What Was Your First Bike?

I've been looking for a picture of my first bike for ages and finally found it. It was a 1976 Huffy, "Star Spangler". My brother had the boy version and we rode them constantly. This bike made me so happy as a kid. ‪#‎bikelove‬ 
What was your first bike?

1976 Huffy, "Star Spangler"

You can see the bike to the right. That's me with my brother, we are not being very patient about mom taking our picture.

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 2, 2015 at 2:12pm

Peerless may have evolved into this company that is still making bikes:

http://peerless.gmc.globalmarket.com/

Permalink Reply by Bob Jarosz on July 3, 2015 at 5:39am

Thanks, that's possible since now most of the bikes are made overseas. Suprised to see that it still is named Peerless since most businesses get absorbed by other companies and the name changes.  But, maybe.... My dad rebuilt this bike for me for my 10th birthday, it was in pieces when he started he rebuilt the wheels and even repainted it black with white trim.  I rode that bike until my 1st or 2nd year of high school, had a paper route and used the bike to deliver papers even in deep snow.  Aw, those were the days................

Permalink Reply by Thomas Bruzan on July 2, 2015 at 3:08pm

More than 70 years of cycling! You old guys are cool Bob.

Permalink Reply by Tony Cambio on July 2, 2015 at 2:36pm
My first bike was built from a Schwinn Speedster. My dad built it from parts with a 20x1 3/8 rear slick, red glitter banana seat and Schwinn grips.
Late 70's, it was turned into the Cobra BMX.
It was painted silver. The skinny slick was replaced by absolutely enormously wide rims, possibly moped, and the rear hub was a Sachs Torpado 2 speed automatic coaster brake (all I have of the bike is the rear wheel)
It also had a motorcycle-style seat, 24" forged Ashtabula knockoff fork (to increase ground clearance)
Oh yeah. I have the rear wheel and the chainguard left.
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Permalink Reply by Kathy Schubert 'n Suzy Schnauzer on July 2, 2015 at 3:28pm

I found a picture of my first bike.  It looks more like a scooter, but it does have pedals.

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Permalink Reply by Kathy Schubert 'n Suzy Schnauzer on July 2, 2015 at 3:37pm

Here is Suzy's first, and so far only bike.

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Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on July 3, 2015 at 4:12am

It was a Huffy BMX and then a Murray BMX, and I was in constant fear of it getting stolen or getting beaten up before having said bike stolen....however I lost interest in the Murray after the Huffy was stolen, and it rusted in the garage before we threw it out when we moved.  I spent a lot of time biking though, and I think for the most part I only really felt happy or free when I was on the bike.  Otherwise life in my neighborhood really sucked, which made riding the bike kind of a challenge since I was so paranoid. :-|

Permalink Reply by John Durham on July 3, 2015 at 4:42am

I think my very first bike was a little red Schwinn with 20" (16"?) wheels that I got when I was 5 or 6.

The first that I really remember spending time with was a green Peugot 5 speed (1x5) with a downtube shifter, drop bars (just like dad's!) and a rear rack. Rode that bike all over Annapolis MD. in '75-'76.  

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on July 3, 2015 at 5:13am

My first was a red bike with pin stripes (department store bike?) with some sheet metal added to the top tube for added style (and training wheels installed by dad!). I got it for my birthday and rode it some much the first day, I couldn't walk the next day. My first bike that I picked out was '67ish a gold Schwinn that my dad changed the seat to a banana seat and the handle bars to the tall "chopper" bars to make it more like the "Sting Ray" he couldn't afford. I miss my dad, he was the best!

I can't help but notice the number of dads mentioned in this thread....

Permalink Reply by Nançois on July 6, 2015 at 4:44am

When I was five I got a Schwinn Bantam, complete with training wheels. I don't think we got it new, but I do remember it came with the removable crossbar, which was put on when I outgrew this bike and it went to my brother. I found a picture in an old catalog online, and this is definitely it! Man, I really loved that bike!

Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on July 6, 2015 at 5:18am

My first bike was bought at a Racine police auction for a buck. I think it was in 1960 or 61. It was an orange frame with black wheels...and too big for me. It just happened that the kid next door had out grown his 1950's 20" Schwinn Spitfire. So, my swapped the orange thing and a case of Meister Brau for the Spitfire. I rode that until 1964 when I got my first 'Big Boys Bike'. The little Schwinn went through my two sisters and brother. My brother fucked it up by making a chopper out of it.

I don't have any rock scratchings of it but it looked like this little 55 Spitfire girls bike I have in my shed. Same color, too.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Wallace on July 17, 2015 at 4:33pm

My first bicycle was a little different from the normal two wheeler. It did have two wheels only they were not in line like a normal bike. I went out into the front yard and beside the trash can was my tricycle with one wheel crushed by dads car. I was a little sad because I rode that thing up and down the sidewalk hours a day all summer, so I pulled it out of the trash and sat on it. 

I pushed on the pedals, but friction was too much to over come. Then I thought about tilting the thing on two wheels. A few minutes later I had success and was riding my CRAB down the side walk on two wheels.

I was to young to understand the memory that I had taken away from my dad of being able to teach his kid how to ride a bike. As he pulled into the drive and walked up to me, he sadly said, was that in the trash? and I said yep and it still works! He shook his head and walked inside. I kept on riding that broken tricycle or crab Bicycle.

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