Me and my daughter are restoring my very first bike, it's a 1976 Schwinn Mini-Scrambler. It has an interesting history and I'm glad that she can now be a part of it.

It was the bike I learned to ride on. BITD it was all-original, a bmx bike for little tykes not big enough to own the Scrambler, and mine was metallic silver with flat black accents. I still remember the day those training wheels came off. It was very early 80's, (remember BMX was all over the map) and I rode this bike even when I was too big for it cuz I loved it so much. There was an open lot overgrown with some weeds down the street and some construction guys were building a new house on our same street. Well they were so nice, they used their equipment to move the dirt and transform that lot into a wonderland of hills, dips, and bumps for us kids! This bike was awesome, took everything a 6-year old kid threw at it and kept smiling! Then it was "retired."

In the early nineties, my brother did a full-on rebuild (remember lowrider bikes were now the trend) with custom green candy paint and 24K-plated everything chrome, crushed green velvet seat, you get the pic. He trashed all the original parts except the fork (he didn't like the spring-look, I think he ran out of money). Anyway, the bike won quite a few shows and even made it into the pages of Lowrider Bicycle Magazine. He did funky stuff to it like putting white lace all over it or fresh ferns for those shows. He barely rode it, just polished it every now and then, then retired it.

10 years later, present day, my daughter is turning 5 and wants a bike, so I call him up and get to work on it. I was surprised, I busted all those rust-frozen nuts and bolts and she basically stripped the entire thing herself! She's stoked, she spec'd out the whole bike already and picked out the colors and everything. This bike is getting ready to start its third life!

Sorry this is so long but here's two pics from the teardown. I'll post more as soon as I get the other roll developed!

bike before teardown.

My daughter proudly showing her handiwork!

[ December 17, 2005, 03:36 AM: Message edited by: phuture ]

time well spent right there - she'll never forget that bike just like you didn't.

Thats an awsome story.
I hope your little girls gets as much fun out of the bike as you and your brother.

priceless.good on ya dad.

here's a big from another aussie mate, good on ya ol' man...

Cute girl....cool pics....thank you for sharing

Its fun isn't it? My son and I are building a bike too.. I try to include my son in as much as I can. He's going through his "helping me" vacuum the house phase right now The Dyson weighs more than him. LOL!

lol my 5 year old is in the vacuuming phase too!
Great pics phuture. She is gonna love that bike forever. Very cool!

That is COOL!!

KIds are the best.

Check this thread for a pic of my son and other kids during the holidays!

Kids at Christmas

Dude I almost started to cry. That pic of your daughter holding up her dirty hands rocks. That is a beautiful sight.

stinkin double post

[ December 17, 2005, 09:30 PM: Message edited by: IAN *Knievel* ]

that a great story. thanks for sharing it with us. lets see it when its done. (be sure to include your daughter with a HUGE smile on her face).

My daughter's bike is DONE!!! It'll be so cool for her to see it... she's in NC for the holidays and will be coming home in a week. She imagined how the bike should look ("pink and purple and white"), the paint, the seat ("a flower seat, dad!"), even the wheels ("white star wheels with white tires") and now she'll be able to ride the fruits of her imagination! Grandma's keeping the tree up especially for her, but that's on another roll I still have to get developed. Check it out!


in the process of stripping the old "lowrider" paint

my daughter trying her hand at laying primer

first layer of color

second layer of color and NEW SHOES!!!

finished frame with decals, clearcoat sanded and buffed. Notice the original handlebars -- Grandpa painted it 13 years ago and coincidentally it matches the color scheme!

Beginning assembly

Seeing it stand on its own two wheels again was inspiring!

New chain. Gearing is 39:16. I was planning on putting on the 18t sprocket but my daughter asked how fast this bike could go, and I told her FAST!

Chain cut and fitted, bottom half buttoned up

coming together nicely. new bolts, steel and rubber washers used all around

Emblem and chainguard went on after final detailing. First time I washed this bike since I was 7! Notice the bruises on the handlebars -- it fell off its kickstand and the 13 year old paint just shattered. On went the training wheels and with no time for a re-do, I stuck some butterfly stickers over it.

Before the final detail, I ripped it up and down my old block for old time's sake... it felt so wierd being back on this bike in more than 20 years!!! It felt entirely familiar except that I was much bigger than before. I wish that old dirt lot was still at the end of the block. I think this bike's life has come full-circle -- from a kid's ticket to freedom, to a trophy-winning lowrider trailer queen, and finally back to being a kid's first bike again... wow. Thinking back to its first incarnation, how rugged it seemed with its flat black and silver paint, I cringe at the thought of putting a flower basket and a bell on it... my daughter says that'll be her present when the training wheels come off so I said it's a deal. When I get the new roll developed, I'll post pics of it under the tree and hopefully of her riding it. Happy new year everyone!

I love this thread! Thanks again for sharing all the pictures.

that is great, and the pics of her actually getting in there and getting dirty are priceless!!! Frame 'em!

EXCELLANT! SHE WILL NEVER FORGET HER FIRST BIKE BUILD WITH DAD.

Wow, what a great story! I just discovered this site a few days ago and I am completely consumed with reading it all... I have 4 & 6 year old little girls and you have sparked a new project. Thanks for sharing this great story!

Phuture - what is the latest? Is she riding it?

Ah, yes! Thanks 4 reminding me ShG! I brought it to her grandma's house where she kept the tree up, on one side of the handlebars, I hung the original 1976 Schwinn catalog and the current registration papers, and on the other side, I hung a bag. Inside that bag was a bunch of chocolates in a basket I made out of red and green construction paper. On the seat I put a bow. So when she arrived back from North Carolina, Maya (my daughter) saw it but was more taken with the chocolates at first, until she sat on the bike! Once she got on, she wouldn't get off! She was wobbly at first but soon took off at full speed, I was worried as it was the first time on her new bike and I had trouble keeping up with her, my hands outstretched the whole time ready to catch her if she'd fall. She told me, "daddy, I have the nicest bicycle in the world!" You could see it on her face, she was so proud! She said that it wasn't a good surprise, though The chocolates were a better surprise. I asked her, "why?" She said that she already knew how her bicycle would look before she saw it because she thought of it "But I didn't know about the candy! That was a good surprise!". What she said reinforced what I wanted to accomplish with it -- building something directly from her imagination. She got a nice ego boost when a family came riding by on their bicycles and a little girl my daughter's age was with them on her store-bought bike with training wheels. That little girl slowed down and stared at the Schwinn and kept staring so much that her front wheel fell off the path and into the grass. Her dad had to put the bike back onto the path and told her to "keep up." After they were gone, Maya said, "that girl likes my bicycle!"

So Maya asked when she can have her bell and her basket, so I said that when the training wheels come off, I promise I'll put a basket and bell on. I still cringe at the thought of that day coming when my old bike, which I used to think of as so rugged and invincible, will wear a bell and a basket. It's her bike now, and when that day comes, I cringe now but I know I'll be proud to take off those training wheels and put that bell and basket on.

I still have to use up a few pics left on the roll and when I get it developed, I'll post pics of her riding it!

Man, your killing me... It's to difficult to read your story with tears in my eye's. I cannot wait to see the pictures

X2

This thread has been so cool
I won't sleep until I see the pics...

This was an awesome thread...I can only hope to duplicate it someday!!!

Tony

yes very very touching to the heart...you a good dad

great story, def tugs on your heart strings

She told me, "daddy, I have the nicest bicycle in the world!"

That line got me...

Great story and great pics and one very cute little girl!! I'm waiting to see the updates. Anything further on this?

Phuture?

[ March 16, 2006, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: MNW ]

really nice. awesome story

thanks for sharing. i can't believe i missed this one. awesome story. way cool. can't wait to see a pic of maya tearing up the street. hey does she giggle when she rides? i have heard that some people who are tickled with their bikes do that when they ride. not that i know anyone like that but i have heard...

I got the last roll developed this past Sunday!!!

But I'm gonna be working late tonight, so I will have the final pictures up probably tomorrow morning for you all to see. The last pics are great, there's me putting the new bicycle registration tag on, the bike under the christmas tree, and a ton of pics with Maya enjoying her brand new bike!

I can't wait to post them up for you all! Tomorrow morning, I promise!!! yay!!!

Can't wait! Good stuff.

What did mom think about the picture of the little girl getting ready to spray herself in the face! lol. Seriously though I have a daughter who is going to be 5 in April and I understand totally. lol. This is a really cool thread glad to see your daughter getting a really cool bike.

Here's the final product folks! She still loves her bike, and it's at her grandma's house. Her grandma loves it too, and keeps it on display in her living room whenever Maya's not riding it so she can show it to whoever drops by. It's still got the training wheels on but she's getting so much better all the time, soon they'll be off, I think. I'm so proud of her!


The new tags! Yay, it's street legal!


Another view


That's me. My brother (who customized it as a lowrider in this bike's 2nd life) came over to see how it turned out. He had a hard time believing it was the same bike. That's his restored Plymouth behind me.


Maya meets her bicycle! That's the chocolates in the bag hanging on the handlebar.

(continued)

Maya's first ride, and the bikes' first ride in 10 years! (Actually, dad ripped it up and down the street before but he made sure to scrub the tires real good after that)


Another view. We'll be heading to the park from here.


Taking a break at the park


She looks so content in this picture!


I love this picture!


Grandma loves the Schwinn, too!

Thank you everyone for looking at these pics of my daughter's first bicycle, and thank u for all of the nice comments as well! BMXmom, yes, she did giggle when she first got on the bike This was such a cool project, I really encourage everyone with children to do their own restoration project too, the time spent is unforgettable. Something you simply can't buy at the store. Good luck with your own projects!!!

peace,
^_^ Barron

Great story and the pics are priceless. Inspires me to do my own project when I have children.

Thanks for sharing.

Mike

There needs to be so many more threads like this one. It's been fun reading about your project.

The pics with your cute daughter in them and the smile on her face make the thread so cool.

Talk about a "feel good" thread.....Well done, dude!

Tom

Great Thread!

Greatness!

This could possibly be the coolest story on this forum. Thanks for sharing and nice build.

Absolutely Touching. My son is only 11 months old, but I can't wait to get him on his first bike.

this is one of the best reads on here.....great stuff!!!

If there were more fathers like you in this world it would be a better place. Thanks for sharing.

By far the coolest story on the net anywhere. Just goes to show why we are all in this. For the memories new and old.
Excellent

wow!!! that is amazing! seem to be the best of both worlds, she gets a new bike and you get to see her enjoy something you grew up on!!!

Kids Forever! BDD

Too cool! Big ups!!

Excellent work! Excellent Dad! Happy Easter!

BT