Got my first bike in the 3rd grade. Must have been 1957. It was a used 26" single speed with a coaster break. Faded orange paint. That's what I learned on.

In 7th grade, I sold Christmas cards door to door (and to relatives) to earn a 3 speed Royce. We called them English bikes back then.

A 20 inch Western Flyer from Western Auto for my birthday in 1947.
I finally sold it to a neighbor kid in 1955.

__________________
CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

My first bike was a parts bike that my dad and granddad put together. My brother got one like it too.

Both had bobbed and flared fenders that weren't store bought. They painted them jet black with white ends and red pin striping. Very cool thinking back. Both of my grandfathers were very talented.

I had the bike before I got away from the tricycle and learned to ride on it. It had low bars and a traditional seat but being a kid in the sixties the coolest were banana seats and monkey bars.

Mom thought monkey bars weren't the best to learn on so I learned to ride it with the low bars and finally stepped up to the banana seat and soon convinced them I'd be ok with the monkey bars. Finally they gave in. Dang it looked cool.

The frame on mine wouldn't fit the slicks at the time so I ran knobbies.

I changed the bike around a few times and even did the extended forks with a 16 wheel but always found it to be more fun with knobbies and a little seat.

By the time I couldn't ride it anymore it was metal flake lime green with a gold under coat and black pin stripes by me.

__________________
Dum vivo cano

Bikes, usually a boys first love. Jack thanks for bringing up the old good memories.

For Christmas when I was about 7 or 8 I got a New 26" Western Auto bike. It had tanks with a horn button on the side, electric lights via a couple of C cell batteries, streamers coming out the handle bars and was about 10 feet taller than me. We lived in the country, the road past our house was gravel. Oh how I ate gravel learning how to ride the bike.

It pretty much sit until the next summer, we went to NW Iowa to visit Dad's parents. He loaded it up in the trunk of his '49 Plymouth for the trip. My grandparents lived in town, sidewalks, Dad pushed me on the sidewalk running along side, my feet barely could reach the pedals. One push we were going much faster than normal, sort of down hill, I yelled at Dad that we were flying, no answer. I looked and Dad was not behind me, I twisted my little neck all the way around, Dad was a 1/2 a block away smiling. All this was etched in my mind, which left me for a moment to write this down. While my mind left me to fend for my self I ran into someones yard and rolled over. Thank god my body protected the bike as it ended up on top of me.

Dad dusted me off, pushed me up the little hill, spun me around and shoved me off again, this time I felt the wind in my face and had a different feeling, I was free and could ride. I rode that bike for quite a few years. Back home in the Ozarks on gravel roads I paid the price for speeding on loose gravel, turning too sharply and several other errors had me scratched up until I mastered it.

Dad would load it up when we went to my Maternal grandparents so I could ride with my cousins. The first time we flat tracked around the old farm house I went wide and pulled away, it was getting dark, I never saw it coming.

Most of you have heard the term, clothes lined. Grandmas darkened copper clothes line hit me at the adams apple, I remember that and the pain. I was out for a little while, when I came to my cousins were in the process of farm boy 1st aid, they were dragging me to the pond to wet me down to wake me up, so they said. I was leading the pack, they saw it happen. They told me I did a back flip and the bike kept going. I hit in a big dusty heap and bounced a few times.

we moved and Dad gave my bike to one of my cousins. I rode my Lil Brothers 24" Western auto to Football preseason for a few years.

Fast forward a few decades, almost 4 to be precise. I had divorced and for some reason had lots of extra energy, I was a single parent, I did the laundry, ironed clothes and vacuumed the house twice a day, yes I did. I had been walking and kept seeing folks ride by on their 10 speed bikes. One day I saw some used bikes for sale in front of the feed and grain store. I bought a Japanese cheap 10 speed and started riding it, I was the in charge for the evening shift, I rode every morning, I kept adding miles, I was in shape and my legs looked like a French bike racers. I was putting the pedals to the metal so to speak one day to see how fast I could go. I broke the chain, foot flew off the pedal and the steel pedal chewed up my rt calf, it was touch and go, I thought I was going to wreck, finally got stopped, pushed the broken bike home the 5 or so miles while blood ran down my calf into my tennis shoe. I took it back to the feed store where I bought it and traded it for a 26" Motebecane delivery bike. It was heavy, had lights front and rear, baskets and looked like french delivery bike in an old movie.

I went to a bike store to look for something better. Egad! Some were priced like a good used car. I was sliding down an isle to calm the sticker shock induced heart pounding and ended up talking to a fella who was quite a bit shorter than me, I was still over 6' 1" at that point, He was a foot shorter. He told me he rode in all the KC charity rides and needed a smaller bike, he was looking at women's or kids small 18 speed road bikes. He said he wanted to sell his big bike. Hmm, how much, what is it and where is it?

It's 5 or 6 blocks from here, it is a Motobecane. I said huh? He said it is a French road racing bike and I'll take $50.

Followed him home, in his garage was an immaculate Black racing bike, 27 or 28" tires, I was hooked. He said he can not longer ride it, when the hundreds of folks at the charity rides all hit a stop light he can't reach the ground and falls over into folks who get ticked off.

I rode that bike for several years daily. My job changed and there were not many places to ride in the next town. I kept it, ended up selling it some years later to a person who knew what it was. He was so happy I figured I sold it too cheap.

Fast forward a few more decades. My wife wanted to ride last summer, bought her a new bike. I gave 10 bucks for a nice Raleigh 10 speed at Salvation Army for me. I rode it quite a bit and should have ridden it more, but spending time on the SW Forum was more fun.

It's tough out there, pedal responsibly.

I learned to ride on my older sister's bike. It was a red Schwinn. Once I got tall enough there was a bar my folks added to make it a "boys" bike.

It's probably illegal to call a bike a "girls" or "boys" bike these days.

Now once I got a bit older... now we're talking. Purple 5 speed with a stick shift. Cool as hell... until you jumped it on your plywood and bricks ramp, and racked yourself on the shifter when you landed.

I think the only "acceptable" pc term for a wheeled vehicle-is a unicycle. Let them figger that out.

Sort of like bellybuttons, inny or outy? 🙈

__________________
Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

My Dad told me not to go around the block. He launched me, and I fell flat in the grass. He tried again, same result. Third try I was flying like the wind. Boy that felt great! But the end of the road was coming....If I stopped I'd fall and I didn't know how to turn well enough so I went around the block and pulled up in the yard. My Dad said, "I told you not to go around the block." I told him I couldn't stop. I was surprised he didn't beat the mud out of me.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Those things put out a pretty impressive noise for a block of plastic.

I had a big (18") Indy car that you controlled with a stick and string that made noise the same way. I think it was strikers on a flywheel hitting a plastic diaphragm. That thing was TOUGH. All that wrecking on an asphalt road just put some nicks in it. I'll bet the neighbors hated some of our toys. I could RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR that thing around in the road for hours. The toy manufacturers understood a kid's visceral needs. Now I shoot guns.

That Mattel Tommy Gun must have made noise the same way, It really sounded substantial.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I got my first bike in 1950, it was 24" Schwinn, it had a horn in the tank, batteries only lasted a few days.

__________________
Don

Got my first in '59 or '60. A 24" black schwinn

We still had a Western Auto here up until 20 years ago, they sold Wizard out board motors, I bought my first chain saw from Western Auto.

__________________
Don

never had one learned how to right with a friends bike

__________________
My brother is my Hero

Mine was a Schwinn 1957, I believe the Phantom model, it had the "tank" on the bar with a battery horn, push button operated you could press your knee on the horn button or push by hand to make it sound. We lived on a hill, the road had a big "sleeping policeman" speed bump at the bottom so we could "Fly" our bikes off of it.
Good times!
Steve W

NEVER get caught riding a girls bike. I mean really, if you know what's good for you.......

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Talking about brick and plywood ramps..... One time I was going full blast on my 'boy's bike' and my feet slipped off the pedals. I talked soprano for about a week. I don't think that 'no crossbar 'idea for girl's bikes was a bad idea.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

My first bike was a black 20" Huffy that came from Sears. It had ape-hanger handle bars, a banana seat, a tall sissy bar, a fat "slick" on the back.
Quite the ride...

My first bike was a two tone blue 20 inch. I got for Christmas. when I was 6 years old. The bike took we on a lot of adventures. It was a horse, it was a car, It was a racer. I could wear out a set of tires in a summer. Sliding the tire side ways when stopping. I found out much later that my dad build that bike and hand painted the strips on the fenders. He did a fantastic job.

__________________
Carpriver.

Googled and found a picture of my second bike. Would really like to have one again. But the prices are way high.

Attached Images

image.jpg (13.3 KB, 18 views)

We did too, but then they disappeared.

I was given my first bike when I was 9 or 10 years old. It was too large for me and until I "grew into it", I pedaled it by putting one leg between the bars! Riding kind of standing sideways. Everything we were given we had to grow into. When I grew into it, I rode it for many years through high school and university. It just plain wore out in the end. My second bike I bought when I was in in my early 30s.

Western Flyer X-53

__________________
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Did one better and discovered they're now making 26" adult BMX bikes. Found this Redline PL 26 (chromoly everything, classic 3-piece Flight crank, sealed bearings throughout, etc.) new for under $400:



It's a blast to ride.

__________________
SWHF #448

I'm working on my next one:

__________________
Music/Sports/Beer fan

My first bike was a 24" Schwinn with a horn in the tank, the batteries didn't last long.

__________________
Don

Got my first one pretty much used (up). No pedal on right side...just the center bolt. finally got a new pedal(at Western Auto) and kept on riding it. Bought another much better condition for 3 dollars I think. The guy that ran the garage in town helped me fix the old one with a 3HP gas engine off of a broken powered reel mower. Remember them?? Drove that bike everywhere... no brakes as I had to drag my keds... for a few weeks till a state cop stopped me...made me walk it home(2 miles) and told my mother not to let me drive it again. Oh heck...I couldn't hardly afford to buy the gas for it anyway. I was snitching the gas my father had for the Lawnboy power mower...Yep 2 stroke. Always wondered why that motor smoked so much

Bought one that a friend had built for $25 when he got a tote goat for Christmas.Damn that thing was fun!
My parents hated it lol

Can't be sure what my first bike was, but I'll never forget the birthday morning I woke up to find this brand new Schwinn Sting Ray sitting in the living room.

I customized it some.

My first was a mixmaster that my dad built out of various basket cases he had picked up off the curbs on trash day. I think every manufacturer was represented

First one was about 1955 was a used Murry .. No training wheels .. Learned to ride on my way home with my Dad walking behind me !!

My first bike was a hand-me-down from my older sister. It was a pink girl's bike with a big white banana seat. I think there were streamers on the ends of the handlebars. My dad got some spray paint and painted it black, put a black banana seat on there, and replaced the white plastic grips with black rubber grips. I really liked that bike.

Second bike was a Huffy BMX bike from Sears, I think. After that I got into BMX freestyle/streetstyle, and had a Schwinn, a Haro, and a RL Bully. After high school I lost interest in riding. I think my parents put up with it because for most of my childhood it was about the only physical activity I had any interest in.

By the time the Scwinn Sting Rays came along, my friends and I were riding 26-inch English bikes. I liked the Sting Rays, but because they were considered kid bikes, I would not be seen on one. So I passed into adulthood feeling nostalgia for a bike I never had.

One day in the early ‘90s, I got a call from a buddy who was on vacation down in Missouri (on a pilgrimage to the Calhoun Boat Works, in Tiptonville, TN, but that’s another story). He had found a dealer who had a bunch of Czech-made Sting Ray clones, new and partially assembled in crates, seventy bucks, and did I want to buy one?

Did I? You bet I did. I ordered a blue one, as did another buddy. Mark got red and silver ones for his kids. My boy was about to head off to college, so I really had no use for the bike. But the bike had struck that chord of vicarious nostalgia.

Now my grandson has been riding the Rapido for a couple of years. My boy changed the seat and bars to fit him better. On Fathers’ Day, the three of us pedaled over to a local motorcycle/bicycle picnic. We ran into a kid there riding an almost identical Rapido. My buddy had still had his bike in a crate until this spring, when he gave it to the son of a friend. They were not the only kids at the picnic, but they were the only ones riding Czech bicycles.

Attached Images

33904BBB-2965-4055-8832-EE11A76B9B2B.jpg (127.2 KB, 29 views)

__________________
Not in jail.

I still have mine. It was a Sears bike that I won for selling the most candy for the YMCA when I was in 6th or 7th grade.

I rode several hand me down bikes which were serviceable. First, and only new bike was a 5 speed,green metal flake Schwinn stingray. I'm ashamed to say how long it took me to connect Dad working almost every Saturday the year I got that bike for Christmas.

The only way I got more than one sped was to move my legs faster

I, too, had a Sears BMX special. I was among the first kids on my block who had a bike with "alloy" wheels. It was the summer of 82 or 83. I traded it to a friend in high school. I wish I still had it.

__________________
Thread Killer.

Mine was a Western Flyer Paper Boy Special. 26" heavy duty for going over curbs. I was about 10 when I got it and had a paper route. I did have a series of old junk before that. I only remember one an Elgin 26" that had big balloon tires on it and had been brush painted battle ship grey. I rescued it from trash.

My brother and I had two old Schwinns. I think they were Typhoons? We kept them on the porch and they were stolen by a local punk nick named “Mousy” who put them on the railroad tracks. The train ran over them and we did not get bikes until years later after we moved to a better place.

A weird English folder . . . I think this was in Woods Hole, MA:

__________________
Now go make God proud...

...my first bike looked a lot like the one below...

...I was so proud when I was able to take the training wheels off...

...then I lent it to a poor kid in the neighborhood for a quick ride...he promptly hit a tree and broke one side of the handlebars off...

...pushed it home with tears in my eyes...my Mom said..."take it over to Bob and see what he thinks"...

...we lived around the corner from "Title's Reliable Garage"...

...I pushed it into the first garage bay and Bob Title saw the tears I was trying to hold back...he took it and said "wait here"...

...fifteen minutes or so later he came back with the handlebars brazed back together...and I lit up with a big smile...

...Bob smiled too and said..."no charge kid"...

__________________
A Country Boy Can Survive

It was a big deal back when I was a kid to go on bike hikes. It was one of our favorite trips to go up the back roads to Key, Ohio and get on St Rt 147. From Key to Bellaire which was down on Ohio River. Hardly any peddling was required and the last 5 miles was all down hill and full of hair pin turns. You had to be careful you didn't burn up on re entry. We all had regular bikes except one kid who had a English bike with hand rakes and gear shift. Kid was a bit of a show off with his fancy bike. Anyway going down that last 5 mi hill he was passing other kids. He went into one of those hair pins at about warp 56 and downshifted and his chain came off.
He layed into the hand brakes about the time he hit the ditch. It threw him off in the briars but it still sticks in my mind it was amazing how far up in the air that bike went.

The bikes with the shifters, hand brakes and skinny tires we called “English racers”. I had a candy apple red Schwinn Stingray 20”. Pleated banana seat mid rise ape hangers, solid bike it only occasionally needed tires.

My dad worked for the Long Island railroad as an electrician and he never made all that much money. So started collecting old bikes that people left out for the garbage man. After about getting 8 semi complete bikes I sat down and started to see what fit what. Found a front wheel that fit the frame I had chosen. Down to the 7th rear wheel with gear,sproket and chain. And I basically had a functional bike. Had to disassemble the rear wheel cause the breakes didn't do so well.Took it to a local bike shop and the old man told me what the problem was. It needed new break shoes. And not having any money. As I started out the door he asked if I was interested in helping him clean out the shop. I said yes and for the next two weeks after school we dragged out all the old bikes that were junk and dumped them in a huge dumpster. Then same with the old tires. And just about anything he wanted to get rid of.After two weeks he handed me the old rim with the new shoes installed. Balletties bike shop on Jamaica avenue in Queens county NYC. Frank

Christmas 1953 or 54, Red 26" Schwinn Spitfire just like this one except the color was more vivid. Suspect So Fla Natives bike had spent lots of time in the hot sun by the time his photo was taken!

Attached Images

bischtor4.jpg (142.3 KB, 8 views)

I wanted a Schwinn with a tank but had to make do with a Rollfast.
Probably 1946-48 or so.

__________________
Paul
Salome, AZ

We were so poor growing up my parents could only afford one wheel so I had to settle for this..... Still have it after 40+ years!

My first was a red Dunelt, 20" wheels and hand brake. As other have alluded to, we called 'em "English bikes" because of the relatively thin 1 3/8" tires. My second bike was a Schwinn Traveller, black with chrome fenders, hand brakes and a 3 speed Sturmey Archer gear set. Next was a white Raleigh Record, my first 10 speed. I added aftermarket center pull brakes and Shimano shifters and derailleurs. After that came a silver Schwinn Le Tour which I rode for 18 years. My current ride is a blue Cannondale T900 which will be twenty next June. I keep telling myself it'st time to trade again but I haven't seen anything I like better.