I remember it quite clearly, it was a cold and snowy winter; 1989 I believe it was and my birthday had just happened to fall a few days after I had trashed my KENT going over a pothole. I woke up one morning and I watched cartoons as I normally would, Then I heard a strange knocking on the porch door. I approached the door at a slow and steady pace, and as I looked out I saw the shiniest piece of cromoly I ever saw in my life. It was a 1981 Mongoose California Supergoose 2, A pro BMX bike, with a really cool number-plate on the front! The bike was in really nice condition seeing as it was nearly 8 years old. The racing tires had fresh new grip, the brakes were crisp and working, and the crank turned ever so smoothly. But as the days passed on I didn’t keep up with making the bike clean and lubricating the bearings, and by about 1995, I just didn’t use it anymore. Anyway why would I need a little single speed BMX bike when I had a 10 speed Murray Explorer! Well that bike didn’t last long, I wrecked it in a matter of about 10 months. So I asked for another bike from my parents, and I got one. A 1996 Mongoose Switchback …Now this was actually a mountain bike, it didn’t have any suspension but it rode well. Anyway to get to the point I also wrecked that bike by bending the front fork (that’s another story). So then I got the bike I have now, 1998 GT Saddleback. But I still had this Tank sitting in my garage collecting dust, it was full of rust and there was 20-year-old dirt on the wheels and chain ring. Should I sell it? Should I give it to charity? Then I thought what am I thinking? This was my first real bike. I couldn’t get rid of it! It was my history! So one day SFA and I decided the Tank needed restoration. So we got out our Zep, our Brillo, and our rags, and we cleaned like no tomorrow. By the end of the day; the frame, fork, single-piece-crank and the pedals were as shiny as ever, and not a blotch of rust remained. And now the tank just sits in my garage waiting for me to earn some money to fix it up and buy parts for it.
If you would like to make a contribution to the SAVE THE TANK FUND; please follow these simple instructions: make check payable to BIKESHOW, and give them to Hans, SFA or me; JDOGG
