselves so hard payed off. Teens havent changed. Some are always going to be meek, but parents need to let them go out with that one friend with crazy ideas. Today's helicopter parents and overly protective society would never let their teen or preteen jump on a bike and just disappear with no cell phone. They may even be charged with child endangerment. I was 15 and riding 20 miles each way to work from Newburgh to New Paltz every day to a bike shop because they sponsored me in races. That was seen as commitment then, most likely criminal now.
Yes. Have you seen the old movie “Breaking Away”? It speaks very much to the situation described in the article. I think author Rob Henderson would like it as well since it’s about working class kids, their obstacles and triumphs.
Yeah, I remember loving the movie as a teen, haven't seen it in years. May have to check to see if it's on any of the streaming services to remember old times...
Just curious if y’all wore helmets on those early rides. I have a theory that the introduction of helmets in casual cycling led to a drop in cycling. My friends and I rode our bikes everywhere in the early 80s. I don’t see kids doing that anymore.
Helmets are very important & I've seen way too much trauma & death as a physician. Helmets should be worn. Also don't ride your bike on a road next to a car. You will die. It's a matter of time. Ride the bike on the sidewalk. Just don't be dumb.
Motorcycles are called Donor-cycles for a reason: they are extremely dangerous & lead to frequent death
I should also mention anyone not wearing a seat belt is extremely stupid & deserves what will happen to them. Don't be dumb. Wear a helmet. Wear a seatbelt. Wear protective equipment.
I think some of it is the layout of communities, at least where I live, it is all tract homes and the kids ride around within the community but the main road is 60 MPH.
Helmets and gloves were always a must. Still have my helmet from one of my worst accidents where a car lost control, went into the wrong lane and hit me head on while we were both doing about 50. Completely shattered my helmet on his windshield. Helmets aren't the problem. Kids don't ride bikes to their friends houses anymore because they can just stay at home and play online games with them and chat using VOIP servers like discord. Even video games no longer have split screen multi-player like we used to have in the old classics like Goldeneye. Kids just don't play outside anymore.
Your story brought to mind Theodore Roosevelt, who was also a young, frail asthmatic boy, who embraced a masculine, outdoor, rugged lifestyle. The rest, as they say, is history. Thanks for sharing it.
I was on a similar path of today's teens, at 12 I was a chubby asthmatic boy who mostly stayed home. Then one of my friends, excited about Greg LeMond in the Tour de France, dragged me out and we rode our bikes 15 miles from home and turned around. The distances grew, and by 16, we were regularly doing 100-150 mile rides. We both had multiple near fatal crashes and mechanical issues 50+ miles from home, but the strength, both physical and mental, we gained from pushing ourselves so hard payed off. Teens havent changed. Some are always going to be meek, but parents need to let them go out with that one friend with crazy ideas. Today's helicopter parents and overly protective society would never let their teen or preteen jump on a bike and just disappear with no cell phone. They may even be charged with child endangerment. I was 15 and riding 20 miles each way to work from Newburgh to New Paltz every day to a bike shop because they sponsored me in races. That was seen as commitment then, most likely criminal now.
Yes. Have you seen the old movie “Breaking Away”? It speaks very much to the situation described in the article. I think author Rob Henderson would like it as well since it’s about working class kids, their obstacles and triumphs.
Yeah, I remember loving the movie as a teen, haven't seen it in years. May have to check to see if it's on any of the streaming services to remember old times...
Just curious if y’all wore helmets on those early rides. I have a theory that the introduction of helmets in casual cycling led to a drop in cycling. My friends and I rode our bikes everywhere in the early 80s. I don’t see kids doing that anymore.
Helmets are very important & I've seen way too much trauma & death as a physician. Helmets should be worn. Also don't ride your bike on a road next to a car. You will die. It's a matter of time. Ride the bike on the sidewalk. Just don't be dumb.
Motorcycles are called Donor-cycles for a reason: they are extremely dangerous & lead to frequent death
I should also mention anyone not wearing a seat belt is extremely stupid & deserves what will happen to them. Don't be dumb. Wear a helmet. Wear a seatbelt. Wear protective equipment.
I think some of it is the layout of communities, at least where I live, it is all tract homes and the kids ride around within the community but the main road is 60 MPH.
Helmets and gloves were always a must. Still have my helmet from one of my worst accidents where a car lost control, went into the wrong lane and hit me head on while we were both doing about 50. Completely shattered my helmet on his windshield. Helmets aren't the problem. Kids don't ride bikes to their friends houses anymore because they can just stay at home and play online games with them and chat using VOIP servers like discord. Even video games no longer have split screen multi-player like we used to have in the old classics like Goldeneye. Kids just don't play outside anymore.
Your story brought to mind Theodore Roosevelt, who was also a young, frail asthmatic boy, who embraced a masculine, outdoor, rugged lifestyle. The rest, as they say, is history. Thanks for sharing it.