My earliest ride

[indyjps]

may be a little too new for you guys but my ride was a profile frame and fork, redline three piece crank with sealed bearings, bear trap (ouch my shin) pedals, pedal traps when racing, shimano rims, stainless spokes, bullseye sealed hubs, uni seat and bars, dont remember the brakes manuf. but it was the first bmx center pulls. ill see if i can find pics.
i kept breaking center of redline cranks so i had a machinist in town make me one out of 4340 and heat treat it, didnt know anything about steel selection @ the time but he was building race cars and welded up the diamondback frames i kept snapping. after that i started snapping off the crank arms. pretty cool that the same machinist narrowed the nine inch for my first car, he remembered the bike.

[427TJ]

Here's how I learned to ride a bike. This photo from 1966 (Richmond, California) shows me and my friend Rob on his Schwinn Stingray. Rob was (is) 4 years older and could easily ride me around with him on his bike. I'd sit up front on the banana seat and put my feet on the top of the forks on the chrome 'steps' that stuck out at the fork tops. One day, Rob got tired of riding me around. We were on the local schoolyard riding with dozens of other kids (the baby boom was neat that way) and Rob just stopped, got off the bike, and said "It's time you learned how to ride!" I was scared but before I could bail-off the bike he gave it a good push and I was off. I can still remember thinking "Hey, I'm riding a bike!" as I went across the schoolyard. I didn't know how to turn so I crashed into the side of the school building. I wasn't hurt and Rob put me back on and gave me another shove and I was off for more.

You can see that we were a Ford family. My Dad thought Falcons were economical and practical so we had two, the white '62 (bought new) and the blue '66 (also bought new). All California cars were "black plate" in those days!

[427TJ]

Just found a pedal car shot from Xmas '65. I'll bet most of us got our start on a pedal car. I even rolled one once trying to take a downhill corner going down a steep sidewalk. The front wheel dropped off the curb and that sucker rolled over into the street, going around only once but it felt like 200mph at Daytona. Nope, no helmet, no nothing, we just bled a little and got over it. How did we ever make it through childhood without all the "safety" crap kids have to wear nowadays? When my wife's not around I let my kids ride their bikes around the backyard without their helmets. Shhh, don't tell her.

[Steve_Hoog]

I kinda laugh at the helmet thing. I mean we don't want our kids to get hurt like any good parent, but all the crazy stuff we did and lived to tell about it. There were no helments back then.

[Mr70]

AAAHHH...Those were the days.
Of Lead paint,small objects you could swallow,Nickel Fireworks that would put NASA to shame today,sharp corners on cars,and serious heavy Metal toys,that doubled as a weapon you could use to beat your siblings with.
Around here,if you wore a Safety Helmet,you would soon regret ever putting it on,by the chasdising you would receive in the following weeks to come by your peers.
Good Times.....

[Steve_Hoog]

[DarrenX33]

Don't forget those dreaded red dye No.2 M&M's. Banned in 1976.

[MrsBillyBobcat]

AWE! You guys were soooooo cute!

I saw the cutest little boy this morning when I went with my husband to pick up his hot rod from a friend's garage. This little guy was a neighbor kid that liked hanging out in our friend's garage. He kept trying to con him out of some of his stickers so he could put them on his skateboard. Then he found a box of parts and asked "is this stuff for sale? 'cause if it is, I got money!" I was dying! Oh, and by the way, he was wearing a hot rod t-shirt with a '69 Camaro on the front!

Rita

[Motion Camaro]

<font color="blue">Those were the days! TRUE,TRUE.

I flel fof of so mayny thigs wen I wass yuongr &amp; I'n stile O.K.!

!!! &amp; I DIDN"T EVEN SUE ANYBODY!!!! </font>

[Steve_Hoog]

Just like cars, one isn't enough.