My Childhood Bicycles

Me and my first bike.My first bike pictured above. On the back of the picture in my Mother’s handwriting reads “June 1967 – just had tonsils out – first bike.”
I never learned to ride this bike without the assistance of the training wheels.
I learned to ride a bike at what I recall was a late age or at least compared to my peers. My parents tell stories of me always running along side my bike riding friends before I learned to ride. I do remember when I first learned it was in the backyard of the house we lived at and no sooner than I was riding I was trying to pop a wheelie with the assistance of a little dip in the yard.

The bike I learned to ride on. Photo dated 1970.After I had learned to ride I recall one summer day when all the neighborhood kids were going to ride their bikes to the city swimming pool. I was told by my Mother that I could not ride and had to walk instead because I had no lock to secure my bike and it might get stolen. So back to running alongside my bike riding friends.
Later in the afternoon my mother decides to pay me a visit at the pool. She also decides to use my bike as her transportation. Once she arrived at the pool she leaned the bike against the chain link fence that surrounded the pool. While she walked the perimeter of the pool looking for me my bike was stolen.
The bike was never recovered and I don’t recall what I got for a replacement bike. I believe the bike is a Hawthorne.
Side note: That clothesline pole in the pic reminded me. I was hanging from it and friends decide to push me like I was on a swing. First time I had the wind knocked out of me.

Me and my new Schwinn Jr Varsity.Years later in my teens I got my first new and multi-speed bike a 10 speed Schwinn Jr Varsity. I’m guessing this bike was a Christmas gift. I know there were other bikes in my childhood but these are the significant ones and it just so happens the only bikes I have photos of. There must have been other banana seat bikes after the first one was stolen and before the 10 speed.

Me and a friend(?)The only other bike photo I have from my childhood. I’m on the varsity. I can’t recall who the other kid is or where the photo was taken. He appears to be on a Sting-Ray.