W. Schwinn tasked a new team to plan future business strategy, consisting of marketing supervisor Ray Burch, general manager Bill Stoeffhaas, and design supervisor Al Fritz. With the first production bike designed specifically for indoor cycling, Schwinn set the standard for an industry. Riders schwinn dealers experience enhanced comfort with adjustable seat slides and handlebars, and durable stretch pads. A product of input from hundreds of users, cycling instructors and fitness buyers, this innovative bike belongs in a class by itself – but your riders will definitely want it in theirs.
Although made with imported Panasonic components, these bikes still packed a punch. In fact, even at the time, they were nearly a match for the Paramount – but much cheaper. The Superior and Sports Tourer were relatively heavy all-steel bikes. They were very similar to the Variety and Continental models, but cheaper. One of (but not the only) iconic motorcycle-inspired designs by Schwinn, the Stingray had high, hanger-style handlebars like a Harley Davidson, a long saddle (perfect for carrying a mate on), and a very relaxed frame design.
Powered by personalized zones, accountability and an instructor who will push riders to be their best, the Z Bike was designed for studios that focus on unifying their members with color. The configurable console allows for your instructor to design the class around FTP, Heart Rate, or Cadence for an experience that is never the same twice. Of course, at the other end of the table, older models (think pre-1960s) are going to be more outdated in terms of their technology and performance. Yet, they are still very beautiful bikes that are highly sought after by many and may certainly be worth buying, depending on what you’re looking for.
It was an unqualified success, other than that it was very expensive to produce and showed little if any real profit potential. Sponsorship of 6-day riders produced a team to showcase the Paramount, the riders such as Jerry Rodman (The Michael Jordan of that time in Chicago) and the rest of the Schwinn Co. bicycle line. If I recall, it was what Schwinn called a “cantilever” frame, where the seat stays pass by the seat cluster and continue on in a graceful curve to join the bottom of the head tube. Older Schwinn “cruisers”, such as the Excelsior that was the inspiration of the first mountain bikes, used a straight lower top tube from the bottom of the head tube to the seat tube.
Despite this, the bike occupies a relatively small amount of floor space. These models were similarly introduced in the early/mid-1960s and were 10-speed, but they’re quite rare as they weren’t produced for long. Whilst many of the post-1970 Schwinn bikes were partially made of imported components, this doesn’t mean they are lacking in quality. They’re generally likely to be better performing than much older counterparts. In 1980, 1400 factory workers went on strike for thirteen weeks to demand higher pay. This, combined with the import-dominated market and outdated factory, meant that the company management shifted the majority of production to Japan.
They also manufactured their own rims in the Chicago factory, the “Schwinn Tubular Rim”. These rims, like the Chicago frames, were among the sturdiest ever built. The parts that say “Schwinn” were made by Schwinn in their enormous Chicago factory (which I had the pleasure of touring in the early ’70’s). Parts that say “Schwinn Approved” were made elsewhere to Schwinn’s specifications. Schwinn held 25 percent of the market by the 1950s, a distinction it maintained through the 1970s.