(Tonight's post was inspired by reader Watchtower who offered that he wanted a Schwinn Stingray more than anything as a kid, but it never happened. Here is the model in question:
That is a fine bike!
Of course this got me all nostalgic about the means of transport in my youth. Maybe you will take a ride down memory lane?
BMX Bicycles
As soon as I could, I loved riding bikes. Not unique, I know. My first bike was this crappy thing that had plastic wheels and was made out of tin foil I think. I took it over a 3 foot jump, landed, and the frame broke in half and stuck me in the leg (no stitches needed!). I was not put off on my bicycle career by such a thing.
Skipping ahead, I wanted to share the hottest bikes from my golden years of BMX riding. Maybe you had one? Maybe you wanted one? Maybe you will have no idea what I am talking about? The last one is likely, but it is my blog!
Names like GT, Haro, Mongoose, CW, Redline, Kuwahara, Diamond Back, Dyno,
A few bikes of special note:
While I never wanted a GT Performer, this bike really set off the BMX/Freestyle bike mania:
Curvy frame!
A real Hutch BMX racing bike was out of reach for any mortal kid not from a rich family as these babies were BIG Bucks but the best available:
Another bike I never saw in real life, the Kuwahara Ripper:
Nice.
Ok, you know a Porsche is a "super car" in terms of performance? Well I worked 6 weekends one summer with my dad doing railroad work, mostly rail installations, to get the dough for a top of the line racer. The Bike "Pistol" Pete Loncarevich rode to numerous victories. The bike I always wanted, a Haro Group 1 RS-1:
I loved that bike! I had it one half Summer and the next Spring I left it out one night, ONE NIGHT, and it got stolen of course. I used to sleep with the bike in my room and I forgot one freaking night. Geez.
Skateboarding Decks
Stuck with no bike and looking at quite a few weekends of work to get a new one, I passed the time building half pipe ramps and doing a little skateboarding instead. We "liberated" wood from various construction sites (I never said I was a saint!) and decks were way cheaper than bikes plus near impossible to steal from under my bed at night. I actually grew to love boarding, but I was never any good at it.
Decks are a true artist medium as every rider used his own board as a medium for expression. The graphics were really wonderful. A few selections for your perusal (most pics from the great site Skates on Haight).
My first deck, a Powell Yellow Ripper:
I have no idea why, but I liked that one!
A great friend of mine communicates his love was a Santa Monica Airlines deck, this is the Bulldog:
Very nice.
The legendary Tony Hawk and his revolutionary bottle nosed deck:
That thing was cool as all get out.
A Steve Caballero Dragon Deck:
I like it!
Finally, the baddest deck art I have ever seen, the Tommy Guerrero Flaming Dagger board:
This was by far my most wanted board. Amazing artwork.
So what happened? I had enough saved up to buy a Guerrero (they were red by then) but I had been bitten by the boxing bug! The gym was 12 miles across town so I had to buy a second hand 10-speed bike to get across town (lots of hills, city traffic) and I needed something quicker than a skateboard and more adjustable than a BMX bike. It happens!
Well, sorry to get off track. Anyways, I like this break from the usual stuff so I hope you do as well.
Have a good night.
