"The Drama Queen"

I tend to name my bike projects. Call it goofy, but it seems that after spending as much time as one does building a bike from scratch or scrap that it deserves a name. This bike started as an original albeit crusty Schwinn Stingray Fairlady 20" girls bike. It didn't have a lot of rust, thankfully, but it was covered with 40 years worth of grime that made it initially look worse than it was. Once I disassembled it I found that it was quite solid. Sure it had nicks and scuffs from riding over the years, but I've seen bikes built in 1997 that are crustier than this was. I would say it's not only a testament to the care given the bike over four decades but also the tank-like nature of original Schwinns in general.

Since the Schwinn girls bikes with the "drop top tube" measure their value in fractions compared to the boys "polo style" frames, I figured there was nothing to lose in turning this one into a custom of some sort. Ever a fan of the Stingray Krate bikes, I thought it would be fun to have some styled the same for riding without the expense or collectible value of the real thing. I used a chrome 24" fork purchased on eBay create a Krate wheel arrangement of 20" rear and 16" front. I used a 24" fork with the 16" front wheel so I could keep a level riding position equal to stock. The modification took nothing away from the maneuverability. Everything worked as it should.

The paint was a nice sparkly blue with some chips and minor surface rust in places, but generally presentable. The chrome was already pretty nice on the cranks, chain ring, kickstand, and stem - which are all original parts. The shiny chrome "Duck Tail" rear fender came on the bike, and only had a couple of minor dings. White dice stem caps were added to the wheels for flavor. The pedals were original and functional. I replaced the rusty handlebar with a 70s style new replacement bar. The seat was covered in an unusual sparkly rubber material that I have not seen on another Schwinn. The big round reflector on the back, coveted by collectors presumably because it's big and round, was accented by a cool vintage "1969" Washington License tab underneath the seat.

Though I built this up about four years ago for fun, it turns out that everyone who rode this bike loved it. It had a dramatic stance and a smooth ride. One twenty-something freestyle BMXer last summer called it "possibly the coolest bike I've ridden...ever." I'm 5'6" tall and could ride it around the neighborhood comfortably. It was mostly a hit with the neighbor kids who are only used to seeing mountain bikes and BMX bikes. While it wasn't a show bike, it was a clean rider with lots of character and many years of use left. Hey it's a Schwinn...built like a tank!

I recently got a boys Stingray that's about the same vintage. Who knows what we do with that one??