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Schwinn Paramount : how old ?
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GTs58
I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
Very nice! Looks like it’s been restored. @cyclingday
cyclingday
I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
Wow!
Those look spectacular!
Here are a few serial number charts.
That first bike looks to be an early one, with the window head tube lugs.
See these first two entries for 1937 below.
They both had those same type of lugs.
You can kind of figure out where your bikes fall in reference to these lists of known bikes.
Those look spectacular!
Here are a few serial number charts.
That first bike looks to be an early one, with the window head tube lugs.
See these first two entries for 1937 below.
They both had those same type of lugs.
ccdc.1
Finally riding a big boys bike
The track Paramount with serial number P186 falls into the immediate post-WWII period. There is very little firm info that could narrow it from the 1947-1950 range, unfortunately.
The other two will test people's willingness to affirm them as Paramounts as opposed to Wastyns. The lug pattern on the men's frame does not match established Paramount lugs, but do match other Wastyns like the 1937 Wastyn on Jeff Groman's site (http://classiccycleus.com/home/repair/bikes/), and the serial numbers W-121 and W-122 do not follow Paramount syntax (nor does the 3 2 42 BB number). It's hard to see the lugs on the ladies' bike but it looks to have a fork like a New World or Traveller, not a Paramount (could be a replacement). Being Wastyns doesn't diminish them in any way, especially given the Wastyns also built the early Paramounts. That they have Schwinn Paramount fittings (hubs, cranks, etc.) is also typical of those early Wastyn bikes.
The other two will test people's willingness to affirm them as Paramounts as opposed to Wastyns. The lug pattern on the men's frame does not match established Paramount lugs, but do match other Wastyns like the 1937 Wastyn on Jeff Groman's site (http://classiccycleus.com/home/repair/bikes/), and the serial numbers W-121 and W-122 do not follow Paramount syntax (nor does the 3 2 42 BB number). It's hard to see the lugs on the ladies' bike but it looks to have a fork like a New World or Traveller, not a Paramount (could be a replacement). Being Wastyns doesn't diminish them in any way, especially given the Wastyns also built the early Paramounts. That they have Schwinn Paramount fittings (hubs, cranks, etc.) is also typical of those early Wastyn bikes.
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Schwinn Sales West
I live for the CABE
Welcome, I like early Paramounts.
The one with the white head tube is a very large frame size. The frames that I mostly see are smaller by today's comparison. The red head framed bike needs to have the stem lowered, you don't want to break off the threaded fork stem with the stem that high. Most of the Paramounts had block chains. I have five Paramount's. Two "very early" track bikes like yours, a 1963 track bike #N27 that I purchased NEW, and rode on Encino, CA, Northbrook, IL (1963 Nationals), and at Kessina, NY (1964 Nationals, 1964 Olympic Trials). I also have a 23" double men's (custom frame) Paramount Tandem which I purchased new in 1971. My favorite is a "never built" Fiftieth Anniversary frame set with the gold plated fork. It's a track bike pursuit bike frame. 700mm carbon fiber sew-up "Paramount" disk rear wheel and a small front wheel size. This frame was made "extra" when Waterford built the frames for the then Schwinn sponsored Wheaties race team.
There's lots of information on the net to help you date your early bikes. The Frame lug shapes, and the way the top of the seat stays are finished off are very important date of manufacture clues. Oscar Wastyn's Chicago bike shop was the Paramount guy in the begining. Eventually Mark Mueller and Richard Schwinn moved everything to the new factory Waterford, Wi, dropping the Schwinn name after 1992.
John
The one with the white head tube is a very large frame size. The frames that I mostly see are smaller by today's comparison. The red head framed bike needs to have the stem lowered, you don't want to break off the threaded fork stem with the stem that high. Most of the Paramounts had block chains. I have five Paramount's. Two "very early" track bikes like yours, a 1963 track bike #N27 that I purchased NEW, and rode on Encino, CA, Northbrook, IL (1963 Nationals), and at Kessina, NY (1964 Nationals, 1964 Olympic Trials). I also have a 23" double men's (custom frame) Paramount Tandem which I purchased new in 1971. My favorite is a "never built" Fiftieth Anniversary frame set with the gold plated fork. It's a track bike pursuit bike frame. 700mm carbon fiber sew-up "Paramount" disk rear wheel and a small front wheel size. This frame was made "extra" when Waterford built the frames for the then Schwinn sponsored Wheaties race team.
There's lots of information on the net to help you date your early bikes. The Frame lug shapes, and the way the top of the seat stays are finished off are very important date of manufacture clues. Oscar Wastyn's Chicago bike shop was the Paramount guy in the begining. Eventually Mark Mueller and Richard Schwinn moved everything to the new factory Waterford, Wi, dropping the Schwinn name after 1992.
John
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cyclingday
I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
Those are the 1940 on up,
Wastyn, “Keyhole” lugs.
Wastyn, “Keyhole” lugs.
