Bike Ride

Brandon Henderson

"Rolls check, water check crisps. . . .check." "Have you finished packing yet?" Dad enquired. "Just checked, everything is there!" I explained.

It is a glorious summer's day in Leuchars, with the baking hot sun glaring down from the cloudless sky. I'm sitting in a deck chair, after packing the bags and giving up trying to help my dad fix the bikes.

This is our family bike ride. We are getting everything ready to have a relaxing, enjoyable cycle to Tentsmuir beach. We've gone a lot of times before but this time it will be a bit trickier as my dad has bought a new wind breaker and it is pretty heavy for one person to carry, never mind whilst cycling. "Let's go, come on," shouted my dad. "Are our bikes ready now?" I asked. "Yes, no thanks to you though, oh your bikes back brake isn't working properly so be careful when your riding it." Dad explained.

I have a red and black "crazy rider" bike. I've had it for about a year now and since I first got on it, all I've had from it are bumps, scrapes and bruises. It seems to be extremely unlucky.

We set off for the beach with everything strapped to our back-packs and my stupid looking helmet on my head.

We're going down Earishall road now which has trees and thick mud at the side of the road, which your feet get stuck in if you stand in the same place for to long. It was as if the mud was trying to eat you, that's what my mum used to say.

An old couple with their white, curly coated Scottie dog are at the bottom of this steep, potholed road while I am at the top. The dog was off the lead and running around sniffing all the green trees and bushes with its small, cold, wet nose. I'm closing in on it now getting faster and faster as I go down the hill. I moved to the left trying to avoid the dog, it mirrored me. I swerved to the right it copied me again, the dog was right in front of me now so I had to take swift action. I slammed on my brakes but remembering to late that my back brake doesn't work, there was nothing I could do. I was flying through the air but the sensation didn't last long, I hit the mud and my leg whacked of an old tree. My bike did a flip over the dog which had frozen with fear and landed on its handle bars. I felt like I was hurting everywhere, I opened my eyes to see that I was in the sticky dark mud; I gasped and felt as if I was in a state of shock. Struggling to get out, everything started to rush through my head: it's eating me! Where's Mum and Dad? Why aren't they helping me? "Are you airight son?" I turned my head to see the old man, the owner of the dog. The old man helped me out of the mud. "Not really. Where is my family? Did they just leave me? I asked with a worried face. "No-one has came past here son, are you sure you are ok?" the old man asked with his hands on my shoulders. "My family on their bikes, they were right behind me". I spluttered as I started to panic.

I looked to the top of the hill and to my relief I could see my family starting to come down. I thought about why they're so far behind and realised that I must have cycled much faster than my family without knowing.

The old man chuckled and said, "There is your family".

Once my family reached us the old man told my Dad that I had a little fall but I'm alright. "No thanks to your dog though," I said rudely. The old man chuckled as I brushed myself off.

"Don't blame the dog Brandon". My sister said with a huge smile spread across her face. "We better get going then, thanks". My dad said to the old man. "Yes, and I want a new bike!" I said.

Everyone laughed as I thanked the old couple and we headed off to finish the bike ride with me struggling to keep up with my bruised leg and mangled bike.