Lots of comments on The Cheetah at The Daily Ping...

http://www.dailyping.com/index.php?url=archive/2005/04/20/

FROM: thomas
DATE: Saturday September 24, 2005 -- 1:59:48 pm

I'm searching for information on the Cheetah, a kids riding toy. It looked like a "chopper" tricycle. It had a small tire in the front and two wide tires in the back. From memory, it seems to have been some sort of ratchet pumped chain drive that selectively locked in when both pedals were pushed. The seat was low to the ground, like the Big Wheel. The Cheetah was manufactured in the early 1970s and I think it was yellow or red. I am trying to find information whatever information I can; photograph, manufacturer, dimensions, parts, etc. Any help is much appreciated!

FROM: Young
DATE: Monday November 21, 2005 -- 6:30:20 pm

I had a Cheetah and it rocked. All the other kids had big wheels some the standard yellow body and I think there were a few girl models on my block too. The Cheetah dusted them all, by FAR. It was both Yellow and Red, and I too have checked the web for pics because I'd love to get my hands on one (although I'm probably too big for one now) ;).

PS, I've searched my photo album and no pics of it unfortunately.

If you do find something, please contact me at yleedezign@hotmail.com

Thanks and good luck!

From: Bill
Date: 10.27.2006 16:35
I have a front view of 2 Cheetahs with my 3 and 5 year-old boys made in 1974

From: keith
Date: 10.31.2006 00:33
The Cheetah was made by Lakeside Toys of Barrel-of-Monkies fame. My grandmother worked for Lakeside in the early 1970s and as a result I ended up being one of the product test dummies for the Cheetah. I have a photograph of me riding it in 1973, so I assume that's when the Cheetah was first produced. Mine was a prototype and as I recall my Dad had to frequently repair the ratcheting mechanisms which were the Cheetah's propulsion mechanism.

Compared to the Big Wheel, Green Machine, and other contemporary riding toys the Cheetah was surely more expensive to manufacture and more susceptible to break-down. But when it worked, man did it work :-)

From: John Atwood
Date: 10.31.2006 18:46
My two boys had Cheetahs in 1974 when they were 3 and 5 yrs old. Boy would they fly! I have a picture (front view) of them on their Cheetahs. We only had minor mechanical problems and finally gave them to neiaghbor's children as mine grew older. Is Lakeside defunct? Someone could make a mint with the reintro of this toy.

From: Cella
Date: 02.12.2007 23:42
I can't believe I finally found other people who remember the Cheetah. My sister and I shared a red one and wore it into the ground. I seem to recall that the seat disintegrated before the mechanics did, and we still managed to ride it. We had a very long driveway, so we were able to get up some good speed and great skids. For as hard as we rode it, I don't recall either of us ever getting hurt playing on it. It was definitely the early-to-mid 70's. Good times. I would love to find a picture of it online somewhere, especially an ad.

From: Alesandro
Date: 02.20.2007 22:53
I recently found some old pictures of myself riding my beloved Cheetah and tried to find more information online, and came across this site.

I got mine for Christmas 1973 and have 3 pictures (2 front view, 1 side view). The seat is red with a yellow racing stripe, and cheetah decals on the side. It has yellow plastic mag wheels on the rear, and a chrome sissy bar on the back. The front chopper had a spoked narrow rubber wheel and the "tree" (I think that's what you call it) is yellow with a decal that says " ELDON" in red over a checkered flag. The "O" is raised higher than the rest of the lettering.

I used to take great pride blowing away the other kids on their inferior "big wheels." I had mine for a few years; however, don't remember what ultimately happened to mine, but I recall the petal drive cables broke at some point. I'm sure my father eventually threw it out.

From: Young
Date: 04.27.2007 02:16
BILL, Keith and Alesandro,

Please, if you can, put the pictures on flickr or online service where you can share pictures, PLEASE?

It would be awesome to see them. OR, please shoot me an email @ yleedezign@hotmail.com.

Thanks and best!

From: Joe
Date: 05.02.2007 10:21
I am sooo glad I found info on the Cheetah here!!! For a variety of reasons (all noble), I am trying to find information on its cable-driven propulsion that I so enjoyed when I was a kid. Is there a way I can get copies of those pictures? Even better, anyone know what happeneed to Lakeside toys? I would love to get my hands on a schematic. I haven't started to search that, so maybe someone here can help me cut to the chase. It would be even better if I could get my hands on a Cheetah. I remember fondly outracing my big-wheeled playmates in the neighborhood. I eventually outgrew it (I was too tall to fit in the bright orange banana seat anymore), and we had to monitor the trashmen so that none of the kids in the neighborhood stole it - cause that would make the others jealous IIRC. I remember having to re-wrap those cables on occasion, but that thing beat the Big Wheel and Green Machine hands down!!!
Any help, guys? Thanks(especially copies of those pictures!!)
- Joe Lobarwilder@AOL.com
Lewisville, TX

From: Mike Berry
Date: 07.25.2007 16:55
My email is michaelberry67@yahoo.com. Please send me scans (or a picture of a picture) of any Cheetahs. They most be all gone. we rode the heck out of them. so many riding toys you can find of other eras... not ours!!

sigh

Mike

From: Renee
Date: 07.30.2007 11:36
I loved my Cheetah too! I also am looking for pictures of one -- actually, my mother has been looking for pictures. I don't seem to have any from my childhood, which we can't figure out at all. We can't imagine that pictures wouldn't have been taken of my favorite toy! If any of you who have posted that you have pictures are still following this post, could you please, please, please email your pictures of the Cheetah to me?
reneevanv@bellsouth.net

From: rand
Date: 08.14.2007 16:45
My younger brother had a Cheetah and it was the fastest ride ever. I could smoke kids on Big Wheels and every other type of pedal vehicle, even beat kids on bikes. I wore that baby out. Busted the cables. Loved it though. My younger brother wasn't much into riding it or bikes so Mom and Dad got it for him one Christmas. Since he didn't ride it, it was like I had my bike and the secret weapon Cheetah. Never has a more apt name been affixed to a product. I would love to have one for my five year old.

From: Dawson
Date: 09.05.2007 23:22
I had a Cheetah growing up in the 70's as well. I can confirm that this was the fastest thing on the block at that age because my friends on their bikes were unstable and were always shocked at getting beat by my "tricycle". Forget racing the Big Wheel. It was no contest for my Cheetah. I am also looking for pictures of this unit or even if there is a manufacturer who is still or willing to make it again. It would be great for my daughter.

From: Jerry
Date: 09.08.2007 14:08
Hi all:

Just to let eveyone know, I do have a vintage Eldon Cheetah available. It is pretty good shape and is still totally rideable. It is one cool item. Any interest in it?

From: CobraT1
Date: 09.18.2007 00:03
Hi Jerry,

I'm interested. Do you have any photos?

From: alfred
Date: 09.26.2007 14:49
Crazy, I had a Cheetah as a kid too. I've never come across anyone else who had actually heard of one. Man, do I miss that ride.

From: mike
Date: 10.14.2007 19:37
Any links to cheetah pics (or the tv ad) would be greatly appreciated.

From: Joe
Date: 10.26.2007 14:48
Jerry very interested about the vintage Cheetah you have
Have you sold it yet? I would like to purchase still available. Please let me know @ jj_white12@hotmail.com

Thanks

From: MonkeyDudeSF
Date: 10.30.2007 03:47
here's a
pic of my cheetah from the 70s. Enjoy!

I remember it pretty much the same way everyone else does. The best damn thing on 3 wheels I ever knew. :)

From: Shawn
Date: 11.30.2007 00:18
I had a Cheetah in the 70's. I remember seeing the comercials of the kid slamming the pedals and spinning a 720 to a stop. It's all I could think about for months, I Had to have one! So I begged my mom for Christmas and asked Santa (he was a little confused about my Cheetah request). That Christmas I didn't get it, I was expecting it to be under the tree, but no Cheetah. I was bumed, and mopped around for a few days. But my birthday was a few days away so I had a second chance. I discovered it on my birthday when I went downstairs and found my older brother screwing it together. I remember it clearly because I flipped-out and started screeming, and I guess he was startled because he slipped the screwdriver into his index finger! He started screeming too. That Cheetah was the best thing ever! Like everyone remembers, it was fast! I had no trouble keeping up with my brothers Stingray, and could go miles on the thing. It could be considered the first recumbent bycycle. I actualy burned-out the drive mechanism on it within a couple weeks, so my mom to it back and argued with the store manager to give us a new one (in those days taking stuff back for exchange or a refund wasn't easy). I got the second one, which was great because the hard plastic wheels were new (I had smoked the wheels on the first one from so many spins, they had flat spots). About that time they paved a new culdesac next to our home. It was kind of a clover shape cudesac with a slight slope to it. My cheetah would screem on that new pavement, I'm sure I got up to 25mph on the thing! I went so fast with the pedals that the return spring in the wheel hub broke. My dad was able to fix it, but it was never the same. If I went anywhere near fast, the drive cables would slip off the spring hub, and he would have to fix it again. I still rode it around and all the kids thought it was the coolest. Eventually, my mom backed over the front forks and wheel with the car. My brother straightened out the forks, but the wheel was bent like a potato chip! I still rode it even then, but it looked more like a clown vehicle at this point. Anyway, I've been looking on the net for any trace of the Cheetah, and came across this site. I would like to find a picture too, or even better, a working Cheetah. I don't know why they don't bring this back.