You get your first bike at the age of three. You learn to cycle on Xmas Day with your parents in tow. You cycle to school (illegally) on the pavement.
By 2007 you are at secondary school and some smart powers-that-be have built you a fantastic covered bike shed, so you can still cycle to school (illegally) using the pavements and muddy tracks.
Cycling is such a joy at this age. On Sundays you take your bike out to the nearest park and play cycle jumps all afternoon.
But don’t think too far ahead. One day, if these powers-that-be have their way, they will chase you off the pavement and on to their deadly roads. Cycling in this world is all about defence, helmets and reflective clothing. But it doesn’t HAVE to be that way. There are some cyclists out there who want to carry on with the joy well into their old age. “I hope some day you’ll join us” (JL).
I still cycle to ‘school’ every day. I still play on my bike on a weekend 🙂