Love this thread. In grade school my dad surprised me with a yellow stingray. It was the bike I wanted but he was pushing for a more standard bike. We drove to the bike shop and I shuffled in expecting the std and there was the stingray with my name on it.
In Jr. High I was riding 10 miles each direction and he got me "the best road bike in the world"...yep a Peugeot 10-speed. Bought it used from a guy who just repainted and decal'd the bike. Mean while my buddy had a Schwin Super Le Tour which was about 50% lighter than my European *racer*...sucked to race up Old San Marcos Pass in Santa Barbara against him.