1919

https://www.facebook.com/TheValleyPost/photos/a.851246601597417.1073741828.850996778289066/1608174205904649/?type=3&theater

Charter Hose Carnival
In 1919, the stunt bicycle rider, Oscar V. Babcock preformed at the Charters Hose Carnival, Ansonia. He was known for his "Death Trap Loop & Flume Act", which he took all over the U. S. and parts of the world.
The first part of his act was to climb a 60-foot tower and ride his nickel-plated bicycle down the ramp and around the loop. The second part was to come down the ramp and jump 40-feet across to a platform. That second part at times was called “flying the flume” or “jump the gap”. He would dressed in a silver colored suit to match his bicycle.
Oscar Varley Babcock was born on July 30, 1875 in New York City. He started out as a bicycle racer in 1898, and by 1906, he had started his bicycle loop act. He later included an Indian motorcycle in his loop act. (Evening Sentinel)

Why have I never heard of this hero? And where can I get a silver jumpsuit?

In reply to barefootskater :

If my research is correct, his name was Oscar V. Babcock.

I lived across the street from Charter Hose for 25 years. I'd heard there were carnival events in the open lots on the street long before I lived there. Never heard about the bike stunt guy though.

Edit: Got me thinking so I looked up my old house for fun, someone's lost a lot of money since I sold it.  https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/9-Murray-St-Ansonia-CT-06401/57880646_zpid/

"Hi, I'm Oscar V. Babcock, welcome to Ye Olde Jackasse" *band strikes up theme song*

As of when I'm writing this, the next thread down is "I want to start pedaling to work."  You can't make this stuff up.

In other news, 1919 is the year in which Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata is ambushed and shot dead in Morelos.  The Marlon Brando film "Viva Zapata" was released in 1952.

NOT A TA said:

I lived across the street from Charter Hose for 25 years. I'd heard there were carnival events in the open lots on the street long before I lived there. Never heard about the bike stunt guy though.

Edit: Got me thinking so I looked up my old house for fun, someone's lost a lot of money since I sold it.  https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/9-Murray-St-Ansonia-CT-06401/57880646_zpid/

I'm pretty sure that I've driven past your old house a bunch of times.

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. 

And tomorrow I'll just happen to be seeing some of the biggest names in BMX freestyle....

Not what I was expecting, but cool none-the-less.

Just goes to show that men have been doing stupid stuff for money and/or girls since the beginning of time.

David S. Wallens said:

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. 

And tomorrow I'll just happen to be seeing some of the biggest names in BMX freestyle....

David If you see Mat Hoffman ask him who got the first edition Evel Knievel #'s 1 and 2 when they first came out as frame & fork sets. He sent me # 3 and I've never assembled it, we sold later # F&F sets and completes when they started shipping them.. You can tell him John from Rad Robs wants to know. We sold a lot of Hoffman's.

In reply to NOT A TA :

I know for a fact that I drove past Rad Rob's about a Gaziollion times... both locations, Coram Avenue and Center Street.

Woody said:

In reply to NOT A TA :

I know for a fact that I drove past Rad Rob's about a Gaziollion times...

Started Rad Rob's in 84 I think, named it after my stepson Rob when he was a little kid. He used to say "That was RAD!" We'd say "Ya, that was rad Rob". So when I opened the store as a hardcore BMX/skateboard only store it seemed like a good name. 1st store was in Ansonia. I opened 2nd store on Coram Ave. in Shelton and ran two for a year then closed Ansonia so I wouldn't put Valley Cycle in Ansonia out of business.

Eventually I realized selling mountain bikes, road bikes, little kids bikes, etc. would generate enough additional revenue to carry even more of the hardcore stuff so i kept expanding and moved to Bridgeport Ave (Center St.). We had a great time with that store for 25 years. We had two good sized buildings with 500 bikes, 300 skateboards, and lots of parts and accessories always in stock for a great selection. Most of the employees worked there for many years because they really liked working there. They could have all easily moved on to higher paying gigs and did when I closed it.. I promised myself I'd get out of the 7 day a week retail stores and move South to play with cars year round by the time I turned 50. Rob didn't want to take over a 7 day a week retail business so I put the store on the market but it was in the middle of the recession. Banks weren't giving out any business loans so I never even got a low ball offer. Had long "Going out of biz" sale then packed all the merchandise in big trucks/trailers and shipped it to my home in FL. Filled the entire house to the ceilings and it took 3 years to liquidate most of it on Ebay. Still have stuff I need to get rid of.

I figure we probably crossed paths somewhere when I lived up there and know a bunch of the same people.

City had a limit on signs by the road, only allowing certain sizes etc. BUT, no regulations on vehicle advertising.  Gave the trailer to Joe at JW racing & fabrication in Seymour when I moved.

[URL=http://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/Rad%20Robs/MVC-009F.jpg.html][/URL]

I keep looking at the pic in the OP thinking "40 foot jump!" in 1919. I raced and jumped some of the gnarliest BMX tracks in the USA and don't think I ever jumped quite 40 feet (but maybe) and that was on modern BMX bikes made for the purpose. I broke so many 60's one speed Columbia type bikes (think todays beach cruisers) not even jumping them 10 feet. I wrecked bad quite a few times in my life ending up in emergency rooms or walk in clinics. Worst was breaking my spleen at an ABA Gold Cup Qualifier near Phili and not going to ER for 2 days while bleeding internally, ya no insurance. I can't even imagine the risk Oscar took.