When 2 wheels were king

[Mr70]

The kid at the very end sums it all up.


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[427TJ]

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[njsteve]

Here's me in 1970 on my new Raleigh Chopper. Never could manage a jump or a wheelie on that thing without falling on my cranium.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2015/03/full-1359-22600-bike2.jpg

Here it is now in the basement.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2015/03/full-1359-22601-s7007694.jpg

[454_Malibu]

My brother had the same yellow one. Mine was orange,, wish I had pics,, very cool.

[Mr70]

Mine was black..

[njsteve]

The black one is the later model after the safety gurus got involved with all the alleged wheelie related accidents. Manufacturers had to move the center of gravity forward to reduce those terrible wheelies. As you can see there is a &quot;S&quot; turn in the upright that the rear wheel hub mounts to, and a shorter seat. They were also responsible for the later demise of the center mounted shift levers that left millions of young men sterile after front end collisions caused them to slide into the shifter at speed. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif

[x11d80]

Yes SIR, those were days. A lot of fun outside, no worries just ride the bike.

[Mr70]

In the WHAM-O commercial Bill posted,the bare feet on those steel toothed pedals...ouch!

[JRSully]

Had a brand new Stingray that I got for my Bday, immediately went down to the woods to a ramp we had made(naturally). The new rod seemed to travel a little higher and farther than I calculated, landed in a pile of bricks, that was the end of the Stingray on the first day I had it, Mom and Dad not happy, true story

[427TJ]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mr70</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In the WHAM-O commercial Bill posted,the bare feet on those steel toothed pedals...ouch! </div></div>

We kids were much tougher back then!

[RPOLS3]

The red Stingray in the video looks really similar to the one I still have from around 1976 or so. We shined it up and brought it to the 2012 MCACN show.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2015/03/full-6195-22843-schwinn.jpg

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2015/03/full-6195-22844-dscn2660.jpg

[77Z28]

Thanks for the video! Boy that brought back some great memories. I had an orange stingray with the 5 speed shifter on the main bar and wide back tire and as I remember the tires had raised white lettering. Boy was that bike fun.

Todd

[427TJ]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RPOLS3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2015/03/full-6195-22843-schwinn.jpg
</div></div>

Looks strange with the fenders on it! They were the first thing to go. Then the chain-guard, until about the third time your pant leg got chewed up into the front sprocket, then it went back on.

[mockingbird812]

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/haha.gif classic!!

[RPOLS3]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 427TJ</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Looks strange with the fenders on it! They were the first thing to go. Then the chain-guard, until about the third time your pant leg got chewed up into the front sprocket, then it went back on. </div></div>

True enough!

All the things you mentioned were done to that bike between my brother and I over the years. We even removed the banana seat and put on a regular BMX style seat as part of the &quot;BMX conversion&quot; Luckily all of the parts were saved. After it was loaned out to another family for their son to use it eventually completed the circuit and we got it back when my son was of the age to ride it. The only thing I had to track down was a used set of handlebar grips and a used square rear tire. We took everything apart and cleaned it all up and re-assembled. Lots of chrome polish and 000 steel wool to bring it back.

[68l30]

Ok, while not really two wheels, I think its some pretty cool wall art. Sold by Marx in 66, and predates Plymouth by two years.....wish I had more than the box! Still have my steel forked first year Big Wheel and a first run Green Machine.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2015/03/full-105-23510-image.jpg

BIG