Schwinn period-correct parts give the bike a vintage look and feel, including the classic banana seat and high rise ape bars with classic grips. Simply find the bike or gear of your dreams online, and we’ll have it ready for you when you arrive. We’ll ensure a perfect fit for your riding needs and answer any questions you may have. Put more energy into cycling and less into worrying with our ERT helmets.
The 26 x 1.75 size is the normal I.S.O. 559 mm size used on most mountain bikes; the 26 x 1 3/4 (I.S.O. 571 mm) is not interchangeable with any normal tire of similar width, although its bead circumference is the same as the “650C” size used on some high performance 26″ wheel bicycles. The iconic bicycle brand, Schwinn, is a division of Pacific Cycle. Headquartered in Madison, WI, their high-quality bikes are sold in the US and around the globe through mass-market retailers and independent bike dealers, online and in stores.
Parts that say “Schwinn Approved” were made elsewhere to Schwinn’s specifications. The Chicago Schwinns were among the most bomb-resistant bikes ever built, and they were built with unique technology . With the exception of the Sports Tourer, Super Sport, and Superior, they are welded, not brazed.
Acumium brought a strategic and disciplined approach to our website development and design process, with a true focus on our consumers and optimizing their experiences. I am really excited to take the project to the next phase for the brand. Rear coaster brake, also called a pedal brake, provides intuitive stopping power and speed control. Steel construction provides durability for long lasting use for years of cycling adventures.
We’ve got a wide selection of bike sizes and styles, including electric, to fit a wide variety of riders. They also manufactured their own rims in the Chicago factory, the “Schwinn Tubular Rim”. These rims, schwinn dealers 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).
The head tubes look as if they were fillet brazed, but they weren’t. The head tube and the tapered segments that lead into the the top tube and down tube were actually made from two special forgings that were “electro-forged” (welded) together down the centerline, then ground smooth, so the seam is not usually visible. There are necked-down parts that fit into the top tube and down tube, like internal lugs. Schwinn needed a consultative partner with a strong, technical background in e-commerce and digital marketing to provide strategic guidance, user research, and creative design to revamp and launch a new, customer-focused website.
Unable to produce bicycles in the United States at a competitive cost, by the end of 1991 Schwinn was sourcing its bicycles from overseas manufacturers. This period in Schwinn’s history plays a cameo role in a novel by Dave Eggers, A Hologram for the King (2012).[58] Seeking to increase its brand recognition, Schwinn established additional company-operated shops, a move that alienated existing independent bike retailers in cities where the company stores had opened. This in turn led to further inroads by domestic and foreign competitors. Faced with a downward sales spiral, Schwinn went into bankruptcy in 1992.[59] The company and name were bought by the Zell/Chilmark Fund, an investment group, in 1993. Zell moved Schwinn’s corporate headquarters to Boulder, Colorado.
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. F. Goodrich bicycles, sold in tire stores, Schwinn eliminated the practice of producing private label bicycles in 1950, insisting that the Schwinn brand and guarantee appear on all products. 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.
Developed from experiences gained in racing, Schwinn established Paramount as their answer to high-end, professional competition bicycles. The Paramount used high-strength chrome-molybdenum steel alloy tubing and expensive brass lug-brazed construction. During the next twenty years, most of the Paramount bikes would be built in limited numbers at a small frame shop headed by Wastyn, in spite of Schwinn’s continued efforts to bring all frame production into the factory.
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. As the parent company of such legendary brands as Schwinn and Mongoose, Pacific Cycle delivers some of the biggest names in outdoor recreation. But it’s not just the names customer’s trust, it’s the look and feel of our products, our superior quality, and our outstanding customer service that help us bring these premium brands to the hands and feet of our customers. Marc Muller, a young new Schwinn engineer, was given the responsibility to head up the project.