My path to cycling began on a tricycle in Citra, Florida, when I was around 4 or 5 years old. The only memory I have is riding circles around a copperhead snake coiled up in the center of the carport.
When I believe we lived in Live Oak, I advanced to two wheels. Reluctantly, I rode without shoes and routinely scraped my big toe on the curb.
A few months later, we moved to a house in Ocala on the west end of what is now Florence Moore Turnipseed Park. I met Jimmy Chambliss, who lived a few blocks away, a few houses from what is now Walker Park. Living only a few blocks from each other during a time when parent monitoring relied on trust and open communication, our bikes provided endless freedom and adventure.
The two standouts of this time were the technology of Jimmy's bike and a crash, resulting in the fear of future crashes. The crash occurred during the fall when oak tree leaves would collect on the road. Going down a hill on 13th Avenue and immediately turning left on 7th Street, the leaves caused me to fall, and the left side of my body slid across the road. Jimmy's bike was a Schwinn Sting-Ray. Standard features of this bike are a banana seat and ape hanger handlebars. The unique features were a spring loaded sissy bar for a "floating seat" and 2-speed automatic kick back rear hub.
During high school, feeling the freedom behind the wheel of a truck was paramount. However, for some reason, I got a Schwinn Varsity. The only two purposes that come to mind are having a bike for when I left for college and aiding my training for college football. The one standout was going on a ride with Randy McDaniel to Belleview and returning home.