Nostalgia Time! - Here's some rambling from yours truly from around 812 years ago...
Welcome to the strange world of Kiddie Bikes where a 16" wheel children bikes can be turned into a downhill-monster- funhog-dodgy-deathtrap-fiend-bike. We shall show you how to design and build your own kids bike, bring you the lastest in technological break-throughs and keep you informed on just how fast and dodgy these bikes have got.
Morrison Gremlin Super V - The original kiddy bike. Has been recorded doing 56.8kph offroad.
Components Highlights: Customized Ritchie frame, Rusted Steel hubs, Caliper brakes, Anodized beartrap pedals, wide 20" BMX handlebars, pmip gold stem.
History: One fine Sunday morning of August 1995 I found myself wondering the streets of Wellington after a very successful dinner party. Dressed in my "best" clothes a little voice started demanding "Need to ride, need to ride" but where to get a bike? I found myself in one of the sheds at Mud Cycles looking for a suitable bike. And there it was, a 16 inch wheels Morrison Gremlin that we were selling on behalf of someone. Ringing Jono on his cellphone I got him to pick me up and lend me a helmet. Jono was test riding a GT LTS so we headed off to the resiviour. Attempting to ride a bike with only a coaster brake, no gears and 90mm cranks proved to be more fun than a ferret down your trousers. Many small children were left staring in surprise as Jono blew past them on the LTS only to be followed by me, wearing my job interview clothes and a doctors jacket, my rear wheel locked running into bushes in a bid to slow down. The ride finally ended when my left hand crank fell off on the local BMX track. All ready a voice was whispering "Kiddie Bikes fun, dodgy riding, head-rush, multiple accidents, fun". The next major improvement came when the Hutt Valley Mountain Bike Club ran their totally rad Dual Slalom series. Having never raced before I thought it would be good for a laugh to enter while riding my new toy. Evolution came quickly, I was snapping one seatpost a day, So the frame was sent off to Ritchie who re-welded it into the V-Frame you can see in the picture. This gave the bike good stability on fast downhills. More Kiddie bikes appeared at every Dual Slalom as mountain bikers realized that you could have buckets of fun on something you picked up for $50. In the near future Jono and me plan to conquer the Tip Track, 400 vertical metres of berms and jumps. If we manage it expect to see photos.
Mongoose MityGoose
This is the front of Jonos' Mongoose MityGoose. The front wheel consists of a 36H Sachs Drum Brake radially spoked to a 28H 16" steel rim. Nathan, who built the wheel used 100mm spokes and long nipples. The drum brake gives incredible stopping power enabling the rider to take all the skin off their shins and go over the bars. Jonos' Mitygoose is more manouverable than my Morrison Super V, but not as stable at high speeds. |
