Stingray Bicycle For My Kid?

[jyl]

Here is another bicycle question.

My daughter (10 y/o) has outgrown her bicycle. For her next one, she wants a Stingray. You know, the banana seat and ape hangers bike we all rode when we were kids, or wished we rode, if we are of a certain age.

(My dad denied me a Stingray, made me ride a Peugeot 10-speed, which has scarred me to this day - all the cool kids were jumping and sliding around the vacant lots with their Stingrays, while I was stuck on the road with my skinny tires. Don't even get me started on the briefcase . . . )

Anyhow, I see vintage Stingrays for sale occasionally, and the "daily driver" ones are not crazy priced, compared to a new quality junior's bicycle. However, I'd want to install an internally geared hub (like a Shimano Nexus) so she can climb hills, and a good front caliper brake.

Does that sound feasible? Or are old Stingrays weirdly non-standard in some way, so that today's normal bike components won't fit?

In general, anyone think this is a good/bad idea?

[911S Targa]

I think thats an awesome idea. I'd get it, it would be fun for her to ride, and old school bikes Rule !!!!

Go to vintagebmx.com and have a look around.

[HardDrive]

I had to smile when I read you story.

When I was 12, I wanted a BB gun. My parents said no, it was 2 dangerous. So they bought me a 20 guage shotgun, and had me take a hunters safety course. BB guns seemed pretty pathetic after that.

[TerryH]

There are several StingRays with gears. Orange Crate was one, 5 speed stick on the crossbar.

[URY914]

BVD will jump on this one.

[RickM]

I had a metallic orange Columbia stingray with metallic banana seat. Did the longest wheelie in the neighborhood on it. Oh the days.

My brother had one of these back in the 70's.

Looks like thay still make it....
http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B0845.html

[craigster59]

I used to have a Schwinn "Pea Picker" when I was a kid. They re-introduced the 'Orange Crate" a few years ago, don't know if it's still available.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally posted by jyl
(My dad denied me a Stingray, made me ride a Peugeot 10-speed, which has scarred me to this day - all the cool kids were jumping and sliding around the vacant lots with their Stingrays, while I was stuck on the road with my skinny tires. Don't even get me started on the briefcase . . . )

Oh man, don't even start me on THAT topic.

The first and only new bike I got when I was a kid was for Chrismas one year. I'm all excited, I get it out on the street Christmas morning and..... there were about three kids all riding new Stingrays. One of them my best friend! This was the first time I had ever seen them and I WANTED one...but I had this new 3 speed. My mother worked for J.C.Penney's which sold the Foremost bikes and of course did NOT sell Stingrays. Only Schwinn sold them then.

Now picture the upright conservative handlebars like Mary Poppins rode

Yeah, "scarred for life" is almost but not quite an overstatement

[JavaBrewer]

Love this thread. In grade school my dad surprised me with a yellow stingray. It was the bike I wanted but he was pushing for a more standard bike. We drove to the bike shop and I shuffled in expecting the std and there was the stingray with my name on it.

In Jr. High I was riding 10 miles each direction and he got me "the best road bike in the world"...yep a Peugeot 10-speed. Bought it used from a guy who just repainted and decal'd the bike. Mean while my buddy had a Schwin Super Le Tour which was about 50% lighter than my European *racer*...sucked to race up Old San Marcos Pass in Santa Barbara against him.

[pwd72s]

This must be something that defies generations...7th grade, I wanted a Schwin "Corvette" 3 speed. THE cool bike for kids in the mid 50's. What I got...a big ol' fat tired Huffy!

[JeremyD]

I had a "Lemon Peeler" Schwinn... I pined for an "Orange Crate"! I remember the "Pea Picker" always thought it looked like it would render you sterile.

[IROC]

Ooooh...I had a metallic blue Stingray that my parents bought used for $10 in 1970. It was like new except for flat tires. I loved that bike. It even had front suspension.

Mike

[JeremyD]

2006 Lemon Peeler

[craigster59]

I got the picture of the 'Pea Picker' from "The New England Muscle Bike Museum". Who knew. Great pics of some of the great Stingrays and Choppers. http://www.nemusclebikes.com

[David]

For the most part, new bike parts will fit older bikes. Since the Stingray has a carbon steel frame, you can bend the rear stays in or out a little to accomadate whatever rear hub you want.

I looked into building a cruiser with the Nexus hub but they're still pretty heavy compared to a multisprocket freewheel and derailer.

[craigster59]

A 1964 Mattell "Vroom"

[TerryH]

StingRays were ideal, especially if you wanted to give a young lass a lift. She had the front half of that banana seat with her feet on the handlebar.... ah the memories.

It wasn't ideal that one time I took it 23 miles to the beach, while the rest of our gang had their 10 speeds. I only did that once.

Mine was metallic green, nothing fancy, but I remember it was almost $50 in 1969, not cheap.

[speeder]

I had a dark green, 2-speed "kick-back" Schwinn stingray that was my dream bike in '69, (10 years old), it got stolen in front of the movie theater pretty quickly and I still haven't gotten over it completely.

Anyone remember that model?

[turbocarrera]

I had one of these..

.. sometimes it made me a new friend, othertimes I got beat down.. ahh the memories ..'twas all in good fun!

stability was iffy - hence my 930 purchase.

[Racerbvd]

Originally posted by HardDrive
I had to smile when I read you story.

When I was 12, I wanted a BB gun. My parents said no, it was 2 dangerous. So they bought me a 20 guage shotgun, and had me take a hunters safety course. BB guns seemed pretty pathetic after that.

My dad did the same thing.

Back to topic;

I had a 72 Lemon Krate, that was so cool, the repops are OK, better than most of the other junk out there, so go for it, Grape Krates (new ones) would make her happy.