What is a 'highrise bike?' Can't say I've ever heard of that. Is it
like a chopper with a sissy bar, or something?
Duane
djd...@ix.netcom.com
>What is a 'highrise bike?' Can't say I've ever heard of that. Is it
>like a chopper with a sissy bar, or something?
The ones I remember had a sissy-bar in the back, a "banana seat", the
seat was adjusted high and the handle bars were ala Easy-Rider, long &
u-shaped. All the safety guards were taken off the thing, and the
boys always put "Rat Fink" stickers on the seats.
vash
Yeah, and don't forget the upswept rear fender a la Kawasaki's KZ line, a
bike license plate (usually states or "cool" abbreviations) that came in
any number of breakfast cereal promos, and the genuine gearheads would
have stickers out of Hot Rod magazine, et.al., pasted on any surface big
enough to fit. When our legs got longer, we used to put the back of the
seat a little lower than the front for that extra shot of the "Easy Rider"
look.
Jay
(who later had the real thing with a '75 Norton 850 Commando Hi-Rider -
the grown-up boy's banana bike!)
You can see pictures of these style bikes at:
http://users.aol.com/Menotomy
under 'Vintage Bicycles'
To see some 'highrise bikes'
We called highrise bikes "stingrays".
-------Caren
>We called highrise bikes "stingrays".
>-------Caren
Yesterday a friend of mine bought a bike that has the tall handlebars and
the banana seat at a garage sale. But when her son was riding it, the
front wheel came off. He had to get 13 stitches in his chin and 2 in his
knee. So if you get an old bike, check it out first!
Deb
>> What is a 'highrise bike?' Can't say I've ever heard of >that.
>We called highrise bikes "stingrays".
>-------Caren
The stinrays with "bannana" seats were great for riding double or triple. We
used to get two riders on the seat and one on the handlebars. It was really
cool to have your boyfriend drive you around on the handlebars of his stingray
when I was about 11. Remember the ones with the metal bar on the back of the
seat that was about three feet high? It was a rod in an upside down "U" shape.
I fixed my brothers bike for him when I was about 7 and he ended up
with a couple of stiches in his lip when his handlebars came loose.
I was alot better mechanic by the time I was 9.
We had a Schwinn Orange Crate which was a 20 inch 5 speed stingray
with light weight tires, a springer front end and a real dangerous
looking stick shift.
Charlie Wehrmacher
Manufacturing Solutions
Waverly, Iowa, USA
>In article <4omcsl$1...@newsbf02.news.aol.com> care...@aol.com (Carenmarc) writes:
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>>From: care...@aol.com (Carenmarc)
>>Newsgroups: alt.culture.us.1970s
>>Subject: Re: Highrise bikes
>>Date: 31 May 1996 05:07:33 -0400
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>>Reply-To: care...@aol.com (Carenmarc)
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>>> What is a 'highrise bike?' Can't say I've ever heard of >that.
>>We called highrise bikes "stingrays".
>>-------Caren
>The stinrays with "bannana" seats were great for riding double or triple. We
>used to get two riders on the seat and one on the handlebars. It was really
>cool to have your boyfriend drive you around on the handlebars of his stingray
>when I was about 11. Remember the ones with the metal bar on the back of the
>seat that was about three feet high? It was a rod in an upside down "U" shape.
a sissy bar.
Weren't those called "sissy bars?"
There was a kid from the next block over in my neighborhood who had the coolest Stingray bike: It had the gearshift handle on the fr=
ont bar and spring suspension. It was everybody's wetdream.
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=84If you are an old man, and you go into a bar in
pajamas, people will buy you drinks.=BE
Nursing Home Resident
"Duplex Planet"
The "Chez Guevara" Cyber-Cafe
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>
>> >> What is a 'highrise bike?' Can't say I've ever heard of >that.
>>
>> >We called highrise bikes "stingrays".
>> >-------Caren
>>
>> The stinrays with "bannana" seats were great for riding double or triple. We
>> used to get two riders on the seat and one on the handlebars. It was really
>> cool to have your boyfriend drive you around on the handlebars of his stingray
>> when I was about 11. Remember the ones with the metal bar on the back of the
>> seat that was about three feet high? It was a rod in an upside down "U" shape.
>--
>>It was called a "sissy bar".
>I remember whole streets of kids riding these things and attempting Evel
>Knievel type stunts on them eg flying off ramps while other kids lay down
>in a line in front of the ramp to jump over! Were we mad or just young?
How about the Schwinn that had the 3 speed Stick Shift? Mondo Cool !
Mac
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The national Consumer magazine did a report on it and rubbished it
completely, saying something like, "Whoever designed these bikes obviously
didn't like kids. The front wheel is just the right size for falling into
pot holes, while the handle bars are just wide enough for the rider to go
flying through."
One thing they forgot to evaluate it on, however, was "cult appeal."
I would have given it the five star grade.
25 years later, these bikes are collectors items, fetching high prices.
I was never fortunate enough to have one of these. Dad just wouldn't allow
it. But have always liked bikes.
The other day, I was riding my carbon-fiber and titanium "best of 90's
technology" racing bike.
And what did I see at the local bike shop?
A chopper style bike for sale, newly manufactured, even grooovier than the
original "Chopper."
Now, the big question for me is, do I get it or not?
--
What big question - go for it. Man, I know just the bike your talking
about. They were so cool. If I could get my hands on one I'd be over
the moon - I also had similar parental problems concerning the "Chopper"
hence we made our own. I also remember a yellow one called the
"Dragster". It had thinner tyres than the "Chopper" but seemed to be
based on the same principle. (Great to see another Kiwi on this
newsgroup.)
CJD
I had a "chopper" when I was a kid. It was the envy of Belmar CIrcle.
I never had a wreck, but unfortunately several other kids who borrowed
it did. One guy even broke his arm and collarbone and had to miss a
season of football. My bike from then on was called the "Widowmaker".
It was the "Christine" of bicycles.
Oh yeah, it had a gearshift on the front bar. When the plastic
shift ball came off, the shift was pretty much like a knife sticking up.
Should you get one now? If it's anything like mine, I wouldn't.
--Dixon Hayes
I had a "chopper" when I was a kid. It was the envy of Belmar CIrcle.
I never had a wreck, but unfortunately several other kids who borrowed
it did. One guy even broke his arm and collarbone and had to miss a
season of football. My bike from then on was called the "Widowmaker".
It was the "Christine" of bicycles.
Oh yeah, it had a gearshift on the front bar. When the plastic
shift ball came off, the shift was pretty much like a knife sticking up!
There are pictures of these bikes, stick shift, rear slicks and all,
at:
http://users.aol.com/menotomy under 'Vintage Bicycles'
-Vin
Chris Phillips