The Schwinn Bicycle Company was founded by German-born mechanical engineer Ignaz Schwinn (1860–1948) in Chicago in 1895. It became the dominant manufacturer of American bicycles through most of the 20th century. After declaring bankruptcy in 1992, Schwinn has since been a sub-brand of Pacific Cycle, owned by the multi-national conglomerate, Dorel Industries.
The Captain himself was enlisted to regularly hawk Schwinn-brand bicycles to the show’s audience, typically six years old and under. As these children matured, it was believed they would ask for from their parents. By 1971, United States government councils had objected to Schwinn’s marketing practices. The Captain no longer insisted that viewers buy a Schwinn, but instead made regular on-air consultations of a new character, “Mr. Schwinn Dealer”.
At the same time, Ignaz worked out increasingly fruitful bicycle distribution deals with various department stores and mail order giants like Sears Roebuck, spreading the cult of Schwinn from the big cities to small rural towns. Simply find the bike or gear of your dreams online, and we’ll have it ready for you when you arrive. We’ll ensure a perfect fit for your riding needs and answer any questions you may have. This is a big contrast to the old bikes from the Schwinn brand which were reliable enough to sit for decades in your shed with no use and still be able to ride whenever you needed it.
The brand was deeply embedded into the culture from the dawning of the 20th century onward. While the Hollywood bike was ostensibly a budget-priced kid’s option, it was still built to be a workhorse—as was the Chicago way. Our museum artifact stayed on the road for a solid 50 huffy mountain bike years, in fact, serving most recently as the trusty steed of a young Japanese immigrant in the 2010s. She zig-zagged the streets of her new Chicago neighborhood each day, learning the lay of the land on a bike that some of her neighbors might have once had a hand in building.
The company and name were bought by the Zell/Chilmark Fund, an investment group, in 1993. 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.
Schwinn’s new company coincided with a sudden bicycle craze in America. 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. Using a quality over quantity approach in the beginning is what led to their popularity in the 20thcentury.
Instead, they want a good value for the price; something that can get you from point A to point B and is fairly comfortable to ride. Schwinn sell smart-looking bikes that have been designed to offer good value. They do not include unnecessary extras but instead, offer good value for money bikes. Many workers went on strike under his watch and stated that the company was not the same. The brand name has continued on into the 21st century but the quality has diminished with time.