Schwinn Sting-Ray And Krate Bike Facts

It was the mid 1960's in Chicago and something big was on the horizon. It hit us fast and hard. Back then, Schwinn Sting-Rays and Krate bikes invaded the American culture with a vengeance. These two wheeled wonders soared to the top of the charts before you could say uncle. Baby-boomers all across America were making their mark on the world. Our day was just beginning. Look out world, here we come!

What is it about these cool street riders that makes them still sought after well into the 21st century? Let's explore this phenomenon. 

The Inspiration

In the late 1950's and early 1960's "muscle cars and motor cycles" were making quite a statement on the streets across America. They were being tricked out with fancy paint jobs, wide tires and fast engines. The movie "American Graffiti" depicted it perfectly. The cars were super cool! The young drivers were so desperate for the thrill that they had to experience it for themselves.

In an effort to bring that cool to the teen and preteen generation, kids out west mimicked those motorized wonders by customizing their own personal bikes with high-rise handlebars, low-rider seats and slick tires. They created super cool street rides of their own. Their efforts didn't go unnoticed. Someone was watching!

In 1962, Schwinn's engineer, Al Fritz, traveled west to California to check out this exciting and growing trend. Al was so inspired by what he saw that he decided to create a bike that complimented those styles. And so he went back to Chicago and hit the drawing board.

The Sting-Rays

Al wasted no time putting his ideas in motion. He started with a strong 20" Schwinn quality bike frame, fabricated a sleek new banana-style seat and cool high-rise handlebars, labeled it with the trusted Schwinn name and thus, "The birth of the Sting-Ray".  It was fantastic! Schwinn was onto something big and boy did it pay off! 

Virtual Video Bike Ride - Indoor Cardio Without The Boredom

 Schwinn 170 Upright Bike

Bicycle Trainers, namely stationary bicycles, indoor bikes or recumbent bikes are among the most popular choices for home fitness equipment. Not only are exercise bikes great for burning calories, but they also increase your heart rate, develop aerobic capability, and shape your thighs. And using an exercise bike is forgiving to your knees and leg joints. 

We all know that boredom is the "angel of death" to an effective exercise routine. Defeating boredom is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome in achieving a successful home exercise program. Watching TV or reading a magazine while working out will work for some, but many others require a bit more.

Bring in the fun and excitement of an outdoor bike ride. 

Don't let bad weather can't keep you from enjoying that exciting bike riding adventure. Just bring the adventure indoors. If you're looking for that virtual bike riding experience that is budget friendly, consider the wide array of virtual bike riding websites. These sites offer filmed footage to inspire you on your indoor rides. Just go to one of these websites and experience an outdoor ride at home right in front of your PC.

Upright Exercise Bike - Simple, Effective, Space-Saving

 Schwinn 170  Upright Exercise Bike

When considering exercise equipment that can deliver great cardio workouts in the comfort and safety of your home and uses very little space, look no further than a good Upright Exercise Bike like this Schwinn 170 .

Don't let rainy days, freezing temperatures and hot weather stop you from having the fitness program and health benefits your body needs.  

Schwinn Milestones

Ignaz Schwinn

In 1860 Ignaz Schwinn was born in Hardheim, Germany. Thirty-five years later, one of the most well known distinctive names in the bicycle industry came on the scene in the city of Chicago, USA. The rest is history. Here is a list of the milestones that began that day.

1895 Ignaz and partner Adolph Arnold form the Arnold, Schwinn & Company to build bicycles.

1933 Schwinn introduces the balloon tire. Two years later, it became the standard of the industry.

1946 Schwinn introduces built-in kickstands.

1948 Ignaz Schwinn dies in Chicago, Illinois.

1949 The famous Schwinn Black Phantom is introduced.

1952 Schwinn begins an “Authorized Dealer Network.”

About Those Muscle Bikes!

 Krates  Fastbacks  Classics

Muscle bikes mimick the souped up Mustang's, Camaro's and many other street rods that were hot in the late 1950's and early 1960's. These 2 wheeled wonders were an overwhelming success right from the start. First to hit the pavement was the Classic Sting-Ray soon followed by the Lemon Peeler, Apple Krate, Fastback and numerous other Schwinn muscle bikes.  

The original Sting-ray was so successful millions sold the first year. Would anyone gamble with perfection? Could anyone have possibly improved on the Classic Sting-Ray? But that's just what Schwinn did. It's 1969 and the Krate series moves in for the challenge. The Schwinn Krates are irresistible and like the icing on the cake, come out shinning. 

The wide 20 inch slick tires, banana seat, high rise handle bars, stick-shift and the super strong light weight frame make them so cool and easy to maneuver. It's almost as much fun thinking about it as it was experiencing it.

Schwinn Website Redesigned

Schwinn’s new redesigned website features large, lifestyle-focused imagery and educational content. Schwinn has combined their two former websites into one well balanced and exciting website. You can now have up to date information about Schwinn bikes and gear all in one place.

On this new website you can watch informative videos, research bikes, shop for gear or visit the Schwinn Life tab for tips, information, blogs and more!

Find your desired ride choosing among Schwinn's Signature bikes or the value conscious Schwinn Brand items.

Schwinn Signature items are sold only at independent bike dealers:

• Professional expert advice to help you find the bike that is right for you
• Personalized bike assembly, fitting and servicing by trained mechanics
• A wide range of Schwinn Signature bikes to meet your individual needs

Improve Your Blood Pressure And Cholesterol In 8 Weeks

To Lower Your Blood Pressure

• Eat fresh whenever possible or purchase low sodium or no salt added products.
• Use spices, as well as lemons and vinegar to flavor your food instead of using salt and prepared condiments.
• Reduce your intake of cured foods (bacon and ham) as well as brined foods (olives and pickles).
• Decrease your reliance on prepared foods, frozen dinners, pizza and packaged mixes.
• Limit alcohol consumption (less than 2 drinks per day for men and less than 1 drink per day for women).

Recommended Reading To Lower Blood Pressure

If you want to lower your blood pressure without prescription drugs, this book "The Blood Pressure Cure" will show you how you can lower your blood pressure in 8 weeks. This well-written, concise book by best selling author Robert Kowalski is a must-read for every person suffering from or treating high blood pressure.

To Lower Your Cholesterol

Training for a Triathlon

As we continue through the 2nd decade of the 21st century, some Schwinn enthusiast may have decided to achieve a greater advanced level of endurance by participating in a triathlon. A triathlon is a multi-sport endurance event consisting of swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances. Triathletes compete for the fastest overall course completion time, including timed transitions between the individual swim, bike, and run components.

According to the International Triathlon Union and the USA Triathlon, the main international race distances are Sprint distance (750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run), Intermediate distance, commonly referred to as Olympic distance (1.5 km swim, 40 km ride, 10 km run), Long Course (1.9 km swim, 90 km ride, 21.1 km run), such as the Half Ironman, and Ultra Distance (3.8 km swim, 180 km ride, and a marathon: 42.2 km run); the most popular branded Ultra Distance is the Ironman triathlon.

Why You Should Consider An Elliptical Trainer

Great Upper And Lower Body Workout!

 Sole E 95 Elliptical Trainer
$2500 Category

If you've been thinking about getting into shape at home but not sure what exercise machine is best for you, you might consider an elliptical trainer. 

Ellipticals offer a great upper and lower body workout with dual motion and challenging diverse programs. Plus, it's a low-impact exercise machine that won’t strain sensitive joints. Elliptical trainers take up less space than other exercise machines such as treadmills or exercise bikes.

Elliptical trainers may not be suited for everyone. For those who have restrictions such as back or neck issues, you may want to read the article on recumbent bikes.

 Sole E 35 Best Buy
Under $1500.00

Elliptical trainers can provide great cardio workouts while at the same time tone your upper and lower body. Elliptical trainers with handles have an added benefit. To get the best workout on an elliptical machine with handles, set the resistance high so you have to use your arms as well as your legs. 

Elliptical trainers are designed to be forgiving on your joints by going through natural motions. Adjustable strides help you target different muscles. You can choose programs specifically geared toward burning calories for weight loss or manually adjust resistance levels for a controlled work out. 

Cycling For Runners?

Cross-training With Cycling

Cycling is one of the best ways to build overall fitness including cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength in your glut-es, quads and hamstrings and flexibility through your hips and ankles. The fitter you are overall, the stronger and faster you’ll be able to run! 

 5 specific benefits to cross-training:

1. Injury prevention: If you’re new to running, cross-training with cycling can help you establish a base of fitness and get your muscles and joints used to repetitive motion without the impact. As you begin to mix in more running mileage, you’ll be stronger and better able to handle the impact. This decreases the chance of injury and makes running much more fun! The same goes for seasoned runners. Cycling builds and helps maintain strength in the glut-es, quads and hamstrings, minimizing muscular imbalances that lead to injury.

Orange County Chopper And Schwinn-This Is Cool!

The popular TV show Orange County Chopper out of New York has been watched all over the  world since 1999. I remember watching Paul senior and his two sons getting in each others faces while facing a deadline for a chopper they were building. I loved it and so did the rest of the cycling world. Nothing like watching the average or not so average dysfunctional family in action.

Click photo to view
OCC Choppers on eBay.

Well, in case you didn’t already know, Schwinn invested on their popularity and came up with an OCC Chopper Bike designed especially for the Schwinn enthusiast. It was quite popular when it first came out in 2004. I have a red one with red fenders, saddle seat and a wide rear tire. I got it from eBay for about $200.00. Now I think you may be able to get one for around $100.00. It was kind of awkward to ride and became less popular after the first year. I’m going to keep mine a while and see what happens. Maybe it will be a collector someday. The OCC Chopper bike has since been discontinued by Schwinn.

Schwinn also has an electric OCC chopper bike for about $460.00 on Amazon. Just as well, it is a cool looking bike and I’m sure it has a place in the world of the Schwinn enthusiast….

See the Schwinn S2938 250 watt Electric Stingray Bike on Amazon.

Exercise Your Brain

Sharpen Your Intellect

We all know that regular daily exercise is a great way to take care of ourselves. We may choose to utilize exercise equipment, such as a Treadmill, Recumbent Bike or maybe the Total Gym. We could go for a walk, jog or ride a bike. Our reward is a healthier, stronger, more physically fit body. And that is a great accomplishment! Just like our body, our brain needs to exercise also.

I have had little lapses in memory from time to time and I think it would be safe to say you have also. Things like not remembering a familiar PIN for your bank account that you always use, forgetting someone’s name or missing an appointment, just to name a few. Most of the time it’s due to a lot going on in your brain. You have so much on your mind that you’re stressed out. Or maybe you didn’t concentrate enough on what it was you were supposed to remember.

Research shows that brainpower can increase with mental activities in seniors. Aging does not mean automatically losing mental capacity. The National Institute of Aging has conducted a series of tests that prove most dramatic memory loss occurs around age 70, if it occurs at all. Even though memory may fade with time, thinking ability remains strong. Vocabulary and reasoning skills often improve with age.

Unicycle Club or Circus-Which Is It?

Schwinn 20″ Unicycle

 Click For More Details On
This 20" Schwinn Unicycle

Improve your balance while enjoying a whole new exercise experience on a unicycle. Schwinn has been manufacturing their unicycles for about four decades. If you would like to venture into the unique art of unicycling, the Schwinn 20 Inch Commuting / Touring Unicycle is the smart choice.


Based on the original design and updated with current technology, it features a 3 piece cantilever design for superior strength. It is very attractive with chrome forks and a 20x1.75" white wall, classic brick tread design tire with a steel wheel. The Schwinn 20 Inch Commuting / Touring Unicycle is just right for 9 year old's to adult.

Schwinn Unicycles On eBay

The safest way to learn unicycling would be to join a Unicycle Club. There are Unicycle Clubs all across the country and throughout much of the world. Do a search here "Google search on Unicycle Club" to find a club near you. So, if your up for the challenge and want to try something extraordinary, unicycling is definitely in the running.

Leagal Disclaimer: If you do try unicycling, keep in mind that injuries can happen and that we recommend wearing all of the necessary safety gear which includes, but is not limited to, a helmet, wrist guards, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, and shin guards. Unicycling is a fun and challenging skill that maybe should be left to skilled individuals, clowns and other professionals. It is not recommend that everyone try unicycling. It is a very difficult and dangerous skill that should be taken on with extreme care.

Getting Started On Your Unicycle

How To Go Forward