The Chicago factory was basically producing the bicycle equivalent of the Mustangs and T-Birds coming out of Detroit, and the biggest challenge was just keeping up with demand. During the Roaring ‘20s, motorcycle production had helped buoy the company as bicycle sales slumped across the board . After the stock market crash of 1929, however, Ignaz took drastic action, selling off the motorcycle division and focusing on a return to the company’s roots. In 1931, a now 71 year-old Ignaz also handed over most of the day-to-day concerns of the company to his vice president and firstborn son, Frank (F. W.) Schwinn, who’d been training under his wing at the Kildare plant since 1918 . Right from the beginning, Schwinn and Arnold set the goal of producing a bicycle of undeniably superior design; something that would separate itself from the sea of cheap ramshackle models flooding the market. The company branded its product the “World” bicycle, and loaded its early catalogs with flowery language of international conquest.
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 mongoose bmx bike 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.
The price is higher than other Schwinn models, one way the Canadian-owned Schwinn brand can assess demand for future, higher-priced American-made Schwinn products. Although they were fabricated in the same shop as the Paramounts, from there Schwinn’s fillet-brazed frames took a different production path. Paramounts continued through their own paint and assembly processes, huffy mountain bike while the fillet-brazed models were added to the assembly line with high-volume Schwinn flash-welded frames for serial-number stamping, electrostatic painting, and final assembly. Hence Paramount serial numbers are unique to Paramounts and serve as a tally of Paramount production, while serial numbers on the fillet-brazed models were mixed in with other Schwinn models.
Dorel’s second-quarter revenues were up 8.1% from the same period a year ago, to $724 million from $670 million. Revenues for the first half of this year were flat at $1.3 billion. The company does not break out numbers for Schwinn and its other units. The offices of the Madison, Wisconsin-based company closed on March 13, around the same huffy mountain bike time the entire country began shutting down. Then, almost as suddenly, millions of stuck-at-home Americans started riding bikes, many for the first time in years, or the first time ever. Sales of adult and kids’ bicycles surged, to the point where by mid-May two-wheelers under $1,000 were as scarce as toilet paper and hand sanitizers.
As the third of four sons in a household where our father was the sole breadwinner, I was not getting many new things – let alone a bike. Although shopping online for a vintage Schwinn may net results, you may have better luck if you look at local shopping resources. Bicycle stores and repair shops often carry used or vintage bikes, and they may have some beautiful Schwinn models available. Additionally, you can find vintage Schwinn bikes at garage sales, estate sales, antique shops, and flea markets.
Due to the increased popularity of bicycles during the coronavirus, Schwinn created an indoor bike that cost one third of the popular Peloton. By the early 1900’s, however, bicycles fell out of fashion and sales declined to about 25% of their previous high. Schwinn survived by acquiring competitors and building a state of the art manufacturing facility. Schwinn Bicycle Company was originally founded as Arnold, Schwinn and Company in Chicago, Illinois, in 1895 by Ignaz Schwinn and financial backer Fredrick Arnold. Before the automobile, bicycles were common and Chicago was the heart of bicycle manufacturing. The Schwinn name lived on for about another decade, most notably with forays into mountain biking, but couldn’t keep up with increasing competition.
The story of these unique bicycles is a meaningful branch of Schwinn’s history. They are worth recalling as a unique Schwinn production strategy and a sidebar in the evolution of the bicycle industry. If you’re interesting in purchasing an antique or vintage bicycle made by this iconic company, you’ll have plenty of options. Price varies significantly, depending on the condition, age, scarcity, and desirability of the model. For instance, a vintage Schwinn Breeze in need of restoration sells for as little as $70. On the other hand, a 1920s Schwinn Excelsior with the original paint can retail for as much as $900.