Big Wheel

Get down low, start pedaling and spin it around! The Big Wheel turned the driveway into a racetrack.

A huge plastic wheel in front, two little wheels in back, a seat about six inches off the ground and pedals attached directly to the front wheel. Climb aboard and start pedaling. Once you got moving, there was a trick - crank the handlebars all the way to one side, lock up that big front wheel and spin out.

The Big Wheel became a fixture of driveways and sidewalks in the 1970s. It sat much lower than a bicycle or traditional tricycle, which made it feel completely different to ride. You weren't perched up over the wheels. You were practically sitting on the pavement.

The low plastic seat also meant the Big Wheel could take a fair amount of abuse. Race down the driveway. Skid the back wheels around. Pedal as fast as you could. Eventually the plastic wheels developed that familiar worn look and rough, rattling sound from being dragged and skidded across concrete.

Big Wheels have disappeared and returned under different manufacturers over the years, but the shape is unmistakable. One enormous front wheel, two little back wheels and a kid sitting down low enough to make every driveway feel like a racetrack.