Originally Posted by
Flip Flop Rider
...old school biking for me and those I grew up with was both utilitarian and recreational. Our bikes gave us the freedom to go where we wanted to and to visit friends and make new ones all over town. We didn't keep track of miles, didn't wear Lycra, and dam sure didn't debate the best chain lube, and say "on your left"
3 in 1 oil was good enough if we ever oiled at all. Saddle uncomfortable? Stand up and ride or coast
when we weren't traveling on the bikes we were jumping things with them or riding through things. Sometimes home made ramps, but other times potholes, logs, riding in the snow just for the heck of it
Seeing who could ride a wheelie the farthest. This was important and if you were a contender it upped your respect level in the neighborhood immensely. If you couldn't do it, you were JV all the way
riding with no hands for as far as you could
Playing bike chicken to see who had the most nerve
walking the bikes to the top of a hill and racing down
and one last thing that was the ultimate in old school biking that you don't see today. Skid marks! Purposely skidding until your tires were bald and popped
looking back it was almost like a bike Olympics, a constant competition, and for the most part, the bikes held up fine
those things are old school to me and gone too cause I don't think kids today use their bikes like we used to
That brings back memories... or is that memory
About the time
Death Race 2000 came out (the one with David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone) we decided to hold our own "Death Race" in the field next door. With 2x4's we created a circle track and rode around and around knocking each other off until there was only one. Then we would fix our bikes and do it again. We wore hockey pads. When it got a little rough for my younger brother the adults didn't make us stop. They just told him to play in the house.