i moved from upstate NY to brandon fla in early '79.got a schwinn mag scrambler for my 15th b-day on march 30 (hence the number on my plate,didn't know the sanction issued them). raced twice at the old brandon track then moved to st pete about august of the same year. around september i raced the st pete track for the first time....dead last,but they gave me one of those participation plaques.

he i am in probably 83' on my 76 Redline Squareback...

Me on my mongoose shorty. I think this was in 1977 at the South Pacific Nationals,Kewalo Basin in Hawaii. I was told by The Bike Shop owner that the owner of Mongoose shot some pics and left it with them. The Bike Shop had the exclusive to sell mongoose bikes in Hawaii. From what I remember all the pics he shot were of kids on Mongooses. I was so happy to see my pic at The Bike Shop. It's the only BMX pic I have from 77-78.

Awesome photo Jeremy!

First bike (20" Western Flyer convertible) on the first day of first grade in 1967. Lunch box, school supplies and no teeth...

1977, I was six, some type of Schwinn I think?, I don't remember. Dad was my hero!

great pics guys! i should've put first BMX bike in the header but i'm glad i didn't. acually, my first bike i can recall was a schwinn mini stingray. i think it was a mini cuz it much smaller than my older brothers orange krate.
mike

Mike,

I started on a Scwinn Stingray too! I think alot of us from that era did. Theres a cool thread going on the Jalopy Journal right now. Check it out.

Jalopy journal

Jeremy

that's cool jeremy! that guy jimA says he has 30 of 'em! i don't have a pic yet,but i have a late 60's schwinn twinn that needs a bit of work. i rode it til a couple of years ago when the tires pretty much fell off the wheels. man, that thing feels like a freight train when ya get it going and you need about the same stopping distance. it's got a front brake and a saddlebag style baskets on the rear. i used to take it to the grocery store for the light shopping. i'd get quite a few looks on that bike. i'll try to get pics.
mike

First race for me back in August 1979 at Fremont Raceway in California. The bike I used was a mongoose that my uncle gave me. I saved up enough newspaper route money to buy rims and other trick parts with the help of my father. The class was 12 beginner and I didn't have a clue of what gearing meant. I was spinning a 44/18 on a super long track. Man, I was outwinded at the finish line but stil managed to win my first moto and my first main. When I transfered to the main in the first heat, I didn't realize that I couldn't race until the mains which bummed me out cause I really wanted to race more. Anyways, here's a pix of me in the lead. Those were the days. Thanks mom and dad for all your support. Enjoy.

I love these old pictures. I have a feeling that bike is a Huffy. Love the old outifts our Dad's used to wear!

This image was given to me by a local guy. He had the DB VI, you can also see an early Proline and the first year Robinso as well as a Pedal Power as well as others. Love these type old pictures.

awesome thread!

my first real bmx bike('81 supergoose) and first two pics,...... i still cant believe to this day my moms is behind the camera letting me do this, and willing to take the damn picture at that!!! , claude

Masterstint,

I'm digging the socks! I can remember those days!

In that last picture of that dude jumping over the bike..What's going on there? It looks like he's going to land right on it....

King, im jumping out of a drainage ditch/canal, its tough to see but i was coming up a 3ft embankment(?), i cleared it, (i dont know how/i was 12!), but notice we lowered the seat on my buddies goose as low as it would go(LOL)!!, ...im at work as i type this just chuckling, i was a lil wild one looking back on it!! ....(yeah, those socks), claude

I thougth the same exact thing when I saw that picture. You notice there is not a picture actually clearing the other bike or right after!
I bet right after that Claude's Mom threw down the camera. She had two hurt boys on her hands. Blood and gore all over one in a broken arm and one with a broken nose.. Ha ha. I guess Claude was still on his way up?


Here is one when I was maybe 13 with my buddy. He is on his Mongoose and me on my 78 Redline MX-II w/ CBR blue clamp stem (was stripped so the bars would move front to back). I bought this Redline used out of the paper (for the younger guys that is what we used to fnd stuff before CL and eBay) and even back then opted for the older style. Got rid of a newer Mongoose to go OLD SCHOOL. I was the one who originated Old School (I also invented the internet, yeah right).

You may notice the ULTRA RARE, so rare to this day this is the only one I have ever seen still (so Rare I could only find one) Gold Tuff Wheel! Rat Traps and bare feet? Maybe that is why to this day I can still walk on gravel barefoot!

AWWW Rob, the good old days of not giving a crap about anything except, "Where we ridin to today??", claude

Great statement Claude! My wife once asked me what is the best time of my life. I told her 1979 when I was riding and racing. Of course thats not the answer she was fishing for. I had to explain to her that those were great times to me because I was 14 at the time. I had no worries like wife, kids, career, future, retirement etc. I lived for one thing and that was to RIDE! I spent every waking moment riding, jumping and racing....Those were great times......Of course she still dosen't get it

ahhh, yes, the wifey trick questions......"honey, what woman has the nicest body, in your opinion?", answer: "besides you?"
"honey, what is your favorite memory of your life?" answer: "besides my time with you?",,
works like a charm, and keeps ya out the hot water, LOL....we are not allowed to be happy when they aren't...tough, but true, claude

claude,
Great tip! I'm always in hot water for my answers. You are a smarter man than me.

First Bike: Good times, for sure.


First BMX Bike: Better times definitely. Fresh out of the van from Toys R Us.

another action shot