Jeff's Den

Fat Boy

I got this bike when I was around ten years old. That’s 16 years ago now. It took me a while before I learned how to ride. Being the kind of individual I am I would rather figure something out on my own. Unfortunately, with something like this everyone becomes an expert on how to ride a bike while you are learning. I wanted to do it my way, they wanted to push me and let me figure it out… (that is probably one of the only times I’ve ever ate grass and dirt at the same time…).

About a year after getting the bike I started taking it outside at my parents house on the highway and would ride up and down the driveway. One part of the driveway was slightly higher up so I could coast down from here. I learned how to ride and then learned how to get started later. Turning was another problem that came with time. 

I remember while learning to riding that a truck drove by one day. Some highschool aged kids it looked like. I remember one of them yelling something that involved the words “fat boy”. But hey, I’m a big guy. Always have been. So didn’t bother me much.

Despite having always been a “fat boy” this bike used to be the greatest form of entertainment while staying with my Grandma in the summer. I would get in 10 to 20 miles a day on gravel roads on this thing. At some point I actually had a turn signal box on it. After losing several sets of batteries on the gravel I just took it off.

I’m not sure why I eventually stopped riding. But there was around a ten year gap where I only ever road on one bike. That one bike ended up with the back tire all out of wack because of thing spokes and my heavier than ever ass end. I didn’t touch another bike until recently.

I like my Huffy, so I picked up a new Huffy recently. One for me and one for my wife. Got two of the Nel Lusso cruiser style bikes they sell at big box retailers (one male one female version). Sure this is something that bike snobs might call a BLO (Bike Like Object) but it gets me out and riding again. I don’t think I’ve smiled as big in a long time as I do while riding a bike. 

Today I picked up my old Huffy from my uncle’s shop where it had gotten some use over the years during the bikeless gap in my life. Brought it home. Took this picture. Hoping to fix it up and ride it frequently again. It’s a bit smaller than what I need but riding it again today probably left a bigger smile on my face than after first getting on my new bike and riding for the first time in 10 years. 

I’m still fat (probably looked like a piss ant on a log while riding my old bike. those two kids did point and I assume laugh) but I’m going to fix that. My goal is to be able to start riding to work come Spring. That’s about 8 miles with a nice trip over the ridge but I’m determined. It’s time I turned my life around and get in shape for the first time in my life. I don’t want to go into my 30’s in the next few years the same way I went into my 20’s. 

Wish me luck.