(Recollections of Joe Ragucci – recorded 1/12/2005 by Joe Ragucci)

Growing up, the bicycle was a big deal because it gave me a great deal of freedom.  Over the years I had many bicycles, but ran each one to the ground since they were always in use.  I remember constantly repairing bicycles, whether it be fixing flats, or repairing broken chains, or greasing the rear axle gears, or straightening frames.  It was a constant job.  I remember one bicycle that was in really bad shape so I repainted it florescent orange.  It really stood out and glowed in the dark.  I felt so cool.

I remember one bicycle incident very clearly.  When I was quite young, maybe 7 or 8 years old I remember there being a very large mound of dirt on Birch Street where the barracks had been.  It was probably 8 feet high and maybe 15-20 foot round.  On one side there was a steep grade and we kids used to walk our bikes up and then ride them down the incline at a high rate of speed.  Well, one day I decided to see if I could jump off the other side where there was no incline.  But the bike went straight down, crushed the front wheel and smashed me against the ground.  Looking back it was really a stupid thing to do but fortunately I didn’t break any bones just lots of scrapes and bruises.  But the bike was destroyed.

The bicycle gave me so much freedom since I could just take off and no one knew where I was.  I never went really far – maybe 2-3 miles at the most, mostly into Carteret, but I was free.  I remember many times going to the stores for Marge on my bike, especially to Foodtown or the bakery in Carteret.   I used to go to Carteret Park a lot (about a 2 mile ride). I remember many times getting in trouble because I took off and no one could find me.  And when my Dad did find me, I was in real trouble.   But it was my freedom that lasted until I could drive.