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.