Gee, what to say? Born about in the middle of the last century last century ('-60), in the middle of the country (-omaha) in the middle class.
Worked in a Schwinn bike shop in Benson in 1976.
Took MIG welding in shop in high school.
Spent the late 60's on banana seat scwhinns
--my parents bought my first bike (a green metallic schwinn) for Christmas in 1969 ( at richmond-gordons , I think...)
-- I couldnt read the letters on the large box, and while at the register, I asked my mom what was in the box and she said "a crib" and I saw thru a hand hole in the box -a green metallic tube and chrome -- so I envisioned a green and chrome metal crib!
One thing we did alot in 7th and 8th grade was get old tricycles we had outgrown ( this was before plastic "big wheels" were invented)-- remove the front handlebars, forks and wheel --"flip"
them and modify the seat somehow --saw off the pedals and "presto!" a slow unstable high centered childs toy became a fast -no brakes- low centered -speeder on Omaha's river bank hills. (the best way to stop was to put them in a sideways skid and HOPE ya didnt flip! -- no helmets, of course) I think my upside-down tricycle days are behind me as I weigh 260 pounds now. BUT I heard a "rider" (in full motorcycle leathers and full face helmet) got clocked at 37mph on "Dragon at the Gap" (steep curvy mountain road) in east Tennessee this spring. Now that is old school insane!
-=-=-=-=-=-
my grade school years were spent removing chain guards and fenders off those single speed bikes and spent college putting chain guards and fenders and racks on 10-speed bikes as I had no car and the bike was my only transportation. -- and I actually cared about how I looked in college.
-=-=-=-=-
Dont know really how I ended up working for the
phone company in Nashville, but here I am....
Used to live in Lincoln, NE and Boulder, CO which are VERY bike friendly towns.
rode a few bicycle races in 1982- came in SO very last ( and I am the opposite of Lance Armstrong, I guess) Also did One "BRAN" -"Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska" and a few MS150's ( charity ride)
--==--=-=-
Done a fair amount of motorcyclin' -- was a instructor for Yamaha in '75 (couldnt even drive a car yet) --they took trailers of small 125cc dirtbikes to college campuses and offered "learn to ride" in the parking lots during summer breaks.
I have rode in 44 states ( still need to hit alaska and the northeast)
wrecked once bad in hollywood, CA in 1986)
Had a old Honda cx500 SW, Kawasaki KZ400 and Suzuki Cavalcade 1400 ( a 2 wheel pontiac) --lost too many MC friends
so I am sure done with motorcycles --my miata sports car is my "motorcycle" now.
--=-=-=-=-
Getting back to basics... Tired of the time, expense and hassle of modifying cars. Bicycles are much easier. Bikes are the answers to most of my problems (-Being overweight, Being broke due to owning 5 semi-reliable cars, garage full of car parts, foggy brain due to "2+2=5" corporate policy and political events, etc etc etc. )
-=-=-=-
Date a great gal named Tam --who is very tolerate of my projects.
--Dont really consider myself a artist-- just doing some "therapy"
to piss off the purists. "Why ask Why?" I am "Anti-Anti" or "Pro-anti" -depends-
I like rat rods, volkrods, hood rods. Kustoms. but not skulls- go figure.
Rah Rah for Rust!
Will post some pics, but I much better at starting projects than finishing them!
-nashville jack
PS Ran into Mike Wolfe (American Pickers) at a hardware store in Frnaklin, TN -- He is a nice guy and has done alot to raise
awareness for old cruisers and the old old old school bikes from 100 yrs ago.
Worked in a Schwinn bike shop in Benson in 1976.
Took MIG welding in shop in high school.
Spent the late 60's on banana seat scwhinns
--my parents bought my first bike (a green metallic schwinn) for Christmas in 1969 ( at richmond-gordons , I think...)
-- I couldnt read the letters on the large box, and while at the register, I asked my mom what was in the box and she said "a crib" and I saw thru a hand hole in the box -a green metallic tube and chrome -- so I envisioned a green and chrome metal crib!
One thing we did alot in 7th and 8th grade was get old tricycles we had outgrown ( this was before plastic "big wheels" were invented)-- remove the front handlebars, forks and wheel --"flip"
them and modify the seat somehow --saw off the pedals and "presto!" a slow unstable high centered childs toy became a fast -no brakes- low centered -speeder on Omaha's river bank hills. (the best way to stop was to put them in a sideways skid and HOPE ya didnt flip! -- no helmets, of course) I think my upside-down tricycle days are behind me as I weigh 260 pounds now. BUT I heard a "rider" (in full motorcycle leathers and full face helmet) got clocked at 37mph on "Dragon at the Gap" (steep curvy mountain road) in east Tennessee this spring. Now that is old school insane!
-=-=-=-=-=-
my grade school years were spent removing chain guards and fenders off those single speed bikes and spent college putting chain guards and fenders and racks on 10-speed bikes as I had no car and the bike was my only transportation. -- and I actually cared about how I looked in college.
-=-=-=-=-
Dont know really how I ended up working for the
phone company in Nashville, but here I am....
Used to live in Lincoln, NE and Boulder, CO which are VERY bike friendly towns.
rode a few bicycle races in 1982- came in SO very last ( and I am the opposite of Lance Armstrong, I guess) Also did One "BRAN" -"Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska" and a few MS150's ( charity ride)
--==--=-=-
Done a fair amount of motorcyclin' -- was a instructor for Yamaha in '75 (couldnt even drive a car yet) --they took trailers of small 125cc dirtbikes to college campuses and offered "learn to ride" in the parking lots during summer breaks.
I have rode in 44 states ( still need to hit alaska and the northeast)
wrecked once bad in hollywood, CA in 1986)
Had a old Honda cx500 SW, Kawasaki KZ400 and Suzuki Cavalcade 1400 ( a 2 wheel pontiac) --lost too many MC friends
so I am sure done with motorcycles --my miata sports car is my "motorcycle" now.
--=-=-=-=-
Getting back to basics... Tired of the time, expense and hassle of modifying cars. Bicycles are much easier. Bikes are the answers to most of my problems (-Being overweight, Being broke due to owning 5 semi-reliable cars, garage full of car parts, foggy brain due to "2+2=5" corporate policy and political events, etc etc etc. )
-=-=-=-
Date a great gal named Tam --who is very tolerate of my projects.
--Dont really consider myself a artist-- just doing some "therapy"
to piss off the purists. "Why ask Why?" I am "Anti-Anti" or "Pro-anti" -depends-
I like rat rods, volkrods, hood rods. Kustoms. but not skulls- go figure.
Rah Rah for Rust!
Will post some pics, but I much better at starting projects than finishing them!
-nashville jack
PS Ran into Mike Wolfe (American Pickers) at a hardware store in Frnaklin, TN -- He is a nice guy and has done alot to raise
awareness for old cruisers and the old old old school bikes from 100 yrs ago.
