Yeah, I guess I'm nuts...

GoldenMotor.com

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
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I was gonna become a member of the 20 MPH club, just because it seemed pretty sensible when I thought about it. Then this kid on an un-motorized Schwinn Stingray (the newer kind with the fat rear tire) challenged this here old man to a race.

I actually did try to discourage him at first. "You see there's a motor on here? Right?" He says I'm chicken. "We're talking a single speed pedal bike versus a two-stroke gas engine!" Bawk, bawk, bawk..."Okay fine!"

We took the nearly deserted lane in the back of the park and, just because I wanted an extra measure of what little safety could be had, I posted some of his buddies along the side to wave at us if it looked like anything would go wrong. I let him give the word to go.

Of course I smoked him. I told him that would happen. BUT: he wasn't as far behind as I expected him to be! And he was panting for real! He wants to try again sometime. He's gonna practice until he can take me. Ya know, he's got moxie. Get him a decent old ten-speed, he might just pull it off.

PS - stuff I almost left out: the kid's not a total stranger. We see him around the mobile home park quite a bit; he does live here. I don't know his name but I think I've worked on his bike. And safety gear was also involved in our exploit, as always, so maybe I'm not 100% nuts.
 
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Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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That is cool Allen. Gotta respect him for the effort and not giving up even after defeat.

Kudos to you for spending the time. Kids on a mission of some sort are so less apt to get in trouble and the crazy kid stuff.
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
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UPDATE: would you believe he's actually out here practicing, I think. I see him cruising, and occasionally flying, by out here almost every afternoon now. He was serious. He actually plans to seriously take on my motorbike. I'm beginning to think he might sometime do it.
 

DIANY

New Member
Mar 8, 2012
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nampa
how old is the kid? i have s stingray and i thing i could beat you.. =) i ride a LOT! at least 10 mi a day.. max speed on a flat is 23, 30 downhill....
 

d_gizzle

Active Member
May 29, 2012
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Tell the kid to put a smaller freewheel on the rear wheel and a bigger one on the chainring. Then he'll be 'Cooking with Pam'.

Or a bmxer with a 50t chainring/16t freewheel. I use a 52 on the front but not everyone can break/bend pedal arms/cranksshafts.
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
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Indianapolis
how old is the kid? i have s stingray and i thing i could beat you.. =) i ride a LOT! at least 10 mi a day.. max speed on a flat is 23, 30 downhill....
This kid is maybe ten or twelve. And I think, if he can get up to 23 too, he could beat me. The road we picked is maybe 200 yards; not long at all. He always takes the lead for a second, then I blow by him. But the road's not long enough for me to get up even close to full speed. If I had a mile, I'd beat him every time (but I think he knows that).

He knows if he can keep his lead before I run out of street, he's got me. I may ask him about swapping sprockets - see what he says. He seems to want to learn more about bikes in general.
 

d_gizzle

Active Member
May 29, 2012
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That was my suggestion about the sprocket and if he's only ten or twelve then I KNOW I would smoke you. And it doesn't matter if its a mile or not. 20/25mph cruise speed with 52t/16t on 20 inch wheels. Where are you? I got a pile of parts for that kid.
 

tooljunkie

Member
Apr 4, 2012
663
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Manitoba,Canada
cool,help him build a bike that CAN beat you,would certainly be a memorable moment in his life.
like my buddy that took a 4 year old into the big excavator,a year later he still talks to the" backhoe guy",i think they are buds for life.
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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That really is so cool Allen. TJ is right, your doing that kid a world of good that will be a great memory for life and a standard he will hold himself up to.

Not really a ramble and sort of on topic. Heard this thing on NPR a while back about a game reserve in Africa. They had a bunch of adolescent male elephants who would go kill neighboring rhinos just for sport at night. They couldn't figure out how to protect them. They ended up bringing in an adult bull male elephant and that night the young bulls stopped attacking the rhinos.

A good mentor lives forever even if only in memory.


.flg.