I can't find any pictures of Triumphs with the loop spring under the front of the saddle after the war, so I'm thinking it was a pre-war model that he got on the cheap.
Posted on 11/18/2018 10:53:43 AM PST by ETL
A Nod to the Man Who Changed It All
Al Fritz took a risk and created a bike that had a huge ripple effect ..."
After getting nearly taken out by a Japanese mortar in World War II, Al Fritz came home to the states and got a job at Schwinn as a welder. Fritz eventually worked his way off the floor and into management.
In the early 60s, word spread from Los Angeles that kids were modifying old Schwinn frames—bolting on Ape Hanger bars and adding other accouterments from early choppers.
Fritz made the kind of leap of logic which seems so obvious in retrospect, but is often overlooked at the time.
The logic goes like this: "If my customers are busting their asses to modify my product, wouldn't it just be easier if I sold them what they wanted?"
Thus, in 1963, Schwinn cranked out a run of Sting-Rays, despite the fact that no one at Schwinn, aside from Fritz, thought the homely children's chopper would be a success.
The Sting-Rays flew out of bike shops—46.630 of them at fifty bucks a pop. For comparison's sake, at the time the Sting-Ray debuted, Schwinn generally moved about 10,000 units of their best selling models each year.
Schwinn would have actually sold more Sting-Rays that first year, but they couldn't get enough 20-inch rubber tires from Uniroyal (their tire supplier) to slap on the things.
They rectified that problem in short order. Within two years Sting-Ray-esque bikes (other companies quickly followed Schwinn's lead) accounted for a staggering 60 percent of bike sales in the United States.
How many Schwinn Sting-Rays eventually wound up in people's homes? At the time of Fritz' passing, the LA Times reported that two million Sting-Rays were sold during the first five years of the bike's 15-year model run.
Millions and millions of the things prowled America’s cul de sacs and dirt lots. No matter how you slice it, it's a hell of a lot of banana seats and ape hangers.
None of this probably comes as a shock if you are anywhere between the ages of 30 and 60. If you fit within that demographic, you've probably ridden one of these things at some point in your life.
The ridiculously-easy-to-wheelie Sting-Ray also laid the foundation for BMX. As the sixties gave way to the `70s, modified Sting-Rays served as some of the first BMX bikes.
Clearly, it was only a matter of time before someone realized that there had to be a better mule for flogging on dirt, but still, when you look at a Sting-Ray, you're looking at the foundation for dirt riding.
A lot of those kids on Sting-Rays became BMX riders and, in short order, went on to become the first generation of mountain bikers.
From the Sting Ray to your mountain bike. Full circle…in a six degrees of Kevin Bacon kind of way.
Happy 50th to the Sting-Ray and a nod of respect to the recently-departed Al Fritz. You may not have met, much less known, Al Fritz, but the man had an impact on anyone who rides the dirt today.
I can't find any pictures of Triumphs with the loop spring under the front of the saddle after the war, so I'm thinking it was a pre-war model that he got on the cheap.
I didn’t notice a shifter on that one. But the sprockets do look large like a multiple speed.
“Sting Rays, Skateboards, Hula Hoops, Frisbees, Slip’n’slides, Super Balls. Helped keep me in the streets growing up”
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So few youngsters do physical activities today, at least in America.
When my beloved and I see youngsters biking we notice almost 70-75% of them do not know the correct way to be on the road. I think, in the last 5 years or so I have only seen one child actually use hand-signals! I have to admit I was so pleased to see him to come to a stop and use his hand signals after looking both ways. Told my beloved that someone loved that boy enough to drill into his head the correct way to bike!
“In the early 60s, word spread from Los Angeles that kids were modifying old Schwinn frames...”
Now, the kids are learning how to download apps.
“After I had the money, I thought about how hard it was to make that money and decided to just stick with my old 26” JC Higgins since it had a basket and I used to deliver the papers. “
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Oh, my gosh. At age 12 you learned what so many adults have yet to learn: Not every thing we work for is what we actually want or need to have in our lives!
Hope, so hope that lesson stayed with you!
I seem to remember an Evel Knievel sting ray bike. It had a faux tank and was white. Only remember seeing one.
My wife and I paired down our tandem bicycle collection and sold our 1968 Stingray tandem. I believe that are listed in only the 1968 catalog, but I have seen enough of them that I suspect that they were actually produced in other years as well. It was actually not in the greatest condition, but I seem to remember still getting $1,500 for it when we put it on eBay.
The article says that people from 30 - 60 remember them, but by the time our oldest kid who is now 41 was ready for a bicycle, the banana seat Stingray was long gone, replaced by bmx bicycles.
“I get resentments thinking about it.”
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What exactly are you resentful about? His shirts not being wrinkled or his having a better bike? LOL
Look at the bright side of life: You are a member of Free Republic, you are above ground instead of in-ground, and are of sound mind.
1. Free Republic, where you get and give so much insightful information.
2. Above ground, where you have new opportunities each day for small miracles!
3. Sound mind, oh, such a blessing!
And those are the start of your blessings...!
“Having mothers say “get out of the house and go play in the street”.”
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And the same mothers would say “in or out, make up your mind!”
And we instinctively knew it meant to get out and play!
LOL
“A little old for this sort of thing, IMO.
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I don’t know about that....
Is there an official age where one can no longer bike?
This Thanksgiving Day, I and my two sisters turn 62. I’m still moping about my bike that was stolen last year. I’m also still looking for a replacement bike.
LOL
I remember that the color was sort of a cross between burnt orange and red, it had a three-speed Shimano Click Stick and a somewhat knobby tire on the rear.
Oh, yeah... I also remember that if you dumped the thing on the wrong side after a botched jump, the die-cast gear change fulcrum that stuck out from the rear hub would break off.
Every time.
That reminds me of the bike pic showing girly Barry riding around on!
I once rode a Raleigh Chopper [small front wheel, banana seat] and did wheelies for literally miles at a time!
Best bike I ever had. Wheelies all day long, I never had a need to touch the handlebars.
It was like a two-wheeled unicycle; NOBODY was cooler than me...
HA!
Bkmk
Of course not. I was referring to the "chopper" and the biker outfit. Imagine if he rode by a real biker/motorcycle club like that. Different thing entirely if he were a kid.
BTW, I happen to own and regularly ride a '66 Schwinn Stingray that I bought a little over a year ago.
I think there actually was some controversy regarding the name. Will look it up and reply later or tomorrow.
PLEASE don’t mess up this nice nostagic thread with pics of that sissy communist.
The shifter on those bikes was ridiculous. If you got out of the saddle to pedal, your knees would kick the lever forward and you’d end up in fifth gear, which is exactly NOT where you wanted to be if you were standing up to pedal.
Thanks for posting.....bflr.
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