I was a little too old for the Big Wheel when they hit the big time back in the early ’70’s, but I remember thinking how cool they were. The big draw was those fat rear tires and the power slide lever on the back end. Those little squirts riding these things down a hill, hitting the brake, and spinning/sliding to a stop was just too much.
Turns out that there are adults(?) with fond memories of riding Big Wheels, and still do ride them! BigWheelRally.com exists to bring together people for, what else; Big Wheel rallies, where they ride their Big Wheels down hills in and around Boulder, CO. I kinda wondered about the pedaling thing… A Big Wheel is nearly impossible for all but the shortest adults to pedal, so many of the trikes are modified to fit. Their photo gallery shows some interesting looking trikes, and also some rally shots, with some awesome looking downhill races. For the downhill races, it looks like many used trikes without pedals, using footpegs instead, which makes sense considering the damage a spinning pedal could cause on a downhill run.
BigWheelRally.com sells Big Wheels, and offers tips on modding a Big Wheel to better withstand an adult rider’s weight. Larger Big Wheel-style trikes can also be purchased from BigWheelRally.com, although it looks like some are getting more difficult to source.
Another site that hosts Big Wheel events is BYOBW (Bring Your Own Big Wheel). BYOBW is based in San Francisco, and for a few years held its big event on Lombard Street, but has since been relocated to Vermont Street. No surprise; they draw a crowd.