MORE random pics......

[GH85Carrera]

[joescoolcustms]

[GH85Carrera]

^^^ That looks like the bike I had. 45 lbs of poor design and weak welds.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

^^^ That looks like the bike I had. 45 lbs of poor design and weak welds.

I was about 8-10 when my beloved Stingray bike frame cracked.
Dad was a educated man with zero Roman practical knowledge. All Greek.
Local bike shop welded it.
Charged $45 in late 70's dollars. Yeah.
Back tire ended up crooked and rubbed the frame. That is a problem.
No Good. NG.
No other adjustment possible.

I pointed it out to the lazy worker.
He didn't care.
I wanted to drag the damn thing in the back room at the time and fix it myself.

[john70t]

oops pic

[GH85Carrera]

Mine had an extra 10 pounds of welds holding it together. I knew where the local muffler shop was and he would weld stuff for kids for free. I could ride it there get it welded up. My dad was an Air Force pilot and he was either gone on TDY or at work.

[Jerome74911S]

Dagobert toilet throne

[joescoolcustms]

I got my Stingray in '73, rode it until I got my License in '81, never had a problem other than I wore out several seats, two crank sprockets, wheel bearings and countless tires.

But mine was not factory welded, it was factory silver soldered.

[wayner]

in the days before high res...

[MT930]

[asphaltgambler]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Mine had an extra 10 pounds of welds holding it together. I knew where the local muffler shop was and he would weld stuff for kids for free. I could ride it there get it welded up. My dad was an Air Force pilot and he was either gone on TDY or at work.

Everyone here should search YouTube for the above semis in this pic. Guy in far lane is from Quebec and that truck is completely off the chain as far as all out performance. Start w/ "semi truck wheelie" in YT search..........you won't be disappointed

[GH85Carrera]

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by joescoolcustms

I got my Stingray in '73, rode it until I got my License in '81, never had a problem other than I wore out several seats, two crank sprockets, wheel bearings and countless tires.

But mine was not factory welded, it was factory silver soldered.

it was not easy to break an older Schwinn stingray frame, except at the cheesy kickstand mount.

The Schwinn frame did not have butt welds at the joints. Instead if had forgings that slipped into the tubes and were soldered or braised together, at least an inch away from the stress points. That is why Schwinn could guaranty their frames and why other bike manufacturers would not.

I worked at fullerton bike store while in college, learned the selling points.

[sammyg2]

The "sports car" of bikes:





The typhoon.
Gerald Mulrooney saw the locals customizing their bikes at Newport and Huntington, so he took the typhoon and modified by removing fenders, putting on whitewalls, and created the BEACH CRUISER. A couple years later it was an official Schwinn model.

He made a ton of money, until the copies started rolling out.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by john70t

I was about 8-10 when my beloved Stingray bike frame cracked.
Dad was a educated man with zero Roman practical knowledge. All Greek.
Local bike shop welded it.
Charged $45 in late 70's dollars. Yeah.
Back tire ended up crooked and rubbed the frame. That is a problem.
No Good. NG.
No other adjustment possible.

I pointed it out to the lazy worker.
He didn't care.
I wanted to drag the damn thing in the back room at the time and fix it myself.

In the late 70's if you brought a cracked Schwinn frame into the Mulrooney shop I worked at, we ordered you a new frame free of charge with no questions asked by schwinn. Surprised you didn't get the same service.

Gerald Allen Mulrooney, after an extensive stroke, passed away on December 22, 2010. Besides six grandchildren and numerous friends, he leaves behind his wife, Nancy, and children, Judy Makem, Patricia Burg and Michael Mulrooney. Cousins Joyce Stewart and Keith Mulrooney mourn the passing of their contemporary in the Mulrooney family. In the 1950s his father and mother opened a Western Auto Supply and Hardware store in Paramount, which, on Jerry's initiative, blossomed into a bicycle shop in the 1960s. Eventually, through his business acumen, hard work and leadership, Mulrooney Bike Shop prospered, expanding to stores in Bellflower, Fullerton, Los Alamitos, South Coast and Newport Beach, making Jerry the top Schwinn franchise dealer in the nation in sales. Mayor three times, Jerry served his community from 1980-1996 on the City Council. With a few associates on the council and with an ace city manager and strong staff, Jerry helped turn Paramount into an All-American city. Jerry was also a member of Rotary Club and Lion's Club contributing to many charitable efforts.
Beyond everything else Jerry was a family man. He was devoted to his wife, Nancy, with whom he celebrated more than 55 years of marriage. She was his close partner in all things, with a strength, a will and a competitive drive to match his own. He also dearly loved his three children. He was generous to his direct family, to his in-laws, and to his many friends. At the memorial for his father, Ed, Jerry talked of almost nothing but Ed's family devotion and service. Jerry very much upheld that value. And through the last 30 or more years of life, and even into his last year, Jerry devoted himself to protecting his family and providing for their future. He is already sorely missed. Memorial gathering will be at Progress Park Plaza West on Downey Avenue in Paramount, January 22, starting at 10:00 a.m.

Published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram on Jan. 19, 2011

[Craig T]

I broke many a Schwinn Sting Ray…Only I always put cool motorcycle handlebars on mine This is circa 1974…

[john70t]

In retrospect I think it was a typhoon model with the larger frame. Same style of frame.
(Maybe I flipped it too many times lol. )
Those stingrays were ergo-dynamic and tough. Had a mongoose for a short time before it was stolen.
Oh well, life is short.

[john70t]

Discovered His Noodly Omnipotence is a perv.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Craig T

I broke many a Schwinn Sting Ray…Only I always put cool motorcycle handlebars on mine This is circa 1974…

Did you forget something young man?

[Baz]

I had the 5 speed Stingray model. Never a problem with my frame...just kept wearing our tires with all the burn outs!