Hi everyone,

I'm looking to buy a stingray/muscle bike like the one in this picture:
https://www.boingboing.net/200809292334.jpg

There's a bunch of used bike shops that I've been around here in Vancouver but haven't been able to find one. Do bikes like these come up con craigslist often and what should I be typing in the search query? I don't really need something vintage but just something that looks cool like this. Also, is it weird to be riding one of these at 5'9"? I really like the look of these bikes but don't know if it's impractical/uncomfortable or just weird looking.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Are these types of bikes called stingrays, muscle bikes, or something else?

Most stingrays have 20" wheels, a little small for a taller person. Schwinn made a 24" wheel bike called a Manta Ray, in the schwinn book it's described as the bike favored by fat kids and bullys. I have a Sears verson of the Manta Ray I bought on Ebay about ten years ago, I didn't pay much for it. I recomend finding a frame and wheelset you like and buying the seat and handlebars and build it yourself. I have one with a springer fork, old style shifter we always called "nutcracker shifters" and drum brakes that I built myself. That bike actually started it's life as a mountian bike. I'm leaving for vacation for a week, when I come back I'll post a couple pictures that might give you some ideas.

You can set up just about any American middleweight bike with a banana seat and "monkey bars" to be like a big sting ray, the parts are all available.

A real 20" sting ray would be like the other Dave said, sort of cramped, but I do see tweaker/druggies riding kiddie stolen bikes, so it is possible.

I have an acquaintance who buys and sells schwinns, says Sting Rays out sell all the others.

I see a lot of girls riding banana seat 26" bikes at the beach, some with high bars, they are a comfortable ride.

Thanks for the input guys.

The manta ray sounds a lot more comfortable but I really love the look of the sting ray. (I hope that no one assumes I'm a druggie if they see me riding one.) I pretty much want to recreate the bike that's pictured in my original post. Would this be an easy bike to make from a bunch of new parts or should I just try and find a sting ray?

Do a search for 'banana seat bicycles' and there are a lot of choices. Some models sell fast, esp the non-springer or rigid fork. Here's an example:

Close to what you want but has 3-speed and hand brakes...
https://justbicycles.com/bike_details...0Banana%20Seat

The rest of their lineup:
https://justbicycles.com/bike_category.php?item=10

Had a Stingray when I was a kid. Fun bike and road it everywhere before it was stolen. Added a tall sissy bar so I could lean back on it on longer rides. The single speed and coaster brake did have some drawbacks...wanted more speed/gearing and sometimes my feet wasn't in the right position if I needed brakes...lol.

Edit...here's an ad with the stingray model lineup:
https://theselvedgeyard.files.wordpre...c364091e_b.jpg

Ah, the "sissy bar." I had one too but it looked out of place on my old Rollfast.

I'm 5'9" 204 lbs and ride a 20 inch Ross Apollo (when the weather permits) and I've owned many Schwinn StingRays and Krates, I rode them all, they are a bit expensive and I would'nt use it as everyday tranportation, but thats just me. They are really comfortable and I personally NEVER saw crackheads riding one as they will cost anywhere between (depending on the model) $300.00 and $2000.00 for one in great shape. Here's my Ross Apollo.

I always wanted a stingray but I was a little too old for them. I don't remember them ever being sold as cheap as Sci-fi's ad indicateds. I remember them being in the $100 range at the local Schwinn shop and the crates were $200 or more. I would still like to have one but the good crates cost more than I am willing to pay. A 5 speed Stingray with chrome springer forks......doesn't get any better than that.

Sure it does, a five speed Schwinn Krate! Apple Krate, Orange Krate, Lemon Peeler, Cotton Picker, Grape Krate, Grey Ghost, I'm sure theres at least one or two I've forgotten, heres what a Krate looks like. along with a link.



https://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...a%3DN%26um%3D1

In Canada you may have better luck finding a CCM Mustang which was our version of the muscle / chopper bike.

I sold mine to a tiny woman this spring... she loves it.

There was a guy riding one of these in the Clean Air Ride yesterday here in Fort Worth. It looked far less dorky than I would have thought. I've also seen the banana seat and monkey bar treatment done to adult bikes and it works pretty well.

What's with the baseball bat?

I'm not looking for an authentic Schwinn Stingray but just want something that looks like it. The mustang comes close but the frame is different. I'm thinking I might just grab a bunch of different parts and putting one together. I found a stingray-looking frame from a shop in Alberta but don't know where to get the rest of the stuff and what size they should be (like the wheels, tires, handlebars, etc.). I saw that they have a number of stingray forks on ebay so I'll probably grab one of those.

Schwinn El Dorado is available for about $140 shipped:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TOY742

Its for playing baseball? The bat mount is a very hard to find item for the Krates/StingRays, it was used for transporting your baseball bat to and from the game.

I've got a friend who has about a half-dozen or so Sting-Rays & similar bikes that he's looking to sell. He's not a member here, but does run a bike shop in Plano, TX. The Sting-Rays are his personal bikes, not from the shop. If you want, I can pass on his info to you via PM.

Nope....see below.

As a kid from the 70's..............
It puzzles me why the bars on the banana seat bikes have been tilted forward. In the 70's the bars were at the same line as the headtube, more or less. In fact, all of my childhood pics with me and my friends show this.
Is this because the riders that now own these bikes lack the authentic experience?

No no, I grew up riding Krates and StingRays with the apehangers level with the stem (or gooseneck as it was called back then.) but now that I'm grown and have a longer reach I need to move the bars forward to be comfortable.

or gang fight

ok some body post a link to the muscle bike museum. I cant find it. The op has got to see it. It even has a sales section , if you want to pay top retail.

Thanks for the offer but I don't think I would be able to afford one of those bikes. I'm trying not to spend too much money on getting a muscle bike as it's not really a priority because I still have college expenses.

So does anyone know where I can get some parts that are comparable to the stingray, mainly a wheel set and handlebars?

That bat holder is a pretty simple and cool design:

I'd love to have one for my Apollo, you have one that you may part with? (or any other member?)

That bat holder is trouble waiting to happen.