1970’s Schwinn Stingray Restoration
Restoring an old favorite into a modern cruiser
You would be surprised at the heads that will turn when riding an old single speed bicycle around town. My stingray received a new lease on life when my buddy and I decided to transform them from ugly, functional cruisers with nice lines into an eye catching bicycle from yesteryear.
I purchased my Schwinn Stingray at a bank yard sale in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire for 30$. It was red, white and blue, with streamers and a glitter seat. It was missing spokes, and was a very ugly bike. I didn’t care much because I planned to spray bomb it a copper brown. I leather wrapped the seat and rode it like that for several years. My buddy John Hansell also had a similar bike long before I had mine, which gave me the inspiration to find one. His is made by Raleigh but the model is undetermined.
We would ride the ‘lowriders’ as we called them around town as a change of pace from our mountain bikes. One day we decided to completely tear them down to the frame and restore them the right way. This project site chronicles some of what we went through, as well as contains some additional information about these bikes, places to get parts, problems we have had along the way, and how we use them today