Re: [CR]Paramount Question

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot)

From: "Stephen Barner" <steve@sburl.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <CATFOOD2RCtqedKOvfz00004573@catfood.nt.phred.org>
Subject: Re: [CR]Paramount Question
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 19:35:51 -0400


I have two 21" P13 "Road Racing" Paramounts (a '72 and a '74) and two 21" P10 and P15 Touring Paramounts (a '74 and a '77). The P13s came with sewups and have 42.5 cm chainstays (measured to the center of the long Campy 1010 dropouts). One touring bike came with 27" clinchers, the other with sewups. Both touring bikes have 44 cm chainstays.

My wife's 20" P15 was purchased with sewups and Campy sidepulls, unusual for a tourer, I believe. It was not really a "custom" in Schwinn parlance, as I don't think I paid the custom fee. I bought it in '78 and by then Schwinn had a price sheet for brazeons and options. Her bike also has 42.5 cm stays, and it has the same fork rake and wheelbase as a 20" P13. I think the factory looked at the options I had requested and just left the eyelets on a P13.

What was the Paramount designed for? Well, your's sounds like it might be a touring model or custom, since I don't believe that the stay length changed for different models. It might even have been a mistake, or perhaps the eyelets were sawed off a touring model to complete an order fro a P13. If you look at the specs published in '75 (and these measurements stayed the same through most of the '70s), you see that, except for the smallest and largest sizes of some models, changes in TT length correspond 1-to-1 to the change in wheelbase. http://www.geocities.com/sldbxtralite2/1975/75xlite11b.jpg Fork offset, chainstay length and BB drop remain constant. I heard a rumor that Schwinn looked at Cinelli's geometry in the '60s and used it when designing the Paramount racing models. It would seem that they were looking for stability and a comfortable machine. I am not sure that the engineers were on speaking terms with the marketing department, however, as those photos of guys in tennis shoes and polo shirts indicate an upscale, ride-to-the-local-club-to-check-out-the babes clientelle. The '73 catalog is the best! The rider is wearing high-waisted long white slacks and long sleeves and there are two shots of a sweetie in a bikini that make your knees weak. No wonder they were pushing out over 200 Paramounts a month! Oh yeah! http://www.geocities.com/sldbconsumer4/1973/73ccpg10b.jpg

In the '70s, Schwinn only seemed to used photos that resembled racing in conjunction with the track bike. Even then, they did one photo shoot in the '60s and then used images from it for over a decade! Still, lots of people raced on Paramounts. They are a very nice ride, especially for long distance work. The touring models are very stable under load, yet ride very nicely for recreational use when fitted with appropriate wheels. A '70s Paramount might just be the perfect bike for an older vintage bike afficianado on a budget who wants to actually ride the bike. Sound familiar, anyone?

Steve Barner, Bolton, Vermont


----- Original Message -----


> Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 18:42:20 +0000

\r?\n> From: "John Clay" <jmedclay@hotmail.com>

\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

\r?\n> Subject: [CR]Paramount Question

\r?\n>

\r?\n> My 74 Paramount has chainstays that are ~ 44 or 45 cm long. It has no

\r?\n> touring brazeons so I assume it's not a tourer. It seems like an awfully

\r?\n> friendly dimension for a non-touring bike though.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> * Was the Paramount conisdered a racing bike, a comfortable road bike or

\r?\n> something else?

\r?\n> * Were chainstays of this length typical of the time or just the

\r?\n> Paramount?

\r?\n> * Would it have been made with/for 27" or 622 wheels?

\r?\n>

\r?\n> John Clay

\r?\n> Tallahassee, FL