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!"