mrbUSA

Stingray. A catalyst to my passion.

https://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com...-first-wheels/

Daytrip

I thought it was another frozen loogie thread.

mrbUSA

another frozen loogie threat?

Bah Humbug

Pcad had a thread involving a frozen loogie on his computer. It had a picture.

Daytrip

It was gross.

OldPilot

I have great memories of my single speed Stingray clone (I think it was a Kent or something) then a 5 speed Manta-ray. I loved my bikes, the 5 speed was 1972/3 version it was great until the shifter was stolen when I locked my bike outside. I despise theives! I wish they came in adult sizes, the banana seat was awsome.

cccorlew

All the cool kids had REAL Stingrays.Robert had a purple one. Freakin' Del even had one with 5 speeds and a front brake. And he'd never let me ride it because he was a jerk. I'm still bitter.
I had a knockoff, which I lived on. We never really rode far, but I don't think I walked anywhere between 5th and 8th grades.

In 9th grade I rode it cross town-- maybe 8 miles -- to summer school. I rode like a kid, wind sprints all the way there and all the way home. Not to get in shape, but just because that's how you did it.

Even in the neighborhood we'd sit on our bike when we were hanging around.

I love the idea of an adult sized Stingray. Make mine purple.

OK. I'm wound up now. I'm going out to ride.

pabuck

The pic of the kid on the ramp could be my brother, right down to the Ford Country Squire in the background. He had a red one, I had a blue and silver Pixie. By the time I was ready for a bigger bike, BMX's had taken over. I think he had a Predator, and I had a Scrambler.

Tequila Joe

I lusted for one of these but never got one. This was in production around the same time as the Stingray, maybe a few years after.


Then I got one of these a few years later. The hydraulic fork leaked all over the place once the seals blew. Hucking it off of loading docks isn't good for it apparently even with a skinny 65 lb kid on it.

Daytrip

My folks wouldn't buy me one. They were into English road bikes, so I wound up with a "sensible" three speed ride. I forget the details, but it was a very nice bicycle, lamentably stolen a few years later.

OldPilot

My parents didn't understand "cool", my mother made me were reversible polyester pants to church & school functions. I had to wear toughskin jeans for the longest time...maybe that is why I am a "Fred"?

mrbUSA

Plain pockets to boot. And Trax shoes from Kmart. I still had the Stingray somehow. Remember the Royal Blue Suede Puma's with the gold swoosh? I asked my mom and she said, "If you think I'm spending $30 on a pair of sneakers, you're nuts." That week I had a job washing dishes...

carpediemracing 

I wore Toughskins but we lived in Holland so they were kind of a novelty. Sneakers that lasted more than a week were a novelty too, and we had Pumas usually (the Dutch kids used sneakers for gym, dress type shoes for everything else). Each summer we'd order from the huge Sears catalog, fly to the US to do whatever my parents had to do, and one of our big trips was to the Sears to pick up the huge order waiting for us there.

I always wanted a slot car set but never got one. But I studied all the different ones available in the catalog.

I'd look at all the BMX bike ads in Boys Life, dreaming of the day I could buy one. I didn't want a 3 speed.

Oh, and I have a white Cotton Picker. Bought it (okay, my mom bought it) when we moved back to the US. I never got rid of it, it's hanging in my garage. Brand new back tire too (brand new "old stock" in 1980 or so, $32 back then). Rest of it isn't in as good condition.

cdr