Schwinn Paramount

[fryardds]

This should warm the hearts of all you older guys that rode the original Paramount back in the day.

http://www.schwinnbikes.com/paramount/index.html

[super9064]

Do you know how much they are?

[Homemade 911]

I'd forgotten about the quality that went into those things...I was a Campy-equipped Motobecane man myself...

Cheers
R/Thom

PS - Still have the bike...looks terrible. Anybody know of any "bike restorers"?

[CurtEgerer]

That is really cool Brian! I bought a brand new Paramount in 1975. A P-10 as I recall, the short-wheelbase version. Silver with chrome Nervex lugs. It sold for $675 ( a LOT of money for a bike back then) and I paid as much I could each week over the winter at the local bike shop. All Campy equipped, leather Brooks saddle, Cinelli bars and all!

That summer I went on a 3 week tent-camping road trip using it as a touring bike, complete with the sew-up racing tires! I think I had 10-15 punctures on that trip and became quite proficient at un-sewing and sewing the sew-ups

[John Z Goriup]

[QUOTE=fryardds;202711] This should warm the hearts of all you older guys that rode the original Paramount back in the day.
__________________________________________________ _______________

While I was going to school in Chicago, I worked part-time at Wastyn Cycles on the near Northside. Oscar Wastyn, the owner and a legend of american cycling, a truly gifted and decent man, was the original designer of the Paramount and continued to collaborate with Schwinn until his death on the latest frame-building techniques and tweaks. I learned a great deal from him. I bought bright yellow 60 cm Paramount from him, built it up with full Campagnolo giblets, Nisi rims and Clement tubulars. It had toeclips and I wore wooden soled shoes with cleats. Wore wool jerseys year-round. Rode that set-up for many years during school and after I graduated and moved to the western suburbs. Great road bike.....nice low bottom bracket, 72 1/2 degree headtube, none of that radical criterium steep-angle short-wheelbase nonsense that's all the current rage. It was as stable as a Mercedes sedan and very forgiving. OK, so it weighed a little more than todays miracle bikes but a double century on the Paramount ( with a well broken in Brooks saddle no less ) left you a lot fresher than any of today's hi-tech marvels.

Oscar also built a lugged, Reynolds 56 cm chrome-plated track frame for my son John, ( on my request he put Paramount decals on it) with which John set a national 3000 meter Junior pursuit record that stood for many years ( 3'-44'' ).

If I weren't so overweight and old and riddled with gouty arthritis I'd still be riding my Paramount. It's in Europe now with a cousin's son who rides it frequently. That's one of the many attributes of steel frames....they last forever. Aluminum and carbonfibre have their advantages......longevity ai't one of them.

Good memories

JZG

[fryardds]

I figured this would bring out some good memories.

John,

Great stories! Very cool you still have the bike and it is still on the road.

Curt,

A camping trip with sew-ups, that's insane but I love it. I'll bet you did get good at repairs, you should be good a restitching steering wheels then.

Rob,

Not sure how much those frames are. With all the labor involved I'm sure they are $$$$. I didn't realise that Schwinn bikes were back in bike shops for sale. I thought they were only sold in Walmart. What a far cry from the hayday when the original Paramounts were being made.

I missed out on the fancy lugged, silver solder brazed frames. I started riding and racing in the early 80's on plain looking steel frames. I did race on a Paramount Design Group Ti frame in the 90's but that was not a real Paramount but a marketing gimic instead even though the frame was quite good.

Later on I did contact Waterford Precision Cycles (the old Paramount shop now owned by Richard Schwinn who is building these frames) and have them build me a semi-custom Reynolds steel lugged frame. I raced on this for several years and fortunately still have them both. A few years back I sent the Waterford frame back up to the shop and had them repaint the frame Orange with Gold graphics to match the RS.

[72targa]

This is the Schwinn that I will always remember...

http://kratesintheattic.com/images/orange/orange.html

[BBausser]

I liked the Raleigh Professional with full Campy myself. Much harder to come by these days. Paramounts are readilly available. Like BA prices these are all down by $4-$5 Hundred from a year ago.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

[RC70SCoupe]

I grew up in "the Krates" era..Parents couldn't afford one then, I can't afford one now

Prices are from 1k-5k

Thanks Brian

[BBausser]

Well I guess we can't all be younger than our cars now can we Brian?