You know you are getting old when:

[tonyb]

^^^^^
I’m trying to recall when I last owned a car with “wing” windows, or vent windows or whatever else they might have been called. It must’ve been that ’65 Ford Econoline I had until 2004 or so.

 

[BobHufford]

^^^^^
I’m trying to recall when I last owned a car with “wing” windows, or vent windows or whatever else they might have been called. It must’ve been that ’65 Ford Econoline I had until 2004 or so.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Actually no signs of presbyopia, pressing thumbs!

 

[Trenchfriend]

I don't really blame it on age:

Better not smoking pipe on very late evening (20:00 - 21:30).

Didn't do me well, in the morning.
Luckily, I piped with filter.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Remember getting out in the winter morning, with your brain half-working, try to finger another CD in your car radio, swearing "F..in' shit, next time switching back to cassette radio."?

 

[Trenchfriend]

@BobHufford @LizzieMaine @GHT @Doctor Damage @Fading Fast @MisterCairo @FOXTROT LAMONT

How was Easy Rider seen, back in 1969? As very angry reckoning with the USA, showing myth and reality?

 

[BobHufford]

@BobHufford How was Easy Rider seen, back in 1969? As very angry reckoning with the USA, showing myth and reality?

I was nine at the time and had no clue about it. If I could have seen it I probably would have as I did have a bit of a rebel streak. The bikes I coveted were a bit cheaper, but still only a dream.

 

[GHT]

I was nine at the time and had no clue about it. If I could have seen it I probably would have as I did have a bit of a rebel streak. The bikes I coveted were a bit cheaper, but still only a dream.

View attachment 565670

Probably more like this these days, Bob.

 

[Rmccamey]

Mine was green with coaster brakes, banana seat, and a tall sissy bar. Wish I still had that little bike.

I was nine at the time and had no clue about it. If I could have seen it I probably would have as I did have a bit of a rebel streak. The bikes I coveted were a bit cheaper, but still only a dream.

View attachment 565670

 

[GHT]

Mine was green with coaster brakes, banana seat, and a tall sissy bar. Wish I still had that little bike.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13473894...MIwJCW7N7xggMVGhAGAB0pbAEHEAQYASABEgKnZfD_BwE
Your's for just £2,495 that's almost 3,170 in US shekels. You definitely should have kept it Randy.

 

[BobHufford]

Mine was green with coaster brakes, banana seat, and a tall sissy bar. Wish I still had that little bike

My first “muscle bike” was an older red 20” Schwinn coaster that Dad and I converted with ram’s horn bars / red glitter grips, sissy bar and a red glitter banana seat. I still was jealous of the kid with the 5-speed Schwinn Apple Krate though.

I collected Schwinns for years. Still have this ‘64 model in the same, rare Opal Violet color (and same level of fading) in the shed.

And a pretty nice ‘66 Sky Blue 3-speed (with a matching girl’s version my daughter has) like this one.

I mostly collected “lightweights” (a relative term when it comes to most Schwinns). Spent way too much time and effort scanning catalogs and other publications to assist the community. Got burned out and started collecting hats instead.

http://www.schwinnbikeforum.com/SLDB/Cover.htm

 

[BobHufford]

View attachment 566369
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13473894...MIwJCW7N7xggMVGhAGAB0pbAEHEAQYASABEgKnZfD_BwE
Your's for just £2,495 that's almost 3,170 in US shekels. You definitely should have kept it Randy.

Nice Raleigh Chopper Robert!

The craziest thing I had was a ‘76 Swing Bike with a steerable rear wheel.

This was mine (it now lives in Australia).

Excuse this web page — the internet was young.

http://swingbike.byethost24.com/bobhufford/swing.html?i=1

 

[Rmccamey]

Some real history there, Bob. We didn't think about it at the time, but those bikes helped define a generation. Thanks for sharing.

My first “muscle bike” was an older red 20” Schwinn coaster that Dad and I converted with ram’s horn bars / red glitter grips, sissy bar and a red glitter banana seat. I still was jealous of the kid with the 5-speed Schwinn Apple Krate though.

I collected Schwinns for years. Still have this ‘64 model in the same, rare Opal Violet color (and same level of fading) in the shed.

View attachment 566374

And a pretty nice ‘66 Sky Blue 3-speed (with a matching girl’s version my daughter has) like this one.

View attachment 566377

I mostly collected “lightweights” (a relative term when it comes to most Schwinns). Spent way too much time and effort scanning catalogs and other publications to assist the community. Got burned out and started collecting hats instead.

View attachment 566378

http://www.schwinnbikeforum.com/SLDB/Cover.htm

 

[BobHufford]

Some real history there, Bob. We didn't think about it at the time, but those bikes helped define a generation. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Randy.

 

[GHT]

Nice Raleigh Chopper Robert!

The craziest thing I had was a ‘76 Swing Bike with a steerable rear wheel.

This was mine (it now lives in Australia).

View attachment 566382

Excuse this web page — the internet was young.

http://swingbike.byethost24.com/bobhufford/swing.html?i=1

A rear steering wheel? It seems crazy and what is the point? How did the chain alignment work?

About a year before the Covid lockdown I went into hospital for a few days for a hip replacement. The operation was a success and the constant dull aching pain was gone. My surgeon, a genial fellow, told me to avoid impact exercise, like jogging or running, instead he recommended swimming and cycling.

A few weeks after surgery, on Tina's suggestion, we went out to one those kind of shops that sell all sorts of second hand, well junk I guess. There was bike that my lady had seen, a bike designed for the ladies, it had no crossbar, perfect for lifting my new hip without stretching the hip joint.

I think the price tag was something like fifty pounds, I can't remember, but I do remember the fellow said, when we were about to walk away, I'm feeling generous and I need the space, your's for the £20 that I paid for it. Sold! (Thinking about it, it could have been even less than twenty. Old age and amnesia, they go hand in hand,)

It's proven it's worth time and again. The hip gets the exercise, the chain guard protects the baggy trousers, although I do clip them, the hat is yet to fall victim to the wind, I jam it on, tight. The bike still gets used, that shopping basket is ideal for carrying the sort of groceries that you might have run out of. I use it regularly, but only in clement weather.

 

[BobHufford]

There was bike that my lady had seen, a bike designed for the ladies, it had no crossbar, perfect for lifting my new hip without stretching the hip joint.

Nice! That looks like a classic rod-braked Raleigh (or clone). I had a later model Raleigh DL-1 (circa 1970) with the laid back angles, rod brakes, Brooks leather saddle and Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub. What a cruiser!

Similar to this one:

 

[Zombie_61]

Mine was green with coaster brakes, banana seat, and a tall sissy bar. Wish I still had that little bike.

I also had "the green one", but in this part of the world it didn't have the "springer" front forks or that smaller front tire. By the time I was done with it I had painted the frame black, removed the stupid "stick shift" and replaced the rear wheel, replaced the "banana" seat with a single "saddle" type, and replaced the handlebars with the lower, wider "motocross" style. By then I had nearly outgrown it, and was forced to get the traditional "10 speed" bike.

 

[Rmccamey]

My grandfather had a body shop so my only mod was painting the tires green with some old auto paint.

I also had "the green one", but in this part of the world it didn't have the "springer" front forks or that smaller front tire. By the time I was done with it I had painted the frame black, removed the stupid "stick shift" and replaced the rear wheel, replaced the "banana" seat with a single "saddle" type, and replaced the handlebars with the lower, wider "motocross" style. By then I had nearly outgrown it, and was forced to get the traditional "10 speed" bike.

 

[Edward]

Nice! That looks like a classic rod-braked Raleigh (or clone). I had a later model Raleigh DL-1 (circa 1970) with the laid back angles, rod brakes, Brooks leather saddle and Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub. What a cruiser!

Similar to this one:

View attachment 566396

Very nice. That's the sort of bike I'd be looking into if ever we manage to move somewhere I have the indoor storage space for a bike. (In my flat currently, I'd have to leave it chained outside, and the rust would probably kill it before the wheel got pinched.) I love that Raleigh and others kept this style going so long it's possible still to pick up a 40s spec bike at a more affordable price by buying a later production model... I did a while back see here in London a bike very similar to this but red, and bearing the BSA trademark. The Birmingham Small Arms company was making pushbikes long before they made motorcycles, of course, but they remain a lot more well known for the latter.

 

[tonyb]

The world went straight to hell the day power windows became standard equipment.

It’s hard to find a late-model car without power windows. Buyers have come to expect it, such that they’d likely find it somehow wrong if a car didn’t have ’em.

As I recall, the most recent automobile I rode in that didn’t have power windows was a friend’s bottom-of-the-line Kia, and that was about 10 years ago and the car was at least a couple-three years old then.