hunters point mid 70's

..hit the city..

I headed over the bridge last night
into San Francisco(the city).
The bridge has
always blown me away.
The Bay bridge is
actually two bridges
with an island in
the middle. Connecting
Oakland to San Francisco.
Originally when it was
first built in the 1930's
cars drove in both
directions on the top.

The lower level had a commuter
train that ran on it
along with commercial
trucks. As the population grew
and more people got
cars they made the upper deck
one direction, from
Oakland To S.F. The lower deck
now reserved for eastbound
traffic. S.F. to Oakland.
As a kid driving west
across the bridge meant I was
with Mom. She would pick
me up from the east bay
(dad's house) and we
would sway and dip in
her light blue pinto
wagon across the upper deck
pointed west towards
"the city". My Dad is cool,
but back then his temper
was short and had to make
sure my older brother
and i stayed in line. Mom
was different... In
more way's then one. Taking
me skating, to punk
shows,science research
laboratory parties, urban
mini biking, and just
cruising around and
taking in San Francisco. This
was from the ages 5-12.
She moved around the city
a lot, an old bar in dog
patch converted to house,
a warehouse floor in the
old Hamm's brewery building,
and a corner store home
in the panhandle. Always far
out and exciting. So
to this day there is
this anxiety inside
almost every time I
cross that bridge...
but more like a young
kids anxiety
the kind where your eyes
widen and you become silent
and very aware, waiting
to see how this trip to the city
pans out.
When we moved to Oakland
trips across the bridge
became fewer. They actually
started to mean even more.
Maybe to see some crazy
band, or skate contest and
sometimes just run
around golden gate park.
Then i became old enough
to take the train that
goes through the tunnel
under the bay, and that was
the norm. No more bridge,
just the howl of the
train through the tunnel
and the smell of commuters
farting. I missed the bridge,
the view, the air, and
the sound of the tires vibrating
across the expansion
gaps.
The first bike I rode across
the bridge on was a 1972
cb 350. I was in my 20's
and was a little leery about
it... the fucking thing was
slow and the thought of
breaking down on the bridge
is not cool. But like
bombing a hill or dropping
in on a vert ramp, once
you start you got to try to
pull it, the consequences are
not in your favor. Plus i
wasn't about to turn around
on the bridge. So my little
honda whined all the way
across with no problems...
I hit the first exit and turned
back around and headed back
eastbound, victorious and
alive. The more I did it the
more comfortable it became
and the more I could feel that
old excited anxiety
feeling like when i was kid.
Last night was Unseasonably
warm and i had to hit the
city, so I kicked the
shovel to life and pointed it west
towards San Francisco. It
was one of those nights.
Beautiful
and golden. Clear enough
out to see true distance, Alcatraz,
the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit tower,
And that Jagged S.F. skyline
laid out post card perfect.
check it out..... -max-

__ HIT THE CITY __ from max schaaf on Vimeo.

-smokin bud-

rosebud is no joke.
early 70's fresno bike.

"hey babe"

what the fuck is going on here?

-big mama-

-prairie doggin-

took home a prairie dog from the mountains of colorado.
the little guy tried to make it through the front spokes.

!!!!!TOTAL B.S. !!!!!!

not boz scaggs
not billy squier

but.....BOB SEGAR.
A Oakland based cover band that is just too good.

they play a a lot of the early Segar with pre -coors lite- sound.
goodtimes

She wasn't to excited when he would surf the bike, do wheelie's, and other crazy shit involving tickets and late night calls from jail.

Remember this photo from last week......
....i asked david ( the guy that sent the photo) if is his MOM was still alive, and if so what's her take on the photo. He answered this.(see below)


Thanks Max, I am glad you posted it on your blog. Yeah my Mom(Emily Vandiver) is still alive in Alabama and my Dad(Terry Vandiver) rode up until he passed away about 9 years ago. I am currently 30 and live in Tennessee with my Fiance. She rides on the back of my swingarm shovelhead(In Memory of My Dad) that was stripped down completely and rebuilt back up minus all the garbage. The photo was taken out of a news van by Jim Taylor(not the singer) that worked for the Huntsville Times in Alabama. During that time they said there wasn't too many bikes like that in Alabama so it got alot of wanted and unwanted attention. The photo was never really practiced or setup such as a magazine shoot, it just kind of turned out that way. My Mom said it was taken around the late 60's in Huntville, AL where they both lived at the time. My Mom loves the photo. At the time it was taken she may have been a little pissed about all the money that went into the bike not to mention a few other bikes he had at the time for hill climbs, scrambles, and dirt track. She says it was all worth it and can see her smiling on the back of it. She still has those lace up sandals and won't get rid of them due to all the memories they bring up. She wasn't to excited when he would surf the bike, do wheelie's, and other crazy shit involving tickets and late night calls from jail. He said that bike was a bitch to kick. One morning he got up a little dazed and forgot to retard the mag and the thing broke his knee right in half when trying to kick it. So he had to clutch start it down the driveway after the broken knee and a surgery resulting from it. Unfortunately I do not know where the bike is now. It was sold during the late 70's and could be in parts, blown up, or under a tarp somewhere. Maybe I will find it! Thanks again Max, keep building righteous machines. Later, David Vandiver.

So rad david. thanks

see the previous post.......

loud pipes save lives

-valentines days is nearing-

hook her up!

good price

he's actually going backwards....

or fakie or switch.

no front brake

-eat dust-

rob (robbie, robert,bob, bobby, bobert)-
stopped by the shop a while back. He's from
Holland and he and his friend make these
jeans. real nice selvage denim, thick and tuff.
super cool dude, and easy bench to press.
thanks for the jeans.
check em here EAT DUST

.........

nude-ice #36

tons of "sweeeet" stuff
rick's falthead shot by adam
vallejo knuckle barn find
nicke's friends panshovel
keino's bike
and much more!

thanks for doing the spread
on my cross country tool roll.

...Uni-corny.... & A.T.R.

I tried to buy a shirt from jason
at A.T.R. and instead i got a shirt
and some other bad-assery. the pegs
are tiny and cool... but everything
was kind of back burner-ed by the
epoxied UNICORN print.
"how could he get rid of get rid of this?".............................................................



.........cause he has crazy uni-corna karma copia.. and then he found this.

-day of love- today!

check it out!

if you're near, be there
if you're far, drive a car
if you're lost follow the exhaust
if you're broke sell some smoke and go visit them folk
-wish i could of made it-

-fingers-

aaron "fingers" murray

the photos from Venice in the old thrashers were
so strong. the ramp to the wall days down at the beach
must have been intense. dressen,oster,and j.adams.
we would get "fingers" sightings up here in the city every
once in a while when him in julien would be raging around.
he came and skated jakes ramp and it was insane how
from the moment he dropped in to the moment he was off the
board it was all or nothing.... no cruising. he seemed to put
as much energy into one frontside grind as most put into the
whole session.
--------------------------------------------------------------

-Julien Stranger, "5 Great Styles That I Hope Won't Die"
.....coming from julien that say's a lot.



once again stolen from
CHROME BALL INCIDENT

--dump on cue--

let's get organized

--Graper__

the great graper..wow-mom






What's up Max, I just wanted to send you a pic of my Dad and Mom on there XLCH 900. kick only. magneto only. custom paint purple with white that says "Graper". Any ways I hope you enjoy. I'm not to technologically advanced. Later, David

happy ---1.11.11--

below was on 1.1.11
the first day of the new year.
senior wong and i decided to take
a ride out to san quentin. Instead
in the middle of my severe brain freeze
my bike stopped chugging. On that cold, wet, day.
the first day of the new year....after 8000 miles
the mag's condenser decided to quit.

--shoes--

sausage party?

bro gone bad?
starved for attention?

Sean (1970 documentary)

Directed by Ralph Arlyck in 1970, this is easily one of the greatest documentaries ever made... This kid was only 4 & 1/2 years old at the time and lived with his parents in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco... Great stuff!

jill/freedman photos

this is why i don't wear PJ's
aside from that i think they're
gross.... you get stabbed in em.


good form


hair envy


tail draggin


good morning


not good


those drawings!!

chuck&sue 1977

rich ostrander sends this beauty.
his friends back in -77-

-time spanning-?

from the past

::::::Born Free::::::--3--::::::

i was lucky enough to be
invited to born free 3 as one
of the guest builders. i get a little
anxiety just typing that last sentence.
but then i remember last years born-free
and the anxiety fades cause basically the bike
show is just a mass of amazing bikes and the people
that dig them hanging out.
so i tore this panhead apart yesterday to get started
on the build. got me smiling thinking about cruising
it down there....i hope. Thanks MIke.
Born-Free Show Site

-kenny's dad-

my friend Toby Wong McClintok
got these gems from his Co worker
at the factory. Kenny's dad, obviously
San Francisco.






thanks kenny!

_cassandra_ sends some old family photos

this photo is total magic.
having a good time. The more you look
the more you see.
lil ED on the left.

thanks cassandra

~happy new yeAr~

wishing everyone a happy new year
and a thanks for stopping by and helping
support this thing.
may your new year be everything
you wish it to be. -max-