As I remember it. The Christmas of 1962 Santa brought me a red Schwinn 2 speed bicycle. It was a remarkable present as I had not asked for the bike and was not expecting anything as spectacular as this gift. On Christmas day I was out front of our house trying desperately to learn how to ride such a wonderful bike. I was falling into the hedge and the roses and my father would alternately yell at me for falling into the bushes and wrecking his plants and pulling me out of the thickets and putting me back on the bike and pushing me for another start. After an hour or so of scratches and bruises and pain I was able to get around the neighborhood and visit my friends close by. This two-speed bike was a marvel for a kid in Omak. Everyone else had a one-speed bike and they had to huff and puff up hills with the same gear. I, on the other hand, had a second gear I could shift into by touching my pedals backwards and engaging the second gear. It was like getting the wind blowing behind your back. I felt like a prince . . .
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