^ ^ ^ Thats what I dont get about kids today, when I was a kid staying inside the house and not being able to go riding was punishment. Of course we had no X box 360, cable TV, or whatever else they have now. We rode our 20" BMX bikes literally 10 - 15 miles in a day easily on weekends or summer break to go hit all the local homebrew MX tracks in the area. Thats where everyone would hang out, at their local home made track. It was the place to be in those days, there and at the race track on Thurs. nights and Sundays.
When I was 14 I converted my Race-Inc 24" racing cruiser into a 6 speed "mini-mtn. bike" so I could get up the steep fireroads above my house and put in 15 mile rides with my friends just to get into the mtns. for awhile. Just like you said, "freedom" from school, parents, adult supervision, etc... it was the best way to grow up for sure. None of my friends wanted to do much other than ride our bikes, that was it for us for many years.