The limited run of Paramounts and the
foundation of the Waterford and Gunnar models connect the company to its
lineage as an offspring of the once-dominant Schwinn line. That’s about the number of bikes
that Waterford now produces in a year. The company has been rolling out new services in Europe, including the popular “Swapfiets” in Amsterdam where users pay a monthly fee and get repairs and replacement bikes for free. Schwinn is one of the oldest and best-known cycle brands in the United States, making an array of bikes including notably “beach cruisers”. Mongoose is known for BMX and dirt bikes, while Cannondale makes high-end road bikes. “Together we can further cater to the ever growing demand for quality and electric bikes, whether it’s for urban use, leisure or sports,” CEO Janus Smalbraak said in a statement.
Prior to the 1950s, high street retailers bought non-branded bikes from producers and then put their own branding on them. It looks just odd enough for drivers to take a second look in a “what the heck is that thing? A second look is invaluable as a rider, where we’d often even be grateful for a first look from drivers. After the bike-boom of the early 1970’s, Paramount was in a poor state of affairs in regards to competition and advancing technologies. In 1979, Edward R. Schwinn Jr. was made president of the company and promptly closed down all of the Paramount operations until they could be brought up to date.
It was an unqualified success, other than that it was very expensive to produce and showed little if any real profit potential. Sponsorship of 6-day riders produced a team to showcase the Paramount, the riders such as Jerry Rodman (The Michael Jordan of that time in Chicago) and the rest of the Schwinn Co. bicycle line. If I recall, it was what Schwinn called a “cantilever” frame, where the seat stays pass by the seat cluster and continue on in a graceful curve to join the bottom of the head tube. Older Schwinn “cruisers”, such as the Excelsior that was the inspiration of the first mountain bikes, used a straight lower top tube from the bottom of the head tube to the seat tube.
Such innovations as balloon tires, coaster brakes, forewheel expander brakes, and handlebarmounted gear changers were introduced by Schwinn. Some famous bicycle designs by Schwinn include the early Aerocycle, Cycleplane, and Autocycle. Still, the company ranks easily in the top
10 and possibly in the top five among bike builders in the United States. Roughly 100 U.S.-based builders, companies like Waterford, Serotta, Lynskey
Performance Designs and Independent Fabrication, manufacture about 12,000 bikes
a year domestically.
Questor/Schwinn later purchased GT Bicycles in 1998 for $8 a share in cash, roughly $80 million. The new company produced a series of well-regarded mountain bikes bearing the Schwinn name, called the Homegrown series.[62] In 2001, Schwinn/GT declared bankruptcy. Triple Link Pedals accommodate Look, Delta and SPD style cleats to simulate an outdoor riding experience.
Although made with imported Panasonic components, these bikes still packed a punch. In fact, even at the time, they were nearly a match for the Paramount – but much cheaper. The Superior and Sports Tourer were relatively heavy all-steel bikes. They were very similar to the schwinn ebike Variety and Continental models, but cheaper. One of (but not the only) iconic motorcycle-inspired designs by Schwinn, the Stingray had high, hanger-style handlebars like a Harley Davidson, a long saddle (perfect for carrying a mate on), and a very relaxed frame design.