Tour de France it ain't

Most of us have been riding bikes since we were young children. While it’s true that bike riding has never been my forte, I was surprised to learn how little I really knew about the use and function of the simple bicycle. Here’s what I’ve learned about bikes from living in Belize:
The most useful bike is not necessarily the most expensive bike. Almost all the bikes here are what we call ‘beach-cruisers’: the simple, single gear bike that brakes when the rider peddles backward. If it runs into mechanical problems, they are easily fixed without fancy tools and parts. A little oil and air once in a while and all should be well.
Bikes are not solely for riding. A bike can be used to carry everything from piles of wood to bundles of pipe to whatever you need carried. The ‘rider’ need only walk beside the bike and keep control of the load and the load carrier.
A basket is not a necessary accessory. A person riding a bike can successfully negotiate traffic, potholes, pedestrians and speed bumps while carrying 100 lb bags of oranges on the handlebars. Other loads I have seen being ridden down Belizean streets are: full coolers of food and/or drink on the handlebars; groceries in bags hanging from both handlebars and in a large box on the handlebars; large bunches of bananas over the crossbar and long pieces of sugar cane across the handlebars; bags full of recently hunted dinner; you get the idea.
A plain old regular bike can be a useful family vehicle. Children still in diapers with soothers in their mouths can be successfully taught to sit sidesaddle on the crossbar of a bike and hold onto the handlebars. These same children will grow up to ride the same way, on bikes driven by their beloved, well into their golden years. It is also not unusual to see young parents riding their bikes with an infant cuddled up on mom or dad’s shoulder or on the careful parent’s knee facing out with an arm around baby’s middle. The largest family unit I have seen riding together on one bike? A mom with the infant on knee as described above, toddler on crossbar, also as described above and young child riding on the handlebars. This configuration also seems to work on scooters but with less success as scooters are harder to steer than bikes are.
Finally, these simple bikes, can be and often are, used to tow other modes of transport. Examples of this would be a bike rider holding the handle of a riderless bike and traveling down the street at full tilt. This is done with total comfort and ease which amazes me. I can’t ride one bike with total comfort and ease, let alone tow another one in this manner. I have never seen a Belizean do this and have the riderless bike decide to take an unexpected turn. I don’t understand how it’s done. And the head shaking-est thing I’ve ever seen ‘towed’ by a bike … the other day I saw a biker riding down the highway on his beach-cruiser with his horse in tow. That’s right, he was riding with one hand on the handlebars and the other hand holding a rope tied to his horse. I keep thinking I’ve seen it all when it comes to bikes in Belize and I keep being proved wrong. No wonder Brynn and Kori are desperately trying to figure out how to get their beach-cruisers home when we leave Hopkins.