stingrays, an inconvienant truth

[NicksGarage]

Next time someone says "nice restoration", tell them it's all original and you're the original owner. No lies there.

Here's a set of NOS Stingrays owned by a friend of mine. Never ridden and he bought them unbuilt in the boxes. All the accessories are NOS as well and he has a ton of Schwinn Stingray advertising and store display stuff. He dreamed of having a Stingray when he was a kid but settled for a Sears bike and then when he got the NOS Stingrays he really wanted the Sears bike. Go figure.

 

[Jimmy the Gent]

Are the og stingrays of the late 60's and early 70's the only bikes worthy of love? What are ur thoughts?

What about mid-'70s? Like say, '75?

 

[froggy99]

I'm a fan of all stingrays so I'm sorry if I wasn't broad enough in the years listed. It just seemed to me most of the purists spoke in hushed reverant tones about the 68s and 70s. I saw a build of a '76 bicientenial edition that really made me want one, so is safe to say your '75 would be (atleast to me) a classic. Of course I love em all but then again I'm a notorious lair. Cheers froggy

 

[iven]

Well man, I believe that Any bike you put time, money, effort, or even just enjoy looking at,
Is a bike worthy of love..

Come on man there's no shame in bike love! Hah

Myself I'm a all around bike lover. They just awesome machines..

Also honestly, I been wanting a Report stingray, I don't care if people don't like them, they would give me joy building them up and riding so that's all that matters in a bike.

I feel kinda bad about my two stingrays ones a project the other is a daily rider, an increase didn't have money for the report one day I found one, my 1973 ray needs a break and I need a chance to rebuild her..

I always look for stingrays, old or new I love the design and they are just pretty, I have two older ones and I'm always looking for more Stingray!

 

[wheelbender6]

I grew up in a small town built around a textile mill. Nobody in my town had a Schwinn Stingray, Sears Screamer, Murray Eliminator or Raleigh Chopper. It's so great to see that there are still a lot of them around.

 

[RetroSpeed]

Froggy99,

Although most understood the light hearted, tongue-in-cheek, topic you initiated with this thread, Fury flashed his imaginary “Chicago Schwinn Police” badge and spoiled all the fun. Perhaps he forgot this website is Ratrodbikes.com and not The CABE, The Classic and Antique Bicycle Exchange.

As I posted in the thread regarding the Orange Krate Replica, I received an Apple Krate for my 10th birthday back in 1971 and the BFK I built was a low buck tribute to the Schwinn I owned as a kid. For those of us that owned Krates in the early ‘70s, they were bikes we regularly thrashed jumping ramps made from cinder blocks and plywood, we power slid them because the front drum brake allowed a full slide at speed, but most importantly, my friends and I preferred Krates over other bikes because they look great rolling down the street.

In the early ‘70s, we rode Stingrays until we were 11-12, then graduated to 10 speeds and by the time we were 16, bikes were relegated to the garage rafters because everyone had a car or had a project in the works. Until the 2007 BFK, I hadn’t ridden a bike since an undergrad at UCLA and the last Schwinn Stingray I owned or rode was my Apple Krate, which I stopped riding when I was 12.

Fast forward to the BFK release date and I am blessed with a great career, my kids are out of college and my wife and I had finished paying our mortgage years ago. Thus, I have financial freedom and could have easily written a check for a restored ’71 Apple Krate like the one I had as a kid but where’s the fun in that?

Instead, I took a $69 Schwinn, located some vintage parts and got to wrenching like my Ratrodbikes brothers that reside in the same cyber neighborhood. When it came to the bat for the bat holder, I considered a high dollar autographed Louisville Slugger but it just wouldn’t fit with the design aesthetic of the BFK project. Rather, to maintain the design continuity, I found an aluminum Louisville Slugger with the exact colors as the BFK and it only cost $25.

What I love about this website is the collective creativeness of the bike builders that post their projects. I am humbled by their artistic creations and wish I had the talent to build something of that caliber.

Build On and Ride On.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Well said RetroSpeed!

Luke.

 

[blackdiamond]

Froggy99,

Although most understood the light hearted, tongue-in-cheek, topic you initiated with this thread, Fury flashed his imaginary “Chicago Schwinn Police” badge and spoiled all the fun. Perhaps he forgot this website is Ratrodbikes.com and not The CABE, The Classic and Antique Bicycle Exchange. ...

What I love about this website is the collective creativeness of the bike builders that post their projects. I am humbled by their artistic creations and wish I had the talent to build something of that caliber.

Build On and Ride On.

Dun dun Dun! Told YO! :mrgreen:

 

[vintagebuilt]

I've only been a member for a second, but already I feel the need to build original slipping away!

My parts bin is looking a lot more interesting since joining :wink:

 

[Jimmy the Gent]

I'm a fan of all stingrays so I'm sorry if I wasn't broad enough in the years listed. It just seemed to me most of the purists spoke in hushed reverant tones about the 68s and 70s. I saw a build of a '76 bicientenial edition that really made me want one, so is safe to say your '75 would be (atleast to me) a classic. Of course I love em all but then again I'm a notorious lair. Cheers froggy

No apology necessary; I was trying to be a little "tongue in cheek" as well....I just forgot to click this: :mrgreen:

I've encountered people who have told me that mine "isn't worth anything" because it's post- '73. My response was that I'm glad I'm not in it for the money.

Froggy99, I have financial freedom and could have easily written a check for a restored ’71 Apple Krate like the one I had as a kid but where’s the fun in that?

Build On and Ride On.

That's what I initially planned to do with mine: Build the Krate I never had when I was a kid.

But; then this happened:

I've only been a member for a second, but already I feel the need to build original slipping away!

I like the fact that mine is mostly original; but more because of the quality. If I could find a decent repro for a decent price, I'd be all over it.

 

[furyus]

Froggy99,

Although most understood the light hearted, tongue-in-cheek, topic you initiated with this thread, Fury flashed his imaginary “Chicago Schwinn Police” badge and spoiled all the fun. Perhaps he forgot this website is Ratrodbikes.com and not The CABE, The Classic and Antique Bicycle Exchange.

Sorry if I spoiled all your fun, Retro, but Froggy did ask a question:

"Are the og stingrays of the late 60's and early 70's the only bikes worthy of love? What about the murky underworld of stingrays built of bike shop canti frames and lil chick parts? The Ladyboys of the bike world? What are ur thoughts?"

That's a general question, and it isn't as if I criticized his latest build. I know, I know, if I don't have anything warm and fuzzy to say about Chinese Stingrays I shouldn't say anything at all, but it surely gets wearisome reading page after page of "if you like it, ride it." Actually, I did write that you could "knock yourself out" riding Chinese bikes if it makes you happy, which is a variation of "if you like it, ride it" but maybe you missed that part.

Here's some real Schwinn snobbery for you: I'd rather ride a rusty old broken spoke Huffy than a Chicom repop. Put that in your feng shui compass and smoke it.

And Froggy, there are no "racial slurs" in my post. I was merely pointing out the cultural insensitivity of referring to something Chinese as "samurai." Say that to a real Samurai and you might get your head separated from your shoulders.

Alright, everybody have a nice day.

Hugs,

furyus

 

[vintagebuilt]

Pretty sure it was just a figure of speech referring to bikes in general and not saying that a samurai is Chinese but anyhoo, I am equally snobbish about Schwinns and wouldn't be flinging money around unless it's real steel... seen too many dept store bikes rust up in the first season and leave the owners wondering why...

 

[froggy99]

While im coming clean. Just don't tell the wife,she thinks I'm remodeling the guest room

 

[froggy99]

 

[froggy99]

Oh I'm "remodeling" this room too.

 

[blackdiamond]

Here's some real Schwinn snobbery for you: I'd rather ride a rusty old broken spoke Huffy than a Chicom repop. Put that in your feng shui compass and smoke it

furyus

I like this quote too, how true!

 

[froggy99]

Don't think either one of my "remodel" rooms are too feng shwai or however u spell it. More like junkae.

 

[RetroSpeed]

Don't think either one of my "remodel" rooms are too feng shwai or however u spell it. More like junkae.

Too Funny.

At least you can work on your bikes in a dry, climate controlled environment.

How many completed bikes do you own and how many projects in the works?

 

[froggy99]

I think my wife counted 20 ridable bikes (That she knew of) I've got a build waiting for the frame to be finished. (tony hawk and two occ roll into.. is the build thread)That killed three. I've another occ down the basement its fate still unknown, A schwinn jag down there keeping it company. A murry "goonies" bike in the living room,just got my holy rollers put on and want to make some custom cargo racks for that. (its story is in other bikes "Trash to this") Got a sidewalk stingray for my granddaughter I gotta do too. Oh and constantly trolling cl.

 

[B607]

Here's a pic of Christmas '66 (or maybe '67?) at my house. Wish it was in color. My coppertone and my brother's blue J38 Rays.

Like furyus, I like Chicago iron and personally don't care much for repops. When you grew up eating steak it's hard to switch to burger. The repops are fine...as long as you are riding them and not me. Gary