Guest Bloggers: Remembering the first time

This week we took a trip down memory lane with Abbie Harker who remembers what it was like to learn to ride a bike without training wheels. We're sure a lot of iWay fans will relate to this weeks post :) Happy weekend everyone xx







Recently my four year old daughter Nat decided she was ready to pass another of life’s big milestones – riding her two wheel bike without training wheels.

Finally sun and a Sunday afternoon coincided so we headed down to the Domain to give it a go.

This brought my own memories flooding back. That summery day wobbling along the grass at home feeling so proud at how fast I was going and so impressed that dad was keeping up (he was of course holding onto my seat to keep me upright). And as I looked over my shoulder to give him a cheeky grin as if to say ‘yay us’ I realised he wasn’t there ... I was riding all by myself!

There’s been no looking back since then. I can remember mum campaigning for everyone to have helmets, family bike rides with kids strategically placed next to the footpath, heading to the river with friends and (before I was too ‘cool’ for a helmet and walked) my daily ride to school. While I never went on to ride Tour de France or launch myself down a steep narrow track on the side of a mountain, I did spend a lot of time on my bike as a child/teen growing up in The Bay. So when we got to the Domain the other weekend with Nat’s newly training-wheel-less bike I’m not sure who was more excited at what lay ahead – Nat or I!

Fully briefed, Nat was ready to go with her Pop-pop holding her up. There were a few inevitable spills but determined wee thing that she is, she bounced back up to keep trying.

The elation in her voice when she got to riding solo was undeniable. After an hour (and a worn out support crew) the offer of a bit of a play in the playground was most emphatically refused. Nope, must keep practicing. And now we’re off to the park to practice on a regular basis and looking forward to making the most of the Rotary pathways this summer. Which I guess means I should get myself a bike. Apparently you never really forget how to ride which is a good thing as I have no doubt I’ll be pretty rusty!