Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Does anyone know who invented the Stingray bike?

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Does anyone know who invented the Stingray bike?

Old 10-13-20, 07:08 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Rat City, WA
Posts: 465

Bikes: Peugeot Course, Motobecane Super Mirage(RIP), Peugeot PKN10e Motobecane Grand Touring

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 13 Times in 10 Posts
Does anyone know who invented the Stingray bike?




Did someone just dream it up,
or was there an evolutionary move towards it?
Rocky Gravol is offline  
Old 10-13-20, 07:25 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
merziac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: PDX
Posts: 14,101

Bikes: Merz x 5 + Specialized Merz Allez x 2, Strawberry/Newlands/DiNucci/Ti x3, Gordon, Fuso/Moulton x2, Bornstein, Paisley,1958-74 Paramounts x3, 3rensho, 74 Moto TC, 73-78 Raleigh Pro's x5, Marinoni x2, 1960 Cinelli SC, 1980 Bianchi SC, PX-10 X 2

Mentioned: 267 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4494 Post(s)
Liked 6,300 Times in 3,633 Posts
Originally Posted by Rocky Gravol



Did someone just dream it up,
or was there an evolutionary move towards it?
Supposedly Al Fritz at Schwinn did in 63 but they got the idea from kids in CA. that were doing it.
merziac is offline  
Old 10-13-20, 08:00 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 712
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 283 Post(s)
Liked 262 Times in 164 Posts
My dream bike when I was 9- I think that stick shift would have easily taken out my private parts in one of my many crashes. I think we can assume the kid beat out the dragster with a mighty holeshot.


grizzly59 is offline  
Likes For grizzly59:
Old 10-13-20, 08:23 PM
  #4  
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,775

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times in 1,366 Posts
There was surely some kid (or his dad) trying to get a few more years out of his 20” bike. Whoever it was could probably claim credit for the 1972 boom
Darth Lefty is offline  
Likes For Darth Lefty:
Old 10-13-20, 08:28 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,127
Mentioned: 480 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3788 Post(s)
Liked 6,575 Times in 2,580 Posts
According to this article, prior to 1963, "California kids had started to take old 20-inch bicycles and customize them into motorcycle looking sport bikes. They were replacing the factory seats and handlebars and using instead 'Solo Polo' or 'banana' seats and tall 'butterfly' type bars. This California fad was noticed by Al Fritz the director of research and development for Schwinn, and he reacted very quickly, making a prototype that was mostly laughed at by the Schwinn upper management."
nlerner is offline  
Likes For nlerner:
Old 10-14-20, 04:22 AM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Near Pottstown, PA: 30 miles NW of Philadelphia
Posts: 2,186

Bikes: 2 Trek Mtn, Cannondale R600 road, 6 vintage road bikes

Mentioned: 83 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 471 Post(s)
Liked 1,016 Times in 398 Posts
Originally Posted by nlerner
According to this article, prior to 1963, "California kids had started to take old 20-inch bicycles and customize them into motorcycle looking sport bikes. They were replacing the factory seats and handlebars and using instead 'Solo Polo' or 'banana' seats and tall 'butterfly' type bars."
Where did those kids get the seats and bars? My brother and I did this around that time, in Schenectady, NY. My first bike build. But I assume is was after the Schwinns came out, otherwise where would we get the handlebars? Black bombed frame, white banana seat and ape hangers. Very cool and fun. That bike lived in the basement behind the furnace for decades after we both left for school. I'll bet the tires were dust (ozone) by the time Dad binned the bike.
Prowler is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 06:23 AM
  #7  
Bike Dealer since 1972
 
GMS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern North Carolina
Posts: 288

Bikes: Some of the bikes I've collected: Raleighs ( about 20), Trek ( oldest 1978 770 Columbus tubes), Mercian, Condor, Bob Jackson, Falcon, Holdsworth, Jacques Anquetil, Bianchi, LeMond, Cannondale, Schwinn, Iver Johnson, Dunelt

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 71 Times in 29 Posts
Info and video of a collector. He has an 1963 original Apple Krate autographed on the seat by Al Fritz.
https://www.metv.com/collectorscall/...the-collection
GMS is offline  
Likes For GMS:
Old 10-14-20, 06:26 AM
  #8  
Newbie
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Central Iowa
Posts: 39

Bikes: 2021 Kona Woo, 2015 Surly Karate Monkey, 2006 Bianchi San Jose, 2006 Bianchi Pista, 1994 Kona Humuhumunukunukuapua’a, 1989 Bianchi Campione d' Italia, 1985 Trek 720, 1980 Cook Brothers 3-bar Cruiser

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Liked 16 Times in 11 Posts
Home-built bikes were called pig bikes when a banana seat, sissy bar, and ape hangers were added.

Supposedly the Huffy Penguin was the first production "muscle bike" beating the Schwinn Stingray to the market in spring 1963: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huffy#...opper_Bicycles
sworley is offline  
Likes For sworley:
Old 10-14-20, 07:50 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 23,233
Mentioned: 652 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4719 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3,034 Times in 1,874 Posts
Styling bicycles to look like motorcycles is nothing new. The practice goes back to the very early 20th century. Early motorcycles were nothing more than bicycles with motors but as the power output of the engines grew, they began to evolve. Frames were strengthened, usually with the addition of an extra top tube, with the gas tank being situated between the two top tubes. Trusses were added to the forks to prevent collapse. The motor increased the wheelbase and consequently the handlebars had along backwards sweep. Kickstands were mounted to the rear axle.

Most boys aspired to motorcycles but had to make due with bicycles. So they started modifying their bicycles to look more like motorcycles and the bicycles companies soon caught on, releasing commercial versions with the most popular motorcycle influenced features being dual top tubes, faux gas tanks, truss forks and motorcycle style handlebars and kickstands. It added substantially to the weight but then, like now, image often played a bigger part than practicality. By the time of the Great War, the genre was firmly established and the motorcycle style bicycles were generically known as motorbikes. The style evolved along with motorcycles and was commercially successfully through to the hi-riser era.

So, when bicycle designers came up with the concept of the hi-riser bicycle based on the popular chopper motorcycle, it was no surprise. They were simply following a commercially successful practice that was a 1/2 century old. From that perspective, the development of the hi-riser bicycle was an evolutionary process.

Here's an example of early motorcycle and an early Motorbike. The bicycle copies the twin top tubes, gas tank, truss fork, handlebar style and kickstand style.


Last edited by T-Mar; 10-14-20 at 07:56 AM.
T-Mar is offline  
Likes For T-Mar:
Old 10-14-20, 08:35 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
xiaoman1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: City of Angels
Posts: 5,152

Bikes: A few too many

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1359 Post(s)
Liked 2,173 Times in 1,178 Posts
Looking back with fondness, it's still hard to believe that the price of admission on the entry-level bikes still precluded many from being able to afford one.
Best, Ben
xiaoman1 is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 08:39 AM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
blacknbluebikes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: NJ, USA
Posts: 1,276

Bikes: two blacks, a blue and a white.

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 442 Post(s)
Liked 840 Times in 407 Posts
Can I get a "back slick" in tubeless ?
blacknbluebikes is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 09:38 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 905
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 352 Post(s)
Liked 393 Times in 215 Posts
Originally Posted by xiaoman1
Looking back with fondness, it's still hard to believe that the price of admission on the entry-level bikes still precluded many from being able to afford one.
Best, Ben
I am with you on that one. Could never get the money together for a String Ray and forget about asking the parents. So I turned the handlebars on my bike upside down, covered them with tape and had a “racing” bike. Wasn’t as cool as a Sting Ray, but I could ride faster than the banana seat crowd.
Mr. Spadoni is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 09:51 AM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,323
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3449 Post(s)
Liked 2,800 Times in 1,974 Posts
Originally Posted by GMS
Info and video of a collector. He has an 1963 original Apple Krate autographed on the seat by Al Fritz.
https://www.metv.com/collectorscall/...the-collection
Apple Krate, actually, any Krate bike was much later than 1963.
In '63-'64 the three speed Sting-Ray was a handlebar trigger job.
I got a new in 1966 Sting Ray three speed Stick shift... for Christmas that year. The stick shift was NEW!
Took lots of negotiating with parents, Schwinn was "fair traded" every shop the same price.
I argued that my parents had quality bikes, Carlton Catalinas, I should have one too.
The runner up was an American Eagle 5 speed sting ray style bike. Cheaper, more gears, I argued that the derailleur was vulnerable, the 3 speed was internal.
I got the Schwinn in coppertone gold, with a Faux leopard print vinyl banana seat. I really did not like the white with sparkles.
Would have taken black if it existed.
The Krates came out in '68? for Christmas?
Two friends had them, this was before the landing of Apollo 11.

The Schwinn history book, No Hands, has a segment on the history of the Sting-Ray. Schwinn won on quality and marketing. They were not really first.
But did come up with the million dollar name. (well, stolen from GM)
repechage is offline  
Likes For repechage:
Old 10-14-20, 09:52 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,323
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3449 Post(s)
Liked 2,800 Times in 1,974 Posts
Originally Posted by T-Mar
Styling bicycles to look like motorcycles is nothing new. The practice goes back to the very early 20th century. Early motorcycles were nothing more than bicycles with motors but as the power output of the engines grew, they began to evolve. Frames were strengthened, usually with the addition of an extra top tube, with the gas tank being situated between the two top tubes. Trusses were added to the forks to prevent collapse. The motor increased the wheelbase and consequently the handlebars had along backwards sweep. Kickstands were mounted to the rear axle.

Most boys aspired to motorcycles but had to make due with bicycles. So they started modifying their bicycles to look more like motorcycles and the bicycles companies soon caught on, releasing commercial versions with the most popular motorcycle influenced features being dual top tubes, faux gas tanks, truss forks and motorcycle style handlebars and kickstands. It added substantially to the weight but then, like now, image often played a bigger part than practicality. By the time of the Great War, the genre was firmly established and the motorcycle style bicycles were generically known as motorbikes. The style evolved along with motorcycles and was commercially successfully through to the hi-riser era.

So, when bicycle designers came up with the concept of the hi-riser bicycle based on the popular chopper motorcycle, it was no surprise. They were simply following a commercially successful practice that was a 1/2 century old. From that perspective, the development of the hi-riser bicycle was an evolutionary process.

Here's an example of early motorcycle and an early Motorbike. The bicycle copies the twin top tubes, gas tank, truss fork, handlebar style and kickstand style.

for about 160k you can get a faithful reproduction of the Excelsior board track racer by Brodie. ZOOM.
repechage is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 09:54 AM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,323
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3449 Post(s)
Liked 2,800 Times in 1,974 Posts
Originally Posted by grizzly59
My dream bike when I was 9- I think that stick shift would have easily taken out my private parts in one of my many crashes. I think we can assume the kid beat out the dragster with a mighty holeshot.


Yes, that stick shift sent me to the emergency room.
repechage is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 10:30 AM
  #16  
Extraordinary Magnitude
 
The Golden Boy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Waukesha WI
Posts: 13,640

Bikes: 1978 Trek TX700; 1978/79 Trek 736; 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport; 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP; 1985 Trek 620; 1985 Trek 720; 1986 Trek 400 Elance; 1987 Schwinn High Sierra; 1990 Miyata 1000LT

Mentioned: 84 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2597 Post(s)
Liked 1,678 Times in 926 Posts
Originally Posted by repechage
for about 160k you can get a faithful reproduction of the Excelsior board track racer by Brodie. ZOOM.
I've seen a few 'old motorcycle' styled motorcycles around here- there's a guy with an Enfield, and I saw a Harley Davidson branded one- kids were riding it around. It was cool to go to the Harley museum and see all those bikes.
__________________
*Recipient of the 2006 Time Magazine "Person Of The Year" Award*

Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!

"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
The Golden Boy is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 10:59 AM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,323
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3449 Post(s)
Liked 2,800 Times in 1,974 Posts
Originally Posted by The Golden Boy
I've seen a few 'old motorcycle' styled motorcycles around here- there's a guy with an Enfield, and I saw a Harley Davidson branded one- kids were riding it around. It was cool to go to the Harley museum and see all those bikes.
Makes bikes too!

https://flashbackfab.com/
repechage is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 01:42 PM
  #18  
Banned.
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 27,297
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 378 Post(s)
Liked 1,407 Times in 908 Posts
Originally Posted by xiaoman1
Looking back with fondness, it's still hard to believe that the price of admission on the entry-level bikes still precluded many from being able to afford one.
Best, Ben
Agreed. My West Point banana seat, high rise bar bike, new in probably 1970 or so, was $44.00 at the local True Value hardware. I think the Sting Rays were $127 or so and you had to drive to Madison to get one. But they were very cool. Everyone wanted the 5sp stick on the "console," the flat slick with either the stripe or the raised white letters. Keeping the bikes clean was paramount (pardon the pun) and of course, the baseball cards were a must. The high rise bar was very functional, as your baseball mitt or football helmet swung without interfering with the steering. The banana seat was functional in that you could carry that kid who didn't have a bike, and it served a bit as a fender when running through puddles. Not that we would.
RobbieTunes is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 01:55 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,323
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3449 Post(s)
Liked 2,800 Times in 1,974 Posts
Originally Posted by RobbieTunes
Agreed. My West Point banana seat, high rise bar bike, new in probably 1970 or so, was $44.00 at the local True Value hardware. I think the Sting Rays were $127 or so and you had to drive to Madison to get one. But they were very cool. Everyone wanted the 5sp stick on the "console," the flat slick with either the stripe or the raised white letters. Keeping the bikes clean was paramount (pardon the pun) and of course, the baseball cards were a must. The high rise bar was very functional, as your baseball mitt or football helmet swung without interfering with the steering. The banana seat was functional in that you could carry that kid who didn't have a bike, and it served a bit as a fender when running through puddles. Not that we would.
My new coaster brake Sting-Ray in October 1969 with 5.25% sales tax was $63. rounded up with a Los Angeles bicycle license.
My three speed Stick shift was stolen in early 1968. I was advised I had to buy the next one. took 20 months of hard saving, no model cars, no hot wheels, no candy, (comic books- which I did not buy anyway) even Mad Magazine, cheap at 25 cents.) washed cars, repaired and cleaned other peoples bikes, house sat cats... coming up with the cash was a challenge.
What ticked me off is when I went to the bike shop they would not sell me the bike until they spoke to a parent. Fortunately, Mom was home.
Granted, I was 9 years old.

Parents never paid for another bike. Boosting the bike fund would have helped me buy a Masi sooner.
repechage is offline  
Likes For repechage:
Old 10-14-20, 02:35 PM
  #20  
Bike Dealer since 1972
 
GMS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern North Carolina
Posts: 288

Bikes: Some of the bikes I've collected: Raleighs ( about 20), Trek ( oldest 1978 770 Columbus tubes), Mercian, Condor, Bob Jackson, Falcon, Holdsworth, Jacques Anquetil, Bianchi, LeMond, Cannondale, Schwinn, Iver Johnson, Dunelt

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 71 Times in 29 Posts
Small world. My cousin is married to the kid on the Junior Sting-Ray in this catalog. They were shooting in his neighborhood and just rounded up some kids.
GMS is offline  
Likes For GMS:
Old 10-14-20, 03:23 PM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,127
Mentioned: 480 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3788 Post(s)
Liked 6,575 Times in 2,580 Posts
In my faulty memory, the kids in my neighborhood had Apple Krate-like bikes, probably the cheap copies purchased at the Grant’s Department store in Clark, NJ. But then some older brother showed up on a Schwinn Varsity! Wow! Talk about a paradigm shift.
nlerner is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 05:40 PM
  #22  
Full Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: North East
Posts: 470
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 95 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 50 Times in 29 Posts
Yeah, I had a Huffy that sort of looked like a stingray. Wanted a Stingray though. Bought a couple of the Chinese replicas, a purple one in 2008, which was a great copy with very good metallic paint - this was not one of the Walmart versions. I later bought a Walmart version when there were none others available for the other child. The Walmart copies were pretty junky. I have kept the earlier purple one. Might be worth something some day - not sure if it will ever be considered collectible. Or, could be a nice gift for a friend's child.

Last edited by Trueblood; 10-14-20 at 05:42 PM. Reason: typo
Trueblood is offline  
Old 10-14-20, 07:17 PM
  #23  
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SGV SoCal
Posts: 250

Bikes: 2013 Wilier Gran Turismo, 1983 Trek 760, 80's Colnago Super, 90's De Rosa SLX, 2009 Waterford 22 Series Singlespeed, 85 Medici Pro Strada, De Rosa Alumino frameset, Dave Molten Fuso frameset, 70's beater Peugeot PX10, Zizzo Liberte, 2022 Yoeleo R12

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 122 Post(s)
Liked 198 Times in 91 Posts
I remember seeing this ad in DC and Marvel comic books. My childhood friend got a red Apple Krate back in 1969-70 and he let me ride it. We are still friends and we still ride together.


momoman is offline  
Likes For momoman:
Old 10-14-20, 10:21 PM
  #24  
Senior Member
 
branko_76's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: The Urban Shores Of Michigami
Posts: 1,745

Bikes: ........................................ .....Holdsworth "Special"..... .......Falcon "Special".......... .........Miyata 912........... ........................................

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 701 Post(s)
Liked 667 Times in 417 Posts
I grew up in the inner city where there were mostly apartment buildings and many, many kids on just about every block. We all had bikes, mostly 20" wheel types with banana seats and butterfly handlebars, but I only remember one kid who had a Stingray and another who had a Schwinn that looked like the stingray, but had 24" wheels.

One summer, we all made "choppers" out of our bikes. We took old bikes and cut the front fork blades off at the crown and pounded the open ends onto the lower ends of our forks. Some went as far as taking pipe, probably electrical conduit, smashing the ends and drilling holes for the axles. It must have been quite the sight to see a dozen or so kids riding these modded bikes down busy urban streets with small inflated balloons wedges between the seat stays and spokes for that "Hell's Angel" effect.







...

Last edited by branko_76; 10-14-20 at 10:28 PM.
branko_76 is offline  
Likes For branko_76:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.