Part II: the Yellow Schwinn Stingray Junior

1976 Schwinn Sting Ray Jr. Yellow

My first bike and a birthday present from Mom and Dad. As a Stingray Junior, it was a smaller frame, but shared most of its styling: single speed cruiser frame with sparkling yellow banana seat and grips. The one styling difference between the junior and the original was that the junior came with a full chrome fender on the rear wheel (The picture above is not my original bike). That full fender gave it a vintage retro look, but was trouble when it came to popping wheelies.

Dad taught me how to ride it on the first try. No training wheels, thank you, just plopped me on the seat, showed me how to use the coaster brake and then jogged along gently until I was riding on my own. Thanks for getting me going, Pops!

I rode the Stringray junior throughout the neighborhood with my friend John Guerrerio, mostly pretending we were CHiPs. I was Jon Baker and he was Officer Francis "Ponch" Poncherello because he was Italian and looked more like Eric Estrada than I did. That was a frequent source of frustration because Ponch always got the coolest slow-motion crashes. And the babes, too. Anyway, we seemed to work it out, at least better than our on-screen counterparts.

And with my older brother Matt on his blue Stingray, we rode on a secret quest to buy fireworks in another county one Fourth of July weekend. But I'll save that story for tomorrow's Part III installment: the Blue Schwinn Stingray Deluxe.

Part I: The Big Wheel

Here is the first installment of a multi-part series on the various bikes/trikes I've ridden over the years.

1974 Big Wheel

On Christmas Day 1974, I experienced new bike lustre for the very first time. Yes, it was a big wheel, and while technically not a bike, it was in the mind of a four year old. I recall the box that it came in was the biggest thing near the tree, which only built up the hype. Dad couldn't assemble that thing fast enough.

Before long, I was throwing the blue hand brake and doing 180° spins, as seen on TV. I was riding that thing all over the neighborhood. I even got welts on my back from friction burns against the plastic seat.

Unfortunately, the big wheel phase of my life was short-lived as the front plastic wheel wore out after one summer. Alas, at age four, I knew the feeling of broken components as I sadly watched them haul it away in the garbage truck.

Still, if they made an adult version big wheel today, I'd own it. I'm not talking about one of those fancy trikes you see on the Keystone trail. What I mean is a 9/5 version of the plastic one I rode as a kid, complete with the yellow and black mag wheels and handle bar tassels. That would be something. In fact, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to do the signature Munson head-wag and flash a toothy grin as I passed recumbent-riding freds at the Corporate Cycling challenge. It would be grand.

Tomorrow, my first true bike: the Schwinn Stingray Junior.

2007 Omaha Corporate Cup 10K

This year's Corporate Cup 10k was the watermark event for many local competitive runners. It was for me at least.


Take a look at that fella in the front row!

On a redesigned and even flatter 10K course with near ideal racing conditions, I set a new personal 10K record.

I had little idea that I would run like this. I thought I'd do well, but a PR?

You see, this year I cut my running training mileage in half to cross train for triathlons. But while swimming has helped cardio strength and riding has maintained endurance & leg strength, I was clueless about pace since I haven't run a pure foot race since my last marathon.

What's more is that it actually felt good. In fact, I've done training runs that hurt a lot more. Relaxed for the first three miles, I didn't start laboring until the 6th mile. There might have even been smiles on my face from time to time.

Bip, Bomp, Bam Alakazam

I've heard that jumping rope is an excellent cross training technique. Unfortunately, I never learned as a kid. And while Ms. Katherine claims to have been able to the double dutch in her youth, she's out of form now.

So, I did some research.

This little fella has more skills than me:

Maybe he always will, but here is my goal:

Black Squirrel Triathlon

Despite missing a turn on the bike that caused a mile detour, I still had a pretty good race.

People laugh when I tell them that the swim was in Lake Manawa. They think it's like the East River when that served as NYC's sewer. Come to think about it, it is kinda funny that we swim in that Council Bubba cesspool. It actually justifies the wet suit & goggles. Thankfully, my mouth was clenched-shut too.

Anyway, I felt like death after the swim. Not because of the water quality, but because I wailed and flailed. Here's a post-swim picture that scares me.


Swim: I remember feeling as bad as I look. In truth, I felt worse. Note: secondary protective skin, goggles and cap.


Swim to Bike Transition: Here, I have recovered a bit. Gee. I wonder if the American Red Cross can find my vein to draw blood. I'd better have that looked at.


Next, I'm getting ready to transition off the bike to the run. I normally ride with my feet in my shoes...it generally works better that way. But here the photographer captured a time-saving technique of spinning on top of the shoes during the last quarter mile. Earlier, my calves were cramping on the first five miles before I settled in to a 21.8 mph avg. time trial.

Unfortunately for you viewers, there isn't a photo of me running. It's too bad because I really felt like barfing at the run transition and couldn't get the breathing managed for the first two miles. This would have made for a fine photo opportunity. Still, after the first two splits at 6:50, 7:34, I ran negatives splits from there (6:34, 6:09, 6:09, 6:08).

With this race, I have completed my transition from just a runner to a triathlete.