I just turned 28 years old yesterday; like most of us, when I was a kid we didn't wear helmets, gloves, or any sort of padding when riding bicycles around our neighborhood. That day is long since gone. When I turned into a teenager my small North Carolina town implemented a bicycle helmet law for all ages. It's been ATGATT for me ever since.
Back then, though, we were daredevils riding our pieced together, junk bicycles off of ramps made from things we found on the street during trash day. We had everything we ever wanted and nothing we wanted was protective.
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Looking back I thought it was ill-advised and dangerous, until I watched this video of kids and teenagers racing down-hill homemade karts. No gear, no suspension, no brakes. And no fear. I feel like I'm getting a splinter just watching it and now realize these kids are far cooler and more dangerous than I ever was.
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I thought I was cool when I figured out how to mount a playing card to the frame so it'd smack the spokes and make a rumbling noise. Watch these kids and teenagers race home-built karts. When we say home-built, we mean it. No trip to the local Home Depot for these guys; they cut their own lumber. The resulting karts look like something out of The Flintstones. And they're awesome.
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