Friday, December 01, 2006

Memories - That Buaya bicycle

I looked at my mountain bike standing forlornly in the drive way, with dust and cobwebs all over and two very very very flat tyres. I bought the bike in 2001 and have not ridden it for one and a half years already. Try as I might, I just couldn't get myself to love this bike. And it was my dream to own a mountain bike! What's happening?

As I stood there, thinking whether to pump up the tyres, I suddenly had a realisation, a moment of "Aha! That's it!", and spotlights lit above my head (tink!). The answer to my perplexed feelings could be due to my ol'raleigh bike that I had during my school days.

I loved that bike. You know, that bike that Lat draws in his cartoons.


Source

My dad bought me that bike, brand new I tell you, from a bicycle shop near our home. It was a for a princely sum of RM280, way back in 1983. I really appreciated my dad for that because it sure was a lot of money for a retiree.

That bike brought me a lot of joy. Sure, it was not as fast as the racer bikes and looked old fashion. Shimano was the rage then. If you rode a Shimano to school, most boys would ogle at it like it's an exotic prancing horse car.

Adding to the old fashioness of that bike, I even had a basket installed upfront and a carrier at the back. And that was a definite no no for coolness. Abuden, I had my reasons.

That front basket carried my school bag and the flat carrier at the back became a second seat to carry, what else, SYTs! It was the quintessential schoolboy buaya-wannabe ride. Man, that was where I learnt and horned my "Shall I give you want a lift home?"

Muahahahahar!

Buaya69 says... "And the SYTs sat sideways, holding my waist for balance. Almost first touch, heh!"

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

my uncle had one, robin hood i think. we called it basikal lori.

Buaya69 said...

robin hood and basikal lori? hahaha! never heard of that one before ;)

Unknown said...

Can't ride pillion on a Shimano, which is why a good ol' black raleigh is what one would need to go pat tor in those days.

You have a missing accessory though - the honker. Bells are too cute. LOL

Buaya69 said...

tigerjoe: bwahahahaha! that's so rotiman!

cemilion said...

yerp..
recalled my first learning how to ride a bike.. I was so envy that my Late Grandpa dont wanna take for a spin-around.. but took my lis sis regularly at for the ride.. i managed to put one of my legs thru the body-loop.. and off i went... before i got the mastery of cycling... i did end up loosing my front tooth.... darn ol' chicken barn... :)

Buaya69 said...

cemilion: ahem, you should know by now that adik perempuan has more "tumpang" rights than abang, right? hehehe