When I was a little kid, like most every other little kids, I wanted a bike. So, since we didn't have much money at the time, my parents hit some garage sales and found me a bike.
And I just found it online - apparently someone on ebay was trying to get $500 for it.
I present to you my shame, and why I probably still suck at riding bikes -
The 1976 AMF Westpoint Miss America Girls Bicentennial Limited Edition Bicycle
The pictures show this one doesn't still have the red white and blue spangly tassels on the handlebars, altho the one I had didn't have all the plastic spoke thingies still on it... And mine had a white plastic wicker looking basket with daises on it on the handlebars.
Actually the first time I tried to ride it was even traumatic than simply being a boy with a very girls bike .
My dad (who was probably a little lit at the time) had me out in our driveway and started me by the big rock and headed me towards the house which was a slight downward slope. He said he would keep up with me and not let me fall. He lied. Not only did he not follow me or let me not fall, he became incapacitated with laughter when I did fall over into a big ass mud puddle.
So covered in mud with my father unsympathetically bent over laughing, I began crying and ran into the house for the comfort of my mother. She hears me screaming and bawling and comes steaming up the stairs, but her initial worry turns instantly to rage when she sees that I am covered in mud and spreading said mud all over the hallway.
This lead to the one and only time I was ever spanked. By my mother. While my dad was outside laughing.
Needless to say I didn't even want to try riding a bike for a couple years after that.
I do seem to recall my dad finally showing up in the house once he had caught his breath and my mom feeling kind of bad because she spanked me for something that was kind of his fault. However she was still pissed about all the mud. At least my dad got me back outside and hosed me off.
I can only imagine how much different life would have been had they found a used Evil Kenievel one
...I probably still would have fallen in the mud...
3 comments:
I received one of these miss america bikes for my 10th birthday, which is in april. Being from Iowa, the gravel roads in my tiny town were still slushy with snow. I had to take her out for a ride. I remember cruising down the road on my pride and my feet slipping off the pedals. My butt hit the bars, ouch! She was my best friend. Its funny now that I'm getting older, I find things from my past to reminisce about. Im now 48. I went to my parent's just the other day and saw a pile of junk loaded on a trailer waiting to go the junk yard. I started browsing thru it and a chain guard caught my eye, it was from my miss america bike. Along side that laid 2 fenders that also came from my bike. When I asked my dad what happened to my bike he said it was all junk. I grabbed the three parts and brought them home with me. Not sure what I will do with them. Man I loved that bike.
I slso received this bicycle for my 9th birthday in 1976. Same. Clear sparkly grips with red, white snd blue tassels and white wicker basket complete with 2 offset daisies and no colored spoke covers.
I used to ride her all over the dirt roads of the campground in northwestern Connecticut where we lived every summer .I remember the chain fender rattling as i walked it back to our home away from home.. It was my pride and joy, especially because what 9 year old girl wasn't dreaming of becoming Miss America herself one day? I sure was!
Thank you for writing your story. I'm a guy and my parents got me that bike for a very cheap price at a flea market. Shortly thereafter I learned that a boy's bike has a bar from the seat to the steering (more chance to hurt you bad if you fall forward I guess).
Post a Comment