"Hot Rod Charlie" the return of Bullet ( 1953 schwinn varsity)
- Thread starter Ben lay
- Start date
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Interesting, lets see where you go with this...
It was 1979 , any small town USA. Our hero in the story , Charlie , was 13. Times were a little tough and Charlie rode his big sisters hand me down bicycle to and from school every day. A little embarrassing but it did the job and he knew his mother couldn't afford a new one like the other kids had. The "cool kids " with the fancy bmx and banana seat muscle bikes teased him alot, especially JP, the school bully....
Like anyplace at that age , bicycles were everything.... Your transportation , first taste of freedom on wheels , and your identity. The boys used the bikes at every opportunity to impress the girls , show off for each other , and in this little fictional town , to race down Mill Street hill...
After school Mill Street races were the stuff of legend in this little town.... A challenge , a winner ,a loser , a huge pack of excited onlookers , and by the next day at school , a growing tale.
By the time a Mill street race story circulated the school for two days it would grow into an amazing recount with fire , death , broken bones , police chases , brakes on fire , and tires melting off.... Let a Mill street race simmer for a generation , well they got even crazier....
By the time a Mill street race story circulated the school for two days it would grow into an amazing recount with fire , death , broken bones , police chases , brakes on fire , and tires melting off.... Let a Mill street race simmer for a generation , well they got even crazier....
In the interest of a shorter read , and getting to the bike building and racing part of the story the key events of the stories dramatic turn are as follows...
. Our hero has a flat on his hand me down 24 inch ladies starlet and is walking it home from school
. Enter the herioin of the story, ( all stories need a female to inspire races , broken bones , and bad decisions ) Becca, who Charlie had a huge crush on stops to be nice and walk her bike home along side him.
. The villain ( all stories need a villain ) JP ( who also has a huge crush on Becca ) and his bicycle gang come sliding up to make fun of Charlie
. In the heat of the teasing and in an attempt to defend her friend Becca utters words that hit our heros ears in a terrifying slow motion life changing tone " I bet charlie could beat you in a race JP, your just a big old bully"
. Charlie , of course, was immediately challenged and , of course , with his female audience , accepted.
.
This was the last day of school before spring break and the race would be after school the first day back. He had a week
. Our hero has a flat on his hand me down 24 inch ladies starlet and is walking it home from school
. Enter the herioin of the story, ( all stories need a female to inspire races , broken bones , and bad decisions ) Becca, who Charlie had a huge crush on stops to be nice and walk her bike home along side him.
. The villain ( all stories need a villain ) JP ( who also has a huge crush on Becca ) and his bicycle gang come sliding up to make fun of Charlie
. In the heat of the teasing and in an attempt to defend her friend Becca utters words that hit our heros ears in a terrifying slow motion life changing tone " I bet charlie could beat you in a race JP, your just a big old bully"
. Charlie , of course, was immediately challenged and , of course , with his female audience , accepted.
.
This was the last day of school before spring break and the race would be after school the first day back. He had a week
News travelled fast , even with school out for spring break , around the skate rink and city park of the challenge that had been issued. A few days in , romantic retellings even ncluded that Becca had agreed to marry the winner
The reality was that Charlie had 7 days , and was in his room with a pad of notebook paper in a panic trying to formulate a plan... He first listed his entire worldy possessions which includes the following :
1 24 inch ladies starlet bicycle ( with a bad inner tube )
1 pack of unopened bubbalicous gum. 10 unopened spiderman comic books
And $ 1. 85 in cold hard american currency.
It's not looking good for our hero guys...
The reality was that Charlie had 7 days , and was in his room with a pad of notebook paper in a panic trying to formulate a plan... He first listed his entire worldy possessions which includes the following :
1 24 inch ladies starlet bicycle ( with a bad inner tube )
1 pack of unopened bubbalicous gum. 10 unopened spiderman comic books
And $ 1. 85 in cold hard american currency.
It's not looking good for our hero guys...
A fine overnight brain marathon by your hero produced 2 plans ...
Plan A. Remove streamers , starlet logos , and basket from big sisters bike , add a racing number and spend the rest of spring break working out with his sand filled kmart weight set .
Plan B. Take your bike and all things of value to Mr Sticks bicycle shop and try , somehow , to get a better bike...
Plan A. Remove streamers , starlet logos , and basket from big sisters bike , add a racing number and spend the rest of spring break working out with his sand filled kmart weight set .
Plan B. Take your bike and all things of value to Mr Sticks bicycle shop and try , somehow , to get a better bike...
Opting for the more reasonable of the two options Charlie woke up the next day determined , loaded all of his worldly possessions into the basket on the old Starlet bicycle and pushed it , flat tire and all , to Mr Sticks bicycle shop at the edge of the neighborhood.
Mr Sticks was a tall late 40s man , nice to all of the kids , and kept their bikes patched up and running for a fair price. Parents would go to Sticks shop at Christmas and birthdays to get the kids new bikes as well...
Mr Sticks was a tall late 40s man , nice to all of the kids , and kept their bikes patched up and running for a fair price. Parents would go to Sticks shop at Christmas and birthdays to get the kids new bikes as well...
"How can I help ya Charlie ?" ( Sticks knew all the kids names by heart ) , he asked as Charlie walked in.
" I need a better bike Mr. Sticks.... Uhh, a fast bike...... I have almost two dollars and my sisters old bike , some comic books , and I'll do any work around the shop you need. Mowing , anything sir "
Mr. Sticks just grinned. " When's the race Charlie? "
Charlie just stared , as if Mr Sticks was a mind reader, silent.
" Id say it involves Mill street hill, a pretty girl , and a challenge to a race ... If I had to guess.... " Sticks continued.
Charlie stood in amazement. HOW could he know this? ( Truth was Sticks raced the same hill , and his dad , and probably his dad's dad. And he was old enough to know that it almost always involved a girl... )
"I like the fact that your willing to work for what you need kid , and I think I've got juuuust the right thing for you. I'll be right back ".
Charlies heart pounded as Stick rummaged through the back of the shop out of sight, then sank as he carried over an old green bike that looked worse than any that Charlie had ever seen. He carefully placed it on the work stand and stood back staring at it as he talked.
"This is Bullet ... I saved for a year and dad ordered her new to the shop for me in '53... Schwinn Varsity ...undefeated on Mill street hill for 2 years straight... You heard about Bullet before ?..."
"Yes sir.... I have ... My uncle told me about a bike that nobody could beat , a green Schwinn named bullet.... But .... Well.... No offence sir but she is in awefully bad shape right ?" Charlie said
" I need a better bike Mr. Sticks.... Uhh, a fast bike...... I have almost two dollars and my sisters old bike , some comic books , and I'll do any work around the shop you need. Mowing , anything sir "
Mr. Sticks just grinned. " When's the race Charlie? "
Charlie just stared , as if Mr Sticks was a mind reader, silent.
" Id say it involves Mill street hill, a pretty girl , and a challenge to a race ... If I had to guess.... " Sticks continued.
Charlie stood in amazement. HOW could he know this? ( Truth was Sticks raced the same hill , and his dad , and probably his dad's dad. And he was old enough to know that it almost always involved a girl... )
"I like the fact that your willing to work for what you need kid , and I think I've got juuuust the right thing for you. I'll be right back ".
Charlies heart pounded as Stick rummaged through the back of the shop out of sight, then sank as he carried over an old green bike that looked worse than any that Charlie had ever seen. He carefully placed it on the work stand and stood back staring at it as he talked.
"This is Bullet ... I saved for a year and dad ordered her new to the shop for me in '53... Schwinn Varsity ...undefeated on Mill street hill for 2 years straight... You heard about Bullet before ?..."
"Yes sir.... I have ... My uncle told me about a bike that nobody could beat , a green Schwinn named bullet.... But .... Well.... No offence sir but she is in awefully bad shape right ?" Charlie said
Mr Sticks patted the bare spring seat.
"Yeah , Bullets in bad shape kid , but I bet , I just bet , if you showed up a couple hours before I closed and helped me sweep up and did a few things , we could flip that closed sign at 5 and get her back into shape in less than a week .... I think she needs another run down the hill ... What ya think Hot Rod Charlie? " Mr Sticks grinned.
Charlie thought for a minute , then threw out his hand. "You have a deal sir!"
"Yeah , Bullets in bad shape kid , but I bet , I just bet , if you showed up a couple hours before I closed and helped me sweep up and did a few things , we could flip that closed sign at 5 and get her back into shape in less than a week .... I think she needs another run down the hill ... What ya think Hot Rod Charlie? " Mr Sticks grinned.
Charlie thought for a minute , then threw out his hand. "You have a deal sir!"
We're rooting for ya Hot Rod Charlie!! Show that JP dude who's king of Mill Street Hill!
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
... tell me more about the unopened Spiderman comics. Could be a new bike in there
Or maybe a Porsche to get him up that hill too!
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We may never know ....hahaa... tell me more about the unopened Spiderman comics. Could be a new bike in there
Or maybe a Porsche to get him up that hill too!Amazing Fantasy #15 Origin & 1st App. Spider-Man Stan Lee Marvel 1962 CGC PG 10 | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Amazing Fantasy #15 Origin & 1st App. Spider-Man Stan Lee Marvel 1962 CGC PG 10 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.ca
With a name like that: this thing needs a flat head.
Yes it does ! Love a flathead ford sir.
The next day Charlie showed up about three and swept and mopped the shop and did a few chores for sticks till closing time. Bullets old bolts had been soaking all night and each one gave a fight as they started to disassemble the old schwinn. Charlie was pretty clueless about bikes , tools , and life in general but followed Sticks lead as good as possible...
