"So, you appeared on national television this morning without any anxiety, but it was traveling from the airport to the hotel that stressed you out?" my aunt asked incredulously.

"Um, yeah," I replied. "I really hate traveling."

Bizarrely enough, it's true. I didn't feel stressed at all during my 3 minute and 43 second stint on The Today Show for the same reason I didn't feel stressed about running a half-marathon. I'd trained hard, I came prepared, and I knew I could do it. Raaarrr! Even before the book came out, I took every opportunity to do interviews so I could practice talking to people about my experiences. I've done so many now that you'd have to ask me a truly bizarre question to throw me.

The airports, though, still freak me out.

My hotel was about a block away from NBC studies in Rockefeller Center and I got there at 8:00pm. I was glad the taxi dropped me off because the hotel entrance is so discreet that I would never have seen it next to the Johnny Utah's, which according to Lori has a mechanical bull. (Don't ask her how she knows that.) The room was small, but very nice. They even folded the toilet paper in a triangle. Fancy!

My aunt met me and spent the night so she could be my official photographer the next day. I had to wake up at 6:00am to shower, blow dry my hair and wear my normal makeup as instructed. Of course, I never wear makeup, so I just put on some foundation and concealer and tried not to burn my scalp with the hair dryer. An official NBC page met me in the lobby at 7:30 to walk me to the show. And yes, with his red-hair and fresh-face he did look a lot like Kenneth, the NBC page from 30 Rock

We walked past the windows of The Today Show studio and then inside and downstairs to the makeup and hair room where Joel and Nameless-Hair-Guy made me pretty. This took at least 15 minutes because cute does not come easy.

As I was escorted across the hall to the green room, we passed a big LCD monitor that showed a live feed of host Jenna Wolf getting spritzed and primped two minutes before show time. Then I sat on a black couch underneath framed photos of all the hosts and examined their spread.

For some reason the basket of peaches and apples was exiled far away from the scrumptious mini-muffins and bagels. (See them over my shoulder?) In all fairness, there was also a plate of melon slices on the main table, so they weren't forcing baked goods down my throat. I did that myself. (Vacation calories don't count!) According to the listings, Susan Sarandon was scheduled to appear, but I don't think she did. Scared of being overshadowed, eh, Susan?

Next the producer came in and went over the segment with me. We'd done a pre-interview on the phone a week before where I chatted for 20 minutes about my experiences. I'd also scanned some new photos for the graphics department to show on the screen while I talked. She went over the script and the questions they were going to ask me, which was another reason I wasn't stressed. After she left I kept going through my answers in my head. I knew I wanted to get four points across:

1) Mention my blog
2) Mention my book
3) Mention my half-marathon
4) Wish my mom a happy mother's day

I figured if I accomplished those four things without falling off my stool, the interview would be a success.

Soon they were walking me over to the set where we snuck behind a big wooden wall and then quietly weaved through camera equipment. I sat down on one of two stools set on either side of a huge TV monitor that were directly opposite of the couch Lester and Jenna were hosting the show from. They were broadcasting live and if I dared to clear my throat or let out a big fart it would have been heard in millions of households across America. There was a live feed of a reporter covering tornado damage in Oklahoma right behind me and it felt like he was standing over my shoulder even though he was hundreds of miles away.

To the left and ahead of me, a lady stood at a podium and did a short report about...a pelican? I can't really remember. I just remember watching her and thinking that she was overacting and laying it on thick. Yet, I bet when you watched it on TV it came across as really energetic and animated. TV is weird like that.

Then they went to commercial and Lester walked over and introduced himself with a very firm, politician's handshake. He checked to make sure he was saying my name right and I told him I was going to try to say hi to my mom. A stage hand tried to steal my fat pants hanging off the back of my stool. No, not without my fat pants! He'd mistaken them for a sweater and put them back on the stool. I can't remember what else I talked to Lester about if anything because I was distracted by the cameras swinging 180 degrees around to focus on us. The producer had told me to just look at Lester. Otherwise I might get distracted by the teleprompter and the monitors and got a deer-in-the-headlights look when the interview started. So I just focused on Lester's face as they counted down from 10 and then OH MY GOD we were on national television.

Lester Holt was talking about one woman's struggle with weight and, holy crap, that one woman was me. I just kept looking at his pretty face, curious about what was being displayed on the monitor but too fearful to look anywhere else. He asked me most of the questions that had been in the script, but in a slightly different order. I dodged and weaved with it, dancing along with him leading. Then suddenly he asked me what I thought of weight loss surgery and, hey now, no one had told me we were going there! I rolled with it though and even worked in a happy mother's day at the end. He seemed genuinely amused that I couldn't say "half-assed" on TV and then the interview was over. It was good-bye Lester and I was walking off the set.

It all went amazingly well. For the past month I have been slightly worried about whether people who meet me at book events will think I'm still fat. I think I look fabulous, but I'm not the skinniest chick in the room either. I don't really care about what other people think of my body under normal circumstances, but I also don't want to be known as the fat girl who's promoting a weight-loss memoir. When I watched The Today Show two weeks ago and saw that my full body would be visible on a stool, I did a little freak out dance. Where was the carefully cropped head shot? I've always thought I look my fattest sitting down. When I was morbidly obese, I once saw my reflection in the window as I was sitting in my office chair and freaked out like a groundhog who'd just seen his morbidly obese shadow. Thankfully, when I reviewed the tape of my appearance, I looked great in my lavender shirt and the gray pants from Goodwill that my mom hemmed the afternoon before. I sat up straight, I got my four points across (or three and a half since I couldn't say "half-assed"), and I didn't fall off the stool. Mission accomplished.

I also have a newfound respect for TV people. It's amazing all the time and preparation that went into that short little segment. I'm awed by the amount of energy and pizzazz you need to host a show and the ability required to dodge and weave and go with the flow. My segment got moved from the 36 minute mark to the 42 minute mark and I'm sure they were rearranging other things. Right after we were done, I left the building and walked by Lester and Jenna doing a shot outside in the crowd. They were always running around and changing things up, but looking totally calm and collected as they were doing it, like it had all been planned for weeks.

Then I went out to brunch at Sarabeth's with family and friends and ordered the Fat and Fluffy French Toast. That's right. I promoted my weight loss book and then I ate a dish with the word "fat" in the title. And it was delicious. Mmmmm.

For the rest of the day, whenever I looked in a mirror I was shocked at my reflection. "I have a face!" I told my aunt Lori. I have never looked cuter in tourist photos than I do in my New York pics. When I got home and read my e-mail someone said they liked how I'd answered a certain question and I thought, "Did we talk about that?" I honestly couldn't remember. Yet, all together it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Comments (28)

Comments on this Entry:

(Red on May 16, 2008 1:55 AM) Man, it is impressive how much work that takes. It's probably like when people tell you, "Oh, I'll start a blog, I have an extra 5 minutes/day to spare".

(Andrew is getting fit on May 16, 2008 2:38 AM) Wow, that all looks like so much fun!

(jae on May 16, 2008 3:56 AM) I was impressed by how at ease you seemed. And you really did look great: your outfit, your hair and make-up, so cute!! I'm glad you're so confedent and realize that you really do look awesome. That's one thing I really loved about your book (and you even mentioned it) was the self-acceptance you have. It's so refreshing. And thanks for the behind the scenes of the Today Show, it was fun to watch and now I know what's going on when I watch during the week. :) ~j

(Clio on May 16, 2008 7:25 AM) You did really well on the show. I'm intrigued by how different your account of the Today show experience was from the account by another blogger who appeared on that show a few days prior to your appearance. She was less positive about the whole thing, but I think you were more prepared and went in with less expectations, which made it a better experience. I hope book sales picked up!

(debby on May 16, 2008 7:50 AM) Here's what I love about you, Pastaqueen--you're a real person! You do look fabulous even though you're not at goal weight, you wear pants from Goodwill on TV, and then tell the world about it, and you still enjoy 'fat food' occasionally. You're my hero!

(Jill on May 16, 2008 8:28 AM) I thought you looked super cute BEFORE you got hair and makeup done (of course you looked great after too, but just wanted to point out that you looked great before the professionals got you). And you totally did not look fat sitting down AT ALL!! Good job PQ!!

(Cathleen on May 16, 2008 8:53 AM) Saw your interview -- you did GREAT.

(Dreamer on May 16, 2008 9:19 AM) You look absolutely fabulous. There's no WAY anyone would think of you as "the fat girl who's promoting a weight-loss memoir." If I didn't know any better and I saw you walking down the street, I'd probably just assume you'd been thin all your life and never had to worry about your weight.

(Tena on May 16, 2008 9:42 AM) You looked fantastic! So at ease and comfortable, like you and Lester were the only ones there. I love that you were wearing pants from Goodwill!! You are my heroine!

(Helen on May 16, 2008 9:57 AM) I saw the segment and you rocked - totally natural and yes, you managed to get your points across. I am completely jealous since I AM a makeup/hair kind of girl and have always wondered how fabulous I could look if the professionals helped me a little.

(G.G. on May 16, 2008 10:10 AM) PQ, you don't just look pretty in those pictures, you look beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And my reaction to the sitting-down picture wasn't that you looked fat, but that you have long legs, and the picture really gave me a sense of how tall you are. Tall, with long legs. I am SO jealous.

(PastaQueen on May 16, 2008 10:26 AM) I know, which makes it all the more shocking that my pants had to be *hemmed*. I think they were designed for a 6'1" WNBA player or something.

(Jenn1701 on May 16, 2008 10:44 AM) I LOOOOVE Sarabeth's!!!! Everytime I am visiting my family in NYC I go there for breakfast or brunch, it is heaven =) So glad you got to experience all this, the tv, the trip, even the freak-out. You have definitely earned it!

(Girl on a mission on May 16, 2008 11:46 AM) Wooot Woot Wooooooooooooooot! I saw you on the show and I thought "I know that girl"....I did the same jump for joy that I did when I saw Roni on the cover of Woman's World. Both your accomplishments have overwhelmed me.........even though I'm still stuck in a rut.......you know that one where you can't seem to kick start your life and get going with a weight loss plan. I just wish I had your motivation and will power to go the distance. I'm still trying to SUFFER through the couch to 5 K program....my problem is, I'm still eating like a pig! I would have went face first in to that place of donuts.....although this week, I'm craving fruits........I think its due to the fact that I'm eating way too many carbs. I'm on carb overload. Anyways, back to the show- you looked AMAZING! You are beautiful! You have your 5 minutes of fame and you got to show the world (all of those millions of people) how hard work really pays off for all of the right reasons. You did not look fat- you looked like a girl to be admired by those obese ladies who are struggling daily! Cheers to you! I'm going to follow in your footsteps! Sincerely, Girl on a Mission!

(victoria on May 16, 2008 12:53 PM) You did great! As your fame & popularity grow, you'll travel more & more, and you'll figure out how to do it the stress-free way. There are all sorts of little tricks that frequent travelers like my husband rely on that make a day of travel less stessful than a regular day at the office. (But man, is he PICKY! All this travel causes him to have very definite preferences. I will no longer make travel arrangements for that man because he's always complaining about my choice of airline, or the seat row I chose, or the type of plane I get us on . . . )

(Laura on May 16, 2008 1:10 PM) Great recap of your visit. I thought you looked super cute before the hair & makeup guys, too. Obviously you have a natural beauty (you lucky dog). Hope you have fun in Lexington this weekend!

(v'ron on May 16, 2008 1:41 PM) Wow, you looked great, and cute and everything! you're probably still buzzing over this. And i'm sure that you already know this, but there's always going to be the Haters. Don't worry about the Haters. The Haters will hate somebody who's 102 pounds because they're not 98 pounds. They will hate somebody who's 98 pounds because they're not 110 pounds. You not only LOOK good, you can tell by your glow that you FEEL good as well, and that's 98 percent of looking good anyway.

(Joanne on May 16, 2008 5:44 PM) Well done from Belfast - I watched the Today clip. You looked fab, PQ, and came across as really intelligent too. You should do TV, you have a great face and voice for it.

(Jen on May 16, 2008 6:57 PM) You did awesome! Thanks for the amazing play-by-play of your experience.

(Marshmallow on May 16, 2008 7:04 PM) Eeeeeeeeeeee!!! The excitement, it overwhelms me! You look fantastic, and the clip is awesome :-D [by the way, you might have gotten double requests from me for the autographed book; I got concerned when I put in my request and heard nothing, then I find out that Andrew who also lives in New Zealand got his copy! What's THAT about! Something went missing somewhere, methinks :-(] Thanks for the awesome Behind The Scenes look into your big TV appearance, you rock!

(Becca on May 16, 2008 7:05 PM) You know what? And I hope this comes across as the compliment that it is intended to be - you not only looked great, you looked REAL. You didn't look plastic, you didn't sound fake, you sounded and looked like a regular person with a struggle that most of us can relate to who overcame it wonderfully. I get so turned off by overtanned, overdressed, bony weight loss promoters. They aren't real to me. I felt like I could totally pull up a stool and just sit and chat with you and Lester. Although I probably would fall off the stool I was very impressed with your poise and balance and posture. Great job. I love the book.

(Manic Mommy on May 16, 2008 9:16 PM) That WAS a really great interview! You look poised and completely together, like you've been on national TV countless times! Next week, Half-Assed goes up on Manic Mommy for a GIVEAWAY so make sure your readers stop by!!!

(Erin on May 16, 2008 9:45 PM) next time, fly into Newark. Far less of a headache than JFK :-) I just noticed that Kenneth (or whatever the page's name is) has scissors in his pocket. Random.

(Janet on May 16, 2008 10:58 PM) Great post! You looked SO beautiful...especially the photo with the red-headed page who picked you up. That smile is unforgettable. You're a mature, poised young lady who has a realistic grasp of life and a fabulous future ahead. You truly do get it! You deserve the best.

(Rosy on May 17, 2008 1:11 AM) I thought you did great and this may seem shallow but you looked really striking on tv. Not in 'once fat, now thin' striking but in "strong, tall, with so much presence...huge, intelligent eyes and gorgeous smile" striking. Congrats!

(K on May 17, 2008 10:20 AM) You have a nice voice. And you did look pretty, but then I think you always do. You came over really well - and I really admire how you dealt with the random WLS question. I think I'd have panicked. Can you really not say "ass" on television? That's so weird!

(Melting Mama on May 17, 2008 4:17 PM) You were gorgeous on television, and calm, amazingly calm. I admire you, well done.

(Monica on May 17, 2008 7:27 PM) http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/formerly_obese_man_always?utm_source=onion_rss_daily

Comments (8)

Comments on this Entry:

(Janet on May 15, 2008 10:12 PM) We're all so looking forward to your post about your Today Show experience. When will you be telling us about it?

(PastaQueen on May 15, 2008 10:14 PM) It has not been forgotten. I'm trying to finish it tonight, but we'll see. I have to pack for the Lexington thing.

(Teri Crane on May 15, 2008 10:27 PM) Where can I find your book tour schedule? Can't wait to see you!

(PastaQueen on May 15, 2008 10:54 PM) Hey,Teri! I'm not going on much of a tour, buy my event schedule is here http://halfassedbook.com/book/events/ I'm doing a blog tour instead, which you can read about here http://halfassedbook.com/2008/05/05/half-assed-blog-book-tour/

(michelle f on May 16, 2008 8:30 AM) How random that i live about 4 minutes away from Joseph-Beth here in Lexington! I will see you tomorrow!

(Elizabeth on May 16, 2008 8:47 AM) I am SSSOOO excited! I live in Lexington! I had no idea you were coming! Yippee! See you Saturday!

(Krissie on May 16, 2008 7:00 PM) Yay! I'll see you there! We LIVE at Joseph Beth! (or actually about 15 minutes away...but it's our favorite place!)

(Krissie on May 17, 2008 8:26 PM) It was so nice to meet you today! I felt like I was being waved at by a superstar when we saw you outside! Hope you enjoyed your visit to Lexington!

"Why do you need it?" she asked.

"I'm going to win a bike!" he told her.

The school was raffling off prizes as part of a fundraiser and my brother had his eye on the shiny, yellow, 10-speed bicycle. My mom gave him a dollar and prepared for the fallout when the young boy had a sudden lesson in probability outside of math class.

The next week he walked home with a shiny, yellow, 10-speed bicycle. Screw you, probability!

When Lipton Tea contacted me asking if I'd like to give away a bike on my web site as part of a promotion for their new Lipton's White Teas, I thought of my brother and decided, "Yes, I would!" I try not to do too many corporate promotions around here since I consider this to be a personal blog and I don't want to turn into a corporate shill or get a reputation as a sell-out (especially since they're not paying me). But like I've said before, I do enjoy playing the part of Robin Hood and taking items from public relations people and redistributing them to my readers. Plus, the PR company, Ogilvy, put together a blogger code of ethics which they referred to in their contact e-mail which I think is an excellent idea. Every PR company should do this.

So here's the deal. Lipton is hosting a "Free Your Y" contest at www.areyouyoungenough.com and if I'd actually gotten my act together before the deadline of May 11 you could have entered a video for prizes over there. Oops, sorry! I've been busy. You can still go over there to vote on the winners starting May 17.

However, Lipton is still giving away a Lipton branded Fuji Crosstown 2.0 bike to "help underpin the concept of embracing our youthful spirits" as the press release says. Read more about the bike here .

To enter the contest, comment on this post (using an email I can contact you at) with the story of how you learned to ride a bike. Or if you haven't learned how to ride a bike, the story of why you have not. I love reading your stories. I will leave the comments open until 11:59pm on Saturday, May 17th. Then I'll randomly draw a winner. Only US residents are eligible. My apologies to the international peeps!

Lipton also sent me some White Tea samples, and I have to say, they were pretty good. I drink a lot of the Crystal Lite peach tea drink, and these tasted pretty similar just in lots of different flavors like raspberry and peach papaya. My dad tried the island mango and peach flavor hot tea and said it was good. No, they didn't pay me to say any of that. (I don't think they paid my dad either, unless he's got some secret deal on the side.) If I like a product, I don't mind saying nice things about it. If the tea had sucked, I probably wouldn't have mentioned it at all. The "To Go" packets are rather handy because you can dump them in a 16.9 fl oz water bottle, shake and drink. They're zero-calorie too. I'm trying to cut back on caffeine though, so I probably won't be sucking down too much of the stuff.

Disclaimer from Lipton Legal: The Pepsi/Lipton Partnership will provide a check for $75.00 to be used for professional assembly of all Lipton Fuji bicycles awarded. Neither Pepsi Co. nor Unilever is liable for any injuries, damages or accidents that may result from the receipt, assembly or use of this bicycle.

Comments (302)

Comments on this Entry:

(Loey on May 14, 2008 8:07 AM) I'm not eligible for the bike contest because I'm in Canada *sniff*, but I thought you'd like to know that both green and white tea have about 10% the caffeine of a coffee (drip), so you should feel free to imbib. Check it out: http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm

(Leanna on May 14, 2008 8:13 AM) I learned to ride a bike with my dad holding onto the back of the seat, and running along behind me. I kept saying "don't let go, don't let go" and then at one point I turned around and he'd let go and I'd been riding by myself for a bit, but then I got nervous and skidded on sand and fell. I got back on, though, and have loved riding ever since. P.S. I'm about a third of the way through your book and am loving it!

(Tonia on May 14, 2008 8:13 AM) I don't remember ever learning how to ride a bike, it must not have been a memorable experience. But I do remember summers from the age of 10 thru 13 when I lived on my bike. My friends and I would bike all over town and to the pool and back every day. We would be out from morning till dark, only going home long enough to eat. Now that I'm older (35), I am much more fearful of gravity, the bikes just don't seem as stable as they were when I was younger and lighter. I've tried to ride a bike recently and it is much harder than I remember. My kids would love for me to go out with them in the neighborhood, but I need a lot more practice before I can venture past the driveway!

(Jenn on May 14, 2008 8:14 AM) My first bike was a strawberry shortcake contraption, pink and white with a white wicker basket in the front. I loved that bike so much, and rode it every day until the day I crashed into my sister and broke her arm. Coordinated, not so much. :) Saw the interview, you looked great!

(Holly on May 14, 2008 8:26 AM) I'm not sure how I learned how to ride a bike. I do remember being on my bike (with training wheels) at about the of 6 with one of my friends, when her 4 year old brother blew by me (without training wheels). After that I begged my parents to let me ride without training wheels. And yes I'm still friends with her and her little brother STILL makes fun of me 16 years later!

(Tammy on May 14, 2008 8:27 AM) My first bike ride was a traumatic experience. My dad had been holding the back of my bike and walking me around the road for a few days, the big day finally arrived when I told my dad "I am ready to do it by myself." My dad was so proud, he pushed me for a while then let go of me. I was so happy as I was riding, coasting really, down a hill. Only problem was nobody had told me how to STOP the bike, so I crashed into a parked car and my bike broke into several pieces. Took me a long time to ever get back on, but I eventually did!

(Jill on May 14, 2008 8:29 AM) It was my 7th birthday and I KNEW that I would be getting a bike, as I had hounded my parents for one for months before the actual big day. My dad rolled my beloved new bike into the front yard - it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! It was pink and purple with a white banana seat and a white plastic basket on the front. The streamers from the handle bars were pink and purple and I thought I had never seen anything so fancy in my whole entire life. Dad told me to hop on, so I did and with him holding on to the back of the seat, away we went down the sidewalk, a little wobbly at first, but after awhile, I was riding cautiously alone. I remember telling my dad how smooth the ride was, not like my old rusty tricycle. I must have put a hundred thousand miles on that bike. *sigh* I wish I had it now!!

(Nina on May 14, 2008 8:34 AM) I don't really remember much about learning to ride a bike. I do remember though, that one of my best childhood memories is being hoisted on to one of those kiddie seats while my brother rode his bikes with me behind him. I haven't spoken to my brother in three years (or more) and he's very indifferent to me, nowadays. I wish we could go back to where he would strap me to the back of his bike.

(Heidi Paulus on May 14, 2008 8:43 AM) Hi! I love your blog and this is my first comment. I learned to ride a pink huffy. I loved that bike. I would spend hours riding up and down the driveway until I was finally able to take to the not-well-traveled country road we lived on. I have always gotten joy from riding a bike. With my recent weight loss of 86 (eeeks!) pounds, I have again started to enjoy riding. I have been taking a spin class twice a week and taking long rides with my husband on the weekend. It is amazing how strong and freeing it feels to be in this new healthy, active lifestyle. Thanks so much for your inspiration. heidi

(dietgirl on May 14, 2008 8:59 AM) Aww MAN! Stoopid Scottish residency! The bike colours reminds me of a jar of Vegemite :)

(Sarah on May 14, 2008 8:59 AM) I was 9 years old when my grandmother bought the pink Schwinn with a banana seat for me at a garage sale. The next day, I walked to her house and my aunt taught me to ride it. There was a small hill in grandma's yard. At first I coasted down with my legs to the side, then with my feet resting on the pedals, and finally I started pedaling on the way down the hill. I kept on pedaling...

(Erica on May 14, 2008 9:02 AM) I also learned on a pink huffy. I loved to bike right away, but I wasn't allowed to go very far from my house, and riding in circles around the parking lot got old... so the poor bike sat unused. We moved and I was allowed to go further afield at the new place - but I didn't understand that bikes had air in their tires and oil on their chains, and the bike that had been sitting unused needed both. All of the sudden, biking seemed really, really hard! I was shocked, more than ten years later, when I got on a bike and was able to go faster than a brisk walking pace. Now I bike to work and most errands, and it's great - as long as I remember to lube the chain and keep the tires full.. which reminds me of something I should be doing... Thanks PQ!

(cathy on May 14, 2008 9:03 AM) I don’t remember learning how to ride a bike. I suppose it wasn’t a memorable experience (unlike learning to roller skate for which I still have the scars to remind me). I do remember having a pink bicycle with plastic rainbow tassels and a white basket in the front. My bike had the metal pedals (before plastic was deemed safer for kids) and my shins had the bruises to prove it. During the ages of 8-12, I lived on my bicycle, only coming inside when it was time for dinner. It was a great time in the 80’s where every house on my block had a child my age and we all rode around as if we owned the neighborhood. I distinctly recall riding with a basketball in one hand to duel my brothers at the park, then riding to the nearest McDonald’s for free iced water. I haven’t ridden since my brother got his license, but thinking about those times reminds me of how active and happy I was as a child.

(Adrienne on May 14, 2008 9:05 AM) I remember learning to ride a bike in the back yard with my dad on a 3 speed blue Schwinn that I had gotten for Christmas the year I was 7. I think I may have learned a little on a smaller bike, but I didn't master the riding skill until I had the new bike. My backyard had a slight hill so it was good for starting with some momentum. My dad would hold the back of the seat and tell me to start pedalling. Then he would let go. Repeat dozens of times and then finally one day I could stay upright. I actually still have that bike, even though right now it needs new tires. I'd love to win this new one, but I don't think I will ever get rid of my old-school Schwinn.

(JBo on May 14, 2008 9:09 AM) I don't remember if it was hard to learn to ride, except my mom would take me to the parking lot of the tool & dye up the street on Sundays when no one was there. The lot was gravel and I would fall down a lot and scrape myself up. It would be hot in that big open expanse and the windowless corragated blue walls of the tool and dye towered over me. Trains would come by and make their train noises. Cars would go by and make their car noises. Then we would walk home and I would get a popsicle.

(Lori on May 14, 2008 9:11 AM) I remember learning to ride a bike vividly! I was 5 and my best friend and next door neighbor had learned how to ride her two-wheeler... I was green with envy. I remembered crying that night that she could do something that I could not. I came home from school the next day and didn't tell mom or dad, but taught myself to ride my bike. It was a very freeing experience. My 5 year old daughter learned to ride her bike yesterday. She learned the same way I did... damn sheer determination. Her cousin learned last week.

(deanna on May 14, 2008 9:12 AM) I don't remember - its seems really blury to me. I am the youngest of five sisters so not sure if they helped or my parents. I do remember living on my bike though, we would get up early, pack snacks (could this be the start of the weight problem?) and take adventures around town. We really thought that we were so far from home when in reality we were at best a 1/2 mile away. We did this almost every day in the summer if we were not at the pool. It was so much fun! I should take more adventures as an adult!!!

(Melanie on May 14, 2008 9:13 AM) I can't remember learning to ride a bike at all. I do have a story that involves bicycle riding and in fact bicycle riding became very important to me for a time. All throughout law school and later once I started working as a lawyer I had a copy of this catalog that I found one day at school. It described these absolutely wonderful sounding European bike trips. I was somewhat miserable for large periods during law school and directly afterwards in part because I felt trapped by my choices. I used to spend hours upon hours reading this catalog and dreaming of going on a European bike trip. I had never traveled abroad and I desperately wanted to. I thought about it all the time. I mean, I had pretty much memorized this catalog. Finally, after I had worked at a law firm for about 3 years, circumstances emerged that encouraged and permitted me to quit. I applied for and was accepted to the Peace Corps and left my job about 4 months before departing to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer, cashed out my 401k, and spent every cent of it on a 3 month European trip. Seven weeks of that trip were spent on bike trips with that very company, and I can honestly say it was worth every penny. Retirement, Shmetirement I say. The company is www.bluemarble.org. They are fantastic, and I highly recommend them. I have been itching for ages to go on another trip with them, and maybe I will. For me, a bike represents freedom and the culmination of a lot of frustrated dreams. I don't currently have a bike, so winning this one would be sweet!

(Claudia on May 14, 2008 9:13 AM) My dad was a PhD student when I was about 6 or so, and we lived in student housing, which was this big grassy area dotted with houses. All the kids I hung out with were older than me, and at some point I was the only one left with training wheels on my bike. One of the older kids pointed this out to me, and man, did I get mad! So I wheeled my little pink and purple (seriously) bike home, sat down on the couch and demanded to have the training wheels taken off. My parents were a little taken aback, but my dad agreed, and once they were off I kept trying all day to get my ballance, until finally I succeed. Great example of my stubborn streak. I've been reading your blog for a while, and I'm so impressed! Congrats on all your success.

(Amy on May 14, 2008 9:15 AM) I learned how to ride on a purple unicorn bike with training wheels. Which unfortunately got stolen from the front of my house. I have learned since to lock things up with wheels!

(Rah on May 14, 2008 9:19 AM) I was in third grade and had wanted a bicycle FOREVER, but my parents had ignored me because my older sister didn't want one. (They operated under the assumption that she would do everything first.) Finally, someone in our church heard my pleas and gave me a second hand one. The day my dad came home with it I was so excited I squealed. Every house on our block in Amarillo, Texas, had boxwood shrubbery in front, so I wobbled up and down the block, using those shrubs as my emergency cushion to fall into when I lost my balance. I rode that night until the street lights came on and my parents made me come inside. Scratched but eager, I was out the next morning at dawn. By about noon, I had a wobbly mastery of bicycling, and I simply loved it. Come to mama, yellow Fuji; it has been a long time!

(Amy on May 14, 2008 9:20 AM) I kept my training wheels on for a long time. My brother is two and a half years younger, and when he started riding, he didn’t bother with the training wheels. Subsequently, he learned to ride before me. That’s when I decided to abandon the training wheels, myself. My dad told us to turn in the direction that we felt like we were going to fall. That would have worked out great, except we only had a narrow sidewalk to ride on, lined with trees and parked cars.

(Jennifer on May 14, 2008 9:21 AM) My dad taught me by holding on to the back of the bike and then periodically letting go...I guess I wasn't learning fast enough for him so he decided to get on and show me how it was done. He rode to the end of the street and went up a driveway to turn around and promptly rode the bike right into their garage door...him and the bike fell right over...after that he stuck to holding on to the seat and denies to this day that he fell off my bike and skinned his knee.

(Paige on May 14, 2008 9:25 AM) My older cousin's felt it was time that I learn to ride a bike (I was 6, they were 10-12) when they wanted to bike down to the theater to see the Care Bears movie - it was a small town in the 80's, no one questioned the safety of small kids biking across town ;-) So, my cousin Jenny took her old bike, popped me on it and kept telling me to think I was 'the little engine that could' and repeat "I think I can, I think I can"......I remember being so obsessed with saying those words that I just pedaled down the street with no problems what so ever. :-)

(Ashley on May 14, 2008 9:26 AM) So I've been lurking for awhile, but this is just too tempting. I learned to ride a bike the first time at age 8, but I recently re-learned in a fairly traumatic fashion. I decided to buy myself a road bike to ride here in DC, but, since I'm terrified of the thing, and traffic here makes riding around in anything less than a tank hazardous, I decided to ride only at about 6 AM on Saturdays. This, unfortunately, happens to be when all of the hard-core, Tour de France wannabes in their fake Lance Armstrong uniforms (really) go riding at about 70 mph, which has left me with the rather unenviable choice of being run down by them at 6:00 or running down innocent moms with strollers myself at 8:00. Additionally, when I assembled the bike, I put the front fork on backwards, so every time I tried to turn I fell off. For three months. Until a friend pointed out that my foot was not supposed to overlap the wheel by that full 8 or so inches. So I can say from personal experience that the 75 bucks for assembly Lipton will send should definitely be taken to the nearest bike shop, where they will surely stare at you derisively as they assemble the non-Trek, barely worthy of bike-hood bike, but at the very least you are slightly less likely to crash into light poles--yes, light poles, some barely visible in their slenderness--as I did some two dozen times last fall.

(fbdave on May 14, 2008 9:27 AM) I really can't remember exactly how I learned to ride a bike. I'm pretty sure it involved training wheels, though! When they were taken off and I was on my own, boy was I wobbly...

(elissa on May 14, 2008 9:28 AM) I remember my childhood and the bikes of my childhood in snippets rather than cohesive stories. I remember my brother and I perched in matching plastic child seats strapped to the back of my parent's bikes as they raced home ahead of a thunderstorm and an oversized powder blue bike with training wheels. I remember riding with my parents and my father, on his bike, coming up behind mine and pushing me forward a little faster yelling 'you need to switch gears' and 'come on, you're falling behind'. I remember a bike ride where I suffered because I refused to let my parents know that I'd ripped open the back of my leg climbing a fence (that I shouldn't have been climbing). I remember as a teenager riding for hours by myself along different roads and paths and now, now the bike I've had since I was 13 is on its last wheels, and I go to the park and watch the bikes fly by and try to pretend I like running more than biking (I so don't).

(Penny on May 14, 2008 9:28 AM) I received my first bike for my birthday. I can't remember what year but I was in elementary school. Anyhoo, I rode around in the driveway for a day on training wheels. I was convinced that I was a pro on the bike and they could be taken off. I wanted to get out there in the neighborhood and ride. My older brothers were doing it why not me? My Dad took them off and I got up on that bike and....crashed! Hard! But that didn't stop me. With a little help, I was up on my bike and riding in the neighborhood within a week. Its been a while since I've been on a bike but would love to go on bike trails in the mountains of Virginia. What great exercise! Thanks for helping motivate me to lose the weight!!

(Carrie on May 14, 2008 9:29 AM) I don't remember learning to ride a bike, though I know I didn't learn until first grade. I have a terrible memory when it comes to things from my childhood. However, I need a bike! A few years ago I briefly lived with my dad. His friend left a bike at the house, so I decided to ride my bike to work every day (about a mile). I couldn't believe how quickly that helped me shape up! I was doing other things as well, of course, but I think it made a difference. I haven't bought a bike since because we lived in the big city for a while and I am afraid of riding with cars. Then I had a baby and didn't know if I could ride with a baby. I was actually planning on buying a bike this weekend!

(Nancy on May 14, 2008 9:30 AM) My dad taught me how to ride a bike. I had the bike with the banana seat, big handle bars and the basket with 3 flowers. I also had a bell that I rang all the time. The day he took of my training wheels, he gave me a push from our barn in our back yard. We (the bike and me) went flying, and landed on the rock that we built fires on in the back yard. I was done that day, but ever since, I've loved riding my bike!

(Shelly on May 14, 2008 9:31 AM) I learned to ride a bike the summer I turned 6. My birthday is in July and the morning of my birthday my parents told me we were going to pick up my birthday present. We drove to JC Penny's and parked in the back by the loading dock. My dad went in and came out with a big box. It was a brand new bright yellow banana seat bike. I was so excited to get home and ride it. I have 2 older brothers and they had been riding their bikes for what seemed like forever and were free to go around the block all by themselves. I wanted to go too. When we got home, my dad put the bike together and then took me next door to the empty field where there was a hill. I jumped on the bike and he gave me a push and I was off. I had no fear and took off right away. I still love the feeling of getting on a bike and taking off. However, now I make sure to wear a helmet. I've had 2 major bike accidents and am lucky to be able to still ride.

(Laurie on May 14, 2008 9:33 AM) My Dad taught me how to ride a bike as well. He'd hold on to the back seat and give a shove.We never had a new bike in the family (too many siblings), but my parents always put a lot of work into refurbishing a basically good bike from the thrift store, so we each got one when we learned to ride. I don't have a bike but would love to have one to ride to work for a change (I usually walk). P.S. Admittedly, although an avid blog reader I have not bought your book- however I did read the entire thing at Borders bookstore last weekend!

(valerie on May 14, 2008 9:33 AM) I don't remember learning to ride a bike. I do know that it was my primary transportation as a kid and I would ride to my friends' houses everyday during the summer. They lived in a subdivision that had a community pool.

(sharon on May 14, 2008 9:38 AM) I don't remember exactly learning to ride a bike but I've had a lot of bike accidents. At 7 years old I was trying to ride a men's 10 speed and flew over the handle bars, landed on my chin and had to get stitches. I do remember telling the doctor if it hurt I was going to spank him. I didn't get to spank the doctor of course but I did get a strawberry milk shake on the way home. Please tell us if you were nervous on the show, you didn't seem like you were at all. Good job!

(Diana the Scale Junkie on May 14, 2008 9:40 AM) My older brother and sister thought it would be funny to adjust my training wheels so that the back tire no longer touched the ground. When I got on to pedal it was like riding an exercise bike and despite my best efforts the bike did not move. I was so angry with them as they rolled on the grass laughing their asses off. I went to Dad and demanded that he remove my training wheels so I could learn to ride a my bike the real way, he did and took me to a section of our driveway that had a gentle slope. That gentle slope gave the bike just enough momentum to allow me to make the pedal connection and power the bike on my own. After that day there was no stopping me!

(Kristi on May 14, 2008 9:42 AM) I was 7 and received a purple bike for Christmas. It had a white banana seat, ape hanger handle bars, and a pretty whicker basket with pink flowers on it. My best friend had been riding a bike since we were like 4 and I couldn't waite to learn. Growing up in WI it was very cold with deep snow, but my sister took me to the alley behind our house. She held for a little while, but when she let go I went crashing into the neighbors garage. I never let go of the handle bars and smashed all my frozen knuckles and fingers. It hurt so bad I waited until summer to try again. Then I just stood by a step and pushed off (because the bike was too tall) until I got it. Now I'm 43 and still love to ride!

(Keri on May 14, 2008 9:42 AM) I was about 7 when I learned how to ride a bike without training wheels, which I thought was rather late to learn. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I can remember how scared I was even WITH the training wheels on. I didn't like the way the bike hobbled back and forth between the two training wheels. My dad kept explaining to me that if I would just pedal faster that wouldn't happen, and I wouldn't even NEED the training wheels. Still I hobbled along for weeks just pouting away because I just couldn't get the hang of it. Then one day I came home and there was a shiny brand new bike with a banana seat and sparkly purple paint with streamers on the handle bars. I mean it was THE bike to have in 1980. But I think I cried and said I didn't want it because it wasn't pink (what a brat I was! I'm SO embarrassed!). So they took it back, and they were so hurt. :-( So a few weeks later, one day I just got on my friend's bike and rode it like I had been riding a bike for years! I couldn't believe how easy it was! Here's the funny part, after my parents saw that I could ride a bike, they got me a USED (because of my tantrum with the new they had surprised me with before) Huffy with a basket and a big squishy seat. And it was pink. :-)

(Erin on May 14, 2008 9:43 AM) (side story - i am a whore for that white tea. i buy the 20 oz bottles in bulk from BJ's and am currently am sipping on the peach hot white tea) My first bike was a My Little Pony bike. It was white and pink, and of course, had the ponies on it. I loved everything about the bike, it even had a basket that I could put my My Little Pony action figures in (yes, they were action figures). Sadly, my memories about the actual bike are much fonder than me riding the thing. I was 5 or 6, I can't remember, but we lived in Iceland at the time, and we were very limited as to where my parents could teach me. My sister was riding her bike (hers was not nearly as cool as mine... it had a banana seat!) but she had it without training wheels. I couldn't let my big sister do something I couldn't do, so I made my dad take the training wheels off. Either my memory is clouded or I was a child prodigy, but I distinctly remember only needing one push from my dad and I was off. My least fond memory of bike riding involves my best friend Kristin. We were in 4th or 5th grade, and we would always ride our bikes around the neighborhood. We also would twirl batons and pretend like we were majorettes (we had wild imaginations!). We were riding down the one hill in our neighborhood, and Kristin's baton got stuck in the spokes of her rear tire. Her bike completely flipped over. We thought she broke something. Thankfully, she was okay. But we never rode bikes carrying batons again!

(Tracy on May 14, 2008 9:44 AM) I learned to ride a bike when I was eight in the era of banana seats. My bike was purple and had a white basket on the front with a plastic flower attached. I fell off many times and had the usual skinned knees - but the freedom was worth all the bandaids! It is Bike Week and it is being celebrated vigorously in Boston. I've ridden my bike everyday this week so far - even in the treacherous Boston traffic, crossing bridges and everything. I've come a long way. Thanks for hosting this give away!

(Kate on May 14, 2008 9:44 AM) Like others that have posted notes here already, I don't recall very clearly learning to ride my bike. I do know that I rode it everywhere. I am the third of nine kids in my family and if you couldn't get to wherever you wanted to go by foot or by bike you just didn't go there. So my brothers and sisters all rode everywhere, to stores, to the park, to the public pool. I also loved riding my bike and I have never had one as an adult. I have been seriously considering getting one - so of course I'd LOVE to win your raffle! Thanks for taking up the offer from Lipton, I wouldn't mind tooling around my neighborhood on my sweet tea bike! :) kate

(Jenny on May 14, 2008 9:46 AM) I learned to ride at five on a small blue bike with no name or label. It had a small basket on the front and a bell. The first time I was "free" from the hands of worried parents running along side or the training wheel I said "I'm free!!!!" And I was. My bike made me mobile and that's a great feeling. At five. Or any age. I also hit that basket one day as I launched over the handlebars when I hit a tree, but that's a different post. Pretty bike.

(Ewa on May 14, 2008 9:52 AM) Hi there! I know I can't win the bike (I'm Canadian - really we're not international, I swear!) but I thought I'd share that I learned to ride a bike at the very senior age of 23 (I'm 30 now). When I was a kid I fell off and my parents never made me get back on, so I didn't (I supposed I decided that falling wasn't something I was interested in). Then at 23, I was teaching English in Poland and I thought it's high time to see what all the fuss was about... so I went with a friend to a park outside the city and I tried... and oh man, did I fly!! I was a force to be reckoned with. Now I live in Toronto, and for the past 3 years have been riding my bike year round to work every day. It's crazy for me to think that I went from not knowing to riding on the downtown streets of a city of 3 million people. That's my biking story. Oh, and I love your blog! ewa.

(nmbr1soxfan on May 14, 2008 9:53 AM) AHHH...Red Lightening...That was the name of the beauty that my brother, my sister, and I all learned to ride with on the small hill in front of our house. We called it Red Lightening because it had red paint with shiny silver specks in it that sparkled in the sunlight. Each one of us anxiously awaited the day that it was our turn to have the honor of riding Red Lightening down the street with our dad and all the neighborhood kids running behind us. We actually saved the bike for years in hopes that as we had our own children they too would find that same joy from Red Lightening that we did, however, by the time the first one came along and was ready to ride a bike he refused to get on it because he said it wasn't cool enough (and the next two agreed)!

(zombie mom on May 14, 2008 9:53 AM) I learned to ride a shiny blue Schwinn with training wheels when I was four and a half- a joint effort on behalf of my parents. I was loathe to move up from my teal tricycle, but with two younger siblings vying for it - the pressure was on. The first day I caught my front wheel in a crack in the sidewalk and went down- hard. The second day I ran into a decorative boulder in the neighbor's flower bed. The third day, with training wheels rattling, I was flying. The day the training wheels came off my mom and dad and sisters clapped for me as I flew down the street - of course, I crashed. However, I was back up and riding. I had a hot pink bike I adored that was stolen in recent years. I would love to get back to riding a bike. I would love to win the pretty shiny big girl bike so that I can attach a baby trailer and tootle around with my two girls getting them jazzed up to be bike riders and have healthy lifestyles. Lately we have been walking to the gym, but oh, how great to sail down there on a shiny yellow bike.

(Susan on May 14, 2008 9:56 AM) OMG! I love riding a bike. It really is a thrill. I think I look like a maniac when I ride around town because I am always working my hardest and I always have a crazy grin on my face. I truly love riding my bike. I currently have a mountain bike which I bought 8 years ago when I didn't know anything about bikes or bike riding (other than I loved it; I am a lifetime bike ride lover). I have been wanting to get a new street bike for a few years, but they are SO EXPENSIVE! I learned to ride a bike when I was very young. I believe I was three or four. I remember my brother, who is 4 years older, teaching me in the parking lot of our apartment complex. I don't think it took much time to learn. I don't remember any crashes or horror stories while learning, thought I have had a few scuffs since. Once I was riding, I never looked back. I have always owned a bike and I have always gone for bike rides. I have flipped over the handle bars, been hit by a car and fallen many times. But I still get on and ride as much as I can. With a helmet, of course! Thanks for the opportunity to win this awesome lipton bike! I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed! thesetiredthighs@gmail.com

(Megan on May 14, 2008 9:58 AM) I learned to ride a bike with help from my grandpa, who would do "power pushes" to get me going. Once you go fast enough, the pedaling and balance gets much easier :)

(kxm24 on May 14, 2008 9:59 AM) The thing that stands out most in my mind is while I was learning I used to use this wooden square that surrounded one of the trees in our backyard. It was like a wood sandbox and it had a tree and dirt in the middle. I would get on my bike while standing next to it, put one foot on a pedal and the other foot on top of the wood to get my balance. Then I would push of the wood and attempt to ride. I don't remember how successful I was with this and if this is the only way I learned. I don't remember what any of my first bikes looked like either. I'm looking foward to teaching my son to ride a bike, he's 2 1/2 right now. We have to get to the training wheels first.

(Eva on May 14, 2008 10:04 AM) I learnt how to drive a bike in India (that's where I grew up)and being the smart ass I thought I was, (I was six with an attitude, girls, girls)I figured, oh how difficult it can be, after all I have been driving my tricycle for years now. So one day, i pick up my elder sister's bike and there i go on the road and suddenly comes a pack of cows infront of me.(no i didnt live on a farm, cows have as much right to walk on the road as much as any human, rocks, insects, dogs do.) So suddenly I see a pack of cows infront of me and I forgot wear the brakes were. I go hit the cow straight in her stomach and next thing I know, I am riding another cow, going wherever they were going after they got confused as to why a bike would hit them. Thank God, it happened only once and neither the animal nor the six year old got hurt. Only thing that got hurt was my six year old attitude. :-)

(Kelli on May 14, 2008 10:14 AM) My first bike was a Desert Rose banana-seat bike and it was pretty in white, pink, and grey while I still had the training wheels on. Once those trainers came off, though, I was set loose down the driveway and crashed into the chain-link fence that lined the side yard, which not only scratched up my beautiful bike, but it took a nice gouge out of my thumb, too. Stupid fence! A couple of wailing tears to my mom and a bandage later, I was back out trying it again, this time, no crashes. I was probably the happiest 7-yr old on the block that day.

(Diana Post on May 14, 2008 10:16 AM) My first bike was a hand-me-down banana seat that was once Hot Rode red, but by the time I got it (in the 90's!), it was a dark maroon color. It had a chain guard painted with the logo Red Foxx and a sleek cartoon fox. It was completely awesome. I started with training wheels of course, and I don't remember how old I was when they came off, but I do remember that it was my grandfather who held the metal support at back of the seat and ran alongside until I had the momentum to go on my own. As soon as I did, though, you couldn't stop me. I rode everywhere, gave my younger cousins rides on the long seat behind me, played Bike Manhunt (it's rough finding a hiding spot when you also have to hide your bike...), and rode from my parents to my grandparents' and friends' houses all the time.

(Rose on May 14, 2008 10:16 AM) When I was a kid and my parents were still together, my family would take neighborhood bike rides. The memory I think I have of this is probably from being told about it, because my older brother and I were young enough to have to ride in child seats on the back of our mother's and father's bikes, and my older sister, who was only about six, had to do her best to keep up on her banana-seat Schwinn. I don't have any stand-out memories of learning to ride myself. I know I had training wheels for a while, I think my mother ran alongside holding the handlebar until I could balance. I'm sure I fell a numerous times before I got it-- maybe a metaphor for the struggle to lose weight? I remember teaching my friend Jeannette's little brother Steven how to ride his bike using that same method a couple of summers later, and being really proud of myself when he got it.

(Poppy on May 14, 2008 10:16 AM) I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was in third grade. Oh sure, I'd given it a try earlier - about the time when other neighborhood kids were starting to ridicule my training wheels - but I crashed and burned and vowed to never get on a bike again. Then third grade rolled around and at my grade school that was the grade that you became eligible to ride your buke to school if you passed the bike safety test which would be held at school on the playground and was a manditory event. To this point, none of my classmates really knew that I couldn't ride a bike because after all - only babies couldn't ride bikes. So in one week, I had to get out my bike and learn to ride well enough to get to school. It's amazing what a motivator impending shame is - I managed to 'master' the art of the two-wheeler in an afternoon (with only a few minor mishaps) and I indeed did make it to Bike Safety Day and pass with flying colors.

(Clio on May 14, 2008 10:18 AM) I was a cryer when I was a child. I cried about learning to do everything: tie my shoes, jump rope, and ride a bike. I had the bike with training wheels forever, and when my dad tried to teach me without them I refused until I realized I was the uncoolest nerd around with my training wheels. I finally gave in and he did the old running behind me until I was pedaling, then he stepped back and I noticed immediately and crashed myself into a mailbox and skinned my knee. It took about 2 more weeks after that, but I finally accomplished it. I own a bike now (my hubby got it for me for my birthday and the weight is coming off!) but this one would be for him.

(Sayre on May 14, 2008 10:18 AM) I have no memory of LEARNING to ride a bike... I just remember the feeling of freedom I had when I was riding it. I could GO PLACES! I earned extra money with it delivering newspapers from a giant basket on the handlebars. These days, I'm looking towards a bike again for freedom from the pump. Even though my car is small and isn't much of a gas hog, $40 to fill it up every couple of weeks is too much for me... So it's back to the bike. This summer, I will teach my son the fine art of "urban assault" - otherwise known as riding your bike in the city.

(Lisa on May 14, 2008 10:23 AM) I don't remember learning to ride. But I do remember my green banana seat bike-- so cute but so hard to use to get anywhere. It was replaced with a green (why green? it wasn't my favorite color) five-speed Schwinn. It wasn't until I'd fought with the Schwinn for a few years that I got the decent 10-speed that was both transporation (suburbia, and I didn't have a car) and recreation all through high school. I miss the feeling of freedom I got riding aimlessly at night, following random roads to see where they'd take me.

(Jeff on May 14, 2008 10:28 AM) My father took the training wheels off my bike and told me to get on the bike and he'd be holding it up behind me. He went around the back yard with me and we made a loop. Of course, I was too stupid to realize that after a while, he had stoped walking along with me and I was on my own. Of course, looking back and seeing him standing a ways away made me realize I was on my own and immediately I lost balance and control and crashed. But then I got back on and suddenly, I could ride a bike! Thanks, Dad!

(Anne on May 14, 2008 10:31 AM) I can vaguely remember when I learned to ride a bike. What stands out the most is the color of the bike itself: purple (my favorite color at the time) with a big white basket decorated with purple flowers (I was undeniably a child of the 80s). There was a big field behind my house, and my dad took me back there after removing my training wheels. As the story goes, after one mighty push from him, I was off and riding, and didn't fall once. For whatever reason though, I seem to recall falling once I actually tried it on the pavement. Figures that I'd pick that point to fall, when there was no cushy landing of grass available. :)

(Pickle on May 14, 2008 10:32 AM) My first bike was yellow, too! It was a used boys' bike, but I didn't mind. I also had the traditional "parents-hold-then-let-go" route, though it took me forever to get to that stage, as I clung to the training wheels as long as I could. A few years later I got a bike of my own, a grown-up women's bike, in purple, from my parents for christmas. Then tried it out on the ice, which resulted in a bloodied leg and a lesson learned about lack of friction and bicycle tires.

(G.G. on May 14, 2008 10:39 AM) It took me forever to learn. I got my first bike with training wheels (a pink Huffy with streamers on the handles and a white basket on the front--very girly) for my fifth birthday, and I didn't learn how to ride w/o training wheels for three years. It's a long story about frustration, psyching myself out, overthinking things and choking and feeling like a failure. Then one day it all clicked and I could ride--and then I fell off the bike (the VERY same day) and broke my ankle and spent the next several weeks hobbling around on crutches. Seriously. But the good thing is that as soon as the cast was off, I got back on the bike and rode it (and its successors) like crazy. And now I'm getting back into riding again.

(Courtney on May 14, 2008 10:39 AM) I know that I learned to ride a bike when I was a kid, and that my dad helped me, and that I had my training wheels on for probably longer than I was supposed to. What's most memorable for me is learning how to re-ride a bike after a nasty fall about five years ago that left me in the hospital for several days and required surgery. I hadn't been on a bike since that accident until about a month ago, but now I'm training for a 100 mile race!

(Cher on May 14, 2008 10:40 AM) I grew up in the country. We didn't have any sidewalks, our short driveway was gravel, and the road we lived on was a state highway. Our yard was hilly and mostly filled with grass up to your knees. So I had no flat surfaces on which to learn to ride a bike. I was 12 years old and embarrasingly, still couldn't ride a bike. I got a beautiful powder blue 3 speed bike for christmas (it even had a basket in the front), but all I could do was sit on it and dream of riding it. One day we visited my cousins in the city. They, of course, had bikes and sidewalks on which to ride them. My cousin let me try her bike, and surprisingly, I managed to ride it!! There were no training wheels, no overprotective adult behind me holding the bike up and pushing me. Just me and my overwhelming desire to learn to ride a bike. Once I had learned the basics, I started riding my bike in the gravel driveway and eventually in our hilly, grassy yard. (Talk about a leg workout!) Learning to ride that bike was one of the greatest accomplishments of my childhood. It taught me that I can do whatever I put my mind to. And I've kept that lesson close to my heart ever since.

(Lisa on May 14, 2008 10:45 AM) PS question for Jennette-- In your interview at Elastic Waist today, you mention "lean meats." Is it deliberate that you're calling out meat, actual animal product, as opposed to lean protein?

(Lora on May 14, 2008 10:49 AM) My dad taught me when I was 6. We had a long gravel driveway and he would run behind me while holding onto the back of the seat. After he'd let go, I'd freak out and subsequently wipe out in the gravel. My knees and elbows took a beating that day and Mom spent some time picking gravel out of my skin. I still remember the bike. I don't know where they got it (just about everything that would have been a "big ticket" item in the early 70's was a hand me down from someone in my dad's extended family) but it was a beautiful blue with a white seat that was on springs so you had a cushy ride. I miss that bike.

(Pamela on May 14, 2008 10:52 AM) Well, I don't remember learning how to ride a bike, but I remember re-learning as an adult. I was maybe 17, and visiting Belgium, and we had to ride bikes to get around. I remember being very shaky and finding it hard to maneuver around obstacles, but I gradually built up my confidence. Around 1994 I bought my own new bike, a mountain bike, and I fell in love with off-road cycling. I still love it with a passion -- just thinking about singletrack makes me smile -- but I haven't managed to actually DO any of it for quite some time. Riding a bike does remind me of my youthful spirit, when I get sheer pleasure out of movement, and muscles, and the wind blowing through my hair.

(Susan C on May 14, 2008 10:58 AM) I think when I finally got the hang of it I was on the tennis courts of our neighborhood playground. I do recall the excitement of realizing that I was actually doing it and bike riding continued to bring me joy for a lot of childhood years. I also just recently taught my 7 year old son to ride and he is loving it! I'd love to get back on a bike and ride with him someday soon.

(Justin Wallraven on May 14, 2008 10:59 AM) The learned to ride a bike the way most little boys do. I got chickenpox. Technically, I was recovering from the chickenpox. I felt better, but I was still too sick to go outside with my friends. Consequently my parents “quarantined” me to our garage which, incidentally, is a GREAT place to learn to ride a bike (smooth riding surface, easy access to Band-Aids, etc)…as long as you don’t mind occasionally running into walls or parked cars. Therefore, by necessity, learning to ride a bike involved the added challenge of learning to ride tight little circles…but I eventually figured it out. I also became very good at “ejecting” when it became apparent my circle had gotten too big and I was about to hit a wall. I wasn’t a small child…but my bike was made for one. In fact, if I had to estimate, I would say I was at least twice and maybe three times too big for the bike I was riding. Oh, one more thing, the bike was pink. Looking back, I’m pretty sure I looked like a diseased and disturbed little circus clown. There I was-- covered in pockmarks and calamine lotion--riding a miniature, pink bike for hours in tiny, concentric circles. That probably explains why—as soon as I was old enough—I went off and joined that carnival! Actually, that last part isn’t true, but it would have made such a great story I decided to go with it. Instead of joining the carnival, however, I went the other way. I joined grad school. If I would have joined the carnival, I’d be getting a lot more exercise these days. Instead I spend most of my time “researching.” “Researching” is a term that graduate students around the world use to describe what they do because it sounds a lot better than “sitting on my butt doing nothing.” I can “research” just as easily while riding a bike, and I know the fresh air and exercise will do me good. I just need to find a place to ride it…Can I borrow your garage?

(susan on May 14, 2008 10:59 AM) Since my parents were adamant that they would not take off the training wheels until I was 7 years old and given that I am a stubborn pushy person, I borrowed my friend's bike and taught myself to ride sans wheels at 5!

(K on May 14, 2008 11:02 AM) My sister took off my training wheels. I was absolutely FURIOUS. I was NOT ready to ride that bike without the extra wheels. I cried, stomped my feet, and went all red. Then, I got on the bike with her beside me and... Ohmigosh, I can do it!

(Ann on May 14, 2008 11:07 AM) I vaguely remember getting the smallest little white/pink bike that could be found by my parents. I remember using training wheels at first and at some point the training wheels went away. I then progressed to the typical banana seat bike, and then to a light blue ten speed. I just started biking again a few years ago and I LOVE it!

(Alex Tucker on May 14, 2008 11:08 AM) Your interview was great! Wouldn't you love to have the make-up and hair guy in your bathroom daily....little guy just pops out of a drawer. LOL I learned to RELEARNED to ride a bike at age 24. I had joined WW and started walking everyday. My leader talked about riding her bike daily and how much she enjoyed it combined with her classes. I told my husband I wanted to get a bike which was met with a look of shock knowing I had been in a bad bike accident when I was 13. I was looking back at my brother and hit a parked car causing me to fly up over the hood and broke my arm in two places and left road rash from my forehead to my ankle. We went that weekend and bought us both bikes. We took them to the bike trail about 6 AM Sunday morning so we wouldn't be in anyone's way and I wobbled and weaved until I got confident enough again to soar. After that we took them camping all over Texas. When I had my first child I got a baby carrier as a shower gift from a friend who knew how much I loved to ride. By the time the oldest was old enough to ride his own bike and keep up my youngest was ready for the carrier. I donated the carrier when R got to big for it. My bike was stolen when we moved 2 years ago and now I ride my son's bike in the mornings before the boys get up and on weekends they go with dad.

(Meghann on May 14, 2008 11:14 AM) Growing up with a twin turns every milestone in life into a competition. My parents always rehash on how when at 9 months I was walking circles around my still crawling twin brother and he was trying to pull me down as he was not yet read to take those first steps. When my twin and I started talking it was a battle of who could say the full first word first, I of course was able to successfully produce the word “Daddy” as my brother was still mastering “Dada.” There was the first day of school, where I jumped on the bus first with no hesitation and then there was when our little sister came around and I was the first to hold her with no adult arms lingering about. I was becoming good at winning the milestone competition until the time came to take the training wheels off. I was determined to ride with just two wheels, however gravity had other plans and preferred me on two feet instead. I grew frustrated as we practiced in our church parking not being able to make it very far and always ending up on the ground. This however was a milestone competition my twin brother succeeded at. He mastered his red bike in a matter of an hour and was riding circles around the parking lot with ease. I remember being so jealous as he was allowed to take a trip around the block on his bike with our Mom because he was successful without the training wheels. I cried my little eyes out as they rode away around the corner from our house and waited patiently for their return. When they returned I was not the only one with tears in my eyes, my twin had taken a big spill and now possessed a bloody knee. Is it wrong that a smile appeared across my face? I take shame in it now how jealous I was of my twin brother for riding his bike before me, looking back I giggle about how much of a brat I truly was and am proud to say that those qualities do not shine through today. My poor brother never meant to cause me any harm nor I to him. Eventually I learned to ride the bike on my own, but I will never forget the first day I tried and my brother took off without me. I will also never forget his bloody knee from returning with out me.

(Debbi on May 14, 2008 11:15 AM) Hey- I remember my first two wheel bicycle. I was learning to ride and my family was on a serious buget. I got to have my sisters outgrown bicycle with a new banana seat and sissy bar handle bars with tassles out the end. It took awhile for the training wheels to come off. I remember my dad kept raising them up a little every once in awhile. I would just keep riding on them. Going down the street at a 30 degree angle. He finally took them off and I could right upright, wow what a day! I was pretty sharp going down the street! Great memories. The smell of Southern California ice plant and you crashed into it. Yeah, I did alot of that too. :) Love your book! Got it last week.

(Jan on May 14, 2008 11:16 AM) My older cousin Amy taught me how to ride a bike in the early 70's. She had this big yellow smiley face watch that I really loved. She told me if I would learn how to ride on two wheels she would give it to me. I guess that was all the motivation I needed! Congrats on the publising and the half marathon!

(ann on May 14, 2008 11:16 AM) My first bike was bright yellow and had a banana seat and curved handlebars. I think my parents scrounged it out of a nearby garage sale. No training wheels; my dad was running behind me holding the seat until he wasn't. Of course, as soon as I realized he wasn't, I fell over. But I managed to get back on and figure it out. I loved that bike -- I would spend hours riding around my neighborhood looking at all the houses and exploring on my own.

(carolyn on May 14, 2008 11:20 AM) My mom taught me to ride. Apparently she and my dad had a deal. She'd teach me to ride a bike, he'd teach me to drive a car. Apparently she thought the Schwinn was safer than the Subaru.

(Merry on May 14, 2008 11:20 AM) Huh. I never win nuthin' -- I'm doomed. I taught myself how to ride a bike when I was 6. Not an exciting story, but I'm glad I did. Cycling is an exercise that you can start doing even when you're overweight, and it's fun!

(Natalie Denisenko on May 14, 2008 11:20 AM) I remember asking my dad to take off my training wheels ... I was sick of them being uneven and rocking back and forth on the bike.... so he took them off and sent me outside. By myself! I am not that adventurous ... I remember pedaling for 1 second and putting my feet down to stabilize myself and kept going until I was going a 20-30 feet at a time and took off from there. Now I live in New York City and haven't ridden a bike in years ... I think if I win I'll have to re-learn how to ride a bike on these mean streets!

(EG on May 14, 2008 11:24 AM) My first bike (the Desert Rose) didn't have training wheels, and combined with my lack of athletic ability, I delayed learning. Finally my parents bribed me with a hamster. I'd always wanted a pet. To earn it I had to ride my bike to a certain house and back. Our driveway was hilly, but our neighbors were on vacation so I used their flat driveway for a week, and mastered bike riding. I earned that hamster in no time, and was able to join my friends on their bikes!

(Elisha on May 14, 2008 11:25 AM) I was a late bloomer when it came to learning how to ride a bike for the most part because my father ran over the bike when I parked it behind his truck when I was five. I was devastated as the bike was days old and he was angry because it could have hurt his truck. So it wasn't until I was nine that opportunity knocked on my door. My sister had out grown her bike and I wanted to learn. Both my parents were out on errands and my two older sisters wanted to go on a bike ride (those were the days when no one thought twice about kids being on their own). I started to cry because I didn't know how to ride. My sisters thought this would be a great way to get away from the pesky younger sister. So I was left trying to learn by myself in our garage. I would sit on the seat and balance myself with one hand on the wall of the garage and try and push off and peddle. Tearful but determined I finally got the knack of it. It was a great self esteem builder.

(Emily on May 14, 2008 11:27 AM) I've never been particularly interested in having a nice car, but I definitely remember my first bike (and learning to ride it). It was purple; the handbars were decked out with a bell and streamers...but most importantly, it had a bananna seat. This perfectly suited my six year old tastes. Learning to ride a bike was a perfect reason to wear my favorite item of clothing; a pair of neon orange biker pants with a black stripe going down the side. Finally, in the name of safety, I had a big "Bell" brand bike helmet that I got to decorate with stickers of red lips, sunglasses, peace signs, and other AWESOME symbols. I started with training wheels of course...my transition to training wheel-less bike riding must have been pretty seamless, because I don't recall any traumatic incidents. Mainly, what I remember (somewhat nostalgically) is I haven't looked that awesome since my early bike riding days.

(a on May 14, 2008 11:27 AM) I learned to ride when I was 10 or so, my niece and nephew were 5 and 6 years younger and they both knew how to ride so the pressure was on. I finally learned on an old bike from the 70's that my sister had left at our house and didn't have my own yet since, I didn't know how to ride one. It had a crazy leopard seat, a blue sissy back, and red frame. that was a bike! I always pretended I was riding a motorcycle when I was on it. those were fun days, riding the bike all day with not a care in the world,nothing on tv in the early 80's either. 4 channels.

(Marie on May 14, 2008 11:30 AM) I learned to ride a bike on an old red hand-me-down that had wooden pedals! When I graduated from training wheels, I was so scared that I would tip over when I stopped that I would fling my legs over to one side and jump off!

(Alexandra on May 14, 2008 11:39 AM) I don't remember learning how to ride, I guess it was too long ago! I do remember having a terrible accident in 8th grade, and I didn't ride for a while after that! Wear a helmet! I'd love to win this... gas is killing me...

(betsy on May 14, 2008 11:44 AM) As a city girl, I learned to ride a bike one summer in my uncle's cow pasture, wobbling around cow pies on very uneven ground, dodging the stray confused cow, with my cousins running alongside shouting encouragement. It was a grand dirty adventure. I would love a new bike, and if I win - I will ride! (but not in a cow pasture)

(Tara on May 14, 2008 11:49 AM) I was a goober and didn't learn to ride a bike without training wheels or assistance until I was 10. I think it was because I was afraid of falling off. Hopefully this won't sound too cheesy but I've missed out on a lot of things do to unnecessary fear and I am trying to not to let fear prevent me from trying new things anymore.

(Jennifer on May 14, 2008 11:55 AM) I don't exactly remember how I learned to ride a bike. I do remember, though, having perpetual scabby knees because I always fell off my bike.... These days, biking is my primary mode of transportation--it saves gas money, and it incorporates my workout into my commute. I love it!

(Karen on May 14, 2008 11:57 AM) I learned to ride a bike using training wheels and probably rode with the training wheels on much longer than I needed to. I remember visiting our cousins in Mississippi one Thanksgiving and getting on theirs (minus the training wheels) and being truly amazed that I could ride the bike without the training wheels. As a side note, if I remember correctly, my twin sister wasn't as fortunate and crashed.

(Shannon on May 14, 2008 11:58 AM) Oh I want that bike! Although since I have two sitting in my living room right now, I think my mom would argue otherwise! A yellow one would look great with my collection. I learned to ride at my preschool. They had these short bikes for us to use. For the longest time I had to use the tricycle. I was always jealous of the kids with the two wheelers. I went home one night and my parents helped me with a two wheeler on my grass. It was great. I biked out of our grass and onto the neighboorhood road and kept going. The only problem is I didn't know how to stop, so i crashed in the grass!

(Shannon on May 14, 2008 11:59 AM) Oh I want that bike! Although since I have two sitting in my living room right now, I think my mom would argue otherwise! A yellow one would look great with my collection. I learned to ride at my preschool. They had these short bikes for us to use. For the longest time I had to use the tricycle. I was always jealous of the kids with the two wheelers. I went home one night and my parents helped me with a two wheeler on my grass. It was great. I biked out of our grass and onto the neighboorhood road and kept going. The only problem is I didn't know how to stop, so i crashed in the grass!

(Liz on May 14, 2008 12:00 PM) It's a wonder I ever learned how to ride a bike. Post-training wheels, I was coasting down my road, ready to stop myself with my feet when I heard a crash and a thud. My show-off brother had gone down my neighbor's steep driveway, flipped over the handlebars, and broken his jaw. After having to run the 1/2 mile home to alert my mom rather than just jump on my bike, I decided I had to learn, just in case my brother tried to break himself again!

(sara on May 14, 2008 12:00 PM) Wow, that's heartening to know that a previous commenter learned at 23... I never learned! My parents gave me a bike but I never got off training wheels. I live in CA and biking is super popular. My boyfriend wants to teach me but he's got six inches on me and his bike is too big. I'd love to have another reason to learn!

(Stuffanie on May 14, 2008 12:04 PM) I learned how to ride a bike using my aunt's ten speed. I had witnessed her jumping on and cruising down the road many times, so I figured it couldn't be too difficult. I jumped on her bike when it was left foolishly unattended. I could not reach the ground and the concept of squeezing a metal lever to stop myself from careening down the steep hills was lost on me. However, the parked car at the bottom of the hill worked just fine.

(JEM on May 14, 2008 12:04 PM) Ahhhhh, I have been dying for a bike! We have this great park just a couple minutes from our house with miles of bike trail. Biking is fun! I haven't had a bike since high school What an awesome weight loss tool!!! Let's face it I am a bit of a chicken and always have been. On my 5th birthday I got my very own bicycle. Most girls would have been thrilled. I however was horrified. This meant I had to ride it and to me it looked very scary. It wasn't that it didn't look pretty, it was a little girls dream bike: Pink, Purple, and White with streamers, a basket, and a horn. My father spend hours putting it together in the garage. When he was finished he hurried inside and asked if I wanted to try it out. I shook my head wildly. He was a bit hurt by this so I felt I had to explain. "Daddy, I had to much birthday cake, I can't learn to ride right now." Everyday I had a new excuse for why I couldn't ride. Every time I gave my new reason my mom and dad would look at each other with these knowing eyes. A couple weeks later my parents decided it was time for me to try the bike whether I wanted to or not. I finally agreed to get on the bike as long as dad would hold on tight. When I got on I thought to myself, "This isn't so bad." Then we started to roll and I clenched the handles as hard as I could. I remember thinking surely this will be the end of me. As we rolled further and further I relaxed a bit and began to enjoy it. My dad asked if I was ready to try it on my own. Of course I wasn't and he knew I never would be if given the choice. So, he let go, and I didn't even know it until my mom yelled, "You're doing it, You're doing it!" When I looked back and saw he was gone I started to wobble and crashed. "You let go!" I cried as I looked at my bloody knees and hands. With many more patient tries ahead I was a regular biker by winter and by summer you couldn't get me off my bicycle.

(Alissa on May 14, 2008 12:11 PM) My sister and I learned to ride a 2 wheel bike at the local park on the grass. I think one of my mothers friends gave her the idea of taking us to the park. The thick grass made it pretty difficult to pedal, but it was worth it because when we fell, we didn't get too banged up.

(AKS on May 14, 2008 12:21 PM) i don't remember the exact moment when i learned how to ride a bike, but first i started with training wheels, then removed 1 training wheel, then rode the bike without any training wheels. It just sort of happened gradually.

(Amy on May 14, 2008 12:21 PM) Dang, that's a lot of comments!! We rode in the child seats with our parents on their bikes, and I was lucky that it was my brother that had the nasty accident before helmets were invented! I don't remember our earliest bikes like trikes and all, but I do remember my Flower Girl stickered banana bike, purposely bought in a blue color so when I outgrew it, my parents peeled off the Flower Girl stickers and gave it to my brother! Later I got my mom's hand-me-down 10-speed, which had been returned to her in Indiana when it was found by police in Florida after it had been stolen by our druggie next door neighbor and somehow made it that far south. It was kind of like PeeWee's Big Adventure, I guess! I took my guinea pig for rides in the basket all around the neighborhood, and then used it to deliver my paper route for a few years, back when papers were delivered in the afternoon by preteens---ah, my first job. Collecting the subscription money door-to-door was a pain! I had a different 10-speed in boarding school, which was then stolen, and then returned to me when the Muncie cops found a bunch of stolen bikes in a garage and I had bothered to file a report! Yet other hand-me-downs got me through college, riding to my classes and to 5a.m. crew practice down at the Connecticut River in all weather. After college I decided to try mountain biking, which inspired my dad, and we had a lot of great trips through the woods together. His more recent heart condition has relegated him and his bike to the roads instead of the woods, and I hadn't been to the woods in awhile, my Gary Fisher bike getting dusty in the garage (but at least not stolen!). But last week I commuted to work on it, and then again on Monday. I'm riding again tomorrow to an urban renewal charity project, painting a mural along a busy road, and Friday is Bike To Work Day! So now that I'm finding the need to re-outfit my mountain bike as a commuter, a new commuter-style bike would be a great win. :)

(Lynn on May 14, 2008 12:30 PM) It was the love of my life. A no-speed hot pink Sears bike with a psychedelic banana seat. Santa brought it to me when I was 7. He knew a cool bike when he saw it. I spent all day learning and then at every available moment went to spend time with her. She was my best friend until I was ten and got a hot pink three-speed. I would ride around the driveway with my transistor radio in the basket listening to Chaka Khan and Rufus blaring at me to "Tell Me (them) Something Good." I would love to have a cool new bike. I'll be putting a banana seat on it and there will always be cold Lipton tea in the basket! Now, where's my Ipod?

(KC on May 14, 2008 12:30 PM) My first bike was a pink 1-speed with a white, plastic basket in the front that had a pink (plastic)daisy on it and a white banana seat. I got it in the summer and thought I had died and went to heaven. I remember my dad teaching me how to ride. We were on his street that only had gravel sides - no side walk. My dad convinced me that I could, in fact, learn to ride and keep up with my brothers. On the first attempt I lost control and wiped out all over the gravel side. With my knees bleeding and gravel stuck in the wound I wanted to give up. My dad stood right there encouraging me and cheering me back on the bike. My brothers all stood by on their bikes screaming "Come on you can do it - or are you too baby scared?!?!?" Well being the only girl I can tell you I decided I was not going to be "baby scared". I was going to show those boys how to ride a bike. I hopped back on my bike and wobbled down the road with my dad running beside me. On that day I felt the wind in my hair the first time and felt free. That summer anywhere the boys could go I would follow on my pink, banana seated bike - no more "baby scared".

(spy Susan on May 14, 2008 12:31 PM) Prior to my learning how to ride a bike the apparently common way with my dad holding onto the seat, and then suddenly NOT holding on, I have another bike incident story. One of my earliest memories was around age 4 and my sister’s bike had the long flat “trailer seat” above the back tire. Our mom warned her not to let me ride on that seat but we did it anyway, her reminding me to hold my legs out. Of course I forgot and before long they were entangled in the spokes and we both went flying. Luckily for us a Boy Scout troop just happened to be across the street and they ran over to make sure we were ok. We had no broken bones, but she did get into big trouble with our mom. Her grandson LOVES that story and makes her repeat it often!

(Mary Sue on May 14, 2008 12:38 PM) I'm currently in the process of "re-learning" to ride a bike. I haven't ridden one since high school - 20 years ago - but I think it will be a fun weekend activity, so I borrowed a bike from a friend while I decide if I really want to buy one. Amazing how they've changed! My last bike was a ten speed, and I don't think I ever used all of the gears.

(mia on May 14, 2008 12:42 PM) I don't remember how I learned ~ though I'm sure it involved pain. I remember my first bike was pink with a big big polka dots on the banana seat. My brother is five years younger than I am, and I do remember the day he learned to ride a bike. My dad ran along beside him until he took off. He went around the corner and disappeared for a full 5 minutes. We were a lazy family, but eventually one of us started to wonder if he was okay. Just a moment later, he came peeling back around the corner. He had stopped to remove the training wheels, all by himself.

(Amanda R. on May 14, 2008 12:48 PM) I only have a vague recollection of learning how to ride a bike. I know I was living in Nebraska at the time, so that narrows down my age from between 3-5 yrs old. I have an older brother, so of course was always trying to catch up with him. I remember I had a bike with training wheels and me and my brother were riding our bikes in our drive-way, I don't know why I was so convinced that I could ride a bike w/o the training wheels, but I was. So I got on my brothers bike and rode a couple of circles with it, then promptly crashed, but was excited out of my mind nonetheless.

(Heather on May 14, 2008 12:49 PM) When I was six years old we moved to a townhouse development with about a million kids. I was so excited to have tons of kids to play with and ride bikes with, but I still hadn't learned how to ride a bike!! I was soooo embarrassed because everybody else knew how to ride a bike and who makes it to 6 whole years old without knowing how??? So, to my humiliation, my mom would try to teach me in the grass next to our townhouse so I wouldn't hurt myself when I fell. Of course, trying to ride a bike on grass is ridiculously hard, so when my mom wasn't looking, I borrowed my friend's bike and just started riding it on the road with no problems whatsoever. I guess the falling a million times in the grass must have paid off!

(Alisha on May 14, 2008 12:51 PM) When I moved into the neighborhood I grew up in I already had a bike. It was a pepto bismol pink and white banana seat bike. My grandma bought it for me. It had training wheels. I could ride with them no problem. Then I saw the older kids riding their bikes around the neighborhood without them and they were so free. So I asked my dad to teach me to ride without them. He did the typical holding the seat then letting do. I would fall or stop as soon as he let go. So I told him to leave me alone. I stayed outside for hours trying and trying to get the balance. Then it happened, I didn't tip over. It took a few days but I was riding with no training wheels. Looking back they were a hinderance, so were arm floaties in the pool. They were both a crutch for me. I had to do it myself even if it took days. It is how I am to this day.....although, I did give up on hula hooping.

(bellplayer658 on May 14, 2008 1:00 PM) My family lived along this relatively infrequently traveled gravel road. When I was around 6 or 7, my father got me a bike with the "pretty" pink and purple tassels hanging off the handle bars. He had put training wheels on the bike, which I used until I was consistently steady. But then, the training wheels came off.... Several big spills later, and with gravel embedded in my palms, I could finally ride my "big girl" bike...

(Rachel on May 14, 2008 1:01 PM) Hi Jeannette, first of all...CONGRATS on all your recent success and coming into fruition of so many goals. I have ordered your book and it is on the way!!! How I learned to ride a bike? I was a late bloomer with it...the whole two-wheels-instead-of-four thing scared me for a long time...but finally I did it one day! And now I ride every day to work. I could sure use a new bike. Thanks so much for facilitating the contest.

(MPF on May 14, 2008 1:02 PM) PastaQueen you're an inspiration! I've been reading your blog for a while, but it's the promise of a bike that has me finally making a comment. I'll never forget learning how to ride my first 2 wheeler. My Dad would come over and we would take the bike out. I would sit on the saddle with my legs barely touching the ground. I would start peddling, with my Dad running alongside me, his hands securely holding the seat and the handlebars. He would let go and inevitably I would fall over. When my Dad wasn't available, the older boys on my block would takeover. A group of them would shout instructions while some of them held on to the bike. It still didn't prevent me from falling. But one day, my Dad and the boys were all present, and with the entire crowd cheering me on, I was finally able to stay up and ride on my own. Everyone was so proud of me, and I was proud of myself too.

(Kim on May 14, 2008 1:15 PM) I received my first new bike on my 6th birthday - a huffy pink lady with a banana seat, a lovely plastic basket with more lovely plastic flowers and plastic tassels hanging from the handlebars--this was the late 70s/early 80s before we knew how bad plastic is :) But I didn't need the training wheels because I learned on some crappy smaller bike I think my dad found in the trash. He said I could get my own bike once I learned how to ride this one. Little did he know I would ride that thing around the yard (it was a softer landing - it didn't have training wheels) ALL DAY until I no longer fell off. I would be out there at night in my pjs trying to get the hang of it, my mom yelling for me to come in, but my dad would come outside and work on the car so I could stay outside. My pink lady and I spent several lovely summers together riding around the neighborhood, up and down hills, and to the pool. The freedom was exhilarating! My latest bike (only my second, I'm very loyal!) broke last spring after many years of service, including getting me to and from work. I haven't been able to let it go. But I will if I win a new one!

(Amanda on May 14, 2008 1:19 PM) I was so lacking in fine motor skills as a child that I actually had to take a special class to develop balance and readable handwriting. No way did I have the coordination required to ride a bike at age 6 when all of my friends were learning. For like four years I trailed behind them on my scooter, and this was before the days of cute, zippy little scooters. This thing has overinflated white tires and pretty much marked me as the kid who couldn’t ride a bike. Fortunately, my friends loved me anyway! When my little brother learned to ride a bike I decided that for pride’s sake, no matter how many falls I took, I would have to learn. Over and over I started at the top of our driveway and coasted down until finally, after about the 100th try, my feet connected with the pedals and I was able to stay upright and pedal off into the sunset! Um…or down the block. My mom took pictures. I think it was just so she would have proof that her 11-year-old could finally ride a bike!

(sjansen on May 14, 2008 1:23 PM) i remember my dad running up and down the street next to my blue banana seat bike for hours while i tried and tried not to freak out when he let go. i had scraped every inch of my legs and my dad must have lost 15 lbs from all the running, but i finally got it. and then- i swear i didn't get off the bike for about 5 years. i know i must have done things like go to school and the like. but mostly i remember days and days of summer spent tooling around on the blue bike with streamers from the handle bars... ah- i should totally get some streamers for my bike this summer. cheers!

(Sally Parrott Ashbrook on May 14, 2008 1:27 PM) Riding my bike (never called it 'cycling') was one of my favorite activities of my childhood. It started with my red tricycle I got when I was 3. Then I moved on to a yellow bike with training wheels. But the best day was when we took my new red bike out to a big patch of lawn; my dad ran beside me, pushing my bike as I pedaled; and then he let go. And I was flying along, or so it felt, all on the volition of my own two pumping legs. I fell eventually, but I got right back on, and I rode around town the rest of my childhood.

(Renate on May 14, 2008 1:35 PM) I don't remember how I learned how to ride a bike, but I have a story about the reason I DIDN'T ride a bike for 20 years. It was in the summer of 1980, my 8-year old son had just gotten a new bike and he begged me to come for a ride with him. I strapped the bikes to the back of my 280Z and off we went in search of a trail. A couple of miles down the road, the bikes fell off. Since two bikes didn't fit into my tiny sports car, I told my son that I would take my bike home and he should ride his towards our house. Once I got home, I worried about him being out there by himself and decided to ride my bike to meet him. The last thing I remember is getting on my bike in front of our house. Five hours later, I vaguely remember being in a car, coming home from the hospital. We never figured out what happened with any certainty, but apparently I had crashed my bike somewhere, hit my head and got severely lacerated knees, a 5 inch cash on my head, with a concussion to boot. From what I was told, I managed to walk home. Once I arrived there, my Mom told me that I talked like a little girl and had no memories of anything that happened in the previous six months. She finally insisted that my now ex-husband take me to the hospital. They x-rayed, stitched and did some other tests and send me home. I remember part of that ride, but then things got fuzzy again. I was so frightened by that experience (mostly because I didn't know exactly what happened) that I didn't get on another bike for 20 years. Even though I love our weekly outings now, I'm still somewhat afraid I will fall again.

(Red on May 14, 2008 1:36 PM) Like many, I learned to ride my bike with my dad pushing on the back of my seat. At the time I had absolutely ZERO faith in angular momentum and was convinced I would die the second my dad let go of the seat, despite the millions of bikers which were evidence to the contrary. Finally my dad had to trick me by pretending to hold onto the seat when he wasn't. It was still several weeks until I would feel comfortable on a bike. My sister learned by herself, shaming me for life.

(Stacie on May 14, 2008 1:43 PM) Did your bike have a banana seat too??? Because if so, I had a bike just like that!!! I think my grandparents might still have it in their shed...

(lynn murawa on May 14, 2008 1:44 PM) I received my first bike for my 5th birthday. I can remember it only took a couple of days before I could ride it without training wheels. I haven't had a new bike since I was in college. Hope I win this one.

(Amy on May 14, 2008 1:44 PM) 1st time posting...long time reader. I don't remember learning to ride a bike. I do remember my favorite bike was a yellow Huffy with a white banana seat. That bike was tuff it went through a tornado (yes a real tornado) and had many hard miles put on it. I use to out jump the neighborhood boys bmx bikes with the "nanna" as we called it. I'm now 35 and I ride a bike to work each day pulling my 4 and 2 year olds to daycare in a trailer on the way. I ride all over town running errands now that gas is so high. Somehow I don't remember biking being so physical when I was a kid. My current bike is a hand me down from my 15 year old that was too short for him and the trailer was given to me by a friend whose kids are too big for it now. I've lost over 20 pounds riding and my little ones love to go for a "wide" as they call it.

(Stacie on May 14, 2008 1:48 PM) This must be destiny. I've been wanting a bike but don't have the money to buy one... so *fingers crossed* for probablity working in my favor. I don't remember the actual "learning" to ride a bike... but I remember hours and hours and days and days spent riding my bike. My best friend when I was a kid lived directly across the street from me, and both of our driveways had just enough incline that we would start at the top of his driveway, and race over to mine. then we'd turn around and do it all over again. And again. And again. Luckily we lived on a street that not many people drove down...

(Lynne on May 14, 2008 1:53 PM) Blue banana seat bike, handlebar streamers, no training wheels. Age 6, I was the youngest of the grandkids and pushed my aunt's old bike all over the neighborhood until one day I could finally RIDE IT! Of course, it was only 3 days later when I finally got the nerve to tackle a REAL hill and flipped off breaking my arm and saddling any ideas of riding again for the final 4 weeks of summer vacation and into the fall. I had to learn to ride a bike all over again in the Spring when I turned 7 and got my own bike. The end.

(Helen on May 14, 2008 1:59 PM) I am joining with others who don't remember learning how to ride. I've thought as hard as a could but it's just not there. However, my most memorable bike memory is from the Christmas I was 9 years old. I wanted a bike so bad - with a basket and a banana seat. My brother, who was 8 had also asked for a bike. I fell asleep that Christmas Eve thinking over and over, "please God let me get my bike, please God, let me get my bike." Literally in the middle of the night, I was woken up by my dumb brother who was jumping up and down whisper screaming "We got our bikes, we got our bikes!" He totally ruined the surprised. Of course, I was still happy to get the bike. Even though I had terrible strep throat and a double ear infection, my mom overdressed me to the point of tipping over and let me go out and ride that new bike one time around the block.

(Tracy on May 14, 2008 1:59 PM) I remember the week before learning to ride my bike. My parents bought me the bike - for my birthday. For some reason they did not drop everything to teach me to ride the instant they brought the bike home. It must have just been a day or two but I have a memory of waiting for DAYS for them to teach me. It was a girls bike so I would sit on the bottom of the V frame (instead of the seat) and push myself along with my feet on the pavement. I think I even got in trouble for it! I'm sure my parents did't want me to hurt myself.

(Maureen on May 14, 2008 2:01 PM) I don't know if my parents didn't believe in training wheels (not like they didn't believe they exisited, just that they didn't believe in using them) or if they just didn't bother buying them, but we had to go straight from the trike to the bike. I learned to ride my bike by started at the top of a grassy hill in our farm yard and cruising down it until I lost my balance and fell off. I had to keep my feet out of the way because the pedals would be going like mad as they turned when the wheels turned. So, trial and error, that's how I did it! I would love to win this bike so when I do a mini-triathlon, it looks like I'm sponsored by Lipton. Although, I guess all I would need for that is stickers... Please put me in the draw for the bike though!!!! :-)

(Jessica on May 14, 2008 2:01 PM) The day I learned to ride a bike was the same day I lost my two front teeth! I have pictures of me riding down the sidewalk in front of my house, grinning with my teeth missing. My dad put on the training wheels but by the end of the 2nd day I was riding without them. I have to say I was a pretty good bike rider because I never remember crashing, falling, or being scared. I had just turned 6 when all of this occured.

(Michelle in CA on May 14, 2008 2:03 PM) Oh Boy! I hope I have your brother's luck because a new bike is just what I need, and yellow is my color :) So I don't remember learning to ride a bike and it looks like I'm far from alone. But I do remember a time when I got a new bike as a teen and started riding after not riding for years. I was out in the neighborhood and took a fall. I walked my bike home and told my dad my arm hurt. He took a look at it and told me I'd be fine. An hour later I was in tears from the pain and my brother convinced him I wasn't well. Off to the ER and I had a fractured wrist. Ouch. I was tough though and my dad was a trooper because he felt so guilty but kept saying, "if you weren't so tough I would have known you were hurt."

(Megan on May 14, 2008 2:11 PM) Learning to ride a bike is easy, re-learning it after 10 or so years out of the saddle is the hard part. In the 2 rides I have taken since 1998, I have fallen... not badly, but enough. and now, I am being forced into a bi-athalon in Colorado by a friend (and in exchange i get to take her indoor skydiving!) problem is, i dont yet have a bike... kinda messes up the whole "bike & run" thing... so, although i know you choose randomly, im rooting for myself here... is that mean?

(Eileen on May 14, 2008 2:12 PM) Hey PQ - first-time commenter here (sucked in by the possibility of a new bike). I'm a regular reader and also read your book - great job on both! I'm 45 and, like many of your other readers, still distinctly remember my father running behind me down the road balancing me on my bike. A couple of months ago I started riding my old, decrepit bike to work (fortunately not the one I learned on as a child, but still a very old one) to (a) save gas, (b) help the environment, and (c) squeeze in some exercise, and I would LOVE to be riding a spiffy new one! Thanks!

(Lisa on May 14, 2008 2:14 PM) The first time I rode a bike I just jumped on and pushed off down our rather steep driveway. Luckily I made it to the bottom safe and sound because I didn't know how to use the brakes. A bit of a dare devil I guess or maybe I was just too young to know any better.

(barbara on May 14, 2008 2:19 PM) How cool! I was sitting at my desk, drinking a a diet peach papay Lipton White Tea (true story; I can send you a picture)when I read your post just now. The youngest of 6 kids, 2 of my siblings included brothers growing up who were...well...boys. Boys who were a little mischievious, who lived life on the edge and thought everyone else should too. We lived out in the country, on a gravel road near a very steep hill. Can I just say that a gravel road, a big hill, and a 5-year old on a bike is just not a good mix for a story that needs a happy ending? We took my new bike to the top of the hill near our house, and my oldest brother gave me a good shove while my other brother gave my twin sister a shove on her bike at the same time. It was learn to ride, or learn how to fall from that point! We learned to ride our bikes that day. Years later, my twin sister was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. So her husband and I raise money and/or ride in the MS150 in her honor where they live in the Ozark Mountains. That's right, more hills! But I'm not scared of them any more.

(Claudia on May 14, 2008 2:30 PM) I remember my first bike. I got it for Christmas, I think I was 6 & my bestfriend got one too, she was 5. Mine was a pink & white huffy with a banana seat. It had training wheels on it forever, I ran those things to out. I finally decided at 9 or 10 I could ride my bike without training wheels. I was kind of forced to take them off because they were all bent and worn out anyways. So I was kind of old with training wheels and my friend learned to ride hers within a few months of getting it. We had fun though, we always rode our bikes in the summer and after school. Those were the days.

(Alison on May 14, 2008 2:30 PM) I remember learning to ride my brothers bike. I dont remember actualy owning my own. I would have to wait until one of them would so nicely let me get on and run behind me. I would say that my younger brother taught me how to ride, but then he would never let me ride his LOL Alison Allie1229@gmail.com

(Rina on May 14, 2008 2:50 PM) I didn't learn how to ride a bike until I was 26. I'd wanted a bike really really badly as a kid, but my mom was never comfortable with the idea...she was always worried I'd break an arm or something, I guess. Anyway, fast forward a couple of decades, I'm living in the Bay Area where biking is huge. I hurt my knee running, so I needed something low impact. My boyfried at the time helped me learn. We went to the local park and rode around until I got the hang of it. Then I was able to take advantage of the miles and miles of bike trails nearby. A couple of years into it, I fell during a ride and needed stitches on my thumb...my mom resisted the urge to say "I told you so". I was glad to see I'm not the only adult-learner...and even more glad to see Ewa is from my hometown, Toronto. Sara, I'd say you should totally learn to ride a bike -- it's worth the hassle...especially if you can find a park with lots of low shrubs you can crash into.

(Jenn on May 14, 2008 2:51 PM) YES! Yes it did! Oh, how I loved that bike.

(Naomi on May 14, 2008 2:53 PM) I learned the typical way, at about six, with my dad chasing behind me holding on to the bike seat until I was going on my own. But then a couple years later, my best friend needed to learn how. I'd been around for a couple of the early lessons with her mom, but it was just NOT working. So one day, the two of us decided to try on our own. We took my banana seat bike to the cul-de-sac on our street, and I ran behind her holding on to the metal bar on the seat. Doubt my eight-year-old arms were doing anything to hold her up even before I let go, but she believed I was helping so she kept pedaling. When she saw I'd let go, she immediately fell over. But she'd already succeeded, and we both knew it. So she got back up and kept going.

(Jess on May 14, 2008 2:56 PM) Hrm, How I learned to ride a bike. I remember having a little pink bike with the plastic spoke-covers and training wheels, and thinking it was the fastest bike EVER! I don't really remember learning to ride it, though. I had a friend who was supposed to teach me how to ride in the street by riding on the sidewalk, now that I look back, that doesn't make much sense. Go figure.

(Shasta on May 14, 2008 3:02 PM) My first bike was a pink Schwinn with tassels on the handlebars and a white banana seat. I also had a bell that I rung with glee when I chased the dog with my bike. I grew up in the country and learned how to ride and navigate gravel roads without skidding. I don't really remember how I learned to ride it - only that I rode it ALL THE TIME. Things I DID learn on my bike: Riding through mud puddles is very fun, but will make Mom very angry come laundry day. Remember to duck when wheeling along a wooded obstacle course. Stop by using the pedal brakes and not your bare feet. Do not ride a bike with bare feet. Cats do not like to ride on bikes. If you fall off or get bucked, get back on your horse.

(Flo on May 14, 2008 3:04 PM) Jersey City wasn't exactly a bike riding mecca when I was a kid. In fact, I didn't know anyone that had a bike. When I was around 8 or 9, the boys in my neighborhood found an old bike. One of the older brothers helped fix it up and before you knew it we had a bike to ride. But no one could ride. We took turns trying to figure out how to ride. I don't believe our parents knew about the bike and we would come home at night all scraped up and have to explain why. Then one day my mother saw us with the bike and figured out what was going on. She came and taught us all how to ride. She even tracked down another old bike and had my brothers fix it up so our little group now had 2 bikes. We traveled all over on those 2 bikes. We would take turns riding and the others would run after the bikes. Some of my best memories are on those bikes. To this day bike riding is one of my favorite things to do. Now I ride for fun, to get around, and to race in triathlons.

(orangehands on May 14, 2008 3:13 PM) My godfather taught me how to ride by holding onto the seat until I got comfortable. I lived on a hill so it was fine until I had to brake. Landed in the thorn bushes- ouch. Learned how to brake real quick after that. :)

(Elizabeth on May 14, 2008 3:30 PM) I learned to ride a bike with my dad holding onto the back, running behind, up and down the cultesac in our neighborhood. One day he just let go and I was off. I still remember that bike - it was bright red and had a banana seat with SPARKLES in it. I got it for my fifth birthday, and when the training wheels came off of it, I was really nervous. It took me a really long time to learn to turn.

(DAS on May 14, 2008 3:31 PM) Honest to goodness, I don't remember learning to ride a bike. I CAN ride but have not one iota of a recollection of the event - I'll nee