I got a Huffy Hot Canary instead.
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.
The Schwinn Apple Crate is my Rosebud, but you are correct about our blessings.
Every day brings about new exciting challenges, we live in the greatest country in the world and Donald Trump is President!
Nobody has it better than us now or probably in the history of mankind.
What did You Pay for that
1966 Sting Ray?
I’m thinking that would be a
Big Hit on the Boardwalk
Here in Mission Beach,San Diego!
I didn’t/won’t/not gonna post any of Reggie’s homo butt brother Barry’s bike pics. Don’t ever plan to either.
Amazing they only sold 10,000 a year? I had a full size red Schwinn I got in ‘600 with big saddle baskets. It still hangs in the barn. We went all the way to Muskogee to get it for Christmas. Bicycle, motorcycle and then my pickup all were freedom machines. I could easily outrun a Stingray when they came out.
Show me your average kid today who could identify a wrench let alone modify their bike. We used to hack-saw the front wheel forks off of dead bikes and extend our front tires out a foot or so. Our dads, they'd smile and watch.
Ping for the memories
I had one in the 60s...then I got a 3 speed and 10 speed and now a 21 speed mountain bike... Schwinn bikes were great bikes...
450. I've been offered 700. It looks a lot like the Grey Ghost from the Krate series. Doesn't have the chrome spring fork, small front wheel, or disc brakes, though. Saw a "like new" Grey Ghost on eBay going for 4,500.
Good Score!
I recall Building all kinds of
Bikes in the 60s’
Took a 26 inch frame and flipped
It upside down,
Put a seat post on the main crank
Housing and raised the gooseneck.
The Clown Bike was A bit goofy but...
Oh Well.
Rode Unicycles as well,
Tried that last year and lucky
I didn’t break a hip!
I loved my Schwinn Suburban Cruiser in the early ‘60s. Blue. [Sigh. Memories.]
Had one in The early seventies it got stolen from my parents garage we knew who stole it so we stole it back right out of their garage.
I never liked them, at all..... Sorry.
I got a Huffy Hot Canary instead.
One of my brothers got a Stingray for Christmas when they first came out. For months he was the envy of his pals in the neighborhood.
I’m not sure of the year but it was around 1972-74 I got a lemon yellow Stingray for my birthday. Yellow bike, yellow grips, white banana seat. After 3 or 4 years and many wipe-outs I tore the seat up so we went to the Schwinn dealer and I got new a yellow banana seat for that birthday. I remember it being $20
We used to make jumps out of wood and bricks in the street and jump those bikes hour after hour, all part of being a kid in the 70’s.
One day I rode that bike to the bus stop to meet my friends coming home from another school. It was all down hill for probably 1/2 mile. I put 2 on the seat, 1 on the handle bars and I just straddled the bike and drove. The one friend that I couldn’t fit on the bike (or he was to smart to get on) said he walked around the corner and saw “4 kids laying in the street spread out all over.” We all had a bit of road rash but other than that we were ok, because we were kids.
Never did it again though.
I had a 20” Huffy with a Banana Seat, and my next door neighbor worked at a bicycle shop in Dayton, Oh.... My dad took me Carrollton Park on the very last day that Wright Brothers Shop was open before Henry Ford moved it up to Dearborn, MI to create his museum for the Ford Production LIne, Planes and Edison’s Shop for Electricity.
Lawn Darts...had them growing up...and my brother shot an arrow into the air... it came down on my head...and stuck there...never had a bicycle helmet growing up...nor a motorcycle helmet...
With my Raliegh 3 speed bike and my little red wagon, I delivered the Hartford Times...( and the last day it was published, I gave all the Times to my worst customer.). I loved delivering papers.
I did some jumps...as I said before, I’m not sure how we all survived the good old days...
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