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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

RIP Al Fritz Creator of the Sting-Ray Bicycle

1968 Schwinn Stingray Orange Krate 6シュウィン スティングレー 発明者アル フリッツ死亡

Anyone alive in the 1960s or 1970s in the US either had or wanted a Schwinn Sting-Ray bike.

The inventor of that classic bike Al Fritz recently passed away at age 88.

The high handlebars, banana seat, bright colors made the Sting-Ray the most popular bicycle of the era.

Engineer and tinkerer Fritz designed the bike in the early 1960s.

After serving in World War II, he worked at Schwinn for 40 years.

According to the Washington Post, "...from 1963 to 1968, Schwinn sold nearly 2 million Sting-Rays. At one point, bikes in the Sting-Ray style — competitors were quick to pick up on its success — accounted for more than 60 percent of all bike sales in the United States."

In recognition, he was inducted in 2010 into the BMX Hall of Fame.

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