Vintage Schwinn Bikes The guide to old Schwinns

By 1975, bicycle customers interested in medium-priced road and touring bicycles had largely gravitated towards Japanese or European brands. In reality, mass-market French manufacturers such as Peugeot were not infrequently criticized for material and assembly quality — as well as stagnant technology — in their low- and mid-level product lines. Nevertheless, Peugeot proudly advertised its victorious racing heritage at every opportunity. By 1979, even the Paramount had been passed, technologically speaking, by a new generation of American as well as foreign custom bicycle manufacturers. Whether you are looking for a bicycle to meet your fitness goals or to surprise your little one, having the right bike will make a lot of difference. However, choosing the perfect one is challenging as there are a lot of options out there in the market.

While Schwinn’s popular lines were far more durable than the budget bikes, they were also far heavier and more expensive, and parents were realizing that most of the budget bikes would outlast most kids’ interest in bicycling. Schwinn recumbent exercise bikes, like the Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike, offer magnetic resistance, Bluetooth capabilities, and a ventilated schwinn mountain bike seat all at a good price point. He opened Waterford Precision Cycles and briefly renewed production of the highly-prized Schwinn Paramount road racing bikes built there. Waterford Precision would continue to hand build a couple of thousand custom, steel frame bikes a year under the Waterford and Gunnar brands, as well as for other small bike companies.

The range is comprehensive and covers all styles of bike for the leisure and casual cyclist. Our kids’ bike size chart will help you determine the correct size bicycle that your child needs. The affordable, indoor cardio solution designed to keep you active. Go faster than last year (and the year before that!) with one of our zippy electric bikes.

A nod to the present is its eight-speed grip-shifter, an upgrade from the five-speed lever-shifter on the original. However, one member of the Schwinn family remained at the helm of a U.S. bike company. Richard Schwinn ran Waterford Precision Cycles out of the same plant in southeastern Wisconsin previously owned by his family. Products like bike helmets and safety gear are must-haves for each and every member of your family, as they protect your body from potential injury.

In addition to its range of bikes, Schwinn also supplies cycling accessories including helmets, pumps, lights, and storage. Ignaz Schwinn was born in Hardheim, Baden, Germany, in 1860 and worked on two-wheeled ancestors of the modern bicycle that appeared in 19th century Europe. In 1895, with the financial backing of fellow German American Adolph Frederick William Arnold (a meat packer), he founded Arnold, Schwinn & Company. Schwinn’s new company coincided with a sudden bicycle craze in America. Chicago became the center of the American bicycle industry, with thirty factories turning out thousands of bikes every day.

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. The Varsity and Continental sold in large numbers through the 1960s and early 1970s, becoming Scwhinn’s leading models.

schwinn bicycles

Road bikes are made with a lightweight frame and aerodynamic seating position. You can go for hybrid bikes that can be used on roads and on tough terrains. If you are looking to upgrade your kiddo’s bike or buying them their first, we have options here too. These bikes schwinn bicycles come in all color and design so that you pick the one they love the most. Once you decide which bike to go for there are features like saddles, frame, pedals, handlebar, gears, suspensions and others that will make it easier for you to zero in on your bicycle.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a used Schwinn bike, there are plenty of vintage and used Schwinn bikes that may delight you. Since workers built the company’s first bike in 1895, you can even find antique Schwinn bicycles on eBay. In the United States, however, bike companies had to find bike buyers outside the mass market dominated by bikes made in Asia. American and European makers geared their bikes for competitive riders, such as triathletes and other road racers.

By 1992, when the Schwinn Bicycle Company went into bankruptcy, the manufacturing of its bicycles had moved almost entirely overseas, primarily to Asia. That’s still the case for Schwinn-branded bikes sold in the United States. If you’re children aren’t quite old enough to ride a bike of their own, shop our selection of child seats and bike trailers. These products allow an adult bike to support a little one tagging along for a ride by easily and safely attaching to the adult’s bicycle. • Bike path – a selection of bikes designed to handle varied terrain.