It was black with silver splatter paint and yellow logos. Last time I rode a bike it had skinny road tires and brakes that needed 100 yards to come to a stop. This bike seemed like it was ready to take on any trail or obstacle. As I pondered being out in the woods in my birthday suit, I saw wheels…Two of them in a store window. At that point I asked the budding photographer to pull over into the parking lot of the local Schwinn shop. Back in those days most towns had a local Schwinn shop.
This is still true almost 30 years after bankruptcy ended the Schwinn family’s ownership of the brand. Starting in 2005, Schwinn also marketed Motorscooters under the Schwinn Motorsports brand.[69] Production ceased in 2011 (approx). The Sting-Ray[28] sales boom of the 1960s accelerated in 1970, with United States bicycle sales doubling over a period of two years. However, there were clear warning signs on the horizon. Often, vintage bikes are not in great condition when you find them.
This in turn led to further inroads by domestic and foreign competitors. Faced with a downward sales spiral, Schwinn went into bankruptcy in 1992.[59] The company and name were bought by the Zell/Chilmark Fund, an investment group, in 1993. Zell moved Schwinn’s corporate headquarters to Boulder, Colorado. The company’s next answer to requests for a Schwinn mountain bike was the King Sting and the Sidewinder, inexpensive BMX-derived bicycles fabricated from existing electro-forged frame designs, and using off-the-shelf BMX parts. Mountain bikes are designed with suspension systems that provide a smooth ride over bumps. A mountain bike’s suspension is made to absorb much of the pounding the bike and rider are likely to experience.
Chicago became the center of the American bicycle industry, with thirty factories turning out thousands of bikes every day. Bicycle output in the United States grew to over a million units per year by the turn of the 20th century. But what eventually drove Schwinn into the turmoil that led the company to file for Chapter 11 in 1992 was it’s inability to cope with management and quality problems, as well as some unsuccessful investments. Basically, the company had to choose in where to produce bicycles at a more competitive prices. The Schwinns decided to turn to Taiwan and China, but even though suppliers like Tony Lo’s Giant Manufacturing (photo) made high quality products, unlucky sourcing desisions led to supply shortage, angry retailers and receding customers. Edward Schwinn, CEO, just wasn’t as passionate about bicycles as his ancestors were.
There are a lot of choices out there, and it can feel a little overwhelming at first. We’ve laid out all the information you need to find the style, size, and additional gear you need to fulfill your dreams of grand trail adventures. Offer valid on full-priced items through September 4, 2024 with promo code SCHWINNSALE or while supplies last.
If you’re buying a vintage Schwinn on eBay, be sure to ask lots of questions about the bike’s condition. Also keep shipping costs in mind, since packaging and transporting a bike can be costly. [Ignaz Schwinn] was born in Hardheim, Baden, Germany, in 1860 and worked on two-wheeled ancestors of the modern bicycle that appeared in 19th century Europe. In 1895, with the financial backing of fellow German American Adolph Frederick William Arnold (a meat packer), he founded Arnold, Schwinn & Company. Schwinn’s new company coincided with a sudden bicycle craze in America.
In 1928, the in-house brand for motorcycles that had been acquired in 1912 and 1917, Excelsior-Henderson, even ranked 3rd in the national motorcycle industry. Old Roads specializes in vintage bicycles from several different brands, including Schwinn. You can browse their selection online, and they also offer a great deal of helpful information about assessing a bike’s condition. Before they are sold, all the bikes are tuned up by professional bicycle mechanics. EBay is a great resource for all kinds of antique and vintage items, including Schwinn bikes. You’ll see many of the models Schwinn produced in the last half of the 20th century, along with some older models from the earlier part of the company’s history.
There were bicycles when I was in grade school, but those were for going block to block to see friends and immediately throwing them to the ground behind a parent’s car in the driveway. Most of the bicycles of my youth (think of the 70’s) were rolling tetanus sleds full of rust just waiting to infect. As detailed in a previous post, “My first schwinn mountain bicycles Bike“, I would be up early and turning pedals. Sadly, as soon as a driver’s permit had my name on it, I dropped cycling from my life faster than you could say “parachute pants” (Oh the 80’s!). The only pedals I was interested in were the gas pedal and occasionally the brake pedal.
That’s a good thing since an upright position is key for off-road handling and maintaining a more central center of gravity. Conquer tough trails with the Schwinn Ider Dual Suspension Mountain Bike. The Ider features a Schwinn aluminum dual suspension frame and Schwinn suspension fork to soak up all the bumps on your next trail ride. The Shimano 21-speed EZ Fire shifters with Shimano front and rear derailleurs offer quick, precise gear changes so you can easily adapt to your terrain. Front and rear mechanical disc brakes deliver superior stopping power in all conditions.