Bikes built by Waterford run the gamut from pure racing bikes and criterion or stage-racing to road and sport-riding. Schwinn never played it conservative with their ad budget, but their best sales agents were always their customers. Popular mid-century models like the Streamline Aerocycle, the AutoCycle, the Continental, Panther, Jaguar, Hornet, Black Phantom, and Sting-Ray all generated word-of-mouth buzz at bike shops, playgrounds, offices, etc. The Chicago factory was basically producing huffy mountain bike the bicycle equivalent of the Mustangs and T-Birds coming out of Detroit, and the biggest challenge was just keeping up with demand. Along with the inescapable masculinity of this operation, there was also an intensity and pressure that came with maintaining an impossibly high standard of quality. Schwinn bikes were pricier than a lot of the other brands on the market, but “German engineering” was a popular selling point then as it is today, and that reputation was vital to the business.
Although they were fabricated in the same shop as the Paramounts, from there Schwinn’s fillet-brazed frames took a different production path. Hence Paramount serial numbers are unique to Paramounts and serve as a tally of Paramount production, while serial numbers on the fillet-brazed models were mixed in with other Schwinn models. This is also why the fillet-brazed models came in the same colors as lower-priced Schwinns, which contributed to their obscurity.
This feature, attractive to older riders, soon found its way to other Schwinn models, especially those intended for senior citizens. In July 1964, Schwinn announced the arrival of the Super Deluxe Sting-Ray. This model included a front spring-fork, a new sleeker Sting-Ray banana seat, and a Person’s Hi-loop Sissy bar. The Super Deluxe also gave the rider a choice of White wall tires or the new Yellow oval rear Slik tire paired with a front black wall Westwind tire.
The company was founded in Chicago in 1895 by a pair of German immigrants, Ignaz Schwinn and Adolph Arnold, amidst the nation’s halcyon days of bike riding and manufacturing. Ideas like balloon tires were introduced in 1933 and soon became the standard of the industry. In 1934, Schwinn’s Aerocycle hit the streets rescuing a declining bicycle market. Styled to resemble the streamlined motorcycles,automobiles and airplanes of the day, it sported balloon tires and deluxe features, such as a sprung leather seat, tank, fenders and built-in light and horn. It was so popular in fact, that the likes of Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby would proudly show off their Schwinns. 1963 saw the introduction of the iconic Sting-Ray model with ape-hanger handlebars and a banana seat.
Due to rolling on 700C wheels, this bike is suitable for riders who are between 5’4″ and 6’2″ tall. This endurance performance road bike is available with a carbon or aluminum frame and Shimano components from different groupsets. In addition to “department store” models, the company also makes higher-end bikes known as the Signature Series.These include road, mountain, hybrid, cruiser, urban, electric, and kids bicycles that can be found on Schwinn’s website. The road bike has two types of handlebars for the road cyclist various needs. They are lightweight and create a more aerodynamic riding position, while also allowing you to better transfer your energy to move the bike. The flat-bar handlebars allow you to sit up in a more upright position to reduce strain on your back, wrist, and shoulders, but they are less efficient in speed than the drop-bar road bike is.
Therefore you can ride it to the grocery store and go out even when the road is damp. Children use their feet to push against the ground and propel themselves, which lets them easily learn how to balance on two wheels. This is a superior way of learning how to ride a bike compared to using training wheels. The lightweight aluminum frame is combined with a SR Suntour NEX fork for utmost comfort on bumpy roads. You’ll also get an 8-speed Shimano drivetrain that will allow you to keep pedaling without much effort. In our opinion, eVantage is the best Schwinn electric bike and the best model this brand makes.
Pawls then secured them in one of four positions to give riders four different gears. Pope’s bicycle, the Columbia, was similar in design to European penny farthings, but his monopoly on bicycle patents, move toward mass production, and keen advertising strategy allowed his business to take off. Drais’ invention was almost entirely made of wood and lacked pedals, but it allowed him to travel at twice his walking pace with no more effort.
Direct Focus, Inc., a marketing company for fitness and healthy lifestyle products, acquired the assets of Schwinn/GT’s fitness equipment division. In the December 1963 Schwinn Reporter, Schwinn announced the arrival of the Deluxe Sting-Ray. This model included Fenders, white-wall tires, and a padded Solo polo seat.
In exchange for ensuring the presence of the Schwinn name, distributors retained the right to distribute Schwinn bikes to any hardware store, toy store, or bicycle shop that ordered them. W. Schwinn tasked a new team to plan future business strategy, consisting of marketing supervisor Ray Burch, general manager Bill Stoeffhaas, and design supervisor Al Fritz. Schwinn was soon sponsoring a bicycle racing team headed by Emil Wastyn, who designed the team bikes, and the company competed in six-day racing across the United States with riders such as Jerry Rodman and Russell Allen. Developed from experiences gained in racing, Schwinn established Paramount as their answer to high-end, professional competition bicycles.
In 1900, during the height of the first bicycle boom, annual United States sales by all bicycle manufacturers had briefly topped one million. Nevertheless, Schwinn’s share of the market was increasing, and would reach in excess of 1 million bicycles per year by the end of the decade. The boom in bicycle sales was short-lived, saturating the market years before motor vehicles were common on American streets.