Originally Posted by
majmt
My ride was a Mattel Stallion. Ultra-cool “chromo” - great on a dirt path but weighed a ton and dang near impossible to hold a wheelie.
i have an X-15 Mattel Varoom trike today.
I bought it for my son 17 years ago off eBay.
My brother and I had one in 1965. Super radical rear wheel steering, the way the rear arms were set, flops over the control stock and the trike banked into the turns. An industrial design feat.
first Sting Ray was 1966 Christmas, 3 speed stick shift, in Coppertone Gold, it took lots of lobbying to get my parents to buy it, we visited a number of shops, my father was bummed Schwinn’s were “fair traded” all the shops had the same price. We looked at other brands, cheaper but more gears, The American Eagle 5 speed... the new Raleigh Chopper... interesting but, nah.
I rode the heck out of that bike.
stolen less than two years later...
then the shocker, I would have to buy the next one myself...
took almost two years, saved all allowance, washed cars, house sat cats, chased inflation.
bought a single speed coaster brake version in late 1969. Was bummed that the shop called my parents to make sure it was OK to buy the bike... fortunately my Mom did state, why are you calling me, it’s his money.
Good/Bad was I was on my own regarding buying bikes from then on. Took another 30 months to buy my first road race bike.