But the Schwinn bicycle of today is no longer the Schwinn of the 1950s and ‘60s. Jay Pridmore and junior author Jim Hurd have done just that in their book, Schwinn Bicycles, a 1996 publication of Motorbooks International, republished in paperback in 2001. Political and corporate history is littered with examples of the next generation relying on the past with a false sense of loyalty as the cause of their downfall. Tradition may work for the House of Windsor, but unless you want to end up as a statue – like a Schwinn in a bike shop – take this opportunity as your own and make something of it.
Despite his many wins, Colnago was determined to create more rigid bicycles by experimenting with different frame materials. In 1996, Colnago proved carbon bikes were the future when Belgian cyclist Johan Museeuw won the Paris-Roubaix on the Colnago C40. Fort Missoula’s 2nd Lieutenant James A. Moss received permission to organize the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps in 1986, the country’s first of its kind. Spalding Company in search of bikes to use, and Spalding agreed to provide military bicycles co-designed by Moss. The Corps consisted of eight black men who trained together to ride in all conditions.
The factory that produced the iconic Schwinn Paramount racing bikes has solidified its place near the top of the US bicycle manufacturing industry. But it was too late for Schwinn to recover the ground that they had lost to Mongoose in the BMX market. Even worse, though, Schwinn had let its dealer network slip away mongoose bmx bike during the 1970s. Mongoose, Specialized, GT, and others quickly moved in to take market share from Schwinn. Last week, I walked into a bike shop where the smell of rubber tires and the reflection from the lighting on these shiny new bikes brought on a wave of excitement typically reserved for a 10-year old.
WHEN Hal Sirkin was growing up in 1960s America, the bicycle that every regular American child wanted was a Schwinn. In 2001, a company called Pacific Cycle bought the Schwinn brand out of bankruptcy. Pacific Cycle, now owned by a Canadian consumer-goods firm called Dorel Industries, says the secret of its success is “combining its powerful brand portfolio with low-cost Far East sourcing.” Schwinn bicycles now line the aisles at Wal-Mart.
With stable wheels, bikes like our High Timber series can handle the dirt, potholes, and gravel of off-road biking. As a caution, although sturdy features make this type of bicycle excellent for rough terrain the same features can also make a ride on the road heavy and slow. These durable bikes typically have wide knobby tires, a stout frame, shock-absorbers, and straight handlebars with a raised seat that keeps you in a more upright seated position than a road bike.
Pacific Cycle is owned by a Canadian conglomerate called Dorel Industries, and both entities seem to at least partially understand the lasting appeal of the Schwinn brand. The contemporary designs routinely make reference to the familiar Schwinn models of yesteryear, and there have even been re-introductions of beloved icons like the Sting-Ray. W. Schwinn had been mongoose bmx bike preparing to hand the leadership of the family business to his eldest son, but when Edward Schwinn died tragically of leukemia at age 48 in 1972, those plans—and the course of the company—changed. All seemed rosy, but like the last weeks of a summer holiday, colder breezes were moving in. In all, Frank Schwinn added roughly 40 new patents to the company’s arsenal.