Schwinn Sting-Ray (Bicycle Books)
Schwinn Sting-Ray (Bicycle Books)
The stunning colors, aggressive styling, and “coolest-bike-ever” attitude of Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycles are captured in this look at the bikes that were highly coveted in the 1960s and are highly collectible today.For more than a decade beginning in 1963, Schwinn’s Sting-Ray (and derivative Fastback and Krate models) ruled the sidewalks of America. The Sting-Ray’s outrageous appearance appealed to bike-riding kids for the same reasons muscle cars and choppers appealed to their older siblings. With its high-rise handlebars, banana seat, and wide rear tire, the Sting-Ray looked fast even when parked in front of the dime store.
List Price: $ 14.95
Price: $ 237.21
Spirit of the Huaorani: Lost Tribes of the Yasuni
For at least a thousand years, the Huaorani have lived in harmony with the environment, deep in Ecuadors Amazon rainforest. But that peaceful existence changed the moment they first made contact with the outside world. Now, as Indians, they are automatically relegated to the lowest social strata of Ecuadorian society; and even within that strata they come last, looked down upon for their nudity and victimized by sensationalistic newspaper headlines. In this powerful volume, the award-winning photographic team of Pete Oxford and Renee Bish document their plight. It is their unashamed attempt to reveal to the entire world the warm, gentle, and humorous spirit of the Huaorani. Led by an educated member of the tribe who had written a book on
List Price: $ 35.00
Price: $ 7.85
Related Sting Products
Sting-Ray History 101,
Liz Fried captures the look and feel of the musclebike era in her book. She details the inception and development of the Sting-Ray craze, but doesn’t provide the necessary details for collectors to use this book as a reference. The book includes some very fine photos of Schwinn Sting-Rays and wets the reader’s appetite for more.
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|Good, But Not Great,
I have no idea if the author, Liz, is male or female. The author’s gender is not relevant. I call this book good but not great because it takes a fluff and fold approach to the topic and really never progresses beyond the level of casual when it comes to research. If you are interested in the subject of Schwinn Stingrays you will find this book informative but not all that well written. If you are a collector of Stingrays then you probably already know most of this book’s content simply having spent time reading the different online forums that cover the topic of Schwinn bicycles in general. What would have moved this book beyond the casual level would have been, at the very least, a year by year break down of the different models with a comprehensive overview of the many production changes and differences that Schwinn chose to incorporate between 1963 and 1982. Unfortunately most of this information remains esoteric as it is enjoyed only by a small collection of very dedicated enthusiasts. For a comparison read a copy of “Original Porsche 911″ by Peter Morgan and the difference between a serious reference work and Fried’s book will become quite clear.
What Fried covers instead is the broader overview of Stingray production and interweaves some relevant information of the social climate in which the Stingray was conceived and produced. For those that grew up during the 60′s and 70′s it will be a pleasant walk down memory lane. For other readers those passages of the text will seem less than important unless they dream of living in the 60′s. Overall Fried’s approach and skill as a writer tends to wander. The content does repeat at times and the entire text shows the earmarks of being self-edited. Overall the book deserves a place on the shelf of anyone interested in the Stingray not only as a unique, trend-setting bicycle but as the social icon it has deservedly become. In the end Fried’s book does provide the Schwinn Stingray with that. If for no other reason buy a copy now while they are still affordable. I doubt this book will ever be republished.
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|Last Word on Schwinn Sting Ray Series – A New Printing PLEASE !,
I bought this book new when it came out and lost it and look how valuable now. The reason is only one printing and much demand has driven the price of used copies into the statoshpere because so well done and packed with rare photos and information. I owned a red 1973 Scwhinn 5 Speed Sting-Ray as a child and most of the kids in my school drove Schwinns and mine remains the best gift I ever got from my father. The bikes were costly even then but worth it, I recall my friend had a Hawthrone bike from Montgomery Ward that rusted away after 2 years, mine lasted and there was trade-in value afterwards. I wish this book were back in print so I could afford another copy!
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