My favorite bike:
1971 Western Flyer Buzz Bike, new on Dec. 25, 1971. Sparkle-purple banana seat, intimidating forward-swept riser-bars with sparkle-purple grips, tri-leg seat supports, multi terrain tires. The seat could accommodate 3 small kids or 2 fat ones. The crescent shaped seat also afforded excellent rear-weight bias for wheelies of 3" or even 4" off the ground, while the potent coaster-brakes provided adequate skid-marking capabilities.
This was a street monster with 2 LP (leg power) and a top speed of faster than the wind and almost faster than the neighbor’s bad-tempered wiener dog (RIP Bratwurst Von Weenersnitzel). It had pretty good climbing ability, as long as you were going downhill. It was pretty good off-road as well (at least once I got the training wheels off and didn’t get high-centered all the time!)
Had many an adventure on this sparkle-purple bad boy. I once jumped over 2 & 3/4 of my friends from a super sketchy homemade ramp built out of rocks and cardboard. (Sorry Kenny!) The bike escaped unscathed, unlike poor Kenny (aka Stumpy).
This was pretty much the key to freedom back in the good old days when your parent said get out of the house and don’t come back til dinner time. Good times. I think I still have the sparkle-purple grips around somewhere.