Ok FOA members, time to test your memory out… When were you able to travel 'round town as a kid on a bike? As you probably know I’m only 12 and I really want to be able to travel around town on my bike. I just want a rough idea of when my parents are gonna let me. I can go within North Melbourne and just down to the market when I ask permission from Mum but she won’t let me go into the city (5 mins away)…
I’m 39 and still not allowed.
You’re allowed to do it when your mum says you can do it.
My mum still frets. But essentially what Nexus said.
Haha - If you have to ask. You’re not ready.
Seriously? I used to live in a small town in the NT. I could ride wherever I wanted at 13 on my mtb or my (underpowered) 100cc moto, but Melbourne is a bit different I think.
Honestly, you shouldn’t even consider riding in the city centre. shit is genuinely dangerous, even for dudes who’ve been riding for 20 years.
I know you’re not going to like being babied like this but we’ve all had close calls or been hit by cars, and I can tell you that your Mum is absolutely right by not wanting you to ride in the city.
Give it time
I grew up in a tiny ass country town, but i sure as hell wouldn’t have been let loose on my bike in Melburn city at that age
I still look at all the 15/16 year old kids we ride with here in perth with no lids or brakes and am just like wtf, my mum would never let me ride without a lid! ever!
if you go into the city just don’t be one of those kids on a brakeless bmx rolling on footpaths.
Ok, Thanks’ for all your info. I look forward to the day…
But this just scares me…
When you can wheelstand the length of your street you have out grown it, Till then theres plenty of room for you.
Mum used to send me on my trike to the milk bar with a note and some money to buy bread and stuff when I was about 3 or 4, but I wasn’t allowed to cross the road. About 9 or 10 we used to disappear all day on our bikes on weekends and hols and lob in to someone’s mum’s house for a drink and a feed now and again.
But that was Western Sydney in the 60’s (and early 70’s)
Now I am allowed out fully by myself but I know Mrs Commuter starts to look at her watch and tap the foot if I’m too much beyond the appointed time. My fault I suppose, what with falling off and getting hit by cars every now and again she has some cause for concern.
Nexus has the answer. And so does Jimmy J.
Oh, and I hope Santa brings what you wanted.
Yeah, Santa did bring me what I wanted (I didn’t know santa also owned a white delivery van) but I’m very thankful anyway.
Yo, 21 years old and mama still freaks.
I don’t like riding in melbourne, or anywhere near taxi’s and trams.
Fuck that shit, cops too.
Ha, i never knew you were 12! thats ace 
I was always allowed to ride anywhere when I grew up. I was riding in the city at primary school age (Around 10, not 5 or 6). Now I think of it, I would freak if I had a kid that age riding in town. But it was nothing for us back then. I love riding in the city, but it takes concentration and the ability to not be a dickhead, which is hard for a lot of people.
Is there a general hate of brakeless bmx’s in the fixed community? I’m curious
I feel a lot more comfortable on my bmx in traffic than on my fixed gear. Coasting feels nice…
nope… just the frustrating, Monster-guzzling flat brim cap wearing clowns that roll around the city, but dont seem to actually know how to ride bmx. you see them out in the burbs as well (even moreso).
crew who can actually ride brakeless bmxs tend to do so on the street not the footpath (for any length of riding at least - sneaking on/off to dodge traffic/hop curbcuts notwithstanding).
oh, and i know this is just like hatin’ NJS walkers/fixed gear ‘hipsters’, but im also open about my dismay of no-braked, no foot retention fixed gear riders.
back to the topic at hand…
nikcee is correct.
i like people who can ride bikes…i do not like 12 year olds menacing the footpath on their bmx with no brakes while their buddy next to them rolls on a scooter.
^ I can’t believe those razor scooters are back in. About ten years ago at the height of their first wave of popularity, I was in NYC and saw a whole family skating on them down a Broadway footpath in Midtown!
As I marvelled at the stupidity, the mother of the group hit a crack in ther concrete and went over the ‘bars’ and seriously smacked her head on the pavement.
It was pretty sickening, and I really wouldn’t be suprised if she isn’t with us after that. It was that bad. But I don’t hang around stuff like that out of morbid curiosity, so scooter mom may have got up and walked away…
this is a rad thread. Ludacristmas should always be about nostalgia and reminiscing. oh, and partying.
hey EG, has anyone spoken to you about the brunswick cycling club kid’s clinic? ever wanted to race track?