[Remdog1187]

The wealthy neighbor kids in Milwaukee in the 60's rode Schwinn Krate bikes.
Always wanted one. They now sell for $2000 in mint condition. Dad couldn't afford it so he bought me the next best thing in 1967. A green Huffy Rail III five speed that was pretty cool too. Wish I still had it. Did you have a favorite bicycle as a kid?

 

[Brian in Oregon]

I had a dark metallic green AMF Renegade. It was cheaper than the Krate because it lacked most of the extra features, like single speed instead of a 5-speed, no handbrakes, no sissy bar. But it was mine and I rode it hard. I could not break it. Out grew it, though, and gave it away after getting a larger 10-speed. Did have to replace the "banana" seat at least once, and handlebar grips when they got loose.

My friends and I shunned tall sissy bars. We rode our bikes off of jumps, and if you needed to bail off the bike a tall sissy bar made that difficult. You'd wind up crashing in a heap on the bike instead of hitting the ground running, though you'd still stumble over.

I remember the Krates that had a suspension fork and a smaller front wheel. They were the coolest.

One kid had a super tall sissy bar and a steering wheel on his 5-speed "chopper". It was not an easy bike to steer because of your wrist angle.

 

[bigbore613]

Dont forget the playing cards and clothespins. Jeff

 

[Jim Meverden]

I had a paper route starting when I was about 11 and I bought my own Schwinn 2 speed. You shifted by backpedalling just a little bit but not enough to engage the coaster brake. It was the perfect paper route bike. I outran a lot of dogs on that bike.

 

[635 G]

I had a Schwinn Black Phatom in 1953, some of my friends had English racers, Rudges--they always zoomed past me--my bike weighed 76 lbs---hat a beautiful truck --the old adage --if its not fast chrome it--must have been named after a Schwinn Black Phatom.

Phil Berkowitz

 

[shannon391]

When we were kids Evil Kenevil was the top rated TV venue, when he has going to jump the entire country tuned in! (course most of us only had three channels}.

These are the bikes my friends and I tried to kill ourselves with trying to copy our idol.

 

[Barrelbulge(Fl)]

Schwinn Hornet.

 

[Brian in Oregon]

After I switched to a 10-speed, it got worn out quickly delivering papers. Could not take the additional load. I was then given a nice Schwinn 10-speed to replace it for Christmas. And my dad set me up with an old Columbia "balloon tire bomber" for the paper route so the Schwinn would not be worn out. Other than the internal disc brakes needing periodic replacement, it was bulletproof, but slow. But it held up to delivering papers. Since the route was on a big hill, I built up some impressive leg muscles on that old bike.

 

[1perazzi]

Here is a 52 amf roadmaster luxury liner that I'm selling

 

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: Growing up in Canada I always wanted a new CCM Mustang. When I was about 8 I found one in the garbage and turned it into a motocross bicycle with real motorcycle handlebars also found in the garbage. We didn't have alot of money but learned skills to make stuff into something cool. Thanks, Eric

 

[Shooting Coach]

I don't have a pic of my Cannondale handy, but it looks kinda like this. LOL

Road Cycling is my primary passion, even over shooting.

 

[Bvr Tail]

I didn't get a new bike until I could buy it from my own money, but I once worked for a well-off family doing yard work, and odd jobs, and traded my work for a nice Schwinn Wasp their Son had outgrown.

It was like new, and I washed and cleaned that bike almost daily.

Unfortunately, I lived in a rough end of town, and it was stolen from the school where we were playing b-ball one day.

Never saw it again.

That Christmas, mom surprised me with a new bike from Western Auto.

That spring, my brother was building a push cart from old lumber, and asked to borrow it so he could get a handsaw from the neighbors. He promised I could ride on the cart.

I was watching as he pedaled home carrying the saw in one hand, but still holding onto the handlebars.

The saw was swinging back and forth, and went into the front spokes.

He did a front flip, and smacked his face hard on the concrete street.

Cars stopped as I ran to rescue my destroyed bike, and left him there to suffer.

I rode that bike the rest of the summer with about 1/3 of the spokes missing, and actually got pretty good at balancing it like a circus clown.

I didn't like him much then, but sure miss him now.

 

[GW22]

Mine is so bad, I don't even need a kickstand.

-Gary

 

[Mark-in-Maine]

Here is my bicycle

 

[cubancigar2000]

In the early 50's my dad bought my brother and I each an Indian scout 10 speed. Wish I still had it

 

[tachyon]

My first racing bike. A Gitane racing bike with Reynolds 531 db tubing, 54/42 on the front, 13/21 on the rear. Replaced the Simplex Derailleur and Mavic Brakes with Campy Record equipment after my first criterium.

 

[CalvinMD]

Has a dark purple Royce Union stingray style bike the the first pick...had the slick on the back and only half as high of a sissy bar..it had a pair of shifters on the center bar..one shifted the 5 gears..the other has a red handle and was a cool "dragbrake" I put a cool chrome headlight on it that looked exactly like a HD sportster complete with a speedo...actually hit 28mph(pegged!) once down hill