Two summers later my Fat Red has been retired - I just simply outgrew it. The next bike was Russian made "Shkolnik" - student. That bicycle did not last too long either - by the next summer somebody swiped it.
Then came a blue "Ereliukas" - Little Eagle. It was manufactured in Siauliai by Vairas company. Since my youth the manufacturer has been privatized and sold to some foreign consortium, but to me my Ereliukas was my best buddy for number of years. Trips to outside of the Vilnius to our summer house on Nemencine's road, to the lake further up the road, and around Vilnius - those were great days of my childhood. Eventually somebody stole it, but by then I was outgrowing it anyways.
For couple years my father got me a folding Minsk, similar look to 20" Dahon. As all bikes before it, there was only one gear and rear drum brake (activated by pedaling backwards). Again, I rode it around town and beyond. That bike stayed around, even when I got a brand new golden metallic "Turist" - tourist. Turist had a friction shifters with gears, and center pull caliper brakes (I think). It had big size wheels and was my "adventure" bike. I still remember going to Kirtimai store to pick it up, then I rode it back home to old town Vilnius. It was a beautiful spring day, and it was just me and my new bike. Perfect!
There were more adventures with my Tourist - I did a trip to Moletai observatory - my classmates father was an astronomer there. I took a train to Utena, then rode bicycle to Moletai. I did not have much "gear" - just my tools that came with the bicycle. Fortunately, I made it in one day and spent a night in a canvas tent, and a horde of mosquitoes. Next day my face started to swell from bites, and when I got back home to Vilnius following day (my classmates came by bus and the bus took us all back) I hated mosquitoes even more. Still, this is my first "un(der)supported" bicycle tour. I think I was 11 or 12 then.
At ripe age of 16 I relocated to Santa Monica with my family.
I inherited an old Nishiki 16 speed (I think) and rode it to school and to my first job - McDonalds. After summer of "cleaning and not leaning" I bought a silver Raleigh Technium. I think it had a Suntour components, and cost me $600. It was a non-suspended mountain bike that I only rode on the streets. But it sure looked cool! Eventually I left it overnight by my current job locked to the parking meter, and next day I only found a piece of the lock. I think they used a rotary tool to cut through the lock.
At those days through the circumstances beyond my control I inherited a blue Specialized Allez. It had Shimano 105 components (which some of them I still have and use on a new carbon fiber fork Allez) and I rode it for number of years around Santa Monica. Eventually one of the chain-stays broke, and Specialized replaced the old frame with the new one. I moved the majority of components to the new bike, but was never too fond of the new Allez. Eventually I started getting wrist and neck pain on it, and I knew it was time to move on.
I found a silver Cannondale Bent I at my local bicycle shop. They had it for over 3 years and it was not going anywhere. So I got a good deal ($1000) and have been riding it around town for past 3 years. The wrist pain is the distant memory, I ride 3-4 miles to work and around town. It has been great, but with approach of my 40th birthday, I have been bit by a touring bug again.
As good as Bent I is around town, I don't see it as my ultimate tourer. My intention is to acquire an ultimate touring bent suitable for quick tours around L.A., and eventually cross country. Also, I would like to make it down to Cabo. Ah, dreams...
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