Chicago Schwinns

These rims, like the Chicago frames, were among the sturdiest ever built. The parts that say “Schwinn” were made by Schwinn in their enormous Chicago factory (which I had the pleasure of touring in the early ’70’s). Parts that say “Schwinn Approved” were made elsewhere to Schwinn’s specifications. Enhanced handlebar design improves grip comfort and support for all rider needs, from comfort to high-performance. Light weight handlebars with new adjustment system provides easy set-up and increased adjustment range. All residential users that purchase any new, demo, and premium certified preowned class Cycle will receive our Exclusive Lifetime Warranty package FREE!

The Schwinn Bicycle Company was founded in Chicago by Ignaz Schwinn in 1895. Schwinn was born in Hardheim, Germany, and worked as a mechanical engineer. He originally worked on some of the prototype bikes that had started to appear in Europe before moving to Chicago in 1891. Schwinn bikes are one of the most iconic brands in American schwinn bicycles cycling. They are one of the oldest bike brands still operating in America and for generations of Americans, the name is synonymous with their childhood bikes. The Paramount was developed for track and road racing by Emil Wastyn, a 6 day racing frame builder, mechanic and Schwinn dealer in Chicago, who immigrated from Belgium.

In October 1979, Edward R. Schwinn, Jr. took over the presidency of Schwinn from his uncle Frank, ensuring continuity of Schwinn family in the operations of the company. However, worker dissatisfaction, seldom a problem in the early years, grew with steep increases in inflation. In late 1980, the Schwinn Chicago schwinn bicycles factory workers voted to affiliate with the United Auto Workers. Plant assembly workers began a strike for higher pay in September 1980, and 1,400 assembly workers walked off the job for thirteen weeks. Although the strike ended in February 1981, only about 65% of the prior workforce was recalled to work.

The SC 5 bike combines user-focused features, best-in-class biomechanics and a high degree of adjustability to deliver the optimal bike fit for riders of all shapes, sizes and abilities. To maintain uncompromising quality ride after ride, the SC 5 features a patent-pending bottom bracket that exceeds industry standards, rust-defying materials and rock solid construction. Our patent-pending, durable, threadless Morse Taper design keeps the pedals fastened tightly to the bike and prevents breakage. Another problem was Schwinn’s failure to design and market its bicycles to specific, identifiable buyers, especially the growing number of cyclists interested in road racing or touring. Instead, most Schwinn derailleur bikes were marketed to the general leisure market, equipped with heavy “old timer” accessories such as kickstands that cycling aficionados had long since abandoned. More and more cyclists, especially younger buyers, began to insist on stronger steel alloys , responsive frame geometry, aluminum components, advanced derailleur shifting, and multiple gears.

schwinn bicycles

In 1891, he made a big move to the U.S in search of greener pastures. He partnered with Adolph Frederick William Arnold and together they started their Chicago-based Arnold, Schwinn & Company bike company. The company was founded in 1895 in the city of Chicago by German-born mechanical engineer Ignaz Schwinn. For most of the 20th century, it was the dominant manufacturer of bikes in America. SBF Approved StoresThis is a section for Commercial stores to show off their products / sales they might have. There are a few companies that specialize in just this business, but customizing equipment can sometimes be very costly to the client.

Shwinn’s has a reputaion for budget range bikes, however Shwinn do have a higher end range which are better quality. Remeber, if you are a serious mountain biker or road rider, then you might want to invest in differnt brands, but for the average cyclist a Shwinn bike is a perfectly good option. Schwinn make just about every type of recreational, commuter and fitness bike that you can imagine, plus they have an extensive range for children. They are not a brand that makes performance machines designed for road racing, triathlons, or the various mountain biking disciplines. If you want to ride to keep fit, as an alternative form of transport, or for the enjoyment of being outside and exploring on two wheels, Schwinn is an excellent choice.

Price varies significantly, depending on the condition, age, scarcity, and desirability of the model. Whether you’re looking for a fixer-upper or want a bike in mint condition, there are plenty of places to shop. In 2004, Pacific Cycle was in turn acquired by Dorel Industries. Once America’s preeminent bicycle manufacturer, the Schwinn brand, as with many other bicycle manufacturers, affixed itself to fabrication in China and Taiwan, fueling most of its corporate parent’s growth.

Broadly speaking the range is split into five main categories. The world of cycling was changing, and Schwinn did not adapt quickly enough through the 1970s and 1980s. Mark Smith has a nice page about his Schwinn bikes , also some good Schwinn Repair and Restoration tips. The Schwinn Web site had a Collectors’ Page with info on dating, serial numbers, etc. but the page is now available only in the Internet Archive.

Schwinn’s annual sales soon neared the million mark, and the company turned a profit in the late 1980s. However, after unsuccessfully attempting to purchase a minority share in Giant Bicycles, Edward Schwinn Jr. negotiated a separate deal with the China Bicycle Co. to produce bicycles to be sold under the Schwinn brand. In retaliation, Giant introduced its own line of Giant-branded bikes for sale to retailers carrying Schwinn bikes. Both Giant and CBC used the dies, plans, and technological expertise from Schwinn to greatly expand the market share of bicycles made under their own proprietary brands, first in Europe, and later in the United States. By 1975, bicycle customers interested in medium-priced road and touring bicycles had largely gravitated towards Japanese or European brands.