Due to its streamlined build, Sting-Ray is intuitive to use, so it’s perfect for kids to practice riding and to fall in love with bicycles. So if you want an affordable but powerful Schwinn electric bike to ride to work, to school, around the neighborhood, or on bike paths, the eVoyageur is all you really need. The eVoyageur is a more affordable hybrid Schwinn electric bike suitable for commuters and casual riders who need some assistance. Get one of the Schwinn eVantage bikes if you want a good-looking and even better-performing e-bike for city or gravel riding. The eVantage FXe models differ in that they have flat bars instead of drop bars, so they are more suitable for city riding.
First of all, while other Depression-era manufacturers were understandably using cheaper components and increasingly marketing bicycles as “toys”—Schwinn actually went the opposite direction. The company stopped dealing with department stores and worked exclusively with proper bicycle retailers—such as Barnard’s or the Chicago Cycle Supply Company. This helped develop a legion of loyal dealers and customers, all of whom appreciated ’s focus on quality above quantity. Frank also threatened to start importing parts from Europe if U.S. suppliers didn’t raise their own quality standards, and the tactic worked—the parts remained domestic, but far superior to what most bike companies were using. The company considered relocating to a single facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but financing the project would have required outside investors, perhaps even foreign ones. As a result, Schwinns became increasingly dated in both styling and technology.
If it’s working for the folks who are pushing tires and wheels far closer to their limit than I ever could, there’s likely some evidence there. Athletes who are making part of their living from results aren’t going to use tubeless if it’s not the fastest and safest way to get down the trail with max grip and no flats. I would argue that everyone deserves tubeless tires, no matter the price of the bike. It’s tempting to speculate about upgrades “down the road,” and I usually try to steer clear of making them since the cost of a few decent parts often exceeds the cost of the bike. However, in this case, I will recommend investing in a pair of tubeless valves and a few ounces of sealant to try going tubeless. The only caveat is the labor involved might not be worth the time or expense in the end, especially if the rims need to be re-taped or there is an issue with one of the tires.
Sears, the major retailer of bikes in this country fdr the last 50 years, decided that bicycles were a line of goods with little growth and depressed profits where they could gain little market share. 1963 saw the introduction of the iconic Sting-Ray model with ape-hanger handlebars and a banana seat. In a time when selling 10,000 of a particular bike was considered a success, the Sting-Ray sold 45,000 units in the first six months after its release. In 1972, huffy mountain bike was making 6,000 bicycles a day with 2,000 workers in their Chicago plant and in 1974 an impressive 1.55 million Schwinns left the factory.
By 1957, the Paramount series, once a premier racing bicycle, had atrophied from a lack of attention and modernization. Aside from some new frame lug designs, the designs, methods and tooling were the same as had been used in the 1930s. The Paramount continued as a limited production model, built in small numbers in a small apportioned area of the old Chicago assembly factory. The new frame and component technology incorporated in the Paramount largely failed to reach Schwinn’s mass-market bicycle lines. W. Schwinn, grandson Frank Valentine Schwinn took over management of the company.