When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

I could use help with a second Schwinn Superior I found

#eBayPartner    Most Recent BUY IT NOW Items Listed on eBay
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
As promised a comparison between the repainted blue Schwinn Superior Racer with serial number B487 and white/cream Schwinn Superior Racer with serial number B791.

The two main differences:
1. Rear brake bridge
View attachment 1420651

2. drilled vs non drilled fork (rear)
View attachment 1420653

The blue front brake indeed is drilled.
View attachment 1420660
View attachment 1420653

Other pictures of both frames (I cleaned up the white frame) can be found here.
I wonder if the blue repainted bike had caliper mount brazed on at a later date. Is there by chance a hole on the bottom of that support? My early paramount had the hole drilled vertically and not horizontally, making it difficult to get a caliper mounted.
1420709
 
At the beginning I was thinking this piece was a Tourist model due to the way it was set up having caliper brakes, tourist bars, stem etc.. It was originally a Racer and the fork and frame display that. No rear brazed on fender stay mounting tabs on the seat stays along with fork. Seems the fork, seat stay bridge and chain stay bridge have been drilled for fenders and brake calipers, the Racer was not set up or drilled for these accessories. This Racer that is currently for sale does not have the hat in ring decal either but the Blue one that Bob Snyder sold did have the seat tube decal.

1622359222834.png



Bobs 38 Racer
https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/1938-schwinn-superior-track-bike.162938/
 
That small hole in the fender bridge was a pre-drilled pilot hole that was drilled when those pieces were made and then over bored for the fender screw. The Racers appear to never having that hole over bored for a fender screw. And I could be wrong, but the pre war Superior, Paramount and New World Racers were never equipped with fenders or brakes. Making one of these old Racer models to where it could be ridden places other than on a track, it would make sense to equip the bike with some kind of braking capability. If going with the caliper brakes the original wood rims would have to be replaced with plated metal rims and then modify the frame slightly for the mounting of the calipers. The Webb brakes or expander brakes were used on the 39 Superior tourists when it was equipped with the freewheel rear hub.
 
Waiting to learn more! I would agree with everything you said so far. But B serial means 1939, I think. FWIW, my gut feeling is that these are much rarer than Paramounts. And I suspect they were brazed by the same few brazers in probably the same jigs. Would that have been someone named Wastyn? Seems like fitting the miters and the actual brazing might have taken a bit more skill than using the very expensive for the time, lug set. Catalog shows Paramount frame at $30, Superior at $20. I think the Paramount tube set might have been more expensive, also. I have a similar condition 1940 in original but chipped burgundy. Tourer model but one ancient brake caliper. Nice find. Chicago history.
Not sure about the comparisons between Superiors and Paramounts regarding rarity...originally, it would appear many more Superiors were made; whether as many survive is worth considering. I have seen at least two first-generation Superior serial numbers above B10000 (and the first generation probably stopped at WWII and were supplanted by the post-war Continental), while first-run Paramounts topped out at A999, and even adding the PXXX and XXX Paramount serials, it is very likely less than 3000 Paramounts were built between 1938 and 1958. Now, the Paramount was a special order item, and probably more kept and cared-for than the Superior, so there may be more early Paramounts still around; Schwinn seemed to have a rent-a-Superior program for their dealers, so they probably produced more of them and they were less revered and looked-after than Paramounts. Both are worthwhile for your collection, and I have liked my Superiors (still have one) but the ride was a bit less energizing than the Paramounts I have experienced.
 
Back
Top