Oh, the Big Wheel.

Image via The Cabin.

Do you remember that very specific gritty sound it made while your rode it? Plastic meeting concrete? So wonderful.

Even more awesome than an Eames Chair.

I remember seeing mine under our glorious snow-flocked Christmas tree gleaming in the California winter sun.  I almost swooned with joy.  I know this girl’s unbridled joy.

Image via: melinnis.

If you think about toys from the seventies, I bet the Big Wheel comes to mind pretty quickly. As it should. It seems to always be in the background of many a photo taken during that time period.

Image via: The Season of Plums and Cobblestones.

Heck, it was even featured in The Shining as the kid’s favorite mode of transportation around the hotel. Perhaps the twin girls wanted to take a ride?

Really, who could resist the wonders of the Big Wheel? Not even CAPTAIN CRUNCH!

Introduced by the Marx company in 1969, the Big Wheel became hugely popular in the U.S. partly because of its low cost to make and secondly because consumer groups said it was a safer alternative to the traditional tricycles of bikes since it was so low to the ground.

Image via: Deco Dog.

And thirdly, there were so many version you could buy!

(note the little seat up front, so your Barbie could roll in style with you…)

Oh, and don’t worry, they did have one for you Qbert fans out there. All four of you.

Images via: Original Big Wheel, Muppet Wikia, and Val*Jean.

Yes, you can buy a big wheel now for your kiddo.  But for the young at heart, there is BYOBW—Bring your own Big Wheel race down the world’s most crooked street in San Francisco. And it looks to be one part spectacular and one part terrifying.

 

But next year, I’m going!