Fine, sue me. It's cheap Chinese junk. But it's a campus green Sting-Ray and I like it.
Couldn't resist. I feel so dirty.
- Thread starter ParkRNDL
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That’s a lot nicer than a beat up original. I also like it.
A.S.BOLTNUT
He who dies with the most toys ,still dies No Fear
With the prices the old ones are commanding, why not ?, I'd pick one up myself if it was cheap enough, you could do worse.
that's neat.
a vintage fork painted to match would really improve it.
a vintage fork painted to match would really improve it.
If I come across a vintage fork, I will definitely spray-bomb it as close as I can and see how it looks...
I felt the same way when I got a 125th Black Phantom which I just bought to cruise. I say ride it and enjoy. Your bike really jogs my memory.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Is a dog any less of a friend if it doesn't have it's pedigree papers?
Good point Matti.
Don't get me wrong, folks... I love this thing for what it is. If I ever get the chance to swap out for more period-correct forks, bars, seat, I guess I'll do it, but it ain't bad for the money just the way it sits. I just have to laugh at the "purists" in the Facebook groups that talk these things down. Vehemently. All kinds of hatred. Yes, fine, the quality is NOT the same as old Chicago steel, not by a long shot. But for someone who can't (or just won't) part with 500 bucks or more for an original, this is an interesting alternative. Maybe in some cases even a gateway drug to get someone interested in the original stuff.
If they would have had more content that was closer to 'old' looking, I would have snagged one...or a few 
. I eyeball'd them every time I went into a wally's for a couple months...but, I came to the same conclusion each time that all I would use off it was the frame, sissy bar and seatpost and maybe rear tire. The rest, for me, just looks to modern (especially the stem and forks) to justify the $125 price. I will be eagle eyeing craigslist for used ones... currently it is still just fresh out of the box or still new in box for $195-$400 on my local CL...but, I haven't seen a single one leave CL at those prices yet .
. I eyeball'd them every time I went into a wally's for a couple months...but, I came to the same conclusion each time that all I would use off it was the frame, sissy bar and seatpost and maybe rear tire. The rest, for me, just looks to modern (especially the stem and forks) to justify the $125 price. I will be eagle eyeing craigslist for used ones... currently it is still just fresh out of the box or still new in box for $195-$400 on my local CL...but, I haven't seen a single one leave CL at those prices yet .
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Someone should make a new bike with blade forks. Haven't seen those beauties in a while
Is there a chance they don't qualify any of modern industrial standards? I'd be up for a modern blade fork too! But i'm guessing there must be a reason they got out of production and didn't come back yet.
ALL of the bew made schwinns are great,i especially like the latest with polsed aluminnm rims,99 % of ppl are donna ask you of that was one of the new bies from the internet,as far as an original bike iwoud not be interested in it unless it was on the box,and ireally dont what to have a rusty oruginal hangin on the wall so i can get an ego boost when tel someone ya its from back when,bikes are comong back fot what there inteded for,"RIDING" so if you need to boost yor ego"of that works" spend way to much money on a not new origonal,beed around bikes awhile the collector deal has gotton cold,isee og bikes isted forsae for weeks at no sale,time to get real and stop badmothig new bikes that work polly better then the old used ones,f uhave a new oneand an old one,take each one out and see how many ppl ask oh is that one of thaose new bikes teyare making or is it an od origonal,see if tey are more imptessed tat you made a good choich ot spent 2 mich on an old rusty one time tostopnbad moutyin new bikes that ppl can realistially aford and enjoy,badmouthing new bies is getting tiresome!
I wondered about that too. Maybe there's some sort of safety standards that require a tubular fork.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Bwahahaha while searching for why blade forks went away, found this "blade fork"
It's just way cheaper to make them out of tubes than to forge them. They can also be made lighter and stronger...there just little need for new forged forks, and not a whole lotta want (demand). There were soooo many made by Schwinn alone that if you want to retro your bike with forged bladed forks, they ain't hard or expensive to come by.
I wasn't bad mouthing...I was commenting that this retro bike made to look like an old bike didn't do a good enough job of duplicating the old bike to make it worthwhile FOR ME to cough up $125.
If I had a very young child to buy a bike for...this may have been a valid answer. I would still have to go through it before giving it as it is a cheap modern DEPARTMENT STORE bike and assembly quality from the factory as well as at the stores tends to be very poor.
I have modern bikes and old ones...I can guarantee that I get more positive comments on the old ones than most of the new. I say most of the new, because I do have new ones that get lots of positive feedback, but they are retro or tribute bikes and when you share that little fact with people, a good portion of them visually deflate because it isn't 'real'.
