Catching a virus.

Between my youngest brother and me the difference in age is nearly 7 years. He must have been a year old, when we made biketours with the four of us. My father used his bike (NSU) in summer and in winter he took the bus to go to work. It must have been in the early sixties.

Foto: NSU (finish Elfstedentocht 2004).

With four on the bike...
My father used to park his bike on the road, start the engine, sit down on the buddy and kick the jiffy up. An old tablecloth was folded up and put on the fueltank. That's where I was supposed to sit on. I needed to put my hands in the centre of the steeringrod, so that I wouldn't influence the steering of my dad. I had to take my knees up high, so I wouldn't burn my feet. My mum would sit as a pillion with my brother backwards on her lap. That's how we cruised through the province of Friesland at 40 mph. My brother and I both were not wearing a helmet. So the wind in my hair and the eyes squeezed together. Well, that's how I caught the virus.

Where to get the idea...
While I was pregnant with my second son, I heard that my cousin was riding a bike. Why had I never played with that idea. It was something I had always wanted. For me, women were pillions. But this idea never left me again. Who knows someday I get the opportunity. The idea was always there in the back of my head. Eventually I ended up with a family with 5 kids, and the dream probably would always be a dream.

Would it be possible?
When the first kids had finished their studies, Roel came up with the idea, to spend the vacation-funds on getting our drivers-license for the bike. When the exam was requested before June 1st 1996, we didn't need a theory-certificate. The license for the car would do. Roel succeeded, I failed. I had to wait untill the end of April the next year, before I could do the theory-exam. In the mean time I was not allowed to take part in any lessons because I didn't have a valid theory-certificate.

Finally the stamp...
At the end of August that year, I finally could do my exam once more and I succeeded. (Finally the A-stamp on my license.) We didn't have any money for bikes and the bike that was in the shed was far too high for me. I could just reach the ground with my toes, so every traffic-light was asking for trouble. I didn't trust myself to have a ride on that bike. It was only in 2001 that we both bought a chopper and started to explore the Frisian roads together. The following year we drove tours with bikerclubs. These days I go out riding on my own on a regular basis. Since the second car was sold, I depend on the bike (or public transport). That's how my bikelife started. There is no herb or cure, I'll never get rid of this virus again. A new world has opened for me. I really hope I can do this for a long time.

Betty Smit.
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