There are a couple of excellent chapters here on the history of BMX and mountain biking trends. The Schwinn Bicycle Company filed for Chapter 11 protection at the end of 1992, three years before their centennial celebration. Sam Zell, a Chicago investor who specialized in troubled companies, bought Schwinn for about twenty-five cents on the dollar from its creditors in January of 1993.
Ornamental metal head badges were another increasingly useful attention grabber, not just distinguishing different brands and models from one another, but functioning as a status symbol—like the hood ornament on a luxury car. Schwinn’s badge designers really went all out, and our Made In Chicago collection includes a slick example, the “Majestic,” which would have fastened to the front bar of a bike of the same name in the 1940s. Maybe the biggest Schwinn innovation of the 1930s was the introduction of the larger balloon tire—originally used by German manufacturers for rough cobblestone streets. It created a whole new riding experience, and—combined with elaborately decorated new chain guards and colorways—caught the attention of a whole new generation. 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.
It’s really designed for people like Mike to use as a checklist for working with their clients. We find lots of riders who use the form just to think through what they want for their next Waterford. After filing for bankruptcy in the ‘90s, Schwinn was passed along a succession of new owners, eventually hitting bankruptcy again by 2001. It was then purchased at auction by Pacific Cycle, Inc.—a company that made its own fortune selling cheaply made bikes imported from China and Taiwan. Naturally, the new breed of so-called Schwinns are produced in the same fashion. The once sprawling Kildare Avenue factory was set to be torn down by 1985, but the job was largely handled prematurely by a suspected arsonist’s fire in the empty complex in August of 1984.
They weighed roughly 33 pounds and offered two gears, but the rider would have to stop and remove the rear wheel to shift. Though all the bikes in the first Tour de France were designed similarly, it was appropriately a French bike that came out on top. All of the first five finishers, including winner Maurice Garin, rode in on mongoose bmx bike La Français Diamant. For more than a century, the name Schwinn has represented a leader in the bicycle industry. The company began in 1895 when partners Ignaz Schwinn and Adolph Arnold founded their corporation Arnold, Schwinn & Company. Eventually, the market for adult bicycles grew smaller as cars became more affordable.
The vacant lot left in its wake remained an eyesore in Hermosa for 20 years before finally becoming the home of the new North-Grand High School in 2004. Meanwhile, the former Schwinn assembly plant and office building at the neighboring address of 1856 N. Kostner Avenue managed to avoid both the blaze and the wrecking ball, and is still standing today.
So if you want to go fast and ride further than before while using less energy, Schwinn Fastback is the right model to consider. However, Schwinn Traxion is a solid FS bike if you maintain realistic expectations about what it can and can’t do. The fork and rear shock will not survive abuse on extreme trails, but they’ll get the job done on dirt and gravel roads and moderate trails. This is a 27.5″ MTB with capable 2.2″ wide tires that will provide you with enough grip for any type of surface. The front suspension fork is entry-level, but you’ll be happy to have it when the terrain becomes bumpy. Modern schwinn bicycles may not have the same reputation as old Schwinn bikes, but that is slowly beginning to change.
We’ve recently added disc brake cross and commuter designs which offer great tire clearance and wet weather braking. Along with the inescapable masculinity of this operation, there was also an intensity and pressure that came with maintaining an impossibly high standard of quality. Schwinn bikes were pricier than a lot of the other brands on the market, but “German engineering” was a popular selling point then as it is today, and that reputation was vital to the business. A Schwinn wasn’t a Schwinn until Mr. Schwinn said it was a Schwinn. Models for Mountain Bikes in the Schwinn catalog include 5 models with their subsequent customizations and off-shots.
To find out how old a Schwinn bike is, you should first find the bike’s serial number. It is typically located under the bottom bracket, on the chain-side dropout, or on the head tube. Once you obtain the serial number, you can visit the Schwinn Date Code website and learn more about your bike.
This is a versatile e-bike with great components and powerful electronics, available in several versions. This bike boasts a comfortable aluminum frame available in step-over and step-through variations, paired with a Schwinn suspension fork that will eliminate vibrations. This bike is made around a lightweight and strong aluminum frame that doesn’t feature internal cable routing, which is one of the main downsides. If you have a limited budget but you’re looking for a Schwinn mountain bike that can do some proper off-roading, the High Timber model is for you.