I liked the way before you bought one they sized you up then allow you to ride it in there lot great momories. 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. Edward Schwinn, CEO, just wasn’t as passionate about bicycles as his ancestors were.
Schwinn was, however, able to recruit an up-and- coming rider named Lance Armstrong to its ranks. The Chicago Schwinns were among the most bomb-resistant bikes ever built, and they were built with unique technology . With the exception of the Sports Tourer, Super Sport, and Superior, they are welded, not brazed. The head huffy mountain bike tubes look as if they were fillet brazed, but they weren’t. There are necked-down parts that fit into the top tube and down tube, like internal lugs. The price is higher than other Schwinn models, one way the Canadian-owned Schwinn brand can assess demand for future, higher-priced American-made Schwinn products.
While not as prominent at the winner’s podium, Japanese brands such as Fuji and Panasonic offered consistently high quality, reasonable prices, and state-of-the-art-derailleur, crankset, and gearing design. Unlike Schwinn, most Japanese bicycle manufacturers were quick to adopt the latest European road racing geometries, new steel alloys, and modern manufacturing techniques. As a result, their moderately-priced bicycles, equipped with the same Japanese-made components, usually weighed less and performed better than competitive models made by Schwinn. Schwinn brand loyalty began to suffer as huge numbers of buyers came to retailers asking for the latest sport and racing road bikes from European or Japanese manufacturers.
The same happened with the mountain-bike culture of the 80’s pioneered by Northern California riders like Michael Sinyard , Tom Ritchey and Gary Fisher. What Schwinn didn’t recognize is that trends are often set by minority thinkers, and not by the Number One. Ignaz Schwinn emigrated to the United States in 1891 and make profit from the late XIXth century’s bicycle boom to create a successful bicycle manufacturing company with an American partner, the Arnold, Schwinn & Co. The turn of the century and the start of the automotive era saw a wave of consolidations in the bicycle business, out of which Schwinn emerged weakened – but even more ambitious.
Later, Schwinn would sign a production supply agreement with Giant Bicycles of Taiwan. As time passed, Schwinn would import more and more Asian-made bicycles to carry the Schwinn brand, eventually becoming more a marketer than a maker of bikes. The boom in bicycle sales was short-lived, saturating the market years before motor vehicles were common on American streets. By 1905, bicycle annual sales had fallen to only 25% of that reached in 1900.
That’s why it’s far better to look for clues that’ll help you identify its value. For instance, clues such as the position of the serial numbers along with the numbering system will give you an idea of when it was made. And in turn, it should put you in the ballpark of what it could cost. These badges are one of the clearest indications that your vintage bike is a product of Schwinn. Also, for each year or style of model, the badges are different. One of the most popular models such as the black phantom existed between 1949 &1959 is the black phantom.
If your vintage Schwinn needs some restoration, you can buy parts on eBay or from VintageSchwinn.com, a site devoted to Schwinn enthusiasts. You can determine whether a Schwinn bike is vintage by looking up its serial number. The serial number appears in different places on the bike depending on the year and the place the bike was made. Not all vintage Schwinns have serial numbers or follow a set convention for placement and numbering. If there is a serial number, it will always appear on the actual frame of the bike, rather than on a removable part like the seat, handlebars, or wheels. If you find an old bicycle at a flea market, yard sale, or thrift store, it’s important to be able to identify what you have.
In exchange for ensuring the presence of the Schwinn name, distributors retained the right to distribute Schwinn bikes to any hardware store, toy store, or bicycle shop that ordered them. W. Schwinn tasked a new team to plan future business strategy, consisting of marketing supervisor Ray Burch, general manager Bill Stoeffhaas, mongoose bmx bike and design supervisor Al Fritz. In 1946, imports of foreign-made bicycles had increased tenfold over the previous year, to 46,840 bicycles; of that total, 95 per cent were from Great Britain. Imports of foreign-made “English racers”, sports roadsters, and recreational bicycles steadily increased through the early 1950s.