# Take it off any sweet jumps ?



## sccruiser

Just found this blast from the past.  Yours truly bustin air in between skate runs circa 1982.  Stock Schwinn cruiser only upgrade is a pair of Oakley grips.!   These Schwinn's really are Quality built war horses. Anybody else have stories or pics to share?  ... Let's see em ..!


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## ssimpala1901

ET - PHONE HOME  !!!!!!!!!!!!!
nice pic!


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## mrg

I bought this new 79 spitfire ( from Russell's Schwinn in Downey) for my girlfriends birthday and borrowed it the first day to ride with my nephew and bent the fork  jumping, bought a Cardinal red tube fork for it the next day but she still wasn't happy. this is in 1979 or 80 still jumping with my nephew of a wood ramp in the street.


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## sccruiser

mrg said:


> I bought this new 79 spitfire ( from Russell's Schwinn in Downey) for my girlfriend birthday and borrowed it to ride with my nephew and bent the fork the first day jumping, bought a Cardinal red tube fork for it the next day but she still wasn't happy. this is in 79 or 80 still jumping with my nephew of a wood ramp in the street.View attachment 460470View attachment 460471



Thats what im talkin bout !!


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## Pantmaker

Oh man I wish I had pics of my first jumper. It was 1976 and a local bike shop in Dallas cobbled together a "bmx" bike for my 8th birthday using a black Stingray frame and Ashtabula parts. It had those clear Hex grips that were slicker than Owl poop on an axe handle when they got wet and the rear wheel was a single silver Motomag. Memories.


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## sccruiser

Pantmaker said:


> Oh man I wish I had pics of my first jumper. It was 1976 and a local bike shop in Dallas cobbled together a "bmx" bike for my 8th birthday using a black Stingray frame and Ashtabula parts. It had those clear Hex grips that were slicker than Owl poop on an axe handle when they got wet and the rear wheel was a single silver Motomag. Memories.



Yep .. the evolution of BMX  We were somewhere between Roger Decoster and Evel Knievel ... Man I feel old !


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## rusty.kirkpatrick

mrg said:


> I bought this new 79 spitfire ( from Russell's Schwinn in Downey) for my girlfriends birthday and borrowed it the first day to ride with my nephew and bent the fork  jumping, bought a Cardinal red tube fork for it the next day but she still wasn't happy. this is in 1979 or 80 still jumping with my nephew of a wood ramp in the street.View attachment 460470View attachment 460471



Awesome pic, sweet hair!


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## frampton

Cool Ford van.


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## PCHiggin

frampton said:


> Cool Ford van.



X2!


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## Mark Johnston

Not a Schwinn, but this is my buddy Ted catching some air in 1976.


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## Shawn

This thread is awesome thanks for sharing your stories and pics ! Lord willing none of us will ever lose our inner child ! There's nothing quite like doing anything that makes you feel like you're 13 years old again, even if only for a moment


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## sccruiser

Bump for Big Air !! Gotta be some more great pics !!


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## catfish

Yes!


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## MarkKBike

Nice pics. As a kid I had a black Schwinn tornado that was ridden like a BMX bike.

Similar to this, but without all the yellow accessories. It was probably handed down from a relative. (lol, look at the listed weight for that tiny little bike.) I couldn't imagine jumping a bike 1/2 my weight today.




I can't remember the day I got it, it was just one of those things that was just always around. I can remember ridding out to one of the local farm fields nearly every day where the local neighborhood kids sort of set up a bmx track somewhere around the perimeter of the farm.  A  few years latter the construction of a interstate ran ran right down the center of that field giving all of us more opportunities to launch off of things.  I later got another BMX bike at a garage sale, and the Schwinn went to my brother. Then around 6th  grade I got a mortised dirt bike, and used to bring that to the same trails.

I don't think my parents ever realized what we were doing with the bikes, and we didn't tell them. My mother probably wouldn't have been too happy watching us jump and crash. Whenever we broke a part we would get scolded for not being careful, and any cuts or bruises would also be hidden. Back then young kids were free to wander around and explore there surroundings, and usually out of the house until they eventually came home to eat something.

I wish I had more pictures from those days, but back then carrying around cameras was not as common, and the photos I do have are either from holidays or family vacations.


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## sccruiser

MarkKBike said:


> Nice pics. As a kid I had a black Schwinn tornado that was ridden like a BMX bike.
> 
> Similar to this, but without all the yellow accessories. It was probably handed down from a relative. (lol, look at the listed weight for that tiny little bike.) I couldn't imagine jumping a bike 1/2 my weight today.
> View attachment 670990
> 
> I can't remember the day I got it, it was just one of those things that was just always around. I can remember ridding out to one of the local farm fields nearly every day where the local neighborhood kids sort of set up a bmx track somewhere around the perimeter of the farm.  A  few years latter the construction of a interstate ran ran right down the center of that field giving all of us more opportunities to launch off of things.  I later got another BMX bike at a garage sale, and the Schwinn went to my brother. Then around 6th  grade I got a mortised dirt bike, and used to bring that to the same trails.
> 
> I don't think my parents ever realized what we were doing with the bikes, and we didn't tell them. My mother probably wouldn't have been too happy watching us jump and crash. Whenever we broke a part we would get scolded for not being careful, and any cuts or bruises would also be hidden. Back then young kids were free to wander around and explore there surroundings, and usually out of the house until they eventually came home to eat something.
> 
> I wish I had more pictures from those days, but back then carrying around cameras was not as common, and the photos I do have are either from holidays or family vacations.



yeah I remember building a knockoff Stingray to look just like it. had to go to Kmart and get the crossbars and pad kit, and dump the banana seat and sissy bar and get a 10 speed springer seat. And yes you could be out building jumps and exploring all day without mom and dad stressing. Just had to be home 5 minutes after the streetlights came on.


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## bairdco

Not a schwinn. JMC black shadow, circa 80-81? Reid Park in Tucson.


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## sccruiser

I should have started  this thread  in General discussion about old bikes.  Just love seeing the old moto x pics that we all have in old shoebox in the closet ! Keep em coming !


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## sccruiser

Started this thread a while back. got to be some new members with jump pictures to share. !!!!!!!!!!


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## Allrounderco

Not me - this is the guy I bought my blue Speedster from. We stayed in touch:


        View this content on Instagram            View this content on Instagram


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## 49autocycledeluxe

when I was a kid pre motocross we all had Schwinn Stingrays with 10 speed seats, knobbies front and rear and shorter handlebars.  everyone had these odd rubber "BMX" grips. 

that was back in the day when my hometown of Fremont Ca still had empty fields where we could ride. I can remember doing jumps at the school where we would jump across the cement walkway between the buildings. one thing we never thought about was that it had a roof over it. we could have smacked our heads on it and been seriously killed. 

good times.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

she taught me how to jump...

? what happened to my picture?


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## Tom Hand

1949 Schwinn in 1974.


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## mrg

Wish we took more pics, back around 67-8 we took our dirt ready ( change of bars, seat & knobby/S2 front ) Stingrays ( my 64 lime then spray can every week ) back to our elementary school ( I think we just started Jr High ) moved the swing set chains and used the worn ditches from dragging feet for jumps, lots of other great areas around that school for bank turns & jumps but the best was the glass smooth cement hallways where we learned to speedway slide, just putting your foot and throwing your bike sideways! as seen in my avatar that started a life of getting sideways that I still love today ( mostly in truck now ) wore out many sets of Vans! but the story of my life no pictures!


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## hm.




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## 5oa

Saddleback 75?


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## sccruiser

Been a while since this thread started. Any one have some more shots to share?


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## kreika

Is your pic at Derby?


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## rustyjones

Me circa '84...


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## Schwinny

I wish I had more pictures of my childhood, but my family was never a big picture taking family, on either side really. We've got school and organized sports and family studio stuff, that's about it. I had a Brownie and then a insta-matic, but rarely bought film for them. You remember the developing blues...

My first bike was a cantilever Schwinn and I broke it in half jumping it.
There aren't any pictures of me with any bikes, though every kid on the block had one, cousins, rode to school, etc. but no pics. Closest is at my ninth birthday party where the front tire of a neighbor kids Orange Krate is in the corner of an outdoor pic.
I got my first bike at 8 when I was still a bit small for it. It was a red Schwinn... something. What model it was, never was a talking point when I was a kid because these were the days of the Stingrays and Krates, and it wasn't one of those. Early-on it lost the chain guard and fenders. I do remember the fenders had white triangle type painted tips and the rims were white with a red stripe on each side. Ive come to think an early Speedster or maybe Typhoon...
Whatever it was, I'm sure it was a few years old already when I got it.
Everyone on the block, and my Cousins also, had Stingrays or similar. I remember a Chopper, and two doors down, my nemesis had an Orange Krate. He ragged on me about having a "bomber," and I him about how careful he was with his bike.
Kids gathered and we jumped bikes. My street was also very steep and we would long jump into the ravine at the bottom of the hill. I held the title of long jump AND bike jump champion. Rusty didn't believe that I jumped 5 bikes because he wasn't there, so he challenged me to a 5 bikes jump. He still had his old Campus green, white seat Stingray in the Garage while he taunted everyone with his Krate, so he bet bike against bike and he was going to use his old Stingray.
I went first and cleared it, then he wouldn't go. He was scared and I ragged him good. His Dad wouldn't allow the bike prize. From that point on, he hated my guts.  

No telling how much I jumped 9-10-11, but at 12yo it broke on landing from jumping off a 5 foot hill at about 30mph and getting about ten foot of slam down air. Very little forward movement on that jump, it was a natural berm and very fun and steep. A church parking lot led up to it and you could get to top speed before hitting it.
But...
I rode it home. Down tube cracked in half at the bottom bracket and pedals smacking the ground.
After that came lightweights, so no more jumping..... kinda.


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## J-wagon

mrg said:


> I bought this new 79 spitfire ( from Russell's Schwinn in Downey)



I remember Russell's, I grew up in Downey


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## sccruiser

kreika said:


> Is your pic at Derby?



Yessir..Check the Santa Cruz Steve Olson skate!


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## Arthur Roy Brown

J-wagon said:


> I remember Russell's, I grew up in Downey



I refuse to grow up and remember Russell's as well.

Not the 1970's, but still a Schwinn.  1991 or so in the Uwharries in North Carolina on my 1986 Sierra.


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## J-wagon

Arthur Roy Brown said:


> I refuse to grow up and remember Russell's as well.
> 
> Not the 1970's, but still a Schwinn. 1991 or so in the Uwharries in North Carolina on my 1986 Sierra.



Wow! That's brazen hard core. Only tennis shoes and gym shorts.


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## Schwinny

J-wagon said:


> Wow! That's brazen hard core. Only tennis shoes and gym shorts.



Yep, that's how I used to roll too. The more scars you've got, (my daddy used to say) the more intriguing to the ladies.
Some of us started early  There were times I was a walking raspberry, scraped up and limping.
I still won't wear a bicycle helmet or special clothing unless its required.
And I'll still take the rough road....but mostly sitting on a spring seat.


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## Arthur Roy Brown

J-wagon said:


> Wow! That's brazen hard core. Only tennis shoes and gym shorts.



It was hot and humid AF that day.  Gym shorts were what I had, though nowdays I just wear Carhartt shorts (usually B144).  I still wear sneakers to ride in most of the time.  Gloves when in the dirt anymore and Mechanix Wear when doing that.  Also, I did not own a bicycle helmet until the mid 90's or so.  I wear a skidlid when the limits are going to be pushed, otherwise it's just a funny hat to me.


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## OC_Rolling_Art

No pictures (maybe a good thing) but in Westminster, CA there was a BMX track (can't remember the name) my best friend and I would ride to from our neighboring Cypress. One day in about 1980 we were pedaling laps around the track, building confidence on the bikes we brought that day. At the beginning of the track was the standard downhill portion, and when you make a full circuit and come around to the start there was the huge flat-top jump where you can air it out and land on the downhill ski-jump style. 

My friend Mike was riding his full-fendered post war Schwinn B6, and he aired it out max speed, springer and all. In mid air his front rim flew off, and I will never forget how his forks touched first and dug in quite splendidly, launching his whole being over the bars. He and bike tumbled a bit and came to a stop, as did everyone else within 50 feet. Helmet? Nope. Pads? No. He was OK except for some nice raspberries, the bike not so much. Forks wasted, bent frame, "W" shaped front fender. I believe he hobbled the bike together and I rode him some of the way back on my handlebars with him holding the bike which only worked for about 100 yards. We walked the rest of the way home a little wiser. Klunkers from now on if on the trail or track, and give your bike the once-over with a wrench before flight.


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## J-wagon

OC_Rolling_Art said:


> air it out and land on the downhill ski-jump style.



Much respect to those can send it. Local ladder Webb Canyon.


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## mrg

Ok, action shot required!, you might want to go fenderless for that one😏


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## mrg

OC_Rolling_Art said:


> No pictures (maybe a good thing) but in Westminster, CA there was a BMX track (can't remember the name) my best friend and I would ride to from our neighboring Cypress. One day in about 1980 we were pedaling laps around the track, building confidence on the bikes we brought that day. At the beginning of the track was the standard downhill portion, and when you make a full circuit and come around to the start there was the huge flat-top jump where you can air it out and land on the downhill ski-jump style.
> 
> My friend Mike was riding his full-fendered post war Schwinn B6, and he aired it out max speed, springer and all. In mid air his front rim flew off, and I will never forget how his forks touched first and dug in quite splendidly, launching his whole being over the bars. He and bike tumbled a bit and came to a stop, as did everyone else within 50 feet. Helmet? Nope. Pads? No. He was OK except for some nice raspberries, the bike not so much. Forks wasted, bent frame, "W" shaped front fender. I believe he hobbled the bike together and I rode him some of the way back on my handlebars with him holding the bike which only worked for about 100 yards. We walked the rest of the way home a little wiser. Klunkers from now on if on the trail or track, and give your bike the once-over with a wrench before flight.



Is that bike still behind the garage?


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## J-wagon

mrg said:


> Ok, action shot required!, you might want to go fenderless for that one😏



Ok. Friends are interested in going. If so, will take mid flight pics, but just modern mtb stuff. No schwinn or similar klunkers! We are not young strong and powerful anymore, just old guys👍


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## OC_Rolling_Art

mrg said:


> Is that bike still behind the garage?



Negative, but months later he replaced it with 2 Schwinn DX's from a McDonnel Douglas (Long Beach) auction. They were going to renew their fleet with Workman's. I think they had a couple of auctions until all of their Schwinns were gone.


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## ninolecoast

OC_Rolling_Art said:


> No pictures (maybe a good thing) but in Westminster, CA there was a BMX track (can't remember the name) my best friend and I would ride to from our neighboring Cypress. One day in about 1980 we were pedaling laps around the track, building confidence on the bikes we brought that day. At the beginning of the track was the standard downhill portion, and when you make a full circuit and come around to the start there was the huge flat-top jump where you can air it out and land on the downhill ski-jump style.
> 
> My friend Mike was riding his full-fendered post war Schwinn B6, and he aired it out max speed, springer and all. In mid air his front rim flew off, and I will never forget how his forks touched first and dug in quite splendidly, launching his whole being over the bars. He and bike tumbled a bit and came to a stop, as did everyone else within 50 feet. Helmet? Nope. Pads? No. He was OK except for some nice raspberries, the bike not so much. Forks wasted, bent frame, "W" shaped front fender. I believe he hobbled the bike together and I rode him some of the way back on my handlebars with him holding the bike which only worked for about 100 yards. We walked the rest of the way home a little wiser. Klunkers from now on if on the trail or track, and give your bike the once-over with a wrench before flight.



I have a similar story. When we were young, haha,
A friend was riding a wheelie on his stingray, the front wheel fell off. He planted the forks into the ground and went flying face first into the ground. Broke off his two front teeth. He wanted to try and glue them back into place 😂


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## mrg

In the 80's when we would go to the swaps at Vet stadium LB there were still Cycle trucks parked along the fence.


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## OC_Rolling_Art

mrg said:


> In the 80's when we would go to the swaps at Vet stadium LB there were still Cycle trucks parked along the fence.



Crazy, that must have been because the cycle trucks were still up for the task.


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## mrg

Oh, if we only had cellphone cameras back in the 60's, we would set up a ramp off a picknic bench and hit it with our StingRays but really wish I had pics of my dads 55 Spitfire    ( my cousin bought it new at Pioneer bike shop, Norwalk Ca. ), we would send it off   ( ghostride ) as fast as we could and see who could make it go farther/higher, I still have the bike and have always said I'm responsible for 99% of the scratched/dents, people still aren't you going to fix the dents? and I say no, I put them there!, didn't start jumping it till years later at HB pier, and somebody has pic's of that somewhere. pics of the Spitfire today, look at the back fender ( pretty much all the dents and scratches! ), all me 55 yrs ago!, oh, one time in the 70's I caught the rear fender on a big chain I was jumping over at HB pier ( had a regular neck & longhorn bars ), they put the ships anchor chain to stop us from jumping but gave us more to jump!😆


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## Arthur Roy Brown

OC_Rolling_Art said:


> No pictures (maybe a good thing) but in Westminster, CA there was a BMX track (can't remember the name) my best friend and I would ride to from our neighboring Cypress.



I got kicked out of Cypress High twice while barely attending there in 1980/81.  First time landed me at Kennedy in La Palma and second got me a one-way ticket to Gilbert West in Buena Park.  Gilbert West neccessitated a commute on the Kool Lemon Yellow Varsity I had.  My HS diploma from Gilbert was signed by Principal Jerry Kill (who was VP at Oxford Jr High when I went there).  My AUHSD transcript is hilarious.

In 2009 or so a character from HB I rode bikes with called Cypress "The most boring city in Orange County."  It wasn't too bad being a kid on a bike there in the 60's and 70's.


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## frampton

Tom Hand said:


> 1949 Schwinn in 1974.
> 
> View attachment 1035600



Do you have a Penton?


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## Tom Hand

No but my neighbor raced a 1971 125 CC and we used to be his pit crew.   We used to go MX racing with him and that is why/how we started BMX in and around 1972 here in our area of KC. He went on to race Maicos.  Now, he has a collection of Pentosn and Maicos and other MX bikes from the 1970s and 80s.  Tom


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## catfish




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## Two Tired

I liked jumping ramps with my Schwinn Spitfire.  I would ride as fast as I could on our flat gravel driveway and then hit the barn door ramps, which were set six feet apart.  The handlebars were twisted downward from many hard landings.  That Schwinn took a beating, but I decided to stop jumping ramps with it when I noticed that the left seat stay tube was starting to split out.  My Dad never encouraged me to jump ramps with my bike, but he didn't say not to either.  He really didn't say much about it but took this picture of me with color slide film in 1971 when I was in the 6th grade.  This was the only bike I had for most of my childhood, up until I was 17 years old.  I didn't realize how cool I was at the time, riding a single speed on gravel roads.


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## J-wagon

Nice! 6ft gap jump, cleaned it in dress shoes!


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## all riders

I may be wrong, and I hope I am, but that has a photoshop quality to it around the wheels.


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## Two Tired

Yes, I can assure you that you are wrong (all riders).  I'm posting a second photo that my Dad took the same day as the first one.  I've also included a photo of the two color slides dated August 1972.  I distinctly remember the day the pictures were taken.  I was in the 6th grade, and it was Hair Day that day.  I had put my hair in curlers that day for something different.  My hair is naturally straight.  That is why my hair looks poofy in the picture.  That and the lift my hair got, flying over that 6 foot gap.


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## The Spokemaster

I was a mechanic during the BMX-craze years of 1970 - 1980's ....simply loved the guys who were the local 'big air' _legends_ = ( funny, cannot recall any of their names, well, I guess _legend_ status is short lived )....*they were my paycheck* ! ....*CHA-CHING !*


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## Freewheel Burning

81/82


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## ninolecoast

How’d the landing go?


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## Freewheel Burning

'93 4th set at 9th street, it was a biggn'


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## J-wagon

Send it!


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## Freewheel Burning

2002 Chevron hip Guadalupe and 29th


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## Freewheel Burning

84/85


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## Freewheel Burning

Feb. 2022


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## Thee

Freewheel Burning said:


> 81/82
> 
> View attachment 1594310



Nice ENDO!


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## Thee

Broke 2 frames @ head tube


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## Arthur Roy Brown

OC_Rolling_Art said:


> No pictures (maybe a good thing) but in Westminster, CA there was a BMX track (can't remember the name) my best friend and I would ride to from our neighboring Cypress.



Cypress is where I misspent my youth as well.  Went to Cypress Elementary, Oxford Jr High and Cypress High where I got booted from my senior year and finished at Kennedy then Gilbert West.  I majored in Truancy.


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## Lonestar




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## tacochris

Here are some rare pics of me a decade or more ago when i used to moonlight with the local bmx crew....before my back injury worsened and i had to hang it up.


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## Thee

Arthur Roy Brown said:


> Cypress is where I misspent my youth as well.  Went to Cypress Elementary, Oxford Jr High and Cypress High where I got booted from my senior year and finished at Kennedy then Gilbert West.  I majored in Truancy.



I had a doctorate in truancy hahahaha!!  joined the work force before my class graduated 🔧🛠🔩⚙️


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## Thee

R.L. Osborne at Tordondo in my neighbor hood back in the Day


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## ian

Thee said:


> I had a doctorate in truancy hahahaha!!  joined the work force before my class graduated 🔧🛠🔩⚙️



The only class I  passed was lunch! Truancy was my specialty......


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## OC_Rolling_Art

Arthur Roy Brown said:


> Cypress is where I misspent my youth as well.  Went to Cypress Elementary, Oxford Jr High and Cypress High where I got booted from my senior year and finished at Kennedy then Gilbert West.  I majored in Truancy.



I couldn't get away with that! My dad was a principal in Long Beach, and my step dad was principal at Kennedy!


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## Arthur Roy Brown

OC_Rolling_Art said:


> I couldn't get away with that! My dad was a principal in Long Beach, and my step dad was principal at Kennedy!



Second semester 80/81 I went back to Cypress, after almost a whole semester of being harassed by some mulletheaded jocks at Kennedy.  Funny, Stamos was in my wood shop class that semester and he always dipped out after the instructor took roll.  The VP at Kennedy was sympathetic to my cause and I was shipped back to Cypress, cool dude.  Back at Cypress they tried shoving Shakespeare down my throat and I skipped out on English until the counselor who looked like Les Nessman from WKRP caught up with me.  He said my choices were Gilbert, or not graduating.  I went to Gilbert West for two months, wrote a few book reports to get the English credits needed and was done.  Commuting to Gilbert was accomplished on a Kool Lemon Yellow Schwinn Varsity, just to keep it about bikes...


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## J-wagon

Today. Fun drop to transition on my 2012 Specialized 29er hardtail.


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## Freewheel Burning

9th street, 30 years ago


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## Thee

Freewheel Burning said:


> 9th street, 30 years ago
> 
> View attachment 1719366



I’ll call that one a table top !! 😃


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