Kids’ Bikes The History of the Schwinn Sting-Ray and Krates

To make your search even easier, use the “Find My Equipment” tool to select model and serial number, to get an exact part and accessory for your repair project. Discover the newest offerings in Specialized bikes, e-bikes, gear, and apparel at our store. Our knowledgeable staff is here to assist you in navigating our extensive product lineup.

Over time, this has transitioned from a novelty system to a mainstream solution used on hundreds of outdoor bike models today. Bike Barn, located at 4112 N 36th St. in Phoenix, AZ, is a trusted and reputable bike shop that has been serving the community for years. With a comprehensive selection of bikes and a dedicated service department, they offer everything from basic bike maintenance to complete overhauls. Their commitment to customer satisfaction is evident through their attention to detail and personalized bike fittings, ensuring that riders of all levels can experience the best possible performance on their bikes. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just starting out, Bike Barn is the place to go for all your biking needs in Phoenix. Schwinn followed the Scrambler line with the Predator in 1982,[38] their next step into the competitive modern BMX market.

Instead, most Schwinn derailleur bikes were marketed to the general leisure market, equipped with heavy “old timer” accessories such as kickstands that cycling aficionados had long since abandoned. While the Paramount still sold in limited numbers to this market, the model’s customer base began to age, changing from primarily bike racers to older, wealthier riders looking for the ultimate bicycle. Schwinn sold an impressive 1.5 million bicycles in 1974, but would pay the price for failing to keep up with new developments in bicycle technology and buying trends. At the close of the 1920s, the stock market crash decimated the American motorcycle industry, taking Excelsior-Henderson with it. Arnold, Schwinn, & Co. (as it remained until 1967) was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Chicago became the center of the American bicycle industry, with thirty factories turning out thousands of bikes every day. Bicycle output in the United States grew to over a million units per year by the turn schwinn beach cruiser of the 20th century. Al Fritz, Schwinn’s director of research and development, recommended the Sting-Ray as a way to replicate the style California kids were looking for. The Sting-Ray quickly became the bestselling bike in Schwinn’s history. These kids’ bikes featured a coaster brake on the large back wheel and wide-stance handlebars that were perfect for popping big wheelies. The connection of the bike’s name with the (at the time) new Corvette helped solidify the connection between the bicycle and glorified automobiles of the sixties.

Bluetooth Smart and ANT+ provides reliable connections to leaderboards, personal tracking apps, sport watches and consoles. Enjoy 1500 hours of battery life via 2 standard AA batteries. With a rich history in developing sports technology, 4iiii Innovations has worked hand-in-hand with the world’s best cyclists to develop an industry-leading powermeter. Using patented 3D strain gauge technology, the 4iiii crank delivers accurate, reliable and consistent data.

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By the late 1970s, a new bicycle sport begun by enthusiasts in Northern California had grown into a new type of all-terrain bicycle, the mountain bike. Mountain bikes were originally based on Schwinn balloon-tired cruiser bicycles fitted with derailleur gears and called “Klunkers”. A few participants began designing and building small numbers of mountain bikes with frames made out of modern butted chrome-molybdenum alloy steel.

Electric bikes put extra power behind every pedal so you can ride farther, take on bigger hills, and enjoy cycling more than ever before. Find all your favorite Schwinn products at the retailers listed below. Shop online or in-store to bring the fun of a great ride home today. They also manufactured their own rims in the Chicago factory, the “Schwinn Tubular Rim”. These rims, like the Chicago frames, were among the sturdiest ever built.

Sometime in the 1970’s, the Schwinn Chicago factory was organized by the United Auto Workers union, who felt that bicycle factory workers should be paid on the same scale as automotive workers. Unfortunately, the realities of the marketplace didn’t agree, and Schwinn closed the factory, transferring most production to Japan (Panasonic) and Taiwan (Giant). Schwinn also built a factory in Greenville, Mississippi, but it didn’t last, and even bought a factory in Hungary, but the deal fell through, and Schwinn never imported any Hungarian bikes to the U.S. If I recall, it was what Schwinn called a “cantilever” frame, where the seat stays pass by the seat cluster and continue on in a graceful curve to join the bottom of the head tube. Older Schwinn “cruisers”, such as the Excelsior that was the inspiration of the first mountain bikes, used a straight lower top tube from the bottom of the head tube to the seat tube. In late 1997, Questor Partners Fund, led by Jay Alix and Dan Lufkin, purchased Schwinn Bicycles.

When you bring your bicycle to us for maintenance or repair, our friendly, professionally trained technicians will assess your bike’s needs and provide you with a free, no-obligation estimate. Whether your bike is in need of a minor adjustment or a major overhaul, we promise that your ride is in good hands. Forget about refilling your gas tank or crowding onto public transportation – once you try an electric bike, it’ll be the only way you ever want to get around town. Featuring lightweight, rechargeable batteries, quiet, responsive pedal-assist motors, and impressive carrying capacity, you can go further and faster on every ride. Starting in 2005, Schwinn also marketed Motorscooters under the Schwinn Motorsports brand.[69] Production ceased in 2011 (approx). After the bike-boom of the early 1970’s, Paramount was in a poor state of affairs in regards to competition and advancing technologies.