Western Flyer

       More Letters From Paradise

            Western Flyer

The bike was blue, and belonged to the sister of my friend Larry Potter. It was, of course, a girl's bike, and was the first bike I learned to ride. The absence of a high middle bar made it easy to touch the ground with my feet when things were not going so well. There was a big hole in my world at that time, being reduced to riding a girl's bike when Larry would let me. My father, seeing my plight, took me down to Gamble's store. I don't recall how much of his "mustering out" pay from the Army  he spent on my bike. It was maroon colored, with fenders which came to a point, rather than the simple round fenders so often seen.

I proudly rode my new bike down to the police station in order to get a license plate, which was required by the city. I watched as a policeman drilled two holes in the rear fender and fastened the plate, which was about six inches long. I don't recall but it must have cost fifty cents. I later added a basket and a bike light, which was nothing more than a flashlight in disguise.

My bike took me all over Big Rapids on my paper route, and even out of town to Town Line Lake. Much of the time was not in riding, but pushing the bike up the many hills, as it had only one gear. Once there, the lake was deserted, not a sloul anywhere. No cabins either. 

The bike  did not remain maroon, but was painted a different color according to the

color my father wanted to use up at the moment. 

When we moved from Big Rapids to San Marcos,Texas, my bike went with me. I like to think that somewhere later, there was a boy riding my old Western Flyer. 

  

            Aloha

            Grant