Mountain bikes were originally based on Schwinn balloon-tired cruiser bicycles fitted with derailleur gears and called “Klunkers”. A few participants began designing and building small numbers of mountain bikes with frames made out of modern butted chrome-molybdenum alloy steel. Using the standard electro-forged cantilever frame, and fitted with five-speed derailleur gears and knobby tires, the Klunker 5 was never heavily marketed, and was not even listed in the Schwinn product catalog.
One was already in the catalog — the limited production Paramount series. As always, the Paramount spared no expense; the bicycles were given high-quality lightweight lugged steel frames using double-butted tubes of Reynolds 531 and fitted with quality European components including Campagnolo derailleurs, hubs, and gears. The Paramount series had limited production numbers, making vintage examples quite rare today. Other road bikes were introduced by Schwinn in the early and mid 1960s, such as the Superior, Sierra, and Super Continental, but these were only produced for a few years.
We work with hundreds of retailers and have thousands of products available for rent. All gear booked is rented from our retailer partners and received from their locations. A big advantage with the road bike is that you don’t have to pedal as hard to go uphill, and you won’t be as tired after an outing. You can actually go for hours on them before you feel tired, and that’s one of the main advantages. The Schwinn mountain bike is a great machine that will help you get through any type of terrain. They are easy to get going, and you should be able to go about fifty miles an hour in them.
As you’ll see, there are all kinds of choices in Schwinn road bicycles. There are mountain, hybrid, and cross country bikes, and if you want a low-maintenance bike, you can even get discount ones. They are made in all different styles and have all different features. These mostly 10-speed bikes were introduced in the 1960s to compete with the influx of European racing bikes.
W. Schwinn, grandson Frank Valentine Schwinn took over management of the company. The company’s next answer to requests for a Schwinn mountain bike was the King Sting and the Sidewinder, inexpensive BMX-derived bicycles fabricated from existing electro-forged frame designs, and using off-the-shelf BMX parts. This proved to be a major miscalculation, as several new United States startup companies began producing high-quality frames designed from the ground up, and sourced from new, modern plants in Japan and Taiwan using new mass-production technologies such as TIG welding. By 1950, Schwinn had decided the time was right to grow the brand. At the time, most bicycle manufacturers in the United States sold in bulk to department stores, which in turn sold them as store brand models.
This not only presented Schwinn with a lack of publicity, but also meant that Schwinn did not keep up with the latest innovations in frame geometry, gearing, and other components pioneered by the professional peloton. In conjunction with this, Schwinn, along with other USA-based bike manufacturers, successfully campaigned in 1955 to raise import taxes on foreign schwinn road bike bikes. Prior to the 1950s, high street retailers bought non-branded bikes from producers and then put their own branding on them. When our shop re-opens to the public following the coronavirus outbreak, we’ll be happy to discuss options for fit customization, upgrades, and accessories. THE PARTSAs straightforward as the frame is, so too are the parts.
While most people know the Schwinn name, not everyone knows the Schwinn story. Founded in 1895 by Ignaz Schwinn, the bicycle brand was of course the most popular in America for decades to come. Unfortunately, the same history and heritage which did so much to propel the brand forward over the years brought it to a sad day in 1993 when Schwinn schwinn cruiser bike filed for bankruptcy. This bicycle has been refurbished to the Blue Tag standard which includes a 30 day warranty. From handmade pieces to vintage treasures ready to be loved again, Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. It’s also home to a whole host of one-of-a-kind items made with love and extraordinary care.
Over the years the Paramount would turn out to become the most successful US racing bike of the 20th century. It was Schwinn’s re-birth the following year that really helped get the iconic brand to where it is today. Their challenge was to play off of Schwinn’s storied past while making the bikes relevant for a new-age consumer. We partner with the most trusted outdoor retailers to simplify booking their gear online.