I Will Wheelie Again

The Three Amigos (Mo, Mike & Ed)

I was twelve, maybe eleven. And unlike Mike I was not handy with construction of any kind. That did not stop me of course as I built a small wooden ramp for my bike to take jumps with. Due to the precarious nature of the ramp you had to nail the take-off straight down the middle, or risk breaking the jump and perhaps your arm as well. Perfect right?

Ed, who already had to be at least six feet tall went flying at the ramp on his mountain bike (more like a beach cruiser). He had plenty of fearless experience on the beast of a cruiser. After all it was equipped with huge mud tires (maybe the original 29ers) and the oh so cool single hand brake to compliment the coaster brake. Despite enthusiasm, the cruiser never launched off the ramp, as it destroyed it on impact. Ed,  however launched into the air before sliding on the gravel ridden road. Covered with road rash and blood I ran over to him and quickly escorted him away from my house. "Don't tell my mom", I pleaded. I then suggested he simply tell his own mom that he "fell into the bushes". Yeah, the bushes. Must have just leaped out and grabbed him. 

Mike at the time was our neighborhood BMX champion. He could bunny hop and tabletop anything in his way. So of course I blame him for my desire to get airborne. Mike spearheaded projects such as large jumps, with ditches full of water that we had to clear. Or build ramps that lead directly into logs we'd have to bunny hop over. He even designed a race course for us in the hills that includes a 90 degree required turn or power slide. The alternative was literally sliding over and off a 15 foot drop into someone's backyard. Yep, Mike was the original crazy that the X games were modeled after. 

Fearless I was not. A fan, definitely. So I did those crazy jumps and courses anyways. Only had to pull out of a few endos in my time. But what I really enjoyed was pulling a wheelie. I could ride a wheelie up and down the street with little to no effort. If I had a mobile phone back then I'm sure I could talk and wheelie simultaneously but today? Somewhere between weighing a little over 100 pounds as a kid and Peter Sagan pulling his wheelies at the Tour de France this year, my wheelie has disappeared. So, I vow that by the end of 2013, I will post a photo or video of your truly pulling a wheelie a la Sagan, on my own road bike. Not for a competition, or to prove that I can do it. Simply for the love of it. Just the reason why the three amigos rode back then as kids, and continue to ride together today. Who knows, maybe I can convince them to wheelie down the road with me as well. Now that's a pic I want to see.