The Bike Ride

"One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure."

William Feather

We moved to Tarzana when I was seven. Discovering that our new street had twenty-two kids living there was pure joy. That same year, Schwinn introduced the Stingray. Every kid on our block wanted one, but at seven, I was still too small and so was stuck with my ordinary bike.

One day, my dad brought home an old, dark blue bike he said was for my sister and me. At first, I thought it was a piece of junk, and maybe it was, but it got a new lease on life through my dad. In a few minutes, he added the distinctive ape handlebars and banana seat, and right before our eyes, that old bike became a Stingray!

It was about three-quarter size, which gave it a toy-like quality, and it was super fun to ride. All the kids had to try it, and soon it became the most popular bike on our street. Everyone began calling it The Little Stingray.

That summer, riding barefoot, and wearing only a pair of shorts, I rested my feet on its chrome handlebars. Suddenly I thought, “I could steer with my feet!” and let go with my hands.

What a revelation!

I totally ate it and instantly went from gliding to tumbling down the street, right in front of our house.

My mom came running out, and miraculously I wasn’t really hurt, just scraped and bleeding everywhere. I had bandaids on my bandaids, but in a way still felt kind of proud of myself.

It wasn’t the first, or the last time I learned that even a little stingray can mess you up.

-Hank

"The Bike Ride" from The Saturday Morning Post at hankfrazee.com