Moonshot

My six year old is wanting a new Schwinn Stingray. He's tried a Trek and we looked at a Specialized, but he didn't get excited about either of them. He's seen the TV commercial with the gang of kids on Stingrays and that's what he says he wants.

My guess is this bike is very difficult to ride anywhere except on flat land. Also, since he's not yet well balanced on a two-wheeler will the Stingray be more difficult to ride and therefore frustrating? Should we wait until he's proficient on his upright bike before considering the Stingray?

Opinions are ok, but I'd prefer to hear from those with young kids who are riding a chopper bike.

randya

Heavy bike + single speed = difficult to ride on hills. The people I know with these bikes have also had to change out the cafe racer-style handlebars for more upright bars to make the bike more rideable. You could also change out the chainring and/or sprocket for better gear ratio if necessary.

My personal advice is to find one of the new Raleigh Choppers. The price is comparable, it's got a 3-speed Sturmey Archer hub and is a much more rideable bike, in my opinion.

Guest

I love the bike I got for my nephew and he loves to LOOK at it... but it's heavy for us to carry up and down four flights of stairs, and he has balance issues to begin with. I am actually thinking of selling the bike and getting something like the Raleigh. It's a lot more manageable and takes up less space (his bike is in my room right now since there's no place to put it).

Koffee

mmikm2005

That bike has to weigh 50 pounds at least! My son has one and he realized that all it was really good for was trolling around the neighborhood. Just not too much, its much more work than his hybrid bike.

chris_pnoy

It's all for looks. I wouldn't think about buying it as a bike, more like something you'd keep in a garage...

crotchrotaroma

the new stingrays are abominations.
keep him away from those.
besides, they're way overpriced.
if he wants one, find an original for about the same price and put a bit of work into it. he'll be one of the coolest kids in school.

EnigManiac

Well, I can't agree with all the criticisms. I, personally, like the looks of the Stingray and considering that they've sold more than 2 million units in just over a year, lots of others like them too. My son and his friends are all cryin' and moanin' for one. While it is heavy and single-speed, they can be modified. I'm a member of the Schwinn Stingray Forum and have seen pics of hundreds of modified 'Rays. Some are now 3 or 5 speed and some are adapted for adult use with billet risers. Very cool. At $250.00 Cdn. they're a bit over-priced, but they aren't meant to be an everyday bike. They are a weekend cruiser, so I guess one has to expect to pay more. Incidentally, I understand many retailers have dropped the price $50.00-$100.00 for a limited time, so now might be the right time to snap one up. If they would only make the Stingray Spoiler a 5 speed and drop the price on it to maybe $600.00, I'd grab one of those in a second.

randya

FYI, I ran into someone in my LBS yesterday buying some apehangers for a brand new stingray that he had just picked up on sale at Target for $38.00. The price tag was still on the bike...

FireTeamCharlie

I rode 3 sting rays and was not impressed. It's imposible to ride up hills. And trust me, in New England(im from Mass), theres not alot of flat land. I've owned 2 home made coppers, and am building my 3rd, Its poccible ot make em pedal easy but thats take knowledge in BMX parts, If you got a 30 Tooth front spocket and 16 tooth rear the bike could pedal awesome uphills.

kaiser&cross

I have the new larger schwinn chopper and i have a hard time riding mine. my son is 7 and does fine one a regular bike. imo, let him get more experience before turning him on to a chopper.

Guest

As I said before, that bike is cumbersome. My nephew has balance issues and doesn't have a lot of coordination, plus the bike is heavy. In retrospect, I wish I'd just gotten him a smaller version of the bike, even though it was clearly too small for him, or just gotten a totally different bike. Now, it's sitting in the house being used as a clothing hook.

If you think your son may not be able to ride it, go with your instinct. It's a beautiful bike, but just a space waster.

Koffee