Despite the popularity of motor vehicles there was no getting mum and dad to drop us off at our friends houses, let alone to school or anywhere else! So the bicycle it was.

Independence was bliss. It was also healthy and outdoorsy, not to mention great fun.

The first real bicycle was built back in 1869, what was later known as the penny-farthing.

In 1870 it was modified to a closer version of what you see today, with the first children’s versions following in the 1880s.

We often started with four wheel, sometimes three wheels, but it was when we were down to just two wheels we were free.

From training wheels to modifications, such as the chopper bike, the BMX, the mountain bike and even today’s motorised versions, there’s been a few changes but the principle has stayed the same. As long as we could ride them, we did. Single, double, no hands, feet on the handle bars, even backwards if you dared!

Who can remember riding down the street with pack of friends, all headed off on some adventure. There were no helmets back then. You didn’t need a lock for your bike either back then.

They were a great way for our parents to know where we were. Nothing was more of a giveaway than a pile of bikes on the lawn outside one of your friend’s houses.

Bikes had the biggest rush in popularity in the 1970s, where it was not just young ones riding them but adults as well. With the growth of cycling (not to mention more cars on the roads) saw a recognition for the need of bicycle paths.