What was your first big kid bike?

A 2001 Trek 4500 was my first big boy bike. Rode it to go climbing at Livezey Rock in Philadelphia all the time. Still hanging in my apartment now in NYC, but it hasn't seen dirt in a couple years. I think it's time to go check out the MTB trails in Highbridge Park here in Manhattan!

 

JZ, where's your bike now? In a trash heap or a basement somewhere?

Schwinn Varsity 10 speed, weighed like 40 lbs.

My first real bike (keep in mind im only 16) was a specilized hardrock sport with a size 12 frame. I grew out of it pretty fast and know have a rockhopper 29er with 19 frame  but it was still a really nice bike

Mine was a blue Schwinn Sting Ray,  Santa brought it for me & I think I was 7 yrs. old.  I still have it, I always wonder if it might be worth something?  That same summer I bought a Peugeot from the kid down the street for $5.  It didn't have any breaks or working derailur & my feet could barely reach the pedals.  Over the years I rebuilt it into a real 10 speed, & had it till High School.

JF

Schwinn 20", gold.  The first bike I bought with my own lawn mowing money was a Yamaha Moto Bike

 

 

Schwinn Continental .Got it for my 13th birthday  To me it was nearly a  Paramount . But after reflection from later purchases it was really heavy and not all that fun trudging up the hills around Seattle. When I got it I was sky high and rode that bike until High School.

My first bike was a redline BMX race bike

 

My first bike that I bought was a Haro Group1 BMX

 

and my first MTB was a Schwinn Moab which 15 years later still gets used a SS/Girlfriends bike when I throw gears on it.

Is a big kid's bike a two wheeler? I remember a home movie of my sister and me riding bicycles in Germany. I think mine had training wheels, but they were nice bikes. After we moved back to USA, I had a balloon tire single speed, then a Hercules English Racer. Next was the first bike I bought myself in my senior year of high school, a second hand Raleigh Supercourse TT. Some straight gauge Reynolds in the main frame, Brooks saddle, tubular tires. That was my first big kids bike, really.

Edited by telerod15 - 5/30/2009 at 02:47 am GMT

I can't remember my first big kid's bike too well but I think it came from Sears.

 

The bike I rode for many years was a Trek hybrid bike.  After joining a cycling club and doing their 12 week bike course, I treated myself to a Bianchi Eros.  Someday I'll ride it again.

First off, my good wishes and positive vibes for a complete healing and rehab. I am betting you can take care of that part!  :) 

 

OK, yes, I didn't get a new bike until I bought one for myself at 23!  As a kid, we used to go out on junk night and collect bike parts and build our own. My favorite as a kid was a green sting ray frame and handle bars with a standard seat, it was so cool....  

 

 

That's funny, you didn't have a new bike until you bought one for yourself. I didn't have a second hand bike until I bought one for myself. Mom tells me dad used to say he wanted his kids to have the best bikes in the neighborhood.

 

Well now you do.  Your dad should be happy

Haha, yeah, no carbon or Ti bikes in my 'hood.

 

Judging from responses, I've got one of the best rigs in DC too. The greatest was a doorman at a hotel, an Ethiopian, I think, who kept saying "You are the greatest, you are the greatest man!"

 

I said " No, I'm just... " but he would have none of it.

 

"No, you are the greatest..." "OK" I said, "I guess you're right."

 

 

Like most from our generation, a "Krate" was the holy grail of bikes, but, I never had one myself. My first "real" bike, I got when i was 15, a Soma Competition, a beautiful bike, black with red cables and a Brooks leather saddle , it was full Shimano 600EX. Loved that bike and rode it for 2 years, sold it when I got my first car at 17. 

When I was growing up, my bikes were all hand-me-downs from cousins or some other such source.  My first "real" bike was a Schwinn that I bought with my tip money after I started waitressing at 14.

It was a Schwinn Varsity 10 speed, and I thought I had the BEST bike ever, until I turned 16 and got my drivers license. 

 I was browsing Craigslist and found this, which isn't the actual bike but .....Its My Bike!

http://nmi.craigslist.org/bik/1274089371.html

The Yamaha Moto Bike was my first real bike too.  My uncle owned a Yamaha Dealership and my parents got it from him.  It was under the X-mas tree in 1977. 

In Jr High, I got a Schwinn Traveler and started road riding with my Dad.  That thing weighed a ton.  I was glad when I replaced it with a 1984 Gitane Interclub. 



Picture and Details of the Gitane that I purchased when I was 14...I think I got it in 85.  LeMond was riding a Gitane at that time so I guess it seemed like the thing to get.

And I am sure the training wheels are coming off any day now. 

You have to bring it home. 

Ah, one of the JP-built Schwinns.   Those are actually getting some recession bike semi-cult attention around here.      Did yours have a freewheeling crank?  PITA to source parts for those now.

And link to WHY Varsities are heavy but cool:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html

My first real bike:

1964 Schwinn Sting-Ray w/origanal paint job.

 We had a Stingray on the parade entry for our year when we did a tribute to the tour de France for Labor Day Weekend.(it was a comical farce parade entry, but totally respectful of the tour)
After the parade we had a gazillion phone calls asking if they could buy the Stingray.  Who'da thunk it!

FOR SALE!

Starting bid $1,000,000.00



JF

Thanks Philpug, that is the emocation I was thinking of.
JF

 Now you're talkin!

We gave the stingray to a friend of my dad's, but at the time(economy was a bit better) Schwinn Stingray's were going for upwards of 700.00 

Edit: Check out this Ebay Auction
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-1966-Schwinn-Super-Deluxe-Sting-Ray-PRICE-REDUCED_W0QQitemZ320401944521QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9971afc9&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_500wt_1182



Edited by Trekchick - 7/28/2009 at 12:08 am GMT