My neighbor across the street had this quarter-pipe skate ramp in their drive way that was ~6ft tall and dropped directly onto the concrete. When we were kids we'd climb up and drop down, countless times we'd biff it and face plant or scrape up our elbows. Oh the joys of being a kid. Then a few years later while i was still ~7 years old i remember the owners had teenagers and someone was shot and killed on the very same quarter-pipe i use to ride on. Memories =)
I love how since the tires were made of plastic and the thing had no traction after a few months, they turn that in to a selling point! "SPINNING!" Yeah, you couldn't help but spin out after awhile.
my little bro had one, you could hear wherever he was, they were noisy, LOL he had hours and hours of fun with that thing, and it lasted for years, :)))
The Big Wheel was the coolest thing on three wheels ever invented. When you had one you were a god to all the other kids on the block. The only problem with the Big Wheel was that the plastic tires wore out fast with all that spinning, and they weren't easily replaced. Lord, I miss mine.
I had like 3 big wheels total when i was a kid. I even had a steel version of the big wheel but I can't remember what it was called or the company that made it. But I do remember a lever steering control ride like the big wheel called the "green machine"... It never caught on like the big wheel though... fun times....
A few years before the Big Wheel, a similar toy was put out, I believe by Mattel, and it was made out of metal, not plastic! It was about the same size as the Big Wheel and almost the same design, but it was a silver-blue color, was heavy as hell and I believe had some licensing connection with a TV show or movie character, maybe James Bond 007, and was called something like the "X-11". I was very young at the time so I don't know exactly. Does anyone else remember this thing?
@macroevolve or when you would try to take of fast and the wheel would just spin, that made me mad so bad. but i guess i was a smart little kid cause i found a old fan belt for one of my dads car and wrapped that around the wheel. i miss my damn big wheel
I never had one as I had a bike..but few kids in our block had one and let me tell you they were great rides….because you were so low, you felt as if you were going 100 miles per hour…then they came with the break which made you spin….thanks for the post...
I wanted one of these so bad after this commercial, but my Mom told me "those are dangerous" and I never got one. We did get yamaha mini enduros the next year. Go figure.
haha I remember Packs of the kids barrelling down the street on these dam things with the hard plastic wheels it sounded like a train was coming down the frigging street
i remember having one with the "power" brake! i grew up in san francisco and i would start at the top of a hill, ride it next to the houses, hit the mini ramps (driveways) on the way down, hit every green light and ride down for blocks! only thing that sucked was the hike back up the hill to do it again... : )
I had 2 Big Wheels the 1st one I did so many spin outs on it that the right wheel with the blue brake handle completely wore down and had a hole in it that got bigger & bigger and finally it had to be put to rest. One of the best toys I ever had.
If only the front wheel would have been rubber coated you could have went so much faster, I would have gladly traded the ability to spin out for speed.
I have fond memories of my Big Wheel. My family didn't have a lot of extra money in the 1970's. But my dad and mom scrimped and saved to buy me one. I rode it for a few years till i got too big for it. And the tires worn down. Good memories.
I had so much fun on these in the 70's that I couldn't wait to buy them for my kids...got a pink one of my daughter. They had a much fun a I did...great invention to replace the tricycle
Funny story... back in 1970, we had a 100-pound 4 year old on the block. He was so heavy, the middle used to sag and cause it to wear out right where the seat met the upright curve to the handlebars! He pretty much did this within a couple of months... I think in the matter of 2-3 years, he had received 4-5 new big wheels because he wore them out so fast! Yes, they were great, wish I had one but had many chances to use them!
The Big Wheel was the Volkswagen Beetle of kid's riding toys when I was little - they were easy to ride, needed little in the way of upkeep (you could leave it out in the rain all week, and it would still run fine), and everyone had one. And if you didn't, there were always plenty of them lying around to "borrow" for a hour of two! I recall racing at top speed down Suicide Hill in Annapolis, MD on Big Wheels, having spectacular wipeouts with no major injuries. Kids/parents today are wusses.
What I remember most about "Big Wheels" is that the front wheels were hollow plastic and if they broke, you'd end up with a round tire with a chord taken out of it...
The comments in here are great, I can't stop laughing! I never had a Big Wheel but had plenty of friends that did have one that shared. What a blast it was. You rode in the street, preferable down a large hill like I did! lol! We had great toys when we were kids, we had ride ons that gave us exercise and moved our bodies. I had Marvel the Mustang...he was the best! lol!
Kids today sit in a stupid car that's battery powered. They don't use their legs, or get exercise. In 20 years, the USA will become even more of a nation of weaklings.
@sixsixxsixxxx let me guess....you're a FAT. OBESE. 20-something, high blood pressure, glued to a video screen. Your life expectancy is lower than mine....Keep up your foul language, you add nothing to society except to drive up health care costs. I'll see millions of you fat young jerks buried before I die.
@chrisradano yeah today's cars just drive themselves no needing to push the gas pedal, no just get on the freeway and sit criss cross applesauce in the freeway woohoo totally
So true. It's no surprise there's such an obesity problem among young people. I was just a little too old for a Big Wheel when they came out, but my brother and I (in our 50s now & never overweight) had trikes that we peddled like crazy, and a little blue jeep that didn't take the curbs too well! We took those babies over country terrain, not just pavement! And if we fell off, our parents didn't run to the lawyer. We just took our cuts and bruises and learned how to do it better next time.
@chrisradano I had a battery-powered car in the late 60s, a white Stutz Bearcat. I couldn't ride on it all that much because the battery would run down too fast, so most of my time was still spent on bikes, Big Wheels, the horses or my own feet. Video games have done more to kill kids' legs than battery-operated toys have, along with parents who don't shove their kids out the door after breakfast like mine did! Kids sitting around in the house all day was a big no-no in our family.
Yeah, because it's such a great idea having preschoolers fancying themselves daredevils, all the while being so low to the ground, lower than any car hood, and impossible to see as he skids out in his driveway, right into oncoming traffic. I hate big wheels for that. Plus they make such a horrible racket. I'm an old scrooge.
One of my favorie toys! I went through 2 of them. Circa 1970-73. Used to go like hell down the hill! And yes the front tire would wear/flatten out from when you locked up the front wheel and went into a skid. The great thing was when the thing was totally shot..you could remove the rear wheels and put them on that go kart you would build!
I was so desperate to own one, in 74 or 75 when I was 8, I paid a 5 or 6 yr old who lived down the street $1 in quarters (1 weeks allowance) to buy his. Needless to say, his parents had to intervene that same afternoon and repo'd the childhood ride of my dreams. I was soooooo bummed! Stupid parents! This was OUR deal! What did they know? It was like the dealership telling you the financing was denied after owning the Lamborghini for a weekend!
Big wheels were the most fun. I never had my own, but would ride all my friend's all the time. I was thinking about them recently and wondered what ever happened to them. I don't know if they still make them. That's a fun toy that should never go out.
got mine in 69-70 first year out, mom saved all year for that toy. got pulled by bikes or pushed by bigger kide so i could jump home made ramps , high speed brodies and races,but it lasted all year then broke in half jumping hi ramps.
@yellafever It's usually no big deal if you do it right. You lean opposite of the direction of the skid. Lean left while the back spins to the right. The center of gravity is really low and the tires had very little traction (hard plastic on cement is NOT all that good!).
I remember way back (early 80's) when when a buddy and I stole some kids big wheel and rode it down a half mile hill at about 2 in the morning...then load back up in his car drove it back to the top and did it again. After several runs..the damn thing fell apart..so we chucked it in a drainage canal. Good times.
@dlnorton3001 So you cherish the memory of being a thief and wrecking some kids big wheel? Do us all a favor and do not breed please and if you have already please consider adoption.
BEST TOY EVER!!!! As a mature adult, I carry no shame in saying that if they made an adult version today, I would have no problem riding it to work. Hell, I'd even pull a spin out in the parking lot!
@CairnTerrier69 Did you have the same problem as I did? The plastic wheels always wore out by spinning your "big wheel" around. I'd be right beside you buying the adult verson of the big wheel. Then we can do a spin out in the parking lot together...
@ronofontario I never had one myself, but used many... The adult version sounds great too... and get a "Sit and Spin" while we're all at it! (My son had a S&S 10 yrs ago... he'd crank that thing incredibly fast. I'm surprised he never puked!)
I had one of those and loved it. Unfortunately, I have scars on my knees and elbows to this day. It happened when I did the spin. I fell right off of it.
Marx Toys were built where I live, and the father of one of my friends was an engineer there. My friend said that his dad invented the Big Wheel. He also said that his dad brought home all of the toys they made, and 'tested' them at home...Marvel the Mustang, Rock 'em Sock 'em robots, the works! I didn't know my friend as a kid, but just his mentioning it makes me jealous!!
My cousin did a wheelie on his and went too far back, smashed his head on the brick patio. I remember his dad picking him up, the bloody gash in the back of the kid's head, and running him to the hospital across the street. Cousin came back with big black stitches and a Jack Nicholson attitude. We didn't have no steenkin' product liability laws back then, and life was good!
I remember going riding thru the nhood in that. We were masters of our universe riding in that b4 we graduated to big bikes. We played outside for hrs riding in the middle of the street.
I remember mine had a blue box on the back behind the seat. My mom would pack me a lunch to put in there and I'd ride to the end of the street and eat it. I was the king of the world!
I always wore out my wheels in no time. These were an awesome part of my childhood. Also, the big kids used to tow us around the block on their bikes. You wanna talk about letting go of the rope and spinning out!!!!
These were so much fun, until you made a fast turn and your wheel got caught in the crack of the sidewalk, which would usually send you flying with the Big Wheel tumbling after you. Still have the scars from my horrific Big Wheel accident. I'd get in one again in a minute though if they made 'em big enough for grown ups.
I got one when I was a kid and when I outgrew mine my little sister got it. Kids nowadays have little or no concept of playing outside; they'd rather play Wii or XBox games, or sit around and text their friends instead of walking down the street to their houses and actually, you know . . . TALK to them. Long live nostalgia and retro TV commercials like this one!
@elc1960 AMEN. Luckily my son (14) is a kid who loves getting outside and doing stuff (building forts, bike riding, etc. etc.) . Yes he loves his video games, but is not "addicted". I am disheartened when I see my nephews zoned in front of video games from the time we arrive to visit until we leave several hours later. they are missing waaaay too much.
Hey kids where's your helmets, knee pads, arm pads, gloves and sunscreen ? Don't forget your whistle if strangers are around. Better yet we'll get you a cell phone. And don't forget to stay in the driveway. Oh to hell with it...just stay inside and play video games......we'll sue that company for not putting disclaimers on the commercial. Someone could get hurt.!!
Somehow we made through OUR childhood and I for one had a great time. I miss my Big Wheel :O )
@1984ledzep I remember going down the hill in front of my house really fast and biffing on to my lawn, didn't break a bone and did it multiple times after with friends. I loved my childhood without video games.
@JoNnYShizzle Hahaha...I remember that too....sliding and crashing was the best part. I'm glad I grew up when you still built a "fort" and video games hadn't really hit. The big video game when I was kid was space invaders. Kids would laugh there ass off at that now :0 )
@1984ledzep Just mentioning "fort" sent a wave of nostalgia through my veins. I remember one time in particular where my sister, some buddies and I built a massive fort in my basement. It was fantastic, so many secret entrances, a tv, a radio, opening and closing door (via string at the back of the fort) windows, tunnels, and one central area which consisted of a broom holding up a blanket. Such great times. And don't get me started on the forts in the woods by my house!
@1984ledzep That is so true! Today's kids are turning into little wimps with all the safety restrictions! Glad I grew up in a different (and better) era!
@1984ledzep i had a big wheel,ive bought all my neices big wheels for either christmas or there birthday by the time they turned 4,im 40 years old and my wife and i were childless till january 3, 2010 when we were blessed with the first male child in my family since i was born in 1970.GUESS what he's getting for christmas?even though he's not big enough to ride it yet.
@slinginguitarman ..Congrats and all the best with your son.... Hope he has lots of fun on that big wheel when he is old enough to ride it. You know I was thinking now that Christmas is approaching they don't have any commercials for kids toys like that anymore. Guess it's more high tech now or I'm just and an old fart....Big Wheels are still cool, though !!
@1984ledzep thank you so much for your kind words and your right about the commercials,with todays toys you don't have to use your imagination like we did,btw i didn't realize how much i was going to have to give for a big wheel,the last one i bought was in the mid 90's,but he's still gettn one,thanks again and i hope you and your famly have a wonderful christmas.
I feel sorry for kids today. I'm not making my boy wear a stupid helmet (also a way to guarantee sales to businesses; thanks fascist governments!), and I applaud the few "scofflaw" kids who don't wear them!
If they only knew all the bike-riding I did, the accidents I had without helmets (or seat belts), yet I came through scot-free.
Damn, even way back then, I would have my homies pimp my ride. They would put a bigger wheel in front. I had all the best lookin chicks on the block. Damn, I was sooo good, I never paid for my girl scout cookies, they would just give them to me.
I remember my mom got so tired of hearing my neighbors big wheel she waited for him to go to sleep and took the wheels off and buried them in the yard. Poor kid only had the frame left.
My neighbor across the street had this quarter-pipe skate ramp in their drive way that was ~6ft tall and dropped directly onto the concrete. When we were kids we'd climb up and drop down, countless times we'd biff it and face plant or scrape up our elbows. Oh the joys of being a kid. Then a few years later while i was still ~7 years old i remember the owners had teenagers and someone was shot and killed on the very same quarter-pipe i use to ride on. Memories =)
LaenPvP 4 weeks ago
I don't remember this too much, probably because it didn't have a jingle.
jrg8008 1 month ago
Jeez its been 35 yrs since I've seen this ad.
I notice the theme music had hints of the Speed Racer theme. lOl
sammy2trees 2 months ago
I rode the shit out of mine until the wheel fell off, literally.
djbzerk 2 months ago in playlist OLD COMMERCIALS
I loved my Big Wheel!
Lyko74 3 months ago
I love how since the tires were made of plastic and the thing had no traction after a few months, they turn that in to a selling point! "SPINNING!" Yeah, you couldn't help but spin out after awhile.
SenseiSixString 4 months ago
I had one that was pink and yellow! I was that chick back in the day, and yes they were loud! Lol! Those were the dayz!
SpecialK771 4 months ago
old school you know whats up
paragon215 4 months ago
my little bro had one, you could hear wherever he was, they were noisy, LOL he had hours and hours of fun with that thing, and it lasted for years, :)))
codycobourg 4 months ago
yes i had won back in the 1980
shaggyolsen 4 months ago
When will they build one for adults?
Thorpe741 4 months ago
Every time the Announcer kept saying "Winning!", I kept thinking of Charlie Sheen.
RWhettstone 4 months ago 3
@RWhettstone Ha ha ha Lol I was going to type that myself when I saw your post.
mainmedic 1 month ago
The scares I have from my big wheel.
tdrewman 5 months ago
rofl.. i had a few of these in the day
idkzero 5 months ago
I liked the green machine. The one with two levers.
BigOrangeTitan 5 months ago
The Big Wheel was the coolest thing on three wheels ever invented. When you had one you were a god to all the other kids on the block. The only problem with the Big Wheel was that the plastic tires wore out fast with all that spinning, and they weren't easily replaced. Lord, I miss mine.
Andacar62 5 months ago
@Andacar62 That is so true.
xxSyphenxx 5 months ago
Man I loved these. Mine had a hand side brake on the right real wheel so you could do spinouts.
danieljh 6 months ago
I had one...I tried doing the spinny part....I flipped instead T .T
JAWZZZ17 6 months ago
I had like 3 big wheels total when i was a kid. I even had a steel version of the big wheel but I can't remember what it was called or the company that made it. But I do remember a lever steering control ride like the big wheel called the "green machine"... It never caught on like the big wheel though... fun times....
engymassX 7 months ago
I had the dukes of hazard one
chulisohombre 7 months ago
A few years before the Big Wheel, a similar toy was put out, I believe by Mattel, and it was made out of metal, not plastic! It was about the same size as the Big Wheel and almost the same design, but it was a silver-blue color, was heavy as hell and I believe had some licensing connection with a TV show or movie character, maybe James Bond 007, and was called something like the "X-11". I was very young at the time so I don't know exactly. Does anyone else remember this thing?
RRaquello 7 months ago
I MISS MY BIG WHEEL!!!
WAHHHH!!!!!
Trund27 7 months ago 2
The bad thing about these was, that you'd get a flat spot on the front wheel from skidding too much...so much for hollow plastic wheels
macroevolve 7 months ago 2
@macroevolve Oh, my god, yes. That did suck. I remember that.
Trund27 7 months ago
@macroevolve or when you would try to take of fast and the wheel would just spin, that made me mad so bad. but i guess i was a smart little kid cause i found a old fan belt for one of my dads car and wrapped that around the wheel. i miss my damn big wheel
damagebrain1 6 months ago
Do they still sell these today?
SunnyValeTP1 7 months ago
I never had one as I had a bike..but few kids in our block had one and let me tell you they were great rides….because you were so low, you felt as if you were going 100 miles per hour…then they came with the break which made you spin….thanks for the post...
t2t3456 7 months ago
If you were trying to go up a hill in this thing, it was impossible. The wheels had no traction. I think the center of gravity was too far back.
YesYou123333 7 months ago
Hahaha God damn look at the stunts they had these kids do for this commercial.
CarlChub 7 months ago
0:05 That cat are not amused :P
pawel1818 8 months ago 3
Winning!!
spwb2k 8 months ago 3
I had a Green Machine back then. All the "Big Wheel" kids were gay.
PERIOD!!!!!
RandomShellAccount 8 months ago
UMMMMM the spinning part!? UMMMMMM I don't remember ever being able to do THAT
alovelyjessture 8 months ago
I wanted one of these so bad after this commercial, but my Mom told me "those are dangerous" and I never got one. We did get yamaha mini enduros the next year. Go figure.
husky500cr 8 months ago
haha I remember Packs of the kids barrelling down the street on these dam things with the hard plastic wheels it sounded like a train was coming down the frigging street
5uspended4nimation 8 months ago
WINNING!!......Charlie Sheen needs one of these
SELFISHPETE 9 months ago 3
i remember having one with the "power" brake! i grew up in san francisco and i would start at the top of a hill, ride it next to the houses, hit the mini ramps (driveways) on the way down, hit every green light and ride down for blocks! only thing that sucked was the hike back up the hill to do it again... : )
victorr1972 9 months ago
I had 2 Big Wheels the 1st one I did so many spin outs on it that the right wheel with the blue brake handle completely wore down and had a hole in it that got bigger & bigger and finally it had to be put to rest. One of the best toys I ever had.
keef186 9 months ago
I always wanted a bigwheel especially the one's with the breaks. My alltime favorite had to be the CHIPs bigwheel lol
rjam1974 9 months ago
Today's kids have absolutely no idea what they're missing.
rubicon1983 9 months ago 3
@rubicon1983 yeah...nothing.
sixsixxsixxxx 8 months ago
@rubicon1983 I do. If I could trade my real birth year (1996) for a year like 1970, I would do it in a heartbeat. :-(
DisneyBlackJet 7 months ago 2
@DisneyBlackJet Me too!
JakeandElwoodBlues 7 months ago
If only the front wheel would have been rubber coated you could have went so much faster, I would have gladly traded the ability to spin out for speed.
SunsetSupermanRMB 9 months ago
I have fond memories of my Big Wheel. My family didn't have a lot of extra money in the 1970's. But my dad and mom scrimped and saved to buy me one. I rode it for a few years till i got too big for it. And the tires worn down. Good memories.
Buffalobigboy69 9 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Charley Sheen made this commercial when he was a kid~
willchrisbow 10 months ago
Charley Sheen made this commercial when he was a kid~
willchrisbow 10 months ago
@willchrisbow WINNING!!!!!!!
TheElectricSalad 10 months ago
Thats Claude Kirchner talking , remember him from Terrytoon Circus with Clownie ?
1952kid 10 months ago
Big Wheel was the best thing ever. Unless you were trying to go up a steep hill.
MrDonkDonkerson 10 months ago
ya gotta love that cool background music...lol
jfilesbooks 10 months ago
The wheel always got a flat spot!!
TheBonzoMontreux 11 months ago
Marx is spinning in his grave
DerOrk 11 months ago
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@DerOrk Hahaha! I am still laughing over that one....
TheCaptainSlappy 11 months ago
I had so much fun on these in the 70's that I couldn't wait to buy them for my kids...got a pink one of my daughter. They had a much fun a I did...great invention to replace the tricycle
virnman 11 months ago
we would tie a rope to it and tow it from the sissy bar on my bike, talk about power slides.
FartFilledBalloons 11 months ago
OMG! I loved my big wheel when I was a kid back in the 80's! (37 now) I used to love doing the spinouts! That was just so cool! :)
SueJackson0 11 months ago
Where is the disclaimer saying all stunts are by professional drivers on a closed course... lol
I bet all of the kids in this commercial grew up to do the car commercials today!
goodol69 11 months ago
These woundn't sell as well today. Kids are too busy texting or on the computer !
monte61 1 year ago 2
I remember leaving mine outside in the rain , it would fill up with water, then the next time you rode it, your butt would get soaked.
hypermite01 1 year ago 23
@hypermite01 I miss my bigwheel but do u remember the green machine with the lever that made u do burnouts lol?
darkkjedii1 11 months ago
I had a Big Wheel! Not one of these; I got mine in '94, but the coolness was still there. :)
monny287 1 year ago
was fun till the tires wore out
kotraquin 1 year ago
RIP kitty in the beginning of the video
DenshoGiallo 1 year ago 3
some of the great stories of my childhood are Big Wheel wrecks...
MaestroMitch45 1 year ago
Were these fun or what?
blope332 1 year ago
Funny story... back in 1970, we had a 100-pound 4 year old on the block. He was so heavy, the middle used to sag and cause it to wear out right where the seat met the upright curve to the handlebars! He pretty much did this within a couple of months... I think in the matter of 2-3 years, he had received 4-5 new big wheels because he wore them out so fast! Yes, they were great, wish I had one but had many chances to use them!
jdenicol 1 year ago
The Big Wheel was the Volkswagen Beetle of kid's riding toys when I was little - they were easy to ride, needed little in the way of upkeep (you could leave it out in the rain all week, and it would still run fine), and everyone had one. And if you didn't, there were always plenty of them lying around to "borrow" for a hour of two! I recall racing at top speed down Suicide Hill in Annapolis, MD on Big Wheels, having spectacular wipeouts with no major injuries. Kids/parents today are wusses.
howmer001 1 year ago
stewie's bike
619MYSPACE 1 year ago
The wheels usually had giant holes in them in about 4 months. They became unrideable after about 7 months.
Diskoboy1974 1 year ago
@crismondragon That kid had the R32 model with turbo thrust, plus matching roters and suspended shocks.
EdMahoney19 1 year ago
I got one of these for Christmas in 1967
Manongjojo 1 year ago
I think one of those kids is Eddie Vedder...
papalosopher 1 year ago
What I remember most about "Big Wheels" is that the front wheels were hollow plastic and if they broke, you'd end up with a round tire with a chord taken out of it...
shmuli9 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Adjustable seat so your damn sister can ride it because your mom said you have to let her or she'll put it in the garage.
theantiquegarage 1 year ago
Adjutable seat so your damn sister can ride it because your mom said you have to let her or she'll put it in the garage.
theantiquegarage 1 year ago 4
This is where drifting came from haha.
Shystichu 1 year ago
The comments in here are great, I can't stop laughing! I never had a Big Wheel but had plenty of friends that did have one that shared. What a blast it was. You rode in the street, preferable down a large hill like I did! lol! We had great toys when we were kids, we had ride ons that gave us exercise and moved our bodies. I had Marvel the Mustang...he was the best! lol!
carouselgal 1 year ago
@carouselgal I loved toys from that era too. So awesome!
Trund27 1 year ago
Kids today sit in a stupid car that's battery powered. They don't use their legs, or get exercise. In 20 years, the USA will become even more of a nation of weaklings.
chrisradano 1 year ago 26
@chrisradano Yeah, but at least they've got Grand Theft Auto ... as a little kid I would have loved to run down and shoot innocent bystanders!
librarianeric 11 months ago
@chrisradano oh STFU you moron...go stick ur other foot in the grave instaed of mouthing more old fart cliches
sixsixxsixxxx 8 months ago
@sixsixxsixxxx let me guess....you're a FAT. OBESE. 20-something, high blood pressure, glued to a video screen. Your life expectancy is lower than mine....Keep up your foul language, you add nothing to society except to drive up health care costs. I'll see millions of you fat young jerks buried before I die.
chrisradano 8 months ago
@chrisradano Your ijust made because you didn't get a big wheel for Xmas. So Im I!
fixrammer 7 months ago
@chrisradano Not to mention fat-asses
dam2630 6 months ago
@chrisradano yeah today's cars just drive themselves no needing to push the gas pedal, no just get on the freeway and sit criss cross applesauce in the freeway woohoo totally
MaWiSl 6 months ago
So true. It's no surprise there's such an obesity problem among young people. I was just a little too old for a Big Wheel when they came out, but my brother and I (in our 50s now & never overweight) had trikes that we peddled like crazy, and a little blue jeep that didn't take the curbs too well! We took those babies over country terrain, not just pavement! And if we fell off, our parents didn't run to the lawyer. We just took our cuts and bruises and learned how to do it better next time.
SallieGeee 6 months ago
@chrisradano I had a battery-powered car in the late 60s, a white Stutz Bearcat. I couldn't ride on it all that much because the battery would run down too fast, so most of my time was still spent on bikes, Big Wheels, the horses or my own feet. Video games have done more to kill kids' legs than battery-operated toys have, along with parents who don't shove their kids out the door after breakfast like mine did! Kids sitting around in the house all day was a big no-no in our family.
KaiStarr 6 months ago
@KaiStarr I had a Stutz Bearcat too!
MervynCruddy 5 months ago
Yeah, because it's such a great idea having preschoolers fancying themselves daredevils, all the while being so low to the ground, lower than any car hood, and impossible to see as he skids out in his driveway, right into oncoming traffic. I hate big wheels for that. Plus they make such a horrible racket. I'm an old scrooge.
Larielle 1 year ago
@Larielle
I know; there was a horrid rash of deaths-by-bigwheel in the '70s. Ah, I remember it well.
theOlLineRebel 1 year ago
@Larielle Boooo! Bah-humbug! :0) ( I'm a '70's kid who survived the big wheel era!... ) heh-heh...
jdenicol 1 year ago
One of my favorie toys! I went through 2 of them. Circa 1970-73. Used to go like hell down the hill! And yes the front tire would wear/flatten out from when you locked up the front wheel and went into a skid. The great thing was when the thing was totally shot..you could remove the rear wheels and put them on that go kart you would build!
usrt46 1 year ago
How did you know when Michael Jackson had spend the night company ?.....there were several Big Wheels in his driveway.
jmf257 1 year ago
I had a G.I Joe big wheel. It was camo with guns on the side. I loved that thing.
TheJcp1234 1 year ago
I was never able to do all of those drifts! Those kids are pros!
Virchew 1 year ago
i had one for christmas...my dad dismantled the part that makes that irritating "rumble" noise....lol
jfilesbooks 1 year ago
I was so desperate to own one, in 74 or 75 when I was 8, I paid a 5 or 6 yr old who lived down the street $1 in quarters (1 weeks allowance) to buy his. Needless to say, his parents had to intervene that same afternoon and repo'd the childhood ride of my dreams. I was soooooo bummed! Stupid parents! This was OUR deal! What did they know? It was like the dealership telling you the financing was denied after owning the Lamborghini for a weekend!
WasntMeOfficer 1 year ago
@WasntMeOfficer,lol great story,hope it wasn't too traumatic.
slinginguitarman 1 year ago
@WasntMeOfficer So sad, I'm verklempt... Yeah, I always wanted a big wheel too... I feel your pain (heh-heh)
jdenicol 1 year ago
Big wheels were the most fun. I never had my own, but would ride all my friend's all the time. I was thinking about them recently and wondered what ever happened to them. I don't know if they still make them. That's a fun toy that should never go out.
ladybluluv 1 year ago
got mine in 69-70 first year out, mom saved all year for that toy. got pulled by bikes or pushed by bigger kide so i could jump home made ramps , high speed brodies and races,but it lasted all year then broke in half jumping hi ramps.
what fun kids today have no clue.
mpadil 1 year ago
I think they had to stop making them because of all the lawsuits - parents backing over their kids in the driveway.
baldino3366 1 year ago
@baldino3366 they still make em,walmart . com shows
slinginguitarman 1 year ago
That's really safe to spin fast out of control on cement without a helmet.
yellafever 1 year ago
@yellafever It's usually no big deal if you do it right. You lean opposite of the direction of the skid. Lean left while the back spins to the right. The center of gravity is really low and the tires had very little traction (hard plastic on cement is NOT all that good!).
snowrocket 10 months ago
and yes,they still make,em
slinginguitarman 1 year ago
It's only been 28 years since I got mine. I want another one.
mindeloman 1 year ago
I remember way back (early 80's) when when a buddy and I stole some kids big wheel and rode it down a half mile hill at about 2 in the morning...then load back up in his car drove it back to the top and did it again. After several runs..the damn thing fell apart..so we chucked it in a drainage canal. Good times.
dlnorton3001 1 year ago
@dlnorton3001 So you took my Big Wheel!! Bastard!! LOL
nosajj12345 1 year ago
@dlnorton3001 So you cherish the memory of being a thief and wrecking some kids big wheel? Do us all a favor and do not breed please and if you have already please consider adoption.
juniorspivey 1 year ago
BEST TOY EVER!!!! As a mature adult, I carry no shame in saying that if they made an adult version today, I would have no problem riding it to work. Hell, I'd even pull a spin out in the parking lot!
CairnTerrier69 1 year ago
@CairnTerrier69 Did you have the same problem as I did? The plastic wheels always wore out by spinning your "big wheel" around. I'd be right beside you buying the adult verson of the big wheel. Then we can do a spin out in the parking lot together...
ronofontario 1 year ago
@ronofontario I never had one myself, but used many... The adult version sounds great too... and get a "Sit and Spin" while we're all at it! (My son had a S&S 10 yrs ago... he'd crank that thing incredibly fast. I'm surprised he never puked!)
jdenicol 1 year ago
Some of the best childhood memories for me was riding my big wheel down the street!! They should bring them back so I can buy one for my son...
Capkirk3 1 year ago
they don't make cool toys like thisor the green machine anymore.
SinistaN 1 year ago
WOW BIG WHEELS....
coopwinters 1 year ago
One of my FAVORITE toys growing up!
They also had one with a special trunk in the back of the seat that my Remco Lost In Space Robot rode along in!
Aeolis7 1 year ago
Hell yeah I want one of those. Oh wait a minute it's 2010 not 1970. Jesus.... Oh well¡
umbsix 1 year ago
The Green Machine was way better.
Dragdamar 1 year ago
I remember those loud ass plastic wheels. Some appartment complexes banned those because of the noise. lol
vexviper 1 year ago
Pimp my Big Wheel. Good for riding through spooky hotels in Steven King movies I noticed.
chairmanofthebored1 1 year ago
I had one of those and loved it. Unfortunately, I have scars on my knees and elbows to this day. It happened when I did the spin. I fell right off of it.
deeks1970 1 year ago
I was 10 years old when these were first introduced. I knew that I was "too old" to get one, but I REALLY wanted one!!!
visor109 1 year ago
Yeah, kids today would just look at this Christmas morning with a confused look and say, "awww, i wanted an ipod"! haha
Navdan87 1 year ago
we would ride'em like scooter's, one foot on, and kicking with the other. fun stuff...
lawn darts were the best though.
rashinalleyes 1 year ago
@rashinalleyes Yeah... lawn darts were the best.. too bad some numb-nuts caused a ban on them because they forgot not to aim them at people!
jdenicol 1 year ago
CAN'T IMAGINE TODAY'S KIDS BEING "BOTHERED" WITH THIS KIDDIE TOY. TOO BAD, SO MUCH FUN!!!!
gooboo1000 1 year ago
Marx Toys were built where I live, and the father of one of my friends was an engineer there. My friend said that his dad invented the Big Wheel. He also said that his dad brought home all of the toys they made, and 'tested' them at home...Marvel the Mustang, Rock 'em Sock 'em robots, the works! I didn't know my friend as a kid, but just his mentioning it makes me jealous!!
jln55 1 year ago
My cousin did a wheelie on his and went too far back, smashed his head on the brick patio. I remember his dad picking him up, the bloody gash in the back of the kid's head, and running him to the hospital across the street. Cousin came back with big black stitches and a Jack Nicholson attitude. We didn't have no steenkin' product liability laws back then, and life was good!
annidez 1 year ago
@annidez And I bet your cousin was out riding it a week later!
jdenicol 1 year ago
My brother and I had big wheels. We would wear out the wheels, then Mom would get us new ones....LOL! So much fun!
Frostie1208 1 year ago
The front wheels of those things always use to get holes in them from scraping across the pavement.
Helicon2112 1 year ago
My Big Wheel was my absolute favorite toy. I was crushed when it was stolen!!
ReadyRob 1 year ago
And, of course, Claude Kirschner was "The Voice of Marx Toys"...
fromthesidelines 1 year ago
I remember going riding thru the nhood in that. We were masters of our universe riding in that b4 we graduated to big bikes. We played outside for hrs riding in the middle of the street.
DItto what 1984ledzep said too.
2Ryled 1 year ago
If only they made these for older people...
ArsenRANGER 1 year ago 10
@ArsenRANGER
They do now, Huffyslider look it up
lukem321 1 year ago
I had one. I had a hulk one too I was the coolest kid on the block.
JewLoco 1 year ago
wish i was a kid
anitec19 1 year ago
I remember mine had a blue box on the back behind the seat. My mom would pack me a lunch to put in there and I'd ride to the end of the street and eat it. I was the king of the world!
Lazerrus 1 year ago
finding the steepest driveway in my big wheel and being a bad ass doing it
rubbercheck72 1 year ago
A remnant from back in the days when kids actually played outside...
paktype 1 year ago
I always wore out my wheels in no time. These were an awesome part of my childhood. Also, the big kids used to tow us around the block on their bikes. You wanna talk about letting go of the rope and spinning out!!!!
Childrenofthecornsno 1 year ago
These were so much fun, until you made a fast turn and your wheel got caught in the crack of the sidewalk, which would usually send you flying with the Big Wheel tumbling after you. Still have the scars from my horrific Big Wheel accident. I'd get in one again in a minute though if they made 'em big enough for grown ups.
NoseriderX 1 year ago
I had one!!! It was the bomb! dangerous?? what's that? Not one scratch on me!
chocolateizzy 1 year ago
Are they died?
thinchris 1 year ago
I got one when I was a kid and when I outgrew mine my little sister got it. Kids nowadays have little or no concept of playing outside; they'd rather play Wii or XBox games, or sit around and text their friends instead of walking down the street to their houses and actually, you know . . . TALK to them. Long live nostalgia and retro TV commercials like this one!
elc1960 1 year ago
@elc1960 AMEN. Luckily my son (14) is a kid who loves getting outside and doing stuff (building forts, bike riding, etc. etc.) . Yes he loves his video games, but is not "addicted". I am disheartened when I see my nephews zoned in front of video games from the time we arrive to visit until we leave several hours later. they are missing waaaay too much.
jdenicol 1 year ago
a time b4 helmets
1kissbee 1 year ago
Man I miss being a kid! Anybody remember the Green Machine?
304fannin 1 year ago
Oh yeah, forget about it. You wasn't a pimp, unless you had a damn big wheel baby, lol.
chairmanofthebored1 1 year ago
Hey kids where's your helmets, knee pads, arm pads, gloves and sunscreen ? Don't forget your whistle if strangers are around. Better yet we'll get you a cell phone. And don't forget to stay in the driveway. Oh to hell with it...just stay inside and play video games......we'll sue that company for not putting disclaimers on the commercial. Someone could get hurt.!!
Somehow we made through OUR childhood and I for one had a great time. I miss my Big Wheel :O )
1984ledzep 1 year ago 68
@1984ledzep I remember going down the hill in front of my house really fast and biffing on to my lawn, didn't break a bone and did it multiple times after with friends. I loved my childhood without video games.
JoNnYShizzle 1 year ago
@JoNnYShizzle Hahaha...I remember that too....sliding and crashing was the best part. I'm glad I grew up when you still built a "fort" and video games hadn't really hit. The big video game when I was kid was space invaders. Kids would laugh there ass off at that now :0 )
1984ledzep 1 year ago
@1984ledzep Just mentioning "fort" sent a wave of nostalgia through my veins. I remember one time in particular where my sister, some buddies and I built a massive fort in my basement. It was fantastic, so many secret entrances, a tv, a radio, opening and closing door (via string at the back of the fort) windows, tunnels, and one central area which consisted of a broom holding up a blanket. Such great times. And don't get me started on the forts in the woods by my house!
JoNnYShizzle 1 year ago
@1984ledzep That is so true! Today's kids are turning into little wimps with all the safety restrictions! Glad I grew up in a different (and better) era!
oneblackhorse 1 year ago
@1984ledzep i had a big wheel,ive bought all my neices big wheels for either christmas or there birthday by the time they turned 4,im 40 years old and my wife and i were childless till january 3, 2010 when we were blessed with the first male child in my family since i was born in 1970.GUESS what he's getting for christmas?even though he's not big enough to ride it yet.
slinginguitarman 1 year ago
@slinginguitarman ..Congrats and all the best with your son.... Hope he has lots of fun on that big wheel when he is old enough to ride it. You know I was thinking now that Christmas is approaching they don't have any commercials for kids toys like that anymore. Guess it's more high tech now or I'm just and an old fart....Big Wheels are still cool, though !!
1984ledzep 1 year ago
@1984ledzep thank you so much for your kind words and your right about the commercials,with todays toys you don't have to use your imagination like we did,btw i didn't realize how much i was going to have to give for a big wheel,the last one i bought was in the mid 90's,but he's still gettn one,thanks again and i hope you and your famly have a wonderful christmas.
slinginguitarman 1 year ago
@1984ledzep I agree with you. I miss my Big Wheel, too..... oh, they were so much fun :)
quickturtle 1 year ago
@1984ledzep
I feel sorry for kids today. I'm not making my boy wear a stupid helmet (also a way to guarantee sales to businesses; thanks fascist governments!), and I applaud the few "scofflaw" kids who don't wear them!
If they only knew all the bike-riding I did, the accidents I had without helmets (or seat belts), yet I came through scot-free.
theOlLineRebel 1 year ago
Times sure have changed, it's sad.
dctruckguy 1 year ago
They should make an adult size Big Wheel
PUETUBE1 1 year ago 21
@PUETUBE1 damn right
3rdPR 1 year ago
@PUETUBE1 Their called Monster Trucks! lol
juniorspivey 1 year ago
@PUETUBE1 what, that would be so awesome if they did. I think it would sell like crazy.
Bloodsport1 1 year ago
@PUETUBE1 I would get one in a second!!!!!
Trund27 1 year ago
C'mon, what kid in the 70s didn't have a big wheel? I remember some of them having a side lever to brake it and make it spin.
revaluator 1 year ago
OMG! I had a big wheel! :D (I'm 36 now) Loved my big wheel! I loved doin' the spinouts! Lots of fun! :D
SueJackson0 1 year ago
Damn, I remember my big wheel, now. I forgot I had one back in '78!!!
lcvd1 1 year ago
Cool. This was the one I remember...before Marx added the hand brake and saddlebag.
night0tripper 1 year ago
that would be funny if one kid biffed it
JenaLarise123 1 year ago
I LOVED my Big Wheel, it was soooo much fun!
mothersfreakout 1 year ago
Damn, even way back then, I would have my homies pimp my ride. They would put a bigger wheel in front. I had all the best lookin chicks on the block. Damn, I was sooo good, I never paid for my girl scout cookies, they would just give them to me.
adirondack1965 1 year ago
I remember my mom got so tired of hearing my neighbors big wheel she waited for him to go to sleep and took the wheels off and buried them in the yard. Poor kid only had the frame left.
flamairzah 1 year ago
@flamairzah wow, I kinda like your mom....sounds like she was a blast.
adirondack1965 1 year ago