“And the crook doesn’t have a clue. To him, it’s just another bicycle.” That decision foreshadowed a broader decline in U.S. manufacturing, with the sector supplying 5 million fewer jobs today than at its peak in 1979. Meanwhile, family income growth slowed, rising only about 15 percent over nearly a quarter-century. Americans without a college degree — who make up about three-quarters of the adult population — now earn lower wages in real terms than they did a generation ago.
Customers could replace components as they wore out, but Schwinn’s frames had to live up to the their well-advertised lifetime warranty. Fillet-brazed bicycle frames are strong and have a neat and clean appearance, but they are uncommon because of the additional craftsmanship required. Lugged bicycle frames, for example, are now manufactured by automated machines. Custom framebuilders still provide fillet-brazed construction, and tandem framesets were often fillet-brazed when lugs to fit their frame angles were not available. Schwinn’s fillet-brazed CrMo models were beautiful and sweet handling, but in the 1970’s bicycle-boom they lost ground to more popular lugged-frame construction, and never recovered.
They were simply shown on the next catalog page, right before the Continental page. No separate catalog or distinct section for “lightweight touring and racing bicycles,” and no detailed discussion of the benefits of seamless CrMo tubing and fillet brazing. Schwinn’s catalog copy for the last fillet-brazed Superior ( ) did begin to mention “hand made” and a little schwinn bicycles more on fillet brazing. Again, perhaps Schwinn didn’t highlight the fillet brazed models for fear of overloading its handbuild capacity. Ignaz Schwinn emigrated to the United States in 1891 and make profit from the late XIXth century’s bicycle boom to create a successful bicycle manufacturing company with an American partner, the Arnold, Schwinn & Co.
A vintage red bike rests on its kickstand with blue sky and grass behind it. Don’t miss out on our newsletter, featuring all the latest stories and products we love. Sign up for our newsletter featuring all the latest stories and products we love. Although the selection of merchandise is constantly changing, Craigslist can be a great place to score a deal on a vintage Schwinn.
Whether you prefer to shop on our website or to come visit us, we’re here to help you with all of your cycling needs. Learn more about what makes us unique, and visit us today to meet our friendly staff and experience our incredible product selection. The Schwinn Bicycle Company emerged during the bicycle boom of the 1890s, a period where over 200 cycle manufacturers and small shops operated in Chicago alone. The company began operations in a factory at the northwest corner of Peoria and Lake Streets in Chicago. With the collapse of the bicycle market around the turn of the century, the company purchased March-Davis, a competitor which was operating on what was then the city’s far west side, and moved operations there.
During the 1960s, Schwinn aggressively campaigned to retain and expand its dominance of the child and youth bicycle markets. The company advertised heavily on television, and was an early sponsor of the children’s television program Captain Kangaroo. The Captain himself was enlisted to regularly hawk Schwinn-brand bicycles to the show’s audience, typically six years old and under. As these children matured, it was believed they would ask for huffy mountain bike from their parents. By 1971, United States government councils had objected to Schwinn’s marketing practices. The Captain no longer insisted that viewers buy a Schwinn, but instead made regular on-air consultations of a new character, “Mr. Schwinn Dealer”.
In 1900, during the height of the first bicycle boom, annual United States sales by all bicycle manufacturers had briefly topped one million. Nevertheless, Schwinn’s share of the market was increasing, and would reach in excess of 1 million bicycles per year by the end of the decade. Several years ago, a company named Gates introduced a concept never before seen on outdoor bikes – a belt drive that performed like a chain. Their innovative system – called Carbon Drive™ – features a carbon fiber reinforced belt with teeth for maximum durability and true bike performance. Over time, this has transitioned from a novelty system to a mainstream solution used on hundreds of outdoor bike models today.