squirtdad

as a C and V guy (age wise any way) I can remember going to local service stations in the 60's to get flats fixed (and take advantage of the Coke machine).

this was when service stations were small business mostly with owner/mechanics. My little (2000 people) town in Montana had at least 6 or 7 stations like that at the time.

The real treat was when they would fix the flat with the heated vulcanizing patch that had ligher fluid or similar lighted on it to flame and add heat.

any one else with similar experience

ill.clyde

Yup ... grew up in a town of about 1,200 in the middle of Illinois ...

ColonelJLloyd 

Never had bike tires repaired there, but when I was kid the attendant/owner (full service station) at the local single pump station would throw Double Double in the back windows to us kids. In retrospect I think this was to distract me while he flirted with my mom.

-holiday76

I do not, however I do remember:

- the Charlie Chip man. he delivered pretzels and chips in large brown and yellow tins.
- Milk Man. Delivered milk in a glass jar with an aluminum foil lid into the milk box that was in front of the house.

This was in a Philly burb in the late 70's early 80's (I'm only 35).

Michael Angelo 

I remember going to the gas station for the first time, and overfilling my bike tires....BOOOOMMMM. I was about 14, i've learned a bit more since then. Also Remember Baby Diaper service when my kid brother was born. Do remember milk service, doctors making house calls, and having to walk to school.

photogravity

I take it you actually meant Double Bubble?

ColonelJLloyd 

Ha! Yes, Double Bubble it was.

-holiday76

you should really consider proof reading your porsts like the rest of us.

ColonelJLloyd 

I'm going to jump off a bridge.

KonAaron Snake 

I was taught to fix a flat from age 8.

fender1

I remember going to Aaron's place and having Vietnamese food like it was last year.....it was.

KonAaron Snake 

Fender - next time we're taking you out for the best Mexican of your life.

ColonelJLloyd 

You guys have more than soft pretzels and cheese steaks? Well, I'll be.

KonAaron Snake 

Louisville has more than high murder rates, moon shine and meth labs? Didn't think so.

squirtdad

This was more like 6 or 7. Dad some times would send me down if I flatted during the work day. I was fixing flats earlly on also, but being kids some times we just hung around hoping to score an old car innertube for the pool. and the coke machine was a draw also. My brother hung around the welders shop and learned welding probably as much to end his questions.

KonAaron Snake 

That sounds fun...I lived in a burb pretty far from everything, so we didn't have corner stores. I think I was 8 when I learned to ride a bike, so I pretty much just learned to fix flats when I got my first ones. One thing I remember is learning how to replace spokes after a friend crashed his BMX into mine.

lostarchitect 

Yeah, but the moonshine is AWESOME.

KonAaron Snake 

That stuff will make you blind faster than stealing your father's magazines.

ColonelJLloyd 

Know your source!

I wasn't aware my town had an abnormally high murder rate. Now I'm going to have trouble sleeping. Thanks a lot!

KonAaron Snake 

It's the least I could do after impugning our town's culinary splendor. Moonshine is bad news...I'd say I remember my experience with it, but I don't.

nikkorod

Mr. Horton taught me how to change flats while I played with his Zefal.

KonAaron Snake 

I still have nightmares about my Maytag breaking and Gordon Jump coming over to fix it.

curbtender

I learned a whole lot about bike and bike tires from a non rider, railroad mechanic who's son was one up on me before airing our tires. An older kid who was known as the neighborhood bully, grabbed the hose and proceded to blow out the tire on his bike. The rr mech. let him do it then showed the rest of us how to clear pinched tubes and to read the psi for tires. I still remember his big thumb pushing the valve down to fill the tube. Anyway, I never did it, but he showed us a hot patch that he put on the car tube.

-holiday76

did someone in Philly just say someone else's city has a high crime rate?

Just checkin'

lostarchitect 

Hey, moonshine has gone legit!