The Stingray

It was Christmas 1966. I was now on the mailing list for the Schwinn catalog. I knew every bike by heart in the catalog. I dreamed of owning a Schwinn Stingray. On Christmas morning I awoke to the most beautiful Stingray I had ever seen. It was a forest green bike. The 3 speed gear shifter was on the top tube. Fast was the name of the game.

By that time, I was riding with classmates instead of neighbors. I had to ride a few blocks to meet them. The summer of ’67 my friends and I found a vacant lot a few blocks away. Trucks had dumped small mounds of dirt the summer before and by then had hardened and made for an excellent race course and awesome jumps. We called it “The Hills.” I rode around that course at least 10,000 times. We even had our parents come down one evening and watch us race. My first crit. It was so cool. My Stingray was the envy of the neighborhood. And it seemed like it was built just for jumping. I rarely lost in competition.

While going to “the Hills” I had to pass a house that had a big mean German shepherd. A little boy, maybe 3, lived there. Almost every time I went by, they were in the yard and the boy would yell to the dog, “thick’em.” This is exactly where my sprinting skills were developed. I had no idea I could out run that big mean dog. My heart rate had to be redlining. That stuff got old after a few weeks so I decided to take matters into my own hands, literally. I jerry rigged a set of clamps onto the long rear seat post and found an old croquet mallet. Drilled a hole in the handle and threaded a leather strap. I was ready for that dog. The next time he chased me I yanked the mallet off my bike and played polo with his head. After a few knots on his head, the dog quit bothering me.

The following fall, I decided to sell Christmas greeting cards. I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted a second bike. It was a red 26” Huffy. I sold a lot of greeting cards that fall; enough to purchase that red Huffy. That’s when I became aware of the fact that all bikes were not created equal. When the box came I remember being so excited. Dad and I built it that night. I built while Dad supervised. After finishing, I told Dad I had made a mistake. I wished they had offered a Schwinn as a prize. That Huffy lasted maybe four months. It went to the trash shortly thereafter. Nothing but a Schwinn would ever be good enough after that. Besides, Huffy didn’t have a cool catalog like Schwinn.

Then came the 7th grade and Gail. I can't even remember her last name. But her Mom drove a blue vette. Girls, music, Jr. High activities and team sports all took a front seat to bike riding. It wasn’t cool anymore. I guess I turned off and tuned out. But the little green Stingray stay tucked away in the garage.