Originally Posted by
rumrunn6
mine looked like this, w/o the fenders & w/o the front brake. it was stolen outside a pet shop I went into for fish food. Dad called the cops. we got a call back a day or two later & said they had something. before showing it to us, we didn't record the serial # so when the officer asked me if I could identify anything personal about it I told him I had tied a red bandanna around the saddle rails, underneath so it would blow in the wind. when we got to look at it, the thief had ripped that bandanna off but there was still some of the knotted cloth under the saddle. score! after that I started writing down serial numbers.
Never saw the white lettering rear tires at my local Schwinn shop--- I would have bought in.
They did have a "cheater" slick with wavy square tread in the later 60's.
Also got my first lesson on tire sizes... 1.750 = 1 3/4" except when it does not.
By 1970, it was a single mattress saddle as the one of choice, small early or Junior Sting-Ray front chainring, no guard, tractor tires as we were in proto-BMX era.
Then, girl's frame with top tube welded in about 60% of the way up, small tube between the original two down tubes, bright color rattle can frame and matt black fork.
Welding by Cycle Products West, a Motocross tuning shop. Learned to miter tubes with a big rat tail file.
The Banana seat returned, but the hoop was cut off, struts on the inside of the saddle and fender washers to keep things strong and tidy each side, I found button head cap screws...and nylock nuts, one had to keep up appearances you know. Then I saw tied and soldiered spokes on a track bike... hey, I can do that!
Helped a number get set up similarly. The local Schwinn shop owner could not understand why I wanted a Slick Chick used in Pink no less for $25... Then he saw the result, snapped an image no doubt for Chicago to review. They did not understand this bicycle motocross thing. BMX was not yet a term. Sold my transformed Girls bike for a profit a few years later, bought a pair of Campagnolo pedals and Phil Wood bottom bracket for my next chapter, a Road Bike.