Appellees are Arnold, Schwinn & Co. , a leading bicycle manufacturer, and an association of distributors handling Schwinn products. In 1951, Schwinn had the largest share, 22.%, of the U.S. bicycle market. By 1961, its share had fallen to 12.8%, although dollar and unit sales had risen. The mongoose bmx bike market leader, with 22.8% in 1961, which had increased its share from 11.6% in 1951, sells mainly to mass merchandisers. Schwinn assigned specific territories to each of its wholesale distributors who were instructed to sell only to franchised dealers in their respective territories.
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.
The United States brought this appeal to review the judgment of the District Court in a civil antitrust case alleging violations of § 1 of the Sherman Act, 26 Stat. Direct appeal is authorized by 2 of the Expediting Act, 32 Stat. The complaint charged a continuing conspiracy since 1952 between defendants and other alleged coconspirators involving price-fixing, allocation of exclusive territories to wholesalers and jobbers, and confinement of merchandise to franchised dealers. Named as defendants were Arnold, Schwinn & Company (“Schwinn”), the Schwinn Cycle Distributors Association (“SCDA”), and B. Schwinn Signature Bicycles, classics for all types of riding. Spoke Life Cycles focuses on Schwinn Cruisers because they are second to none in style and performance.
It likewise applies the same automatic rule of illegality to strike down Schwinn’s policy of ensuring that franchised dealers do not resell to unfranchised retailers, and thus subvert the whole distributional scheme. Schwinn sells its products primarily to or through 22 wholesale distributors, with sales to the public being made by a large number of retailers. There are about 5,000 to 6,000 retail dealers in the United States which are bicycle specialty shops, generally also providing servicing. About 84% of Schwinn’s sales are through such specialized dealers. Schwinn sells only under the Schwinn label, never under private label, while about 64% of all bicycles are sold under private label. Distributors and retailers handling Schwinn bicycles are not restricted to the handling of that brand.
Though no longer made in Chicago where it all started, the bikes remain part of American culture. The company’s reputation for style and quality is unrivaled, and today its men’s bicycle range is among the most comprehensive in the industry. At Schwinn, they make schwinn bicycles bikes that allow riders of all ages and abilities to experience the joy of riding. From “walk ‘n’ roll” kids bikes to the Le Tour Legacy, Schwinn offer a comprehensive line of bikes that suit the needs of riders across the United States and around the world.
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.
Even the paint colors were the same (remember that the fillet-brazed frames were hung on the general Schwinn painting line). Only the round Schwinn badge, downtube diameter and pointed seatstay tops are visibly different. Although they were fabricated in the same shop as the Paramounts, from there Schwinn’s fillet-brazed frames took a different production path. Paramounts continued through their own paint and assembly processes, while the fillet-brazed models were added to the assembly line with high-volume Schwinn flash-welded frames for serial-number stamping, electrostatic painting, and final assembly. Hence Paramount serial numbers are unique to Paramounts and serve as a tally of Paramount production, while serial numbers on the fillet-brazed models were mixed in with other Schwinn models. This is also why the fillet-brazed models came in the same colors as lower-priced Schwinns, which contributed to their obscurity.
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.
Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections. If you’re considering buying or selling a vintage Schwinn, you’ll need to get an idea of how much it is worth. To determine the condition of your bike, examine the paint, tires, spokes, and all equipment. The more you know about the bike and its condition, the better your estimate of its value will be.