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 huffy mountain bike 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.
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.
1955 was the first year in which the Corvette appeared in the Schwinn catalog; it was Schwinn’s top listing in their “middleweight” category. During the 1960s, Schwinn aggressively campaigned to retain and expand its dominance of the child and youth bicycle markets. The company advertised heavily on television, and was an early sponsor of the children’s television program Captain Kangaroo. The Captain himself was enlisted to regularly hawk Schwinn-brand bicycles to the show’s audience, typically six years old and under. As these children matured, it was believed they would ask for Schwinn bicycles from their parents. By 1971, United States government councils had objected to Schwinn’s marketing practices.
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. When they failed to find what they wanted at Schwinn, they went elsewhere. While the Paramount still sold in limited numbers to this market, the model’s customer base began to age, changing from primarily bike racers to older, wealthier riders looking for the ultimate bicycle.
Edward Schwinn, CEO, just wasn’t as passionate about bicycles as his ancestors were. Yoshi Shimano, who was Edward Schwinn’s personal translator during his business trips to Asia, described him as “a nice fellow“, who “had a lower degree of interest for the business“. Schwinn is the American icon that has built some of the best-known and most-loved bicycles of all time.
Online, you can purchase Schwinn bikes directly from Schwinn on the official website (schwinnbikes.com) or on Amazon, where there’s also a huge selection of models from different categories. One of the best ways to transport things with a bike is using a bike trailer. Schwinn makes bike trailers for kids, pets, or cargo, so mongoose bmx bike you can get the right model regardless of your needs. The electric models fold down, so you can easily bring them inside the building once you reach your destination, or store them in a corner of your home. This is an advanced indoor Schwinn exercise bike with Bluetooth connectivity and a full-color backlit LCD display.
Arnold, Schwinn & Co. originally produced standard light adult models weighing 19 to 24 pounds, and priced from $100 to $150, a lot of money in those days. 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. That represents a miniscule fraction of the estimated 13 million adult bicycles sold in the country each year.
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 schwinn bicycles 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.