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.
Yep. I sure did. I ran that Grit paper route for about 4 years.
I think I ended up with a peak of about 130 subscribers at one point.
I thought I was in tall cotton those days...LOL
When I got a job as a stock boy at a local grocery store, I passed my paper route on to my younger brother.
Based on the product’s early year marketing pictures, I suppose at first these were marketed solely to boys. I wonder if a/the girls line was meant as a late-life kicker for the product. Or, perhaps they never made a sting ray specifically-girls version.
And Now,,,,
You own a chain of Burger Joints!
I had a Cheater Slick. Had a wide rear tire. Great for locking up and leaving marks till it wore down.
It was a great bicycle also.
Yeah. Sting Rays were solid and durable bikes. You could jump over ramps and hills and do wheelies all day. They didn’t break. I’m talking the one speed via set brake bikes.
The stick shift ones were ludicrous.
Lol!
I used spray cans on mine. Came out nice, though.
That was such a great time. Having mothers say "get out of the house and go play in the street".
It literally fell apart. My brother had one. I wad popping wheelies on it and the fork just fell out. These other brands were pretty cheap compared to Schwinn . Flash over substance.
“...And Now,,,,You own a chain of Burger Joints!....”
LMAO. Well, let’s just say I’m now retired...for the 3rd time...and leave it at that. But, I’ve done ok over the years. I attribute all of it to those early years in my life where I was instilled with a strong work ethic and was no stranger to a good azz whipping when I did bad.....LOL
These kids nowadays have no idea.....
"Schwinn wants to bring back slavery!"
('Supercycle' apparently is/was a Canadian bicycle company)
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