AS a child, learning to ride a bicycle was a big challenge for most of us.
The falls, the tumbles, the scratches and even the broken arms – these are all memories of how we attempted to balance on two wheels and the pain we endured before mastering the ride.
The bicycle may be a joyride for some and a form of exercise for others but at one time, it was an important mode of transport.
During World War 2, the Japanese army had a bicycle infantry that went quickly through the jungle from Kota Baru to Singapore, overwhelming Malaya in just two months.
The Malayan resistance also used bicycles to send messages to their comrades, with notes hidden inside the frame.
As a child, many would remember riding a single gear bicycle in the neighbourhood or sneaking out of the house to go for a short day ride. It was an adventure, a symbol of freedom.
The bicycle may have lost its allure in the decades when motorcycles and cars took over but with fuel prices skyrocketing and renewed awareness of carbon emissions, the bicycle could get renewed life.
How many of us know that every 16km (or 10mile) bicycle ride saves the environment of 5kg in carbon dioxide emission?
Cycling also reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.
It can also be fun and it is healthy, something a lot of us woke up to as Covid-19 struck the world.
When Malaysia was under lockdown from March 2020, the demand and sales for bicycles went up.
Some 18,000 bicycles were sold on an online marketplace Carousell that year.
Its sales also continued on the upward trend in 2021.
To mark World Bicycle Day, The Star takes a closer look at the bicycles that many of us grew up riding over the decades.