You guys are killing me!
Did somebody hip you these are my Favs.
I'm 55, 180 lbs, 5'10" & fit like I really shouldn't be.
The only thing I can say is maybe it's from pedaling around big azz HD's for a long long time. I was chosen from my hood by the local Schwinn bike shop to represent the "NEW" Schwinn Scrambler. The owner Denny said cuz I'd been riding a Stingray w/a fork off a 24" (paint matching) s2's front& rear...36 spoke,knobbys, varsity seat & Stingray jr handle bars.
Lucky 7 front & 16t rear cog. Painted marina blue (GM) color and as mint as the day is long. I later swapped out for a banana and then a bread loaf from a hurricane. Didn't much use the seat but in the earlier days of BMX rules were rules.
I was a runaway w/my lil doggy in the late 70's and traveled all over the mid to east coast. Running the BMX circuit & back then ya didn't need a parent's signature or...
So here I am... groin up in Detroit from a single parent fam, wanting something. Not even sure what something was. I was out there, 13 years old & in Ohio at a Schwinndig & an ol dude came up and said...dude, your lookin a lil rough. Everything OK?
Yup, I got signed in and I'm good. HIM: not what I'm talkin about lil dude, you ok?
My mind was all good & I replied: yeah, I'm worried about this cuz I got my ride hight right but I'm not sure if this fork will take it. He says, drop it down for stiffer & me: "can't" Gotta have the long crank arms for GRUNT.
He was like dude...I'm from Schwinn & I gotta fork for ya. Ashtabula goodness w/a gusset welded in, semi rusted but new and said...place in the top 3 & I got ya.
2nd place & ol dude took me back to his house & I met a real family. Didn't know how to act, cute daughters, my lil girl dawg was humpin his retriever & I bed down.
Next day he gave me a lecture on life & bikes & stuff. Kool ol dude. He told me that fast is fast, winning is winning but... Ya gotta love your bike. Make it cooler, lighter, faster & just make sure...you really love it. All will fall in place. Keep the fork (ya didn't git it from me) & good luck lil dude. I ain't gonna turn you in but if ya need call us. Not sure why I'm spillin but I was stuck on stupid from then on. I bought parts from a BMX place long ago & gave my name for delivery purposes. The person calls me & says "Tony"??? Is that you?
Um yeah. It was him! From so long ago. Asked me what ever happened to my BMX career? Simply, I still dig it but after getting caught I changed paths & now I'm in the automotive industry & I'm still a bykepsycle FREEK.
I still build, I still ride but they locked me up for a while & I had to pursue a livelihood.
I've seen those Ashtabula forks online & wondered...how much the 1st ones would be worth? Can't even tell ya what ever happened to that Stingray (Chevorlet Marina Blue)w/a luck 7,Varsity crank,S2's f&r 36 fat spokes (cycle truck front wheels), blk gooseneck/Schwinn/Ashtabula, broken 2 spd kickback hub, Schwinn tractor rear & some ol azz knobby on the front so as to steer goin lickity split. I ran Stingray jr handlebars before Schwinn ever used um w/crossbar on the Scambler. Or maybe I just didn't know.
My first store bought bike was a Scrambler & had to put a bread loaf hurricane seat on it as low as it would go.
I've been in cahoots w/the ol timey Schwinn guys ever since . The Wastan's & even some of the upper echelon..."real ones". Enthusiast / connoisseurs. Not sure why I put it out there like that but I feel ok now. It's been a long road & I'm still diggin it.
I let some go that would blow your mind & still I appreciate what guys like you do.
Before cars & I believe long after cars we will do the "I told ya so" dance.