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This kustom bike features many of the new 1964 kustom-style accessories. Out back is a Bill Matthews sissy bar- rising above the seat; attached to it is a new Persons-Majestic Solo Polo saddle- with an imitation leopard-skin covering. Mounted to the handlebars (down to the front axle) is a set of Bill Matthews torsion struts- for rigidity. And last but not least, is a brand-new set of Bill Matthews Nerf Bars front and rear, similar to the tubular bumpers seen on hot rods and dragsters. More specialized kustom accessories became available in '64, giving modified bikes a different appearance to ones made just a year earlier.

Riding the wave - California style

California's kustom bicycle movement had evolved into a nationwide commercial phenomenon. The trend had exploded outwards from its California origins and spread across the expanse of North America. The mounting of high-rise handlebars and Solo Polo banana seats to 20-inch children's bikes was no longer an odd regional fad; it had become a marketer's dream come true.

Above: Handlebars said a lot about the rider. Here is a January 30th 1964 newspaper clipping from Redlands CA. Bike styling may not have been understood by adults, but young people were very aware of what it was all about. Variation was still the order of the day. Ape-hangers were growing very popular, and tall handlebar stems continued to be used on occasion.

Without exception, virtually every American bicycle company (that had not already done so) entered the market with its own California-style kid's bike. Any uneasiness these companies might have had was cured by market realities. It was obvious there was money to be made in the new bike style, and it would have been foolish for any bike company to ignore the undeniable marketing possibilities- whether they liked the style or not.

Above: The Persons-Majestic Company owned the hottest property on the market in early '64 with their #1 "Solo Polo" seat. Demand was intense as bicycle companies and parts distributers vied for shipments. Every State in the nation caught the fever for the new bike style, and bike shops couldn't keep up with demand for parts, especially Polo saddles.

What, by any other name

An amazing reality was that this new California bike style did not have an official name yet. There was no universal moniker to refer to it. Various names were being used to refer to bikes with high handlebars and banana-type seats, but none of these names had found common currency within the bike market. Early terms for the bikes were "Polo bikes" "Butterfly bikes" "rodeo bikes" "Sport bikes" etc. Often people would just use the term "Stingray" to describe bikes with banana seats and high handlebars, and not just Schwinns.

Above Right, Below: The Schwinn bicycle company got into the high-rise market at just the right time. They advertised heavily, and the nationwide market for high-rise bikes became strongly associated with the Sting-Ray name by early '64.

Stores selling non-Schwinn bikes would often advertise their bikes as "Stingrays" even if the bike was made by Roadmaster, Ross, Huffy, or one of the other many bike companies. The Schwinn Sting-Ray had become so popular, nationwide, that many people tried to make the word "Stingray" the generic name for the new style; much to the annoyance of Schwinn. Schwinn, of course, fought back with its own advertising and legal stance. There was only one bike that could be called a Sting-Ray and it was made by Schwinn. Schwinn retailers reminded those interested not to be fooled; there was only one genuine Sting Ray bike, and that any other bike called by that name was definitely not authentic.

Below and Right: In mid-1964 Schwinn introduced its Super/Deluxe model of the Sting-Ray. This bike featured a Bendix 2-speed rear hub, a classic Schwinn-style springer fork, and chrome fenders. This particular model has become one of the most desired of all the early Sting-Rays, and is highly-prized by collectors. In 1965 the Schwinn Bicycle Company donated a Super/Deluxe Sting-Ray to the Smithsonian Institution, where it remains to this day, as part of their permanent collection.

What to call it?

The bicycle trade magazine American Bicyclist and Motorcyclist recognized the name problem too, and ran a contest to "name the style" in late 1964. The magazine itself suggested the style should be called "The American Compact" - a name that obviously did not catch on. Eventually, over time - the style did become known by a common term, and it was taken from the high-riser handlebars that every one of the bikes had. Eventually the industry adopted the term "high-rise" or "high-riser" to describe the bikes with banana seats and tall handlebars.

Below Left, Right: In 1964 the Schwinn bicycle company became concerned when some local shop owners and retailers started calling their non-Schwinn high-rise bikes "Stingrays", using the Stingray name as a generic term for the high-rise style. Schwinn fought against this move through advertising and legal pressure, and the trend quickly died out.

Above and Right: The Troxel seat company appears to have been the first major company to compete with Persons-Majestic for the ever-growing domestic market for banana-style seats. The term "banana seat" had been around since at least 1963, and eventually became the common term used to describe all seats made in this basic configuration, although amongst collectors the term "Polo seat" is still used for seats that are visually-similar to the original Persons-Majestic "Solo Polo" design, originating in the late '50s.

Left: In the last half of 1964, the Mesinger Seat Company introduced its own unique version of the banana seat called the Long John and Super Long John. These seats were unusual in that they sort of looked like elongated classic saddle seats, and used a support bar to hold up the back of the seat from underneath. The mounting position of the rear support bar did not allow for the use of longer "sissy bar" type mounts. Some of these seats eventually made it onto a few production bicycles within a year, but overall, they were not as popular as the more traditional banana-style seats.

Like a rock

The original design of the Solo Polo seat was a few years old, and not as comfortable as many would have liked; many users complained that it was too hard. By the end of the '64 year it seemed that the look of the banana-style seats was undergoing a change. Banana seats were becoming a little more streamlined, and a bit more comfortable. Schwinn adopted the new-look banana seats by the end of the year, and most of the other bicycle companies followed their lead.

Seats in the old Solo Polo style would still be available for a few more years, but the new-style banana seats became increasingly popular. Although many now consider the early Solo Polo seats unattractive next to the later-style seats, they still evoke some nostalgia by collectors because they are associated with the first wave of high-rise bikes to be marketed. In 1963, Solo Polo seats were available in white, red, and (late in the year) simulated leopard skin. Black Solo Polo seats

The Bill Mathews line

For Bill Mathews, the high-rise bicycles had visual similarities to kustom motorcycles, the high handlebars in particular- as well as the long banana seats. Bill knew that tall passenger handholds (called "sissy bars") were a popular accessory on many kustom motorcycles; so he created a miniature version that mounted to the back of a high-rise bike's rear axle- holding up the rear of its banana seat. In doing so, Bill gave the bikes a fresh kustom look that kids really went for.

Bill also created folding foot pegs that mounted to the bike's front axle, and "Nerf bars", which were essentially bolt-on tubular bumpers similar to the kind seen on hot rods and dragsters. Bill's hunch was right, in that his new accessory line found a waiting audience of young kustomizers.

Near-Left, Nerf Bar: These parts had just the look and attitude the kustom kids of '64 were waiting for. Bill gambled that the bicycle market was ready for an expanded line of hot rod car- and motorcycle- inspired parts and, in this sense, he hit the jackpot.

Kustom-style accessories for bikes proved to be highly- marketable commodities, and the choice of cool bike parts would continue to grow with time.

Above Left, Right: Aftermarket companies like Bornemann and R.O. Kent Corp. made decorative seat covers for Polo and banana seats. Glitter vinyl, was popular along with imitation animal skin - such as leopard.

Below: Various other companies produced many accessories for the 20-inch high-rise bicycle market. Popular were chrome fender kits with flared rears, and high-rise handlebars and Polo banana seats by the dozen. (Newspaper and magazine advertisements).

New blood

With the broad success of the high-rise bike style came an increased marketing of related parts and components. Wald manufacturing had produced the majority of the high handlebars sold up to that point, but other companies increasingly joined in to feed the growing demand. Persons-Majestic had supplied the Solo Polo seats that were used on the majority of bikes well into 1964; but other companies were also striking out into the banana seat market. The Troxel company came out with its own brand of banana seat in 1964, one that featured a spring suspension integrated with its seat-post mount.

Above Left: The Mattel Corporation came out with a cute bike in 1964 called the V-RRoom bike. It was marketed towards a younger crowd of children who liked the engine sounds coming out of the plastic motor. Young kids were attracted to the bikes because they looked like real motorcycles. This sub-fad of imitation motorcycle bikes (made by a few different companies) only lasted a short time.

Below: Various new bike announcements - many bike companies were initially hesitant to produce high-rise style bikes. But sales numbers for Sting-Rays were too enticing to ignore. By the end of 1964, virtually every major bicycle manufacturer in the United States was producing California-style banana seat bikes. Some companies (Columbia) even made them in a large 26-inch size, and some (Stelber) were starting to market high-rise bikes with 3-speed rear hubs.

Kustom style to order

In 1964 a few component manufacturers began to explore the market's readiness for an expanded line of kustom bicycle accessories; with the Bill Matthews Corporation of California spearheading the drive. Owner Bill Mathews had been doing rather well in the previous years by making trike- conversion kits for adult bikes; but he saw in the little high-rise bikes a blank canvas onto which he could try out some fresh new ideas. Looking to the kustom automotive world he came up with a plan for producing bicycle accessories. This was unknown design territory in 1964 - but Bill felt that the high-riser's styling origins should be looked into - and expanded on.

Left: A popular accessory in '64 was Spin-Wheels, which were inserts to mount on your bicycle wheels. They were emblazoned with designs that created an optical effect when in motion. Below: Colored bar tape for ape-hanger bars.

Serious accessorization: Although not strictly kustom, bicycle sidecar rigs (Left) were commercially-available in '64, and had the potential for some interesting design possibilities - depending upon how they were finished and detailed, of course.

Near Right: Accessory bike motors were another interesting addition you could put on your bike in 1964. They proved to be quite popular, and in many localities, they were actually street-legal, even by young teens.

Space, 1964: Traditional middle-weight bikes were still being produced, and designers were at least trying to get some modern visual elements into their frames for more curb-appeal. Ads touting cycles with "space age" inspiration were right for the times, as this was the age when kids dreamed of rockets and space exploration. These were not the kind of bikes the 1960s are remembered for though; this was the age of kustom; and in '64 the "high rise" bike was the new king of the hill.

Left: Speaking of "space-weight" In 1964, adventuresome industrial designers were crafting bicycles out of modern construction materials, like this bike made from fibreglass. The 1960s were a time of experimentation, not only with design but

also with fabrication methods.

Editorial Correction:

Contrary to the errant claim

by the Editors of Bicycle

Journal at the time, the

"Febs 300" of 1964 was

not the first fiberglass

factory bike. That honor

goes to the Bowden

Spacelander

of 1960, a

much more

interesting-

looking

machine,

IMHO.

Below: Bicycle decals were very popular with young people in 1964. The Impko company was the leader in this market and sold a wide variety of designs through mail-order and retail sales. Early Impko decals have become collector's items in their own right, and are much sought after.

For something different, you could watch the campy, dada-ist "bicycle safety" film One Got Fat, which had many viewings in grade-schools in 1964. In recent years, this movie has attained something of a cult status amongst movie buffs who go in for this kind of weirdness. For the purpose of this article, we mention it because it features some early bikes modified with ape-hanger handlebars, along with ape masks on the young actors, which go well with them.

Pure kustom bikes continued to make inroads at major car shows, especially in California. Kustom bicycle pioneer Bob Brown made his most extreme bicycle statement to date with his "BB54 Super Speedster" a bicycle that held its own against all competition - and competition there was. It was at car shows that the most extreme custom bicycles could be seen. More people were entering modified bikes in competition every year, and quality was going up in equal degrees.

California was where it was at, and to have the top-judged bicycle at a major event like the 1964 Oakland Roadster Show was the greatest thing in the kustom bicycle world. Bob Brown of Hayward knew that feeling very well, and if ever a man ate, slept, and breathed kustom bicycles it was Bob Brown the great pioneer of the movement, who richly-deserves a history page of his own. Click on the bike icon at right to go to it.

Judged events brought out the competitive spirit in bicycle builders, and, like the 4-wheeled entrants with their kustom cars, kustom bicycle show competition became a serious game.