Schwinn Store Locator

You can browse their selection online, and they also offer a great deal of helpful information about assessing a bike’s condition. Before they are sold, all the bikes are tuned schwinn ebike up by professional bicycle mechanics. Over the years, Schwinn has empowered millions of people, earning a special place in the hearts and minds of generations of riders.

They also manufactured their own rims in the Chicago factory, the “Schwinn Tubular Rim”. These rims, like the Chicago frames, were among the sturdiest ever built. The parts that say “Schwinn” were made by Schwinn in their enormous Chicago factory (which I had the pleasure of touring in the early ’70’s). Parts that say “Schwinn Approved” were made elsewhere to Schwinn’s specifications.

Our service center swiftly handles repairs, ensuring you spend less time waiting and more time enjoying the ride. In the late 1960s, the Varsity and Continental pioneered the use of auxiliary brake levers, which allowed the rider to rest hands on the straight, horizontal center section of the ram’s horn handlebars, yet still have braking control. This feature, attractive to older riders, soon found its way to other Schwinn models, schwinn beach cruiser especially those intended for senior citizens. Ignaz Schwinn was born in Hardheim, Baden, Germany, in 1860 and worked on two-wheeled ancestors of the modern bicycle that appeared in 19th century Europe. In 1895, with the financial backing of fellow German American Adolph Frederick William Arnold (a meat packer), he founded Arnold, Schwinn & Company. Schwinn’s new company coincided with a sudden bicycle craze in America.

S.-made Schwinns take oddball Schwinn size tires, with the exception of 630 mm/27 inch, which is standard. A service contract is the best way to extend the life of your equipment and keep your facility safe, but we understand that a contract may not be feasible. Complete our online Service Request Form to request an appointment.

While Schwinn’s popular lines were far more durable than the budget bikes, they were also far heavier and more expensive, and parents were realizing that most of the budget bikes would outlast most kids’ interest in bicycling. Do your research, both online and at local bike shops, to get the very best deal on vintage bikes or to restore your Schwinn to its original condition. Whether you dream of repairing your childhood Sting Ray, hanging your shiny red Phantom on your den wall, or amassing a large collection of vintage Schwinn bicycles, you are part of the love affair many people have with these beautiful, nostalgic, pedal-powered machines. In late 1997, Questor Partners Fund, led by Jay Alix and Dan Lufkin, purchased Schwinn Bicycles. Questor/Schwinn later purchased GT Bicycles in 1998 for $8 a share in cash, roughly $80 million.

For more than 130 years, the Schwinn name has been synonymous with bicycles. This is still true almost 30 years after bankruptcy ended the Schwinn family’s ownership of the brand. After the bike-boom of the early 1970’s, Paramount was in a poor state of affairs in regards to competition and advancing technologies. In 1979, Edward R. Schwinn Jr. was made president of the company and promptly closed down all of the Paramount operations until they could be brought up to date. In time, the Paramount came in a variety of models but remained expensive to produce and purchase. We do our best to find replacement parts, but keep in mind that parts may be difficult to find, especially for older models.

We’ve got a wide selection of bike sizes and styles, including electric, to fit a wide variety of riders. If you find an old bicycle at a flea market, yard sale, or thrift store, it’s important to be able to identify what you have. Knowing how to tell if a Schwinn bike is vintage and how to tell whether your old bicycle is made by Schwinn can help you determine whether you have found a valuable transportation treasure. The manufacturing equipment and the building were sold and the last remaining seven employees were laid off, each with a “little severance,” Schwinn said. The original factory in Chicago that once employed as many as 2,000 people is long gone. The Schwinn brand is now owned by a Dutch conglomerate that manufactures bikes overseas and sells them to big box stores such as Target and Walmart.

schwinn dealers

Sometime in the 1970’s, the Schwinn Chicago factory was organized by the United Auto Workers union, who felt that bicycle factory workers should be paid on the same scale as automotive workers. Unfortunately, the realities of the marketplace didn’t agree, and Schwinn closed the factory, transferring most production to Japan (Panasonic) and Taiwan (Giant). Schwinn also built a factory in Greenville, Mississippi, but it didn’t last, and even bought a factory in schwinn beach cruiser Hungary, but the deal fell through, and Schwinn never imported any Hungarian bikes to the U.S. If I recall, it was what Schwinn called a “cantilever” frame, where the seat stays pass by the seat cluster and continue on in a graceful curve to join the bottom of the head tube. Older Schwinn “cruisers”, such as the Excelsior that was the inspiration of the first mountain bikes, used a straight lower top tube from the bottom of the head tube to the seat tube.

Simply find the bike or gear of your dreams online, and we’ll have it ready for you when you arrive. We’ll ensure a perfect fit for your riding needs and answer any questions you may have. Electric bikes put extra power behind every pedal so you can ride farther, take on bigger hills, and enjoy cycling more than ever before. Some things never go out of style, kind of like our classic Krate series. These bikes have been around since the 60s, but they’re still fresh choices for a hot summer ride.