I have tons of memories from my youth:
- some how I got the bars on my bike switching back and forth like you see motorcycles do in a classic tank slapper. I was thrown to the ground but not too badly hurt. The worst part about the incident was the lady coming out of her house and asking if I was OK. I was totally embarassed.
- After watching that movie Death Race 2000 I delibertly rode up behind my neighbor, Herb Denny, and just before I hit him I yelled out "SCORE!" My yelling startled him enough that hitting with the bike didn't hurt him even though it threw him into the ditch. He got up laughing over the incident.
- Riding on ice covered streets and realizing that you could go faster by locking up the rear brake and skidding the rear tire then by pedaling.
- Riding faster than my older brother, Lew and having him call out to me to wait up saying he would ride with me the rest of the way home. Like an idiot I'd slow down and then he'd haul ass and leave me behind. I must have fallen for that on a hundred times or more.
- As a teenager riding my bicycle to the pool each morning for swim team practice and then hanging out at the pool for the majority of the day.
- The day I rode Suzie Rose whom I had the biggest crush on, home on my bike - a Schwinn Varsity 10 speed at that. She sat on the seat and I stood up and rode her home. The things we do for love
- Showing off my strength (or stupidity) by grinding up hills in the big chain ring while all of the other kids in the neighborhood rode up them in the small chain ring.
- Remembering my younger sister Kim, having to be taken to the doctor because she "racked" herself on her bike. I wasn't old enough to really understand what happened but when dad told me she racked herself I knew she was hurtin'
- Jumping off of ramps and my brother crashing and having to get stitches in his leg.
- Taking a sheet and string and making a parachute and attaching it to the sissy bar on the banana seat. We'd ride real fast and then release the parachute just like we were drag racers.
- Putting vasoline on my chain when I repainted my frame. I didn't have a chain break tool so I left the chain on the bike while I painted the frame. Carolina Blue because I was a big University of North Carolina fan.
Wow, I haven't thought about these moments from my past in years. Thanks for a great thread.