Sparkling white frame with blue trim and chrome fenders. “MISS AMERICA I” A truly feminine bicycle with Malibu handlebars. “CHEATER SLICK DRAGSTER” Cheater Slick rear tire. Girls’ 20″ Sportster with quaint wicker basket and whitewall tires & white banana seat – Tiger stripes seatĬheater Slick Dragster & Miss America I (1967/1968) Oversize “cheater” slick rear tire gives exciting, wheel-spinning take-offs. Vintage banana seat bikes for kids with slick rear tires from around 1969-1970ĭeluxe 20-inch 3-speed Sportster bicycle: “Speed shifts” like a motorcycle… just twist the grip. The Rail with T-Bar stick shift in handsome control console Vintage Huffy “The Rail” banana seat bike from 1969 Vintage Schwinn Sting Ray banana seat bicycles from 1965 This is a conventional vehicle in most ways except for double wheels in the rear, along with a basket for carrying groceries or a briefcase. However, for the adult who fears a fall, a tri-wheeler also is selling well. That’s the one with the high handlebars, elevated seat, back support or “sissy bar.” and small wheels that make for maneuverability. The most popular bike in America now is the high riser. Goodyear, for example, has introduced color combinations, including green-orange and yellow-black, and called them “crazy wheels.” Wild options now are available, including pretzel handle-bars, steering wheels instead of bars, multispeed gear shifts, front and rear shock absorbers, caliper hand brakes, console stick shifts and quilted backrests.Īll this opened the eyes of the tire makers, who for years turned out a dull black product. They offered unusual colors, such as “flamboyant deep purple.” Copying from Detroit, they introduced the Stringray, Avenger, Eliminator, Grabber, Hugger, Spoiler. Manufacturers began naming their vehicles. How vintage banana seat bikes became popular Later on, the major bike makers, long accustomed to turning out the same conventional product each year, caught on to the idea: youngsters wanted styling they wanted innovation they looked forward to new models each year they desired options. Recognizing that the demand was there, the partners, Gene Randel and Marion Moore, assembled some bikes with high handlebars, elevated and elongated “banana” seats, and low-to-the-ground chassis. Seven years ago, the partners in a San Diego bike shop observed teenagers buying odd parts and improvising their own vehicles. Dr Paul Dudley White and others promoted the idea that pedaling was a wonderful form of exercise even for the elderly, and now thousands of miles of paths are appearing in cities that long had ignored the needs of cyclists.Ī larger thrust, however, seems to have come from the youngsters. The swing to bikes has at least two origins: old age and youth. It surged to 7.5 million last year, and is expected to rise 12 percent to 8.4 million in 1969. By 1967, the figure had leaped to 6 million. As recently as 1960, about 3.6 million bikes were sold. The sales figures are probably a bit higher than your guesses. NEW YORK (AP) - If present trends continue, the annual sales of bicycles in the United States will match automobile sales in a couple of years, and therein lies a surprising story of social change and marketing innovation.Īlmost anyone could guess that bikes were rising in popularity, after seeing once sluggish neighbors pedaling rather than driving to the station, and flocks of youngsters winging along in multicolored “high risers.” Sales of bicycles increase – catching up with carsĪrticle by John Cunniff in The Vincennes Sun-Commercial (Vincennes, Indiana) July 11, 1969 Here’s a look at some of the biggest cycle brands of the sixties and seventies (and a few from the eighties) so you can remember what boys and girls wanted most in their awesomely retro bikes. Kids started modifying their own basic bicycles, adding cooler paint colors, chrome fenders, bigger handlebars, and longer saddles (that also made it easier to take a friend for a ride) - and businesses took notice. Fun and colorful vintage banana seat bikes didn’t just appear in stores by chance - they evolved.

Chopper 2 piece banana seat