This is the full history of Schwinn as a family company from 1895 to 1992. I also have separate posts for different time periods that are the same as those in this article. The reason for them is that many people don’t want to skim schwinn tricycle through the whole history to find information on a particular time period. Do you want a bike that they can simply ride up and down the street or around the park? The affordable, indoor cardio solution designed to keep you active.
Triple Link Pedals accommodate Look Delta and SPD style cleats to simulate an outdoor riding experience. They also easily convert to accept traditional athletic shoes with the snap-in locking toe clips. The bicycle sales boom in the early
1970s meant that they could do no wrong. Schwinn had schwinn mountain bike a slow start in producing the new popular 10-speeds
but picked up steam by successfully selling the new Varsity line of bicycles to
young adults. In 1971 Schwinn hit a new high in bicycle sales of 1.2 million bicycles
and this included 326 thousand 10-speed bicycles (Pridmore, 2001).
At Schwinn, the engineering
culture established in the 1930s had laid the groundwork for producing a variety
of new high-quality bicycles. Now in the latter part of the 1940s, the company with
its stable of high-quality products was poised for the coming increase in
demand generated by the return of war veterans. Most of Schwinn’s
creative energy from 1910 through 1930 went into producing a well-respected
brand of motorcycle called the Excelsior. In 1917, Schwinn purchased Henderson
Motorcycle Company from its owners. Their
motorcycles were popular and in the late 1920s, Schwinn became the third
largest motorcycle company in the country.
While Schwinn’s popular lines were far more durable than the budget bikes, they were also far heavier and more expensive, and parents were realizing that most of the budget bikes would outlast most kids’ interest in bicycling. As a result, Schwinns became increasingly dated in both styling and technology. 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 company would eventually be renamed the Schwinn Bicycle Company. With his
background as an innovative motorcycle engineer, he set his eyes on developing futuristic
new bicycle products geared towards children. The stage was set for an era of Schwinn
creativity and innovation that would catapult the company into a dominant position
in the bicycle industry. A nice side benefit of purchasing Henderson was they also
produced a line of bicycles that could be integrated into the Schwinn portfolio. In a sense, entering into the motorcycle business saved Schwinn as a bicycle
company by getting through a very rough patch of declining sales.
To take advantage of
lower wages and favorable exchange rates, many US companies were beginning to manufacture
products in Asia. As an example, Radio
Corporation of America changes its name to RCA Corporation to recognize its
manufacturing of a large range of products and expansion into other countries. Schwinn started the decade
selling 500 thousand bicycles in 1960 and reached close to 900 thousand by 1970
(Petty 2007). The company also was not resting on its laurels because it was busy
introducing popular new models.
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. But it was too late for Schwinn to recover the ground that they had lost to Mongoose in the BMX market.
If you are looking to upgrade your kiddo’s bike or buying them their first, we have options here too. These bikes come in all color and design so that you pick the one they love the most. Once you decide which bike to go for there are features like saddles, frame, pedals, handlebar, gears, suspensions and others that will make it easier for you to zero in on your bicycle. Go ahead, choose the bike you are looking for and have a fun ride.