80s Kids....

[Texastaxi]

Our bikes were everything to us, as well. Transportation, means to jump stuff, and means to get to the fishin hole. We took all the brakes off, kickstand, chain guards, reflectors....anything that could clog up with mud, or added weight. We put the really fat tires on the front so they would float across the mud and not dig in, and the really skinny one on the rear for the opposite reason. Everyone had a "barbell wrench" taped to the frame. Some of the wrecks were legendary. When dad had a dirt pile delivered in his never ending quest to level his yard....it was like Christmas!

I had a Diamond Back Viper until my sister ran over it with dad's truck, then I bought a Dyno VFR saving up beer cans from deer camp.

He found my old skateboard in his barn a couple months ago. That was a short, but painful stage.

I had a Cabellero for a while!
A Vision ripper, and Gator, and a Hosoi Hammerhead.

The only nice bike I had was a GT that you could pick up with one finger.

Good times and lots of road rash!

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[Goldeneagle]

Actually it was the only time we ever got allowance. It was 2 bucks a week if we did our chores. I did all my chores and saved every penny just to buy that bike. There was a guy on our block that built and sold them from spare parts. Our allowance ended after a couple months because my brothers wouldn't do their chores (or at least that's the way I remember it....they would probably tell a different story [emoji16]). Anyway, after that first bike, every other bike I had was a homemade one that I built myself. I never had a new bike.
Speaking of pop bottles. I used to scrounge the dumpsters near some apartments close to where we lived and get pop bottles and aluminum cans. Saturday and Sunday mornings were a prime time for beer cans after the Friday n Saturday night party's. Sometimes I'd get lucky n find whole garbage bags full of just beer cans and there was a mobile recycle truck right around the corner from those apartments in the Kmart parking lot. I knocked both my front teeth out in that parking lot on a bike. The whole parking lot was downhill and I would fly down it and take the curve at the bottom into those apartments. I started pedaling hard at the bottom into the turn and my chain came off, my foot slipped off the pedal which caught me in the back of calf and I went head first over the handle bars and face planted into the pavement. Knocked both front teeth out at the root. Dentist was able to put them back in and they rerooted. I also ground all the hide off the end of my nose down to the cartilage too. Good times man...

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My allowance for doing chores was getting to eat. And there weren't aluminum cans when I was a kid.

[4dog]

short circuit was a great flick from back then as well.

"no disassemble stephanie"!!!!!

[talleywack97]

Our bikes were everything to us, as well. Transportation, means to jump stuff, and means to get to the fishin hole. We took all the brakes off, kickstand, chain guards, reflectors....anything that could clog up with mud, or added weight. We put the really fat tires on the front so they would float across the mud and not dig in, and the really skinny one on the rear for the opposite reason. Everyone had a "barbell wrench" taped to the frame. Some of the wrecks were legendary. When dad had a dirt pile delivered in his never ending quest to level his yard....it was like Christmas!

I had a Diamond Back Viper until my sister ran over it with dad's truck, then I bought a Dyno VFR saving up beer cans from deer camp.

He found my old skateboard in his barn a couple months ago. That was a short, but painful stage.

I bought a VFR new on 303 mowing yards all summer seemed like.
And I tried the triple clamp shin eating pedals. Went back to stock...Veterans Park in Arlington/Pantego is awesome riding

[JHT]

The bear claw pedals were brutal then we switched to the Shimano DX thinking those little spikes wouldn't be as painful. They just trenched shallower groves.

I remember for whatever parts I was saving up for had the "lawns mowed" scale of importance.

[Smart]

My allowance for doing chores was getting to eat. And there weren't aluminum cans when I was a kid.

You should have mowed lawns...

[Goldeneagle]

You should have mowed lawns...

I mowed lawns for 2 older couples. I got paid in cookies.

PS. I have pushed one of those many hours.

[Smart]

I mowed lawns for 2 older couples. I got paid in cookies.

PS. I have pushed one of those many hours.

Hahahahaha.....Cookies would have been good payment for me too..



I've only pushed one of those on a clubhouse putting green in high school when I worked at a golf course. They sucked but it cut a clean green. My boss insisted that that one be cut with that hand push reel. My first LM was a small gas push, no drive wheels and I pushed that thing all through late elementary and Jr high to earn money for what I wanted. My house yard was like your chores. I cut it to eat an sleep for free and use the equipment at other houses. Started out at $1 with my grandparents. She would put a $1 up on the base of the kitchen window and after a thorough inspection including my grandfather getting down on his hands and knees looking for stragglers, I would get my dollar. Dad's Dad gave me a choice. A $1 bill or a cut off his plug of chewing tobacco. I always took the plug because I wanted to be like him back then...lol My mom was not happy with that arrangement. Needless to say after a few months, I had to take the $1. My Dad tried to be fancy and got an electric one until he got tired of the weak *** motor and jacking with the extension cord. I had 5-6 yards at all times in my small hometown and it kept me busy after school and in the summer. I borrowed my Dads small electric weed-eater that I would tie to the push lawn mower with the extension cord and drag the mower backwards while I rode my bike to my yards. Good times.

[Goldeneagle]

Hahahahaha.....Cookies would have been good payment for me too..



I've only pushed one of those on a clubhouse putting green in high school when I worked at a golf course. They sucked but it cut a clean green. My boss insisted that that one be cut with that hand push reel. My first LM was a small gas push, no drive wheels and I pushed that thing all through late elementary and Jr high to earn money for what I wanted. My house yard was like your chores. I cut it to eat an sleep for free and use the equipment at other houses. Started out at $1 with my grandparents. She would put a $1 up on the base of the kitchen window and after a thorough inspection including my grandfather getting down on his hands and knees looking for stragglers, I would get my dollar. Dad's Dad gave me a choice. A $1 bill or a cut off his plug of chewing tobacco. I always took the plug because I wanted to be like him back then...lol My mom was not happy with that arrangement. Needless to say after a few months, I had to take the $1. My Dad tried to be fancy and got an electric one until he got tired of the weak *** motor and jacking with the extension cord. I had 5-6 yards at all times in my small hometown and it kept me busy after school and in the summer. I borrowed my Dads small electric weed-eater that I would tie to the push lawn mower with the extension cord and drag the mower backwards while I rode my bike to my yards. Good times.

I was a happy camper when dad bought a gas mower. But I still had to mow my aunts yard the durn push reel. She said the fumes from the gas mower would hurt her grass. Had to use a hand edger around the sidewalks too. Yep, good times.

[rtp]

I wasnt an 80s kid.....I was old enough to be an 80s hound dog though.

[Dejashoot]

Bringing back memories. A couple buddies and I used to ride our bikes from Copperfield to Willowbrook mall during the summer. I remember my Dad picking us up a couple times in his Subaru Brat “truck” and giving us a ride home.

I was the wheelie king on my Mongoose. I could literally ride miles on my back tire non-stop. My kids still can recite the stories of my wheelie triumphs. Not nearly as good but I can still do some today.

[bigt6450]

John Farnham had some great songs on RAD. I still listen to "Thunder in your heart" and "Break the Ice".

[Philip-TX]

Exactly Glenn....It was my first taste of turning wrenches and fixing things that broke or fell off...and we had some good times.



I concur on the bike deal...we don't see kids riding bikes around here ...unless their parents are with them.

And the whole bunch has helmets on too.

[eaglegolfj]

I had the Hutch Pro Racer tricked out for street stunts and the occasional 1/4 pipe.
Man back in tha day yo.

[TexasHayBaler]

I had the Hutch Pro Racer tricked out for street stunts and the occasional 1/4 pipe.
Man back in tha day yo.

Had a Hutch as well. I don’t remember the exact type. Man I was rough on that bike. Think I must’ve broke the original crank and maybe the forks too jumping creek embankments.