Thirty years ago, when I was in college at the University of California, everyone rode bikes. Spiffy-brand-new 10 speed bikes. When I would leave a large class, like a Chemistry lecture, there would be 500 red or blue or black bikes parked outside. I didn’t like 10 speed bikes-I didn’t like bending over to reach the handlebars, and they just never felt safe to me. Besides, everyone had one, and I was a Design major-we were supposed to be different:)
Every weekend my boyfriend (who later became my husband) and I would go to the flea market in Berkeley. One weekend we found this old Schwinn for $10.00. It needed a bit of repair, so he fixed it up for me and put on new tires, and I primed over the original paint and spray painted it pink. We added white pinstripes, and I wrote my name in cursive on the back fender with white enamel paint. He bought me a basket for the front and a bell and red glittered handlegrips with sparkle streamers. It was the ONLY pink bike on campus, and it was the BEST BIKE EVER!
People would see me at the grocery store (the basket held one bag of groceries perfectly) or around town and say “So you’re the girl who rides that bike”, or just, “nice bike” Strangers would sometimes leave flowers in my basket or tie on a piece of ribbon. I even got a few notes that said…”your bike makes me happy!”.
I still have my old pink Schwinn, and still rode her up until a few years ago. Sadly I left her out in the rain a few too many times and she rusted, so now she’s a garden accessory. I have her parked in the backyard near the pink azaleas in the spring, and move her to the back patio in the summer and fill her basket with flowers. Still the best bike ever!
