The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: mike boss on August 24, 2018, 09:09:32 am
-
As a kid, perhaps into my early teens I was a huge BMX fan.
I would buy the magazines, watch videos, even wore the clothing.
I remember I had a Norco "spitfire" bike that I fixed up a little
and would ride that up and down the street. As I got older I would go to
a local park, Morningside Park east of Toronto, Canada in Scarborough.
They had an area in the park known as the "whoop-dee-do's" (Pardon my spelling).
The area was full of small hills and jumps surrounded by trees. It was by no means
an official biking area. I don't know if people just formed these jumps over time,
either way it was awesome. When I think back now it was a hazard!
I'm surprised I never saw anyone get seriously hurt at the park.
I recall going back one time to find everything demolished.
I'd be willing to bet the city came in and did it, but I can't confirm.
One of my good buddies Andy had moved out of town. When he returned one summer
he was HUGE into BMX. He was really good! He had so many tricks! My friend David and I
were really motivated to get back into our BMX ways when we saw Andy and all his skills.
I ended up trading my Norco Spitfire for a GT/DYNO frame....because hey, Andy had a GT/DYNO.
By this time I had a small paper route and small income coming in. Ciyclecity was the spot to buy
all your parts at that time. But my friends and I had found a small local mom & pop shop!
The name escapes me now... but they had some great prices.
Slowly I started to buy parts and assemble this bike. I remember I had these huge Fusion pegs.
A nice purple seat (I love purple), 3 GT seat clips in green, white, and purple. Clear GT grips,
Bulldog brakes, a nice chrome chain, GT sprocket, 4 piece GT bars....etc.
The bike was awesome............I actually ran out of money to complete the bike.
I can't recall how much time passed, but I lost interest in the bike and it hung by a nail in my parents garage.
I always told myself I would complete the project, but I didn't. The rims were costly to be honest.
As I got older the bike hung in the garage, still a fond memory I had of my childhood.
I always thought I would give this bike to my son (if I ever had one....now I do!)
So one day I go to mom and dad's place. A little brother has moved back home. And even though this bike
was far from in the way of anything, even though my parents had plenty of space my little brother tossed the bike out.
There it sat on the curb, I probably invested $600 into this bike in my youth.
And just like that it was out on the curb! The kicker, my mother, my father, my middle brother all walked passed the bike.
Told my brother he probably shouldn't have done that, asked if he had called me to ask me. (He didn't)
Yet NOBODY decided to call me, NOBODY decided to pick up the bike and hang it back up.
It was gone !
This was years ago...........my blood honestly boils when I think about it.
I look locally to find bikes that remind me of this.......I should make my little
brother pay til I form a collection worth about $600.
-
Soooooooooooooo.......... midnight toker?
-
Not me sir, straight edge lifestyle.
But honestly when I think about this, literally each and every time it boils my blood.
To toss something out worth that much money for no apparent reason is just stupid.
For three people to walk past the bike, sitting there, think it was a bad idea and not do anything makes my blood boil.
Ah well, such is life.
-
BMX was never my thing but my brother-in-law is a huge collector. This is a portion of his collection. He was a Haro guy.
-
It's just stuff.
He threw away the item that represented the memory. You still possess the memory.
-
Did you check in the basement of the Alamo?
(https://davelandweb.com/blog/madameruby2.jpg)
Heh. This one will sit with you forever. Just being a realist. My old man still brings up his model train collection he had as a kid, probably worth over $2k today, and it was all traded away for a bag of potatoes. Neph is right though. You will be fine without it. Your efforts probably made some kid really really happy.
-
Kind of a dumb story, you only had like forever and a day to take your precious bike home with you; and why do you keep harping on what you spent on it as a kid? I am sure if I wanted to I could add up 10's of thousands of stuff I bought as a kid and in high school that went in the trash or ended up being sold at garage sales for peanuts.
-
@ JMB that is an awesome collection.
I agree it is just stuff, and the memory sits with me.
I think it's kinda messed up that someone would toss out something that wasn't in the way, was not his to touch, and was costly.
It pisses me off that 3 other family members saw it and nobody picked it up, placed a call and then decided.
I've been called for far less...........like do I want a bushel of tomatoes and randomness from the garden.
"Hey your brother is throwing out that old bike, do you want it for anything ? Do you want to take it home ?"
That would not have been hard.
I'd be willing to bet many of the people on this forum are all fans of nostalgia. I am, from wrestling, to sneakers, to old toys, to video games.
This was an other area of my childhood that I wanted to posses and pass on.
Thought I'd share the story as dumb and random as it may be.
To each his own !
-
As a kid, perhaps into my early teens I was a huge BMX fan.
I would buy the magazines, watch videos, even wore the clothing.
I remember I had a Norco "spitfire" bike that I fixed up a little....
This was years ago...........my blood honestly boils when I think about it.
I look locally to find bikes that remind me of this.......I should make my little
brother pay til I form a collection worth about $600.
I know how you feel mate. Me mum took my savings account and bought a red Raleigh Chopper with a 5 speed gear shift in the middle, and it had a raw power handle grip that made motor cycle sounds. I had like one hundred quid in my savings account, which was quite a bit at the time (1976) and rode that bike for several years. It ended up in my uncle's loft for 20 odd years, and he gave it to the kid around the corner. Well that kid is a good mate of mine, and ended buying it off him for a hundred quid. Its in my loft now, but it is amazing to think after all these years that bike kept its value. Its a bit small to get on. I tried with a seat extender but I looked like a nob riding it, so it is back in the loft. True story.
(http://www.choppertrader.com/your_n52.jpg)
-
I have a late 80's chrome BMX bike in my basement with some supposedly expensive fancy wheels.
It's rusty though.
My friend gave it to me for my kid when I helped to move her dad out of the family home.
It belonged to her brother.
I'm not into BMX, she says it's worth something fixed up.
IDK it pedals backwards.
weird to me.
she said not to mention it to her brother but it's been about 2 yrs and he didn't miss it.
He also didn't miss his giant beer can collection either. :)
-
Sounds like you did hard labor and got paid in trash.
:applaud:
-
At least your own father didnt steal if from you... and sell it for 2$ in scrap metal...
As my father stole my AR-3a Speakers... that I got for 50$, then spent a bit over 100$ re-foaming them... and were worth over
$1200 fully restored.
Two Dollars in Scrap metal. >_<
According to whats been witnessed... AR-3a speakers were demo'd all over the place... and played against a live band.
The speakers were said to be so clear and realistic... that people could not differentiate between the speakers, and the live band.
Sadly, Historical Craftsmanship... means nothing to a person whom has the fever, for a 2$ scratch off ticket.
Hooray for Psychopathic Narcissistic Personality Disorder!
>_<
-
**Jennifer grids the serial number off the GT/DYNO she just found....And rides off into the night! >:D