Schwinn dealerships became a staple of downtowns, typically employing a manager, a full-time worker or two and perhaps a few teenagers in the summer. Ignaz Schwinn, with his partner Adolph Arnold, incorporated “Arnold, Schwinn & Company” on October 22, 1895. Within only a few short years, the company huffy mountain bike became an acknowledged technical and quality leader of the bicycle industry. In fact, after just a year in business, Schwinn bikes had more race victories than any other bike company at the time. The Schwinn Voyageur bikes are fun and versatile for today’s comfort-minded fitness rider.
If you’re seeking a cross-country bike that won’t break the bank, there’s not many better than this offering from Schwinn. This clever trailer holds two kids and doubles as a stroller. When you’re not using it, the whole thing folds flat for easy storage. A good bike lock is vital for keeping your Schwinn bike safe when it’s unattended. This PVC-coated steel cable is flexible enough to make it easy to attach, there’s a combination lock so you don’t have to worry about keys, and it comes with a convenient bracket for on-bike storage.
Application of the rule of reason here cannot be confined to intrabrand competition. When we look to the product market as a whole, we cannot conclude that Schwinn’s franchise system with respect to products as to which it retains ownership and risk constitutes an unreasonable restraint of trade. This does not, of course, excuse or condone the per se violations which, in substance, consist of the control over the resale of Schwinn’s products after Schwinn has schwinn bicycles parted with ownership thereof. By 1990, other United States bicycle companies with reputations for excellence in design such as Trek, Specialized, and Cannondale had cut further into Schwinn’s market. Unable to produce bicycles in the United States at a competitive cost, by the end of 1991 Schwinn was sourcing its bicycles from overseas manufacturers. This period in Schwinn’s history plays a cameo role in a novel by Dave Eggers, A Hologram for the King .
It also boasts wide handlebars, 26-inch balloon tires, a soft saddle, and stainless-steel fenders to complete the retro look. The Heavy Duti has one speed, a coaster brake, a kickstand, and a great design with durable components that stand the test of time. Regardless of the type of rider you are, Schwinn has a new Schwinn bike that fits you.
But it’s not just the names customer’s trust, it’s the look and feel of our products, our superior quality, and our outstanding customer service that help us bring these premium brands to the hands and feet of our customers. Since applying that strategy to Schwinn, the brand has lost the support of most independent dealers, whose ranks are in decline. But it’s been a hit among mass merchants, with the Sting Ray expected to top many kids’ Christmas lists this season. “The bikes that we’re putting the Schwinn brand on and selling to Wal-Mart are absolutely the best bikes that Wal-Mart has ever sold,” Hornung said. Schwinn is the American icon that has built some of the best-known and most-loved bicycles of all time. Schwinn models like the Aerocycle, Paramount, Phantom, Varsity, Sting-Ray, Krate, Homegrown and more are forever firmly ingrained in biking’s lexicon.
Our patent-pending, durable, threadless Morse Taper design keeps the pedals fastened tightly to the bike and prevents breakage. As a result, Schwinns became increasingly dated in both styling and technology. By 1957, the Paramount series, once a premier racing bicycle, had atrophied from a lack of attention and modernization. Aside from some new frame lug designs, the designs, methods and tooling were the same as had been used in the 1930s. After a crash-course in new frame-building techniques and derailleur technology, Schwinn introduced an updated Paramount with Reynolds 531 double-butted tubing, Nervex lugsets and bottom bracket shells, as well as Campagnolo derailleur dropouts.
The Varsity and Continental sold in large numbers through the 1960s and early 1970s, becoming Scwhinn’s leading models. The wheel rims were likewise robust, chromed, stamped steel with a unique profile designed to hold the tire bead securely, even if pressure were low or lost. After a series of production cuts and labor force reductions, Schwinn was able to restructure its operations. The company renegotiated loans by putting up the company and the name as collateral, and increased production of the Airdyne exercise bicycle, a moneymaker even in bad times.
In August 1955, the Eisenhower administration implemented a 22.5% tariff rate for three out of four categories of bicycles. However, the most popular adult category, lightweight or “racer” bicycles, were only raised to 11.25%. The administration noted that the United States industry offered no direct competition in this category, and that lightweight bikes competed only indirectly with balloon-tire or cruiser bicycles. The share of the United States market taken by foreign-made bicycles dropped to 28.5% of the market, and remained under 30% through 1964. Despite the increased tariff, the only structural change in foreign imports during this period was a temporary decline in bicycles imported from Great Britain in favor of lower-priced models from the Netherlands and Germany.
By 1962 there were nine bicycle producers in the Nation, operating 11 plants. Schwinn’s flash-welded Continental and Varsity were selling well, but for the growing body of lightweight bicycle buyers they were in a lower class. When you look at the head-tube and seat-clamp areas of the Super Sport and Sports Tourer/Superior – some of the most noticeable spots on a bicycle – you’ll find they look nearly the same as on a Continental or Varsity!
Enhanced ergonomics, comfort and function wrapped in an even more beautiful package. The new AC Performance Plus with Carbon Blue bike is in a class by itself. Schwinn launched a phenomenon with the first production bike designed specifically for indoor cycling, and we’ve never looked back.