For the fifth look into the Bicycle Garage i offer a 1974 Schwinn Paramount P-13 9 professional road racing bicycle.
I am very sentimental about the Schwinn Paramount, it is the quintessential American racing bicycle going back to the early 20th century. It is not well known but bike racing, in particular the brutal 6-day races, were bigger than baseball in the 1890s and 1900s. New York's Madison Square Garden was so named because of the madison races and Schwinn was there.
This bike frame is the culmination of years of development by the elite Schwinn lightweight team that made the Paramount at the Chicago factory from about 1959 until production was moved to Waterford in the early 1980s. By 1974 the Paramount was a sleek modern machine with a touch of the old world in the chromed Nervex lugs. The Paramount, like the Raleigh Professional, was the choice of amateur and professional racers alike and as a result Schwinn sold thousands of them. All Chicago Paramounts are collectible but this one is special because it is painted the rare and desired coppertone. The color was not popular at the time but since then it has taken on a cult like following. A Sting-Ray in coppertone will fetch hundreds of dollars more than a similar bike with a common paint. And the paint on this Paramount is almost flawless and absolutely original. The decals are another matter as the original owner chose not to have the Schwinn name on the down tube but just the Paramount. Still this is how the bike came to me and so it will stay. A sad story, the largest flaw to this bike was made by me! After I built it up (yes it is complete now) I took it out for a spin but did not affix the rear wheel properly and made a huge burn on the inside of the chain stay. Doh, I hate that.
One last note of historical interest, many Paramounts made at the Chicago factory were brazed by women. Schwinn employed two women as frame builders which, if I am not mistaken is somewhat unprecedented.
enjoy the pics
I am very sentimental about the Schwinn Paramount, it is the quintessential American racing bicycle going back to the early 20th century. It is not well known but bike racing, in particular the brutal 6-day races, were bigger than baseball in the 1890s and 1900s. New York's Madison Square Garden was so named because of the madison races and Schwinn was there.
This bike frame is the culmination of years of development by the elite Schwinn lightweight team that made the Paramount at the Chicago factory from about 1959 until production was moved to Waterford in the early 1980s. By 1974 the Paramount was a sleek modern machine with a touch of the old world in the chromed Nervex lugs. The Paramount, like the Raleigh Professional, was the choice of amateur and professional racers alike and as a result Schwinn sold thousands of them. All Chicago Paramounts are collectible but this one is special because it is painted the rare and desired coppertone. The color was not popular at the time but since then it has taken on a cult like following. A Sting-Ray in coppertone will fetch hundreds of dollars more than a similar bike with a common paint. And the paint on this Paramount is almost flawless and absolutely original. The decals are another matter as the original owner chose not to have the Schwinn name on the down tube but just the Paramount. Still this is how the bike came to me and so it will stay. A sad story, the largest flaw to this bike was made by me! After I built it up (yes it is complete now) I took it out for a spin but did not affix the rear wheel properly and made a huge burn on the inside of the chain stay. Doh, I hate that.
One last note of historical interest, many Paramounts made at the Chicago factory were brazed by women. Schwinn employed two women as frame builders which, if I am not mistaken is somewhat unprecedented.
enjoy the pics