I have a gold finished Pro Compe 5-speed freewheel with date code "QK" - which indicates a November 1974 manufacture date. Cogs are 14-30.
http://www.flickr.com/
So, just as Don mentioned, they were definitely produced at least that early.
The less expensive Suntour "Perfect" freewheels were available since 1968 and offered a range of 14 to 34 teeth. And, the Suntour "V-GT" rear derailleurs could handle this wide range very comfortably.
The Campagnolo "Gran Turismo" derailleur (1970-75) which was standard on P-15 Paramounts was rated to handle 36 to 54 tooth chainrings and 13 to 36 freewheels (although they shifted VERY poorly even through a far narrower range).
Schwinn indeed used 36-49-54 chainrings on Campy Triple cranksets for the P-15.
But, Schwinn had consistently specified largest freewheel cogs of "only" 31 teeth (a rather odd number) for the P-15 Paramounts. I thought this was just because those were in fact the largest cogs available on Regina freewheels.
I wonder if Don's bike was dealer modified at the customer's request to offer lower gearing. A Suntour freewheel with a 34 tooth cog would give 42.9 gear inches... versus 47.0 for a 31 tooth cog. Nothing like modern MTB or even serious early 1970s Touring gears... but at least slightly better - and still within the parameters of the Campagnolo components.
BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA
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Don Gillies wrote:
Mark,
my 1974 Paramount P-15 came with a Suntour Pro-Compe Freewheel, not a Regina freewheel. I bought my bike from the original owner, with 150 miles on it, in 1980. His wife had crashed hers and his bike sat unused in his garage for many years.