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Green Machine (1976) (thelemmy.club)
submitted 1 month ago by to c/vintageads@sh.itjust.works
46 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Like a Big Wheel, but cooler.

pnpy4QAdUHHUjcl.jpg

all 46 comments

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[–] 79 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Marx Toys

Seize the means of propulsion!

I'll let myself out

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    • [–] 39 points 1 month ago* (2 children)

    One of the greatest toys ever. So many injuries. No regrets.

    We could not afford it, but my cousin had one and we would take turns flinging ourselves down their ridiculously steep and long driveway.

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  • [–] [S] 7 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    I am imagining many shins getting thwacked by madly spinning pedals as it barrels down a steep hill. No ability to coast (right?) So if it goes too fast on a steep hill, you'd have to remove your feet from the pedals and try not to get beat up by it.

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    • [–] 19 points 1 month ago* (2 children)

    We used to play stuntman on our big wheels. We had a hill with grass on it. We'd watch Evil Kneival specials, The 6 Million Dollar Man, and then we'd go launch ourselves off our big wheels into the bushes, inadvertantly finding rocks with our kneecaps and the like. I still have the scars to prove it.

    These Green Machines were for the fancy kids. I still don't understand them. you're using the sticks to turn? What? Why did they make it more complicated than a tractor? There's no brake. You have your pedals. That's it. Big Wheels had a big ol brake you could slam onto one rear tire, force a drifting effect or even spin completely 180 degrees around. I'm surely distorting the facts with my version of memories here.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago

    Don't leave out "The Fall Guy" my brother and I hurt ourselves recreating those stunts.

    Oh and the skid out lever on big wheels were the best! I destroyed more big wheels, skinned knees, mild concussions from that damn bar!

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    • [–] 15 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    I'm a little surprised it was marketed to "8, 9, 10 years old". I'm pretty sure I'd graduated from a big wheeler to an actual bicycle by that age.

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  • [–] [S] 8 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    For comparison, big wheels were advertised 4 - 9, so quite a bit younger range. But there was also a little wheel for 2 1/2 - 4, and a mini wheel for tots 1 1/2 - 3.

    For bikes, pediatric groups have fuzzy ranges and say most children learn some time between 3-9. Random web site claims ahead -> The fraction of children who learn to ride a bike is 75% (UK numbers) where their parents were at 95%. The US was on a similar trend, but since 2018 it has reversed, and there is a surge of children (and adults!) riding bikes.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 month ago*

    I tried and tried to get my kid to ride bikes without training wheels and he refused, always preferred his scooter. Then his friends got annoyed that he couldn't keep up and BOOM. He knows.

    Edit: I worded that poorly. His friends taught him in like 2 days to ride without at age 10, when I'd been trying for like 5 years.

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    • [–] 8 points 1 month ago* (1 child)

    "Wild Wacky Action Bike is almost impossible to steer, and it glows in the dark!"

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc4bvrH6blM

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    • [–] 6 points 1 month ago

    Had one, yes I'm that old :/

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    [–] 5 points 1 month ago

    Hottest ride in town!

    Especially if you left it outside in the hot Arizona sun.

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    [–] 4 points 1 month ago (5 children)

    I so wanted one of these as a kid! I wonder if they make an adult version?

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    • [–] 3 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    Did this toy injure a bunch of kids or something? It didn't survive the natural selection process of toy brands.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 1 month ago

    It did survive in a way: Huffy apparently owns the rights to it now and makes a modernized version with a hand brake. It looks like this.

    By the comments further in the thread, everybody is going, "Had one, suffered lots of injuries, totally worth it though!" So probably a safe bet that many injuries were sustained from these. On the plus side, it doesn't look very easy to flip when you skid it out.

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    • [–] 3 points 1 month ago

    I HAD ONE. IT WAS LEGENDARY.

    Well, my family had one... That counts. Had to share it.

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    [–] 3 points 1 month ago

    This and that song by Кyuss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx_OYqsUzk8

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    [–] 2 points 1 month ago

    I had a hand me down one, most uncomfortable backbreaking seat ever but good lord was it worth it.

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    [–] 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    Did this just brake the rear wheels individually to steer?

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    • [–] 2 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    Looks cooler than the recliner bikes they make these days. Does it come in adult size?

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    • [–] 2 points 1 month ago

    I really, really wanted one of these. But it wasn't to be.

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    [–] 1 point 1 month ago

    Is this how Hexbear got started?

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    [+] -9 points 1 month ago (10 children)

    Why would anyone ride that shit? Like what’s the reasoning?

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  • [–] 29 points 1 month ago (7 children)

    Back in the day, kids used to go outside and do fun things.

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  • [+] -7 points 1 month ago (6 children)

    Back in the day people used to pick up on obvious references

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  • [–] 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    I need a hint

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  • [–] 8 points 1 month ago

    Because that shit was cool as hell. I had one as a kid (not the original, but a 2000s variant). Unwieldy as hell but man was it fun as a kid to make turns that sharp while sitting that low to the ground.

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