When the Schwinn Bicycle Co. began producing the Sting-Ray 50 years ago this June 1, top executives never imagined that the sporty two-wheeler with butterfly handlebars and a banana seat would become a national sensation. Even the company's president playfully bet against its success. "Before the first model rolled off the line, Frank V. Schwinn saw my father pull a prototype out of his trunk and bet him $100 it wouldn't exceed 25,000 units in the first year," said Mike Fritz, whose father Al Fritz designed the Sting-Ray (and died May 7). "Mr. Schwinn had to pay up within weeks."
As demand for the bike surged—an estimated 700,000 were sold by 1968—a new demographic emerged: teens who prized standing out rather than blending in. From the start, the Sting-Ray was geared to budding show-offs.
From 1963 to 1981, Schwinn marketed the Sting-Ray like a sports car to teens too young to drive. The company even created a line of aftermarket accessories. In the late '60s, Sting-Ray owners could attach a tall, chrome "sissy bar" in back or replace their rear balloon tire with a treadless "slick"—enabling them to leave a patch of rubber on pavement and fishtail to a stop.
"One of the bike's most attractive features had little to do with its looks," said David Herlihy, author of "Bicycle: The History." "On the bike, you could pop a wheelie by pulling hard on the high handlebars and riding only on the rear tire. The bike gave teens this outlaw image and helped them get comfortable with fear."
