Here's a shot of me riding a wheelie on my 10-speed down Tracy Street. I could ride a long time on a wheelie.The bike was a Steyr-Puch 10-speed that I bought shortly after moving to Albuquerque. It was about $110 (in 1970s dollars.) I got it at the Cycle Cave on Menaul. It was really a nice bike... until some ass-munch ran me off the road and the front wheel dropped into a storm-drain grate.
For those who don't remember those days, the drain grates on the side of the streets, while having bars only 2-3 inches wide, had spaces at least 18 inches long. Just right for a bicycle wheel.
I was timing my ride to school one day, and coming back down Juan Tabo (this was also before bike lanes)a car forced me over to the side. My wheel dropped in and I went over the bars.
The next thing I remember was laying on the ground with the wind knocked out of me. The bike was about 5 feet away in some tumbleweeds. No one stopped to see if I was injured or anything (but that's just the story of my life.) I got up and examined the bike. The impact of the grate had bent the forks back -- fortunately evenly. I took it down to Cycle Cave. The guy said that to replace the forks would cost almost what the entire bike had been to start with. I asked if it would be OK to ride, and he said yeah, but I should watch for shimmying or looseness.
For the first few months, as I rode down Indian School from Juan Tabo, I'd be petrified that the wheel would fall off. But then, gradually, I started to ride with no hands again. And then I reversed the handlebars. And started riding wheelies.
When I was in the Army and stationed up at Ft. Lewis in Washington state, I had the bike shipped up and got quite a bit more use out of it. When I got ready to go to Germany, I sold it to a friend for about $20.
On a fashion note: The jacket was a vintage suede one I'd inherited from an uncle who'd died 6 or 7 years earlier. Also sporting bell-bottoms with the hem meticulously picked out for total fringe. (Hemmed jeans were lame.) When the knees ripped out, we would sew patches on them (iron-on patches were lame.) Occasionally people would leave the rips open, but that was just silly. On the feet were my Earth Shoes (the originals.) This must have been in Feb/March since I'm wearing gloves.
Bravo! And people in the '70's thought Evil was the only two-wheeled dare devil. Score: 9.90 and I'll tell you why (I always do). Ricks wheels, hair, feet and handlebars are in perfect alignment. The tumbleweeds in the background add to the dramatic effect of the photo as well. Upon even closer examination, Rick is sooo pleased with this wheelie, he has begun to sport 'wood'. Note the taunt jeans(no, that not the bicycle seat).
ReplyDeleteGimme my 3-wood. No, wait. A 5-iron... And some Viagra, dammit.
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