I can specifically remember being 11 years old, taking my old “Western Flier” bike and riding 7 miles to town, riding around there for a while then 7 miles back to our house in the country.
It was remarkably easy to do. You can really get around on a bike, that is if you are in good physical shape.
Did you insist on riding in car lanes when there was an alternative? I doubt it.
Yeah, me too. But that was in 1965 when auto traffic was much less dense, and it seemed that drivers were in less of a hurry so they would give us kids a break. I had a 5+ mile paper route for 4 years plus a 6 mile ride to school all before 8:00am. In summer, the pool was 1.5 miles away and the river was about a mile. I rode to all these places sans helmet and never had even a scare from a motorist.
Maybe I was careful, or maybe the drivers were better. I think a little of both.
Flat lander....... If there hills and real grades, not so easy.
Reminds me of my youth. We used to ride 20 miles round trip to the nearest mall that happened to have a Child World toy store and a Hobbytown. With money saved from our paper routes we would purchase toy guns and plastic tank and airplane models. We’d fill up on McDonalds and Orange Julius then ride home. We’d send the rest of the day playing guns and building models. Then late night Dungeon and Dragons sessions fueled by Mountain Dew. I was 10 years-old, 1980.
I hope my sons can experience that freedom too.
I remember when I got my first 3 speed bike for Christmas when I was 14 I waited for the first warm day in February and rode it 30 miles to Buzzards Bay. For 12 miles there was a new stretch of highway not yet opened and I had it all to myself.