'65 Sting-Ray
02-04-19, 04:33 PM
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'65 Sting-Ray
I see in the description of this sub-forum that muscle bikes are included, so I'll include mine. Mostly I just wanted to try out posting a pic on this forum so I can document a vintage lightweight. Hope iron oxide doesn't offend.
furyus
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02-04-19, 06:21 PM
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Drape a baseball mitt over the bar, just high enough to clear the front tire, and there I go.
Couldn't afford a Schwinn, though. Mine was a West Point from True Value Hardware.
Shared it with two brothers.
Couldn't afford a Schwinn, though. Mine was a West Point from True Value Hardware.
Shared it with two brothers.
02-04-19, 06:25 PM
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my brothers and sisters had sting rays.....welll the Coast to Coast and sears versions..... like robbietunes couldn't afford a schwinn. I was a bit jealous, until I figured out how much faster my 26' in bike was.
the posted bile looks like it was well used...as it should have been
the posted bile looks like it was well used...as it should have been
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(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
02-04-19, 06:47 PM
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Mine was a Huffy from Kmart. Normally, I only got big presents for Christmas or my birthday, so I was a little confused when my parents bought me a shiny new bike in the spring when I was about 7 years old. In my neighborhood, there weren't many Schwinns, especially the Krate models. They would draw a crowd whenever a kid was lucky enough to get one.
02-04-19, 06:49 PM
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Some kid named Shawn Woods owned this bike. Engraved his name on it in three different places.
02-04-19, 06:51 PM
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my brothers and sisters had sting rays.....welll the Coast to Coast and sears versions..... like robbietunes couldn't afford a schwinn. I was a bit jealous, until I figured out how much faster my 26' in bike was.
the posted bile looks like it was well used...as it should have been
the posted bile looks like it was well used...as it should have been
02-04-19, 06:54 PM
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Mine was a Huffy from Kmart. Normally, I only got big presents for Christmas or my birthday, so I was a little confused when my parents bought me a shiny new bike in the spring when I was about 7 years old. In my neighborhood, there weren't many Schwinns, especially the Krate models. They would draw a crowd whenever a kid was lucky enough to get one.
02-04-19, 07:45 PM
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I had a Schwinn like that model rear slick and all , It was brand new I got it for Christmas . That Christmas it was raining , I didn't care I rode that thing .
02-04-19, 09:17 PM
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I like the look of this bike. Brings back memories because this is what a kid bike looked like after it was handed down through a bunch of brothers and a cousin or two. Childhood history written all over this one. Very nice.
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02-04-19, 09:37 PM
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my brothers and sisters had sting rays.....welll the Coast to Coast and sears versions..... like robbietunes couldn't afford a schwinn. I was a bit jealous, until I figured out how much faster my 26' in bike was.
the posted bile looks like it was well used...as it should have been
the posted bile looks like it was well used...as it should have been
Kids in my neighborhood had Stingrays. The kid across the street had an apple crate (late 60's) I wanted one but dad drug home and old balloon tire Hawthorne. That bike would fly once you got it going. Miss it.
02-04-19, 09:57 PM
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Sweet! Fork rake looks a little "extra relaxed." I bet that bike flew through the air with a kid on it more than a few times.
(Oh, btw, it was an early 70's Sears Spyder bike for me. My older brother got the Stingray. That was the story of my life!)
(Oh, btw, it was an early 70's Sears Spyder bike for me. My older brother got the Stingray. That was the story of my life!)
02-04-19, 10:23 PM
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I started out on a Sting-Ray then had a series of Collegiates as I grew taller. I broke that series with a 25" frame Le Tour III. I was a tall skinny kid. (Nowadays- not so skinny.) About then I got hired at the local Schwinn shop and the rest is history.
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02-04-19, 10:38 PM
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Nice to see an old Stingray. Dig the streamers. Once a feature on pretty much everyone's bike. I learned to ride on a Stingray, one that belonged to my neighbor. Within about 5 minutes I was jumping it off an improvised motocross course. They were great for wheelies too. This probably explains the extra relaxed fork angle. It was the Evel Knievel era. In apparently a very common story, they were too rich for my blood too. A couple years later I got a "practical" POS 3 speed instead.
02-04-19, 10:57 PM
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saved up my allowance and lawn mowing money and bought a brand new red Apple Krate back in '69. With shocks = first suspension mountain bike. I had my first endo with that bike. Great for wheelies, as noted above. Be a cool kid.
02-05-19, 12:40 AM
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It took me 18 months to save up enough for a Sting-Ray in the Fall of 1969. That was a long 18 months, what was really frustrating was watching the price increase due to inflation as I saved... Gave me a very direct view of economics.
It did fuel the interest in bikes though, As soon as I had bought that bike I was saving for my next bike... A road bike...
with the features Eugene A Sloane was writing about as I found out at Christmas 1970.
BTW, Liked the chain guard on this one best with the "fin" that overlapped the seat stay, Schwinn had Style.
It did fuel the interest in bikes though, As soon as I had bought that bike I was saving for my next bike... A road bike...
with the features Eugene A Sloane was writing about as I found out at Christmas 1970.
BTW, Liked the chain guard on this one best with the "fin" that overlapped the seat stay, Schwinn had Style.
02-05-19, 03:43 AM
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Preserved it all under Gibbs oil. Added a few touches of my own. Prefer natural decay to correct restoration. Appreciate your post.
02-05-19, 03:51 AM
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02-05-19, 03:55 AM
#18
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Nice to see an old Stingray. Dig the streamers. Once a feature on pretty much everyone's bike. I learned to ride on a Stingray, one that belonged to my neighbor. Within about 5 minutes I was jumping it off an improvised motocross course. They were great for wheelies too. This probably explains the extra relaxed fork angle. It was the Evel Knievel era. In apparently a very common story, they were too rich for my blood too. A couple years later I got a "practical" POS 3 speed instead.
02-05-19, 04:08 AM
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The ghost of the Sting-Ray screen on the chain guard. The white dot over the “I” in Sting-Ray is all that’s left, the rest is a shadow on the paint. The Slik is a ‘69 that I’ve had stashed for years waiting for the right bike. Stashed no more.
02-05-19, 05:15 AM
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that's a beauty!
still remember the day I got mine. 10th birthday. was down the corner chatting up a girl when my brother came to fetch me for lunch. he said you have you get home now. drats! sat down for lunch w all 6 of us around the table. Dad says go look in the den, got a birthday present for you. went in by myself & saw my very own bike. metallic blue w matching metallic blue banana seat. oh man I was so happy. that same brother then took me outside to show me how to ride it! didn't take long!
still remember the day I got mine. 10th birthday. was down the corner chatting up a girl when my brother came to fetch me for lunch. he said you have you get home now. drats! sat down for lunch w all 6 of us around the table. Dad says go look in the den, got a birthday present for you. went in by myself & saw my very own bike. metallic blue w matching metallic blue banana seat. oh man I was so happy. that same brother then took me outside to show me how to ride it! didn't take long!
02-05-19, 06:41 AM
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My first sting ray was an Iverson Charger. Weighed in at about 500 lbs., but I had good legs when I was 12! It had a great coaster brake and a slick rear tire, and I could skid that thing for 2 blocks!
We used to buy packs of baseball cards, and we would take the doubles and clothspin them to the spokes and it sounded like a Chevy 427 for a few blocks! Good, simple, carefree days. I often wish my kids could have lived them...
We used to buy packs of baseball cards, and we would take the doubles and clothspin them to the spokes and it sounded like a Chevy 427 for a few blocks! Good, simple, carefree days. I often wish my kids could have lived them...
02-05-19, 07:52 AM
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I grew up riding bikes like that too. Don't remember the bars being quite that tall and wide? Actually, I rode a cheaper clone, a Murray maybe? Can't remember exact brand but I do remember Schwinn's being more expensive than most other brands.
02-05-19, 08:07 AM
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Mine had knobbies, and I saved and skidded enough to get the "slick" rear, one with a white stripe. I think some of the Schwinn slicks had white lettering, just like the car tires. Truly a flat tire "face," and you could feel it squirm over the edge of the tire face if you cornered too sharp, too slow.
I could never find a matching front, with a white stripe.
The Schwinn dealer was in Madison, 57 miles away, and I never even set foot in the place, but popped up in the car every time we drove by.
Only one kid in our town had a real Sting-Ray, and when he got older he got a Collegiate, and another guy got a Varsity. Only two Schwinns I saw until I got my own Varsity years later. Never saw a Paramount in person until I bought one.
The Sting-Ray had it's own featured section at Bicycles Art Meets Form in High Point. In the galleries next to Pegoretti's frames.
I could never find a matching front, with a white stripe.
The Schwinn dealer was in Madison, 57 miles away, and I never even set foot in the place, but popped up in the car every time we drove by.
Only one kid in our town had a real Sting-Ray, and when he got older he got a Collegiate, and another guy got a Varsity. Only two Schwinns I saw until I got my own Varsity years later. Never saw a Paramount in person until I bought one.
The Sting-Ray had it's own featured section at Bicycles Art Meets Form in High Point. In the galleries next to Pegoretti's frames.
02-05-19, 08:11 AM
#25
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My first sting ray was an Iverson Charger. Weighed in at about 500 lbs., but I had good legs when I was 12! It had a great coaster brake and a slick rear tire, and I could skid that thing for 2 blocks!
We used to buy packs of baseball cards, and we would take the doubles and clothspin them to the spokes and it sounded like a Chevy 427 for a few blocks! Good, simple, carefree days. I often wish my kids could have lived them...
We used to buy packs of baseball cards, and we would take the doubles and clothspin them to the spokes and it sounded like a Chevy 427 for a few blocks! Good, simple, carefree days. I often wish my kids could have lived them...