Today it’s time to say goodbye to an old friend — my beloved Schwinn Paramount. My Schwinn Paramount was the first real racing bike I ever owned. It was also my first custom made bicycle. I ordered the Paramount in the summer of 1989 while working in sales at the Schwinn bicycle company in Chicago between my freshman and sophomore years in college. I had joined the Purdue cycling team my freshman year and quickly realized that I needed a more serious setup than the entry level bike I had been riding, a Schwinn Aluminum model 754. I really liked the look of my Schwinn aluminum bike, a white frame with simple black decals, so when I ordered the custom Paramount I requested the same color scheme.
I still recall the looks of awe from my fellow Schwinn employees the day the frame arrived from Waterford, Wisconsin, the location of the old Schwinn Paramount factory. “It looks…fast. It looks fast standing still. It’s so clean. Amazing.” My manager at the time, Al Gapinski, wouldn’t let me take the frame home insisting that he hang it on the wall for customers to see before the parts arrived the following week when we would build it into a complete bike. It was indeed one of the best looking Paramount frames any of us had ever seen. I also recall the mix of complements and looks of envy from my Purdue teammates when I showed up the first week of practice with the new bike sophomore year. At that point I felt like a real cyclist. The bike seemed to ride as fast as it looked and my cycling improved dramatically that year.
I enjoyed the bike so much that I continued to ride it long after lighter and more high-tech bikes entered the market. After fifteen seasons of great riding, about ten years longer than any light steel racing frame should last, the frame finally broke during the bike leg of the Sentinel Triathlon in Santa Cruz, California. Notice the near complete tear in the downtube three letter spaces from the last “N” in Schwinn.
At that point I purchased a current flyweight carbon fiber bike but I held on to the Paramount frame thinking that just maybe I could take advantage of Schwinn’s old lifetime warranty. I knew it was highly unlikely since the Schwinn company has changed hands several times since 1989 and the “Paramount” name only exists as a Schwinn trademark at this point; Schwinn no longer makes custom handmade bicycles or anything close to the old Paramounts. Real Schwinn Paramounts were some of the highest quality bikes ever made and for decades were manufactured at at Schwinn factory in Chicago, then a newer factory in Waterford, Wisconsin. Schwinn bikes have a race pedigree dating back to 1895 including the first six-day races held in the United States before baseball became the new national pastime. The first Schwinn Paramount was introduced in 1938. On the other end, my frame is a few years away from being one of the last Schwinn Paramounts ever manufactured. When Schwinn was acquired by the Scott company, Schwinn was moved to Boulder, Colorado and the Paramount factory was sold to Richard Schwinn and was renamed Waterford Precision Cycles.
After a bit of spring cleaning, I finally decided that it was time to do something with the Paramount. I looked up the Waterford website, picked up the phone, and asked for Richard Schwinn, one of the modern day Schwinn’s. I was surprised that it was Richard who answered. I said, “Hi Richard, it’s Brian McNitt. I…”. Richard cut me off right away saying that he knew that name. I explained that I used to work at Schwinn long ago and he began to remember me (or at the very least pretended to) which made me feel good. I took a tour of the Waterford factory in 1989 before ordering my frame; amazing that he would remember that. We talked for awhile about bikes. how I made the leap from the bicycle industry to web technology a number of years ago and other things. Richard was super nice. He explained that, of course, the current Schwinn company no longer honors the lifetime warranty on the old Paramounts, something Richard has no control over, but he did offer to replace my Paramount with a new Waterford frame at a very very good price.
I honestly don’t think I need a new steel bike at this point but it was great to bring some closure to the experience of owning the Paramount — the freedom, health and joy that bike brought me for so many years. Today, the frame goes to the curb, or a perhaps friend who has the space and interest in preserving it for historical reasons. In Lance Armstrong’s book, It’s Not About the Bike, you get the sense that Lance has owned hundreds of bikes. Interestingly, the only bike he actually names and remembers fondly is his Schwinn Paramount. Perhaps it too will be my Rosebud. Goodbye, old friend.
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sad… :o(
Indeed. (Don’t tell anyone. It’s still under my bed.:)
Brian:
Tough to let go of an old friend. I have a 1970 P-13 that I did some racing on in the late 70’s. I am the second owner, but when it came time to move to Aluminum(a la Cannondale), I could not part with my Paramount. In fact the opposite happened, I got nostalgic and starting collecting Paramounts from different era’s in Paramount history. My oldest is a single speed tourer circa somewhere between ’38 and ’41. The next is a 3 speed sport bike with full fenders and chaingard. Next is a 1961 P-12, and a 1966 P-14 track bike that I purchased just recently from a friend who was the original owner. Then the one that got me into this, the 1970 P-13. I also have a 50th Anniversary model I built up with Campagnolo 50th Anniversary components, and lastly a 1999 60th Anniversary Paramount built with Campagnolo Record 9-spped. This is last of the Schwinn Paramount legacy. Even if Pacific Bike were to bring it back, which I really hope that they do not, it would not likely be a steel bike.
I could go on and on about each of these machines, the differences and why, in my view, they are unique and meaningful to Schwinn Paramount history, and U.S. Cycling history in general, but it would probably bore most people to death.
So saying goodbye is tough, but it sounds like the memories of the Paramount will live long.
“Steel is Real”
Tim
I found your blog cause I was looking for some help. I have a later model Paramount, late 90’s. I’m the second owner and surprised if it had 500 miles on it when I got it. It came with Campy Record. I’m interested in putting SIS on it and wondered whether anyone could tell me whether the frame would accept it. Shimano 105 or something similar perhaps.
Thanks a lot,
Charles
Hi Charles,
Congrats on the acquisition. You should have no problem upgrading the bike to STI or a more modern shifting system. The main question is rear dropout width. Do you know if your Paramount has 126mm or 130mm rear dropout spacing? (If you’re not sure, you can measure it yourself, have your shop measure it, or call Waterford Precision Cycles with the serial number — they should be able to tell you the vintage.)
If it’s 126mm (originally designed for 7-speed like my Paramount, pictured) then you will have to stretch (cold set) the rear dropout a bit to fit a wider 130mm 8, 9, or 10-speed hub. Sheldon Brown wrote an excellent article on the subject at: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html.
If you already have 130mm spacing, then you’re set. It’s simply a matter of swapping out the shifters and drive train components.
Hope this helps!
Brian
Аапну-ка ребятки голсоуем!!!
Пртзнавайтесь прролкахники и владдельцы сайта brianmcnitt.com ))))
ЧТО вы буддете делатиь этми летт?!
Brian,
All is not lost, if you still have your broken frame. RRB CYcles, in Kenilworth, Illinois, fixes bikes. The owner is Ron Boi. Many years ago Ron used to repair Paramount frames for the factory.
After I crashed a bike, Ron replaced the top tube and down tube (it was a frame he had built), and I picked out a new Imron color, too.
-Will
Brian,
My father is passing down his 1966 paramount to me and I am so excited. I haven’t got to ride it since my teens. I don’t remember all the details, but I’m going to get it restored.(not much to do but clean up. It’s nice to know others hold these bicycles in a special place in their hearts
Stacy
Are you selling this frame? I am a college student that really wants a top end bike from the 70’s or 80’s so I can restore it.
@Stacy
Very cool. How did the restoration turn out? Are you enjoying the bike? Would be cool to see a picture.
@Andrew
I didn’t think of selling it. Retorting my frame would take a lot. The downtube is ripped and needs to be replaced. There are also significant dents in the top tube and right chainstay. With 1-3 tubes to replace plus paint and out of print decals, it’s safe to say that it would cost more to repair than it would to replace with a new frame. Given this, if it’s still something you want, and can pick up in Folsom, CA (where it’s currently in storage), you can have it for free.
I am not sure what is more impressive the people who still post to this blog a year later – which shows the power of the paramount brand or the fact that no one has ever done anything with it. Any chance Schwinn told you what they did with it?
Schwinn still owns the Paramount brand, and for awhile they (sadly) used it on non-custom production bikes. I don’t see the Paramount name used in the current Schwinn lineup.
From the turnover of the Schwinn company, to the sale of the Waterford plant, to the use of the Paramount name on mass produced bikes, it seems the name Paramount only has meaning in a historical context.
Given that performance racing bikes have moved away from metal and custom sizing in favor of molded carbon frames offered in 3-5 stock sizes, it seems fitting that Schwinn retire the Paramount name, if for no other reason than to preserve the heritage. If custom bikes make a comeback in the future and Schwinn enters that space, than maybe revive the brand, but at this point I don’t see that happening. We will just have to remember Paramounts in blogs and enjoy the occasional sight and stories of older riders on the remaining road worthy bikes.