A Nod to the Man Who Changed It All [History of the Schwinn Sting Ray (bicycle): 1963-]

BikeMag.com ^ | November 19, 2013 | Vernon Felton

[caltaxed]

What exactly are you resentful about? His shirts not being wrinkled or his having a better bike?

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.

[Big Red Badger]

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!

[bobby.223]

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.

[Sequoyah101]

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.

[PeteePie]

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.

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.

[LeoTDB69]

Ping for the memories

[Deplorable American1776]

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...

[ETL]

What did You Pay for that 1966 Sting Ray?

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.

[Big Red Badger]

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!

[True-Stu]

I had that Raleigh. I bet I could hold that wheelie longer than you, lol. I could utterly destroy the "Crate Boys" with wheelie rides...especially doing circles like a friggin' unicycle. Thanks for the great memory 😀

[MayflowerMadam]

I loved my Schwinn Suburban Cruiser in the early ‘60s. Blue. [Sigh. Memories.]

[VastRWCon]

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.

[unread]

I never liked them, at all..... Sorry.

[Ouderkirk]

My parents wouldn't spend hal a "C-note" on a bicycle.

I got a Huffy Hot Canary instead.

[Rockingham]

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.

[greenishness]

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.

[Jumper]

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.

[Deplorable American1776]

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...

[Deplorable American1776]

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.

[Deplorable American1776]

I did some jumps...as I said before, I’m not sure how we all survived the good old days...