Tom Kennedy in our group is still racing at 51... or so, lol... his bike is space age and a major investment on like 22 or 26 inch rims and all tricked out... idk.. he calls it "cruiser class".. we come a long way from back in the day... i was astounded... I went from the old Schwinn 60/60,(?) had a mongoose, or something to a PK, then to a Torker, and a Redline last... we used to street race a city block all around the city... so, i geared from an old applecrate schwinn 5 speed at the front 54 tooth sprocket and a 13 rear on my bike... they always took me off the line.... lol... wed rob every junk old ten speed we could for the long cranks for swing and have at it... never could find a crank hold up to dumpster jumping.... bent rims like candy and spent alot of time at the bike shop until the guy sold me a spoke tuner... then they come up with plastic mags ( broke, and heavy) and Area alloy rims were hot, and on to the z rims... id watch as we got serious air and the z's would fold in half and spring back.... coolness... left wrist twice, right wrist once and the bone fragments still floatin around in my chin... it was fun.. and the rush of that era easy.... idk.. back then i weighed around 106 pounds and when the lighter bikes came out it was a blast... i was the fastest kid i my city quadrant... we'd ride all night looking for trouble and race when we found it... the good days... my old man... never wrenched on my bike... back then, flat from the ramp, you patched it... big hammer for the crank, if needed and cuttin chains, and whatever....we'd ride around with a big pair of vise grips clamped to the post, because thats all you needed for slipping bars or a chain.... world fell apart we all were "free wheel"... lol... get yanked around by the cops running stop signs... idk... phyically fit for sure... we were doing all the street trick crap before Mira and the boys ever got famous... and when the guys that actually had brakes and they come out with the front neck spinner deal and pegs, and wow... i never got one... fun to say the least... i built a couple of "sidewinder' bikes from an inverted girls schwinn 20 incher and it was really fun to do tricks on... bad deal was... lol my mom just come unglued about my sears toughskin pants come home with the right leg missin up to the knee 'cause.. chain guards were lost right from the get go... lol... nuffs enough... now... i just get in the truck... old times... thanks man...
