In 1963 the Schwinn Bicycle Company revolutionized cycling for kids when it introduced the “Sting-Ray” bicycle. Its high rise handlebars and bucket shaped “banana seat” were soon copied by every American manufacturer of bicycles. The “Fastback” followed in 1966. This lightweight version of the “Stingray” with narrow 20 x 1 3/8” and 5 speed “Stik-Shift” gear lever met with limited success.
Then in 1968, Schwinn opened another new era of cycling with the unveiling of the revolutionarily designed “Orange Krate Sting-Ray”. The next few years saw an expanded lineup, including the wildly successful “Orange Krate”, the bright yellow “Lemon Peeler”, the campus green “Pea Picker”, the Red “Apple Krate”, a limited production “Grey Ghost” and a white “Cotton Picker”.
The “Krate” line of Schwinns were the most advanced juvenile bikes ever. Building on the “Sting-Ray” style and including the “Stik-Shift”, they added a spring rear seat strut, a mag style sprocket, a spring suspension front “knee action” fork, a 16 x 1 ¾” front tire, a rear caliper brake (later replaced with a disc brake) and an aluminum drum brake on the front. What more could you put on a bicycle? And all for under $100.00. These were the “flashiest Sting-Rays ever designed”. For the next few years the “Krate” was THE bicycle for kids to dream of owning. The next era of kids bikes – BMX – grew from the stripped down “Sting-Rays” and “Krates” first used for racing on dirt tracks.
