My first bike was a blue single-speed Speedster when I was about eight or nine in the late 60s. My father knew I was going to grow, so it was way too big for me. He made blocks for the pedals with 2x4s and covered them with an old inner tube from his motorcycle. He added a front brake and an analog speedometer (which I still have). It was so big I had to find something to help me get into the saddle (the rock wall next to our driveway was the usual starting point). I don't remember what happened to it.
I followed it with a Varsity, that eventually got stolen when my brother borrowed it.