Originally Posted by delver

I rode my dads old varsity from about thirteen to sixteen, when it was stolen. We lived about seven miles from any pavement in the california high desert. I used to bomb so fast on washboard dirt roads that I would burn out bulbs with the bottle generator. Learned how to true wheels, and thats about it cause it never needed anything else, really. I used to ride it to the bmx/motorcycle track and jump the pi55 out of it. And it was still in good enough shape for someone to steal it.
Years later, I have several varsitys and continentals, suburbans and collegates.
I really don't understand it when someone says they did not ride well. They don't ride like a racing bike, but thats because they are not really about racing performance. They roll like tanks, smooth, relaxing tanks. Put a city style handle bar on them, grease em up, ride them casualy and they will still last longer than some of the new city bike offerings of today for a lot less money.