Opinions on Schwinn Stingray Chopper

[wheelhorseman]

For some strange reason i find myself wanting one of these bikes and dont know why. I have flipped a couple in the past but never rode one. Frankly never cared for the look of them. Prices on CL are all over the place from 50.00 to over 300.00. I dont pay any attention to that because with a little looking i can find one for 20.00 or less or even free.

Can an adult (me) ride one comfortably? Is it hard to pedal? Some say YES. I had a Jesse James chopper and hated it, Sat too close to the handlebars. I put a banana seat on it so i could have some room and still didnt like it.

I did some reading on the Stingray and see where someone 6ft. 5 rides it comfortably and another where a 5ft. 4 persons knees hit the handlebars. What about a tube for that back tire? Cost more to fix than bike is worth.

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

I've seen folks install no more than a banana seat and taller bars to make them work for 'adults'.
I'm around 5'9" and rode mine just fine, granted I'm just going on short cruises around the block and such, until I cut it up for this:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=49923&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=Phantasm

I plan stretch the frame a bit (around 2") and use a laid back seatpost to give me plenty of room.

As for the rear tubes......yeah.....good point. :mrgreen:

Cheers,
Dr. T

 

[kingfish254]

I have bought about 4 of these over the years for no more than $30, but I got them for parts and chopping up.

Jake is a big fan of riding them.

 

[wheelhorseman]

I had a tiny 16in. pink girls and a red 20 in. boys that i flipped.. Hard sales and only got 20 apiece.


Heres one with a huge price tag. And what does "only one dear" mean?


http://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/bik/3825333802.html

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

That's a Spoiler, not a StingRay. Much better components, much rarer, built with adults in mind, worth every bit of $475.

Wish I had the extra ching!

Cheers,
Dr. T

 

[1968longboy]

I've owned one Stingray. It was chrome and red. I showed it to my cousin...who fell in love with it. Before I knew it...he got a green and chrome one. Lol. I love the Spoilers. Really cool bikes. Got to see, and ride one in person. They roll smooth as silk. The Spoiler is on my "will own one day" list.

My opinion on the Stingray Chopper? Ehh. They'er alright. To each his own. I don't knock'em because every bicycle has it's place in history in my opinion.

 

[roddy*piper]

For some strange reason i find myself wanting one of these bikes and dont know why. I have flipped a couple in the past but never rode one. Frankly never cared for the look of them. Prices on CL are all over the place from 50.00 to over 300.00. I dont pay any attention to that because with a little looking i can find one for 20.00 or less or even free.

Can an adult (me) ride one comfortably? Is it hard to pedal? Some say YES. I had a Jesse James chopper and hated it, Sat too close to the handlebars. I put a banana seat on it so i could have some room and still didnt like it.

I did some reading on the Stingray and see where someone 6ft. 5 rides it comfortably and another where a 5ft. 4 persons knees hit the handlebars. What about a tube for that back tire? Cost more to fix than bike is worth.

Install a 36" Sissy Bar 'Backwards' to recline on for more Pedal Power, a Banana Seat of your choice with a 31.8 Seat Post, a 26" front Rim & Tire, and Rubber Pedals for more grip. "You won't believe what a difference it makes" I ride mine very long distances every day! *I Love It*

 

[noodlenoggin]

My son loves 'em. I found one for $15 and it was or RRBBO8 entry. I'm 5'10" and 220 or so, and I *can* ride it, but I look like a dork with my knees coming up past my elbows. It's darn goofy fun, though.

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

I'm 5' 9" and the one I had was small. Every time I leaned, the pedal would scrape and when I turned the bars it would hit my knees :roll: I always wanted to put apes and a nanner on one and see how that felt :idea:

 

[roddy*piper]

I'm 5' 9" and the one I had was small. Every time I leaned, the pedal would scrape and when I turned the bars it would hit my knees :roll: I always wanted to put apes and a nanner on one and see how that felt :idea:

*See My Post* No knees hitting elbows or handlebars on my bike..

Apes don't give enough pulling power. Mine glides up a hill.

It took a year of trial & error but, "I found the perfect setup"

Mount a 36" Sissy bar in the bottom hole in front of the axle 'Backwards'.

"The closer the seat is to the tire the better"

A 26" rim up front lays you back in the seat on the sissy bar.

Which will give you more pedal power. I'm 6 foot 300 pounds.

More Info Here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=77151

*Hope this helps*

 

[wheelhorseman]

I did the banana seat trick with a Jesse James chopper but hated that bike. Very heavy and low geared. You had to pedal A LOT to go anywhere.Nice to look at but not practical.

 

[roddy*piper]

I did the banana seat trick with a Jesse James chopper but hated that bike. Very heavy and low geared. You had to pedal A LOT to go anywhere.Nice to look at but not practical.

"This is how I made my Jesse James West Coast Chopper somewhat adult friendly"

22t Cog, 44t Sprocket, 3.0 Skinny Cat Tires, Handlebar Ends, a 31.8 Seat Post, and Rubber Pedals



More Pics Here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=77091

 

[alecw35]

I used to have a Stingray chopper. I got it from a kid that got tired of it, left in a leaky shed. So was rusty and rough. I cleaned it up a bit. I think the seat pin had been welded, as there was silver paint over rough welds. I did plan on BMX bars. The stock seat bolts onto a flat plate on the seat pin with 4 bolts. I was gonna make some kind of longer plate to get the seat further back, maybe a sissy bar too.
But I had loads of bikes. So never got round to much.

Im 5'8" a bit overweight. I went on a health kick for a while. I would time myself on a 4 mile route from my house up a steep hill to the next village, then along a long straight to a farm and some twisties. then up, then down to my house again. I had MTBs, racers, Bratz low rider and the Schwinn. I wasn't so sure of the racers, so they were slower. I got round the 4 miles in 16 minutes on the Schwinn. 15mph average. A steep hill to the first village. then other hills along the way. Bike was stable and usable.