Unfortunately, the same history and heritage which did so much to propel the brand forward over the years brought it to a sad day in 1993 when Schwinn filed for bankruptcy. In my opinion, it’s crazy to go out & spend $ 1,000 plus when one is not sure how much they’ll enjoy road riding / racing. I trust that in a very short while, we’ll be able to give a more substantive description of how this rides & performs, as my son will pound this Schwinn Varsity CF as has hard as possible – both on our club rides & also as he’s starting to ride Criterium races and some longer road races as well. The Schwinn Varsity Carbon Men’s Road Bike frame is made of an aluminum carbon composite (ACC) construction for superior strength. The bike has been fully serviced in our workshop and is ready to be ridden. When Schwinn introduced the Paramount as their top class racing bike in the 1930s, they started a real success story.
However, this pinnacle of Schwinn’s bicycle production underwent several changes. Sometimes it was up on the top with the best road bikes in the world, in other years it slowly fell behind in the development of racing machines and ended up outdated, only to be resurrected, renewed and put back into its place as the number one. In late 1997, Questor Partners Fund, led by Jay Alix and Dan Lufkin, purchased Schwinn Bicycles. Questor/Schwinn later purchased GT Bicycles in 1998 for $8 a share in cash, roughly $80 million.
Developed from experiences gained in racing, Schwinn established Paramount as their answer to high-end, professional competition bicycles. The Paramount used high-strength chrome-molybdenum steel alloy tubing and expensive brass lug-brazed construction. During the next twenty years, most of the Paramount bikes would be built in limited numbers at a small frame shop headed by Wastyn, in spite of Schwinn’s continued efforts to bring all frame production into the factory. While every large bicycle manufacturer sponsored or participated in bicycle racing competition of some sort to keep up with the newest trends in technology, Schwinn had restricted its racing activities to events inside the United States, where Schwinn bicycles predominated.
Schwinn decided to meet the challenge by developing two lines of sport or road ‘racer’ bicycles. One was already in the catalog — the limited production Paramount series. As always, the Paramount spared no expense; the bicycles were given high-quality lightweight lugged steel frames using double-butted tubes of Reynolds 531 and fitted with quality European components including Campagnolo derailleurs, hubs, and gears. The Paramount series had limited production numbers, making vintage examples quite rare today.
Other road bikes were introduced by Schwinn in the early and mid 1960s, such as the Superior, Sierra, and Super Continental, but these were only produced for a few years. The Varsity and Continental sold in large numbers through the 1960s and early 1970s, becoming Scwhinn’s leading models. The wheel rims were likewise robust, chromed, stamped steel with a unique profile designed to hold the tire bead securely, even if pressure were low or lost.
We always like the Fizik Arione saddle, and has anyone ever had a problem with the popular Mavic Askium wheels? The Schwalbe Stelvio tires were new to some test riders, and they received high praise for holding schwinn mountain bike a line. While most people know the Schwinn name, not everyone knows the Schwinn story. Founded in 1895 by Ignaz Schwinn, the bicycle brand was of course the most popular in America for decades to come.
The new company produced a series of well-regarded mountain bikes bearing the Schwinn name, called the Homegrown series.[62] In 2001, Schwinn/GT declared bankruptcy. In September 2001, the Schwinn Company, its assets, and the rights to the brand, together with that of the GT Bicycle, was purchased at a bankruptcy auction by Pacific Cycle, a company previously known for mass-market brands owned by Wind Point Partners.[63] In 2004, Pacific Cycle was in turn acquired by Dorel Industries. In 1980 the production of the Paramount was completely reconsidered, which resulted in a completely new factory in Waterford, Wisconsin. By 1985 Paramount was in full gear, with what became the “standard” model.
For medium and smaller sizes, Paramount introduced Columbus SLX tubing. Built for distance and speed, lightweight road bikes let you push your limits. I bought this road bike for my son for Christmas, and I’ve unpacked, adjusted & given it a ‘shakedown’ 10 mile ride. I have ridden road bikes for years, have an Italian ‘old school’ road bike – Benotto Mod 850, and this bike compares favorably. In the late 1960s, the Varsity and Continental pioneered the use of auxiliary brake levers, which allowed the rider to rest hands on the straight, horizontal center section of the ram’s horn handlebars, yet still have braking control.