Personally, like everyone else, my first forays into cycling began with learning how to ride a bike. Some people take to it like a duck to water... from what my parents have told me, I took to it more like an extremely wobbly fish to land. I was needy, I was scared, I refused to let my parents remove my stabilisers for weeks and I crashed into our neighbour's jagged stone front wall more often than I'd like to remember - I never did have particularly great balance.
Learning to Ride
However, once I did eventually learn to ride my bike, things went swimmingly. I used to head out on bike rides around our village with my brother and a small group of my school friends in the evenings and at weekends. Like countless kids before us, we found it was a great way to get outside, explore and do our own thing away from the confines of our homes.
I remember my brother collecting sticks in the spinney to bring home for our annual Firework's Night bonfire, and the time he was trying to race me down a hill in the park, ran over a stone, lost control and went face-first over his handlebars. I remember my younger cousin trying to dig a hole in the soft muddy ground using only pedal power and his rear bike wheel. I remember family excursions and time spent traversing numerous New Forest trails. I remember my first bike, with tassels on the handlebars and a doll-size baby seat on the back; my second bike was a far cooler turquoise-framed model.
Growing Up
As I grew older and my spare time grew less and less, my bike began to get neglected. It sat in my parent's garage for many years, gathering dust, until I grew too tall to be able to ride it. I might have passed it on, but for all I know, it's still hidden in there somewhere, a long-lost relic with tales to tell of a time which is now long gone.
Even though I haven't ridden a bike for a few years now, sometimes I do wish I'd had the thought to keep it up. Looking back on these memories has provided me with a new insight into the worth that cycling had on my childhood years, and I think it is something that many of you are likely to feel similarly about.
Sometimes I see people completing all these crazy cycling routes and challenges and it causes me to stop and think about my own cycling journey. I have thought about purchasing a new bike and trying to get back into it, but aside from a lack of time, one of the main things that put me off is the cost. After all, in order to get the most out of the sport, you need to ensure you have the proper kit and equipment - something which doesn't come cheap. Luckily, this problem was solved when I heard about Bike Discounts UK - the perfect way to get premium cycling gear at affordable prices. You never know... one of these days you might just catch sight of me biking out and about yet.
* This is a sponsored post
Do you have any childhood cycling memories? Share your favourites with me in the comments below!
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