I remember way back in the olden days, when I was a kid, getting a "Skinny wheel" bike. You guys remember when those came out, with the hand brakes? I don't know why I remember, but mine was a purple "J.C. Higgins" brand.

Back in the day we used to call them "English racers".

I've got plenty of toy memories, but for now I'll share this one:

When I was about seven years old, my folks decided I was ready for a better bicycle than the battered old hand-me-down I had gotten from a (female!) cousin a couple of years before. So, they got me a nice, shiny black Royce Union racer-style bike. But, there was one problem: My father.

Dad figured he'd save some money by assembling the thing himself. No amount of pleading could change his mind. Once he had made up his mind about something, there was no changing it. The matter was closed. Period, The End, Finished.

So, he (somehow) managed to assemble The Beast, and - amazingly enough - there were no parts left over! So, I took it downstairs into the street for a spin.

With my feet barely reaching the pedals (which is another story altogether), I hadn't rode half a block when suddenly the goddamn front wheel fell right off! I went flying over the handlebars and made a very hard landing on the concrete sidewalk.

Dad brought the bike in for a professional repair and a thorough going-over. He never tried to assemble another bicycle, thank God.

Live and learn.


Signor V.