Count on Sportsmith to help you revive your Schwinn bike schwinn ebike with confidence. The Grape Krate has been rumored to have originally been made back in the 1970s, but the jury is still out as to whether it ever happened. The story goes that back in 1969, Schwinn came out with two Grape Krates as samples, but those bikes never made it to showroom floors. Internet sleuths say that in 1976 Schwinn built 15 Grape Krates as Christmas gifts for certain employees.
No matter what type or level of cyclist you are, we’re dedicated to helping you ride more often, more comfortably. Shop on our website or come visit us, we’re here to help you with all of your cycling needs. Visit us today to meet our friendly staff and experience the independent bike shop difference. Over the years, Schwinn has empowered millions of people, earning a special place in the hearts and minds of generations of riders. We have spent over a century building the bicycle industry into what it is today, and we’re not done yet. Marc Muller, a young new Schwinn engineer, was given the responsibility to head up the project.
As always, the Paramount spared no expense; the bicycles were given high-quality lightweight lugged steel frames using double-butted tubes of Reynolds 531 and fitted with quality European components including Campagnolo derailleurs, hubs, and gears. The Paramount series had limited production numbers, making vintage examples quite rare today. Other road bikes were introduced by Schwinn in the early and mid 1960s, such as the Superior, Sierra, and Super Continental, but these were only produced for a few years. The Varsity and Continental sold in large numbers through the 1960s and early 1970s, becoming Scwhinn’s leading models.
Schwinn introduced the original Sting-Ray in 1963 after the company realized kids in California had been customizing their bikes to look like motorcycles. Bikes were fitted with 20-inch wheels, elongated seats, rear “sissy bars,” and ape hanger handlebars. The original name in the indoor cycling industry has partnered with the most accurate powermeter in cycling; the all-new 4iiii® powermeter delivers the most accurate direct crank based power measurement on the market. It is the same technology used by professional World Tour cycling teams.
It was an unqualified success, other than that it was very expensive to produce and showed little if any real profit potential. Sponsorship of 6-day riders produced a team to showcase the Paramount, the riders such as Jerry Rodman (The Michael Jordan of that time in Chicago) and the rest of the Schwinn Co. bicycle line. 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.
A growing number of US teens and young adults were purchasing imported European sport racing or sport touring bicycles, many fitted with multiple derailleur-shifted gears. Schwinn decided to meet the challenge by developing two lines of sport or road ‘racer’ bicycles. One was already in the catalog — the limited production Paramount series.
Before long, the Sting-Ray was synonymous with suburban youth in the 1960s. Good mathematics doesn’t always help you when it comes to bicycle tires. For example, most “middleweight” Schwinns take 26 x 1 3/4 tires, which are hard to find, not 26 x 1.75 as used on other brands. Roots, rocks, climbs, and descents are no match for Giant mountain bikes. Bring in a team of qualified fitness equipment technicians to make the process easy.