Chopper Bicycle

We were living in the town of Bothasig near Cape Town in a small wooden house called Pamandus. This was a name that Mom and Dad thought up and they had a special sign made showing the whole family holding hands and the dog on the end. Pa, Ma, Sheyne, Kirsten and the dog, Pa, Ma and us. Bothasig was then quite a new town, and when we first moved there from a flat in Cape Town Gardens, many of the roads were still sand and there were plenty Port-Jackson trees imported from Australia. These trees were grown to settle the sand and stop the place from turning into a complete desert.

It must have been some time in the early seventies when the Choppers first appeared. I can remember thinking about how cool the purple and yellow Choppers looked. There might have been other colours but these are the two colours that must have impressed me the most.

A proud friend came to visit and show off his Chopper and I asked for a ride. I can remember taking the bicycle for a spin to the other side of the town. The bicycle was great, and the feeling of speed and freedom and wind was like being in a different world.

I can remember being chased by a dog and going up through the three gears (yes, three gears!) to try and get away. I also remember falling off the bicycle as the front was quite unstable due to the smaller wheel.

Half an hour later, still elated from the freedom and with tired legs from the close encounter with the dog, I brought the bicycle back to my gloomy friend.

Even though I thought it was the best ride ever, I don’t think he was too happy about me taking so long on his brand new bicycle.