WHEN I WAS A KID...

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Rat Rod

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Thought I'd start a thread to display those photos of us on our bikes as kids.

Here are a couple of me circa 1975. :lol: :lol:

stevebike2sm-1.jpg


stevebike1sm-1.jpg
 
I guess I was into getting a bike for Steve a little too quickly.

I bought him one for Christmas one year - when he was maybe 5 - maybe even 4 - and I put it all together that night and had it all set to go.

When he got up the next morning he came in and saw it and tried to get on it but his legs wouldn't reach the pedals. I guess I never thought about how tall he was compared to the size of the bike.

So that one had to go back to the store and I had to wait another year or two before he was actually tall enough to ride one.

As you can see in the pictures, though, he did get tall enough and he got another red bike similar to the first one. :lol:

And the funny thing is that Spiderman shirt would still be in style today!!
 
I'm afraid that back in those days it was "buy whatever is cheapest" as long as it looked half way decent. I don't think I knew one brand from another.

It probably came from CameApart - I mean K Mart, or maybe one of the other local discount stores that were around back in those days.

If it rode okay - it was good enough. :lol:

Especially with kids bikes since the kids usually either out grew them, or tore them up.
 
I always like to show off this photo of my Grandfather when he was a kid...circa 1932 I believe.

Would love to have one like it of my own one day.

granddadsbike.jpg
 
6 years old... about 1965. I won this in the local Royal Crown (RC) Cola give away. We never did find out who actually entered my name since nobody ever owned up to it. I remember having to stand up on a picnic bench just to get on the thing to ride it. For some stupid reason I threw it away in the middle 90's while cleaning out things.. :cry:

-Stephen

6yrs_1stbike.jpg
 
:x I thaught i knew where the pic of me was on my first bike i gotta find them 2 morrow. If i got time..

7:40-2:30 school
3:00-5:00 I gotta help freshmen with their float.
5:00-7:00 Gotta get stuff 2 wear 2 game (purple gold) Gotta paint face
7:00-9ish Game.
after that idk whats up im busy!!!!!1
 
I went to visit my folks today and my mom (Steve's grandmother) said she had a photo of her with her first new bicycle. So she dug it out and showed it to me.

This was probably early 40's ...

Momonbikesmall.jpg
 
Does anyone have any ideas what kind of bike my Mom owned? (see picture above).

The unusual thing about it was that it has curved fender braces on it - and maybe curved braces on the rear rack too.

Time wise I said early 40's before, but I'm thinking now that it was probably late 30's - 37 or 38 maybe.
 
Ratroddad, your moms bike looks like it could be a Hawthorne or maybe a Colson of about the late 30's or the early 40's. You know sense girls were not the primary target of bike company's it's hard to find good pictures. The head light looks like a Delta and the tank look to have a horn, but I can't tell if the back fender had a skirt gaurd on it or not.
The tank tells me you don't have a Schwinn becauce of the flat edges. The shape and the design of the tank says Hawthorne. If only the head badge was a little more clear.

I have the book ( Collectable Elgin - J.C. Higgins & Hawthorne Bicycles)by James Hard & T.A. Gordon

Good luck hope you find out

P.s. I have a girls Rollfast and it's tank is a lot like the one in the picture, man, I wish I had a way to send pictures!
 
Thanks, DC. It's amazing how many of those old bikes looked a lot alike.

Steve did some research through the Schwinn site and was told it was a Roadmaster.

I did some checking once I knew that and I have to agree. The headbadge and tear drop chainring both match the Roadmasters I could find. Some had the curved fender braces and some had the same headlight.

Here's a 1939 men's version with much of the same stuff on it. This one had the spring front end - which apparently some had and others didn't.

http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle109.htm
 
Here is my Rat Rod One!!!
rat1-2.jpg


This pic was made in 1963. The bike was an old 20" Schwinn that I dug out of the junk pile and brush painted black using Red Devil Cycle Paint that came in 1/2 pint cans. I saved my allowance and got some new "flared" fenders. The wheels were the first ones that I spoked myself under the direction of my grandfather.

rat2-2.jpg


This was later after I traded my flared fenders for "polo" handlebars and seat, and made me a nanner bike. I had painted a spyder on the seat tube of the frame, Thanks!!!
 
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