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New Schwinns built in Detroit

Old 07-16-20, 05:57 AM
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New Schwinns built in Detroit

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/bu...es/3251266001/
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Old 07-16-20, 07:05 AM
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"Built" can mean anything.

"And it’s poised this month to begin assembling 500 copies of Schwinn’s classic Collegiate cruiser in a new partnership for an American brand that traces its lineage to 1895 Chicago."

Do they manufacture the frames in Detroit or just assemble the pieces sourced elsewhere? I know what my guess would be.
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Old 07-16-20, 07:15 AM
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The frames are manufactured in the US and sold through Wal Mart. That's cool. The frame is chrome moly and the fork hi tensile steel. At $995 for the bike, they could have given you a chrome moly fork as well.
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Old 07-16-20, 07:16 AM
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Originally Posted by thumpism
Do they manufacture the frames in Detroit or just assemble the pieces sourced elsewhere? I know what my guess would be.
Made in the USA. Google Detroit Bikes to see their factory:



I prefer Carlton Reid's article:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlton...h-anniversary/

Still, it sounds a lot like a COVID-19 cash grab by Dorel/Pacific Cycles, who found a US-based manufacturer willing and able to manufacturer a run of bicycles during the shortage (who is almost sold out of everything, at the moment).

Detroit Bikes currently sells a limited edition version of their City FC, which is slightly more complex frame than the straight-tube Collegiate - with an in-house cro-mo fork - for $749. Schwinn is sticking a $1k price on the new Collegiate, and it's a much simpler frame to build that doesn't even have an IGH.




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Old 07-16-20, 07:25 AM
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“This is the first time Schwinns have been manufactured in the U.S. in a long time."

Haven't Schwinn periodically teamed up with Waterford on some anniversary Paramount bikes?
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Old 07-16-20, 07:26 AM
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Two of these appeared at my local Target and they were slow sellers even in a hot market due to the $250 price tag. Only one has sold in a few weeks. I'm not sure who's buying at almost 1K, even if the spec is nicer.

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Old 07-16-20, 07:36 AM
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"Frames hand-welded in Detroit", says Schwinn's web page about it.

(I shan't provide a link, because the damn page froze my browser. Thanks, Schwinn!)

What ever next -- Raleighs made in Britain; Masis made in Italy?
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Old 07-16-20, 07:47 AM
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USA Production

What is the world coming to?
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Old 07-16-20, 08:01 AM
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Originally Posted by cb400bill
“This is the first time Schwinns have been manufactured in the U.S. in a long time."

Haven't Schwinn periodically teamed up with Waterford on some anniversary Paramount bikes?
Note to journalists: Don't look for historical quotes about one company by asking another company for them.

Originally Posted by Clang
Two of these appeared at my local Target and they were slow sellers even in a hot market due to the $250 price tag. Only one has sold in a few weeks. I'm not sure who's buying at almost 1K, even if the spec is nicer.
Detroit's Collegiate is supposed to be a Wal-Mart.com exclusive with a run of 500. Looks more like they're relying on media hubbub, and I bet they're hoping some Schwinn completionist collectors drop their coin on them like they're a Krate. Plus, if Detroit could sell off similar bikes for $750, Schwinn can probably get rid of these for $1k using the publicity alone.

One could argue the offshore $250 Collegiate is a better homage to the original. Ashtabula crank, correct chainring, paint scheme reminiscent of the 1980's Schwinns, and a top tube that is still sinful, but isn't an Electra wannabe at least.

-Kurt
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Old 07-16-20, 09:02 AM
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So much for my boast of owning one of the last made-in-America Schwinns.
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Old 07-16-20, 09:56 AM
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Originally Posted by John E
So much for my boast of owning one of the last made-in-America Schwinns.
Well a Chicago Schwinn beats a Detroit Schwinn, right?
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Old 07-16-20, 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by bikemig
Well a Chicago Schwinn beats a Detroit Schwinn, right?
Mine is a Greenville Schwinn. The craftsmanship on my frame appears to be very good, but the original owner, a San Diego firefighter who is bigger and stronger than I am, disclosed that Schwinn had replaced the frame for him under warranty. Given that these were made as 1988 and 1989 models only, and I bought it in 1994, this must have been a case of what we call infant mortality in the semiconductor business. I have read elsewhere that quality control and unskilled labor were issues in the relatively short-lived Greenville plant.

One of my favorite books about bicycling is "No Hands, the Rise and Fall of the Schwinn Bicycle Company." I need to take good care of my copy, since I see them selling for $80 on up.
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Old 07-16-20, 10:52 AM
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tbh, there's also the Homegrown Schwinn MTBs which were (IIRC) Yetis, and of course the Ben Serotta-made Paramounts from the Schwinn/GT days...

Both of which have about as much provenance as being a Schwinn as the current Dorel ones, though they were fine bikes.
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Old 07-16-20, 11:42 AM
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$1k for a heavy Collegiate?
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Old 07-16-20, 01:01 PM
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Originally Posted by SurferRosa
$1k for a heavy Collegiate?
Cheaper than tuition.
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Old 07-16-20, 04:32 PM
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Not built by 'Schwinn' only branded Schwinn. A grand for that is a joke, its a publicity stunt at best.

If they want to bring back Schwinn, then do it in Chicago, with the same manufacturing processes used before. Those were real Schwinn bikes, anything else is just a re-badge. 'Schwinn Approved' was fine, but still not a real Schwinn. Back in the day when I looked at various Schwinn Approved models, my thought was why not just buy a bike from the company who really made it, chances are if they put their name on their own version it would likely be better built.
A few local Schwinn dealers made the mistake of selling Panasonic and Giant along side of Schwinn models made by the same brands, in nearly every case the Panasoinic or Giant sold first being both cheaper and often better looking, with better components.
Needless to say putting an entry level Panasonic next to a Schwinn Varsity in 1980 kind of hurt Schwinn sales, but I suppose dealers saw the writing on the wall for Schwinn even by then.

To me, there's also nothing worse than a bad attempt at reviving a brand, worse yet when its done solely to grab some cash from a few collectors. If they want to revive Schwinn, built a plant and build them all here... Of course, the problem with that idea is that none of us could afford them, and likely wouldn't want one anyhow.
Schwinn has effectively been gone from US soil for nearly 28 years now. The majority of American bike buyers don't remember the real Schwinn bikes, many of which have been gone for nearly 40 years. They likely don't care about or want those bikes back. Those of us who remember Schwinn in its heyday, don't care much about this new stuff they build today. I personally wouldn't want to see Schwinn building the same brand new Pacific model Schwinn bikes here in America, it would only mean higher priced junk. built by higher priced labor. Leave the junk in China and start over.

It would need to be a whole new line of bikes designed and built here, and chances are most of us either couldn't afford one or just couldn't justify the expense.
As someone who has been around bikes and the business for decades, I've owned quite a few really nice bikes and a slathering of just about everything that's out there over the years, but have never, ever, considered spending $1000 on a bike, let alone one like is described in that article. Those of us who worked at shops back in the day mostly bought our bikes at cost, a fraction of what the buying public paid, and for me, many were built with bits and pieces and freebies from where we worked. Having the latest and greatest back then didn't always mean forking over big bucks, there were plenty of take off parts, warranty parts with a scratch or two on them or slightly damaged bikes that had been written off that you got for free and fixed. Every last bike I've owned was either bought at cost or built from spare parts off the shelf.
A grand for any bike is insane even in today's economy to me, especially for what amounts to a dressed up comfort bike wearing the Schwinn name. I also suppose the assembly will fall on some 'Qualified' Walmart employee working for minimum wage as well.

I'll stick to my original Schwinn bikes, I can do a lot of restoration work for a grand. In most cases that's four or five bikes. I'd also rather have a good working well used vintage Schwinn than any modern knockoff regardless of where its made.

$998 doesn't even make sense if you use one of those inflation meters, a 1973 collegiate sold for about $90 new back then, maybe even a bit less, that's maybe $500-525 in today's money at best, and no doubt those older models were better bikes.
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Old 07-16-20, 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by oldlugs
Not built by 'Schwinn' only branded Schwinn...
I don't deny that this isn't a Schwinn, and that the whole thing is a publicity stunt by Pacific Cycle, but I strongly disagree with this nostalgia rant on one specific point:

You're overlooking the fact that this has put a small US builder like Detroit Bikes on the map. A Schwinn for a new generation. From their photos on Google, their plant looks like something along the lines of Trek when they first started - if for city bicycles, rather than road bikes.

While Detroit's offerings are still steep at $600 to $800 a bike, this isn't 1975 anymore. You can spend that on a mass-produced, offshore job at the LBS. Heck, a Pure Cycles Pure City 3-speed will set you back $500, and that's for a hi-ten piece of gaspipe from a brand best known for hawking the worst boat anchor hipster fixies around. More like Pure$hit. Plunk down another $150 and you've got a full cromo Detroit Bikes City FC.

Be realistic: US labor isn't cheap. The Detroit prices are more than reasonable for an American-made bicycle of this type that isn't a complete pile of crap on a cracker (I'm looking at you, Worksman). Compare it with a US-made CoMotion Pangea - starting at $1,965 for the frameset alone - or the inexcusably pretentious, poseur "Wright Brothers Van Cleve" (also built by CoMotion) at $4,750. Blech.

I can't think of anything that deserves praise more than a small US company churning out practical, cro-mo city bicycles for under a grand. Nostalgia be dammed.

-Kurt

P.S.: If they're going to be sold through Wal-Mart.com, they're not going to be assembled by store employees.
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Old 07-16-20, 07:34 PM
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Originally Posted by cb400bill
“This is the first time Schwinns have been manufactured in the U.S. in a long time."

Haven't Schwinn periodically teamed up with Waterford on some anniversary Paramount bikes?

I remember drooling over the Paramount bikes as a kid in the early 1970s.

Glad to see domestic Schwinn trying to make a come back.
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Old 07-16-20, 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by cudak888
I don't deny that this isn't a Schwinn, and that the whole thing is a publicity stunt by Pacific Cycle, but I strongly disagree with this nostalgia rant on one specific point:

You're overlooking the fact that this has put a small US builder like Detroit Bikes on the map. A Schwinn for a new generation. From their photos on Google, their plant looks like something along the lines of Trek when they first started - if for city bicycles, rather than road bikes.

While Detroit's offerings are still steep at $600 to $800 a bike, this isn't 1975 anymore. You can spend that on a mass-produced, offshore job at the LBS. Heck, a Pure Cycles Pure City 3-speed will set you back $500, and that's for a hi-ten piece of gaspipe from a brand best known for hawking the worst boat anchor hipster fixies around. More like Pure$hit. Plunk down another $150 and you've got a full cromo Detroit Bikes City FC.

Be realistic: US labor isn't cheap. The Detroit prices are more than reasonable for an American-made bicycle of this type that isn't a complete pile of crap on a cracker (I'm looking at you, Worksman). Compare it with a US-made CoMotion Pangea - starting at $1,965 for the frameset alone - or the inexcusably pretentious, poseur "Wright Brothers Van Cleve" things (also built by CoMotion) at $4,750. Blech.

I can't think of anything that deserves praise more than a small US company churning out practical, cro-mo city bicycles for under a grand. Nostalgia be dammed.

-Kurt

P.S.: If they're going to be sold through Wal-Mart.com, they're not going to be assembled by store employees.
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Old 07-16-20, 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by cudak888
I don't deny that this isn't a Schwinn, and that the whole thing is a publicity stunt by Pacific Cycle, but I strongly disagree with this nostalgia rant on one specific point:

You're overlooking the fact that this has put a small US builder like Detroit Bikes on the map. A Schwinn for a new generation. From their photos on Google, their plant looks like something along the lines of Trek when they first started - if for city bicycles, rather than road bikes.

While Detroit's offerings are still steep at $600 to $800 a bike, this isn't 1975 anymore. You can spend that on a mass-produced, offshore job at the LBS. Heck, a Pure Cycles Pure City 3-speed will set you back $500, and that's for a hi-ten piece of gaspipe from a brand best known for hawking the worst boat anchor hipster fixies around. More like Pure$hit. Plunk down another $150 and you've got a full cromo Detroit Bikes City FC.

Be realistic: US labor isn't cheap. The Detroit prices are more than reasonable for an American-made bicycle of this type that isn't a complete pile of crap on a cracker (I'm looking at you, Worksman). Compare it with a US-made CoMotion Pangea - starting at $1,965 for the frameset alone - or the inexcusably pretentious, poseur "Wright Brothers Van Cleve" things (also built by CoMotion) at $4,750. Blech.

I can't think of anything that deserves praise more than a small US company churning out practical, cro-mo city bicycles for under a grand. Nostalgia be dammed.

-Kurt

P.S.: If they're going to be sold through Wal-Mart.com, they're not going to be assembled by store employees.
Sounds like you are in the market for a Shinola watch. Buy American. /s
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Old 07-16-20, 08:22 PM
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I'm very happy & proud that the mighty USA Schwinn name lives on. Good to know they're still bolting things together here too. Be good. Have fun.
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Old 07-17-20, 03:23 AM
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When I was a kid the bike to have was a Schwinn, but very few around here could afford one, if you were lucky you could afford a Columbia or Rollfast.
by the time I could afford a new Schwinn, they were made overseas, so I bought a used one that was made here. Back in the day every kid in the neighborhood had a bike, or two. Nowadays kids don't ride bikes, they get their mother's to drive them everywhere. There's a dozen kids in this neighborhood, none own bikes, none know how to ride a bike, nor do their parents. They either stay home and play video games or they get a ride from mom or dad. When I was a kid, I rode everywhere, I'd go 50-60 miles a day some times on what ever clunker bike I happened to have at the time. I didn't much care what it was, just so it got me there. The old balloon tire bikes were best, they would carry the most weight and they lasted the longest. If you got lucky and found an old Schwinn, you were set.
What ever they're building in Detroit may say Schwinn on them but they ain't Schwinn's. A Schwinn was a bike built in Chicago years ago, anything made elsewhere is just an imitation.

The bikes they're building may well be good bikes but using a classic name to sell bikes through Walmart is just a cheap publicity gag. Its great that they're made here, but its not like Schwinn is getting bought back by an American owner and put back in Chicago. If the only bikes to be had cost a grand, I'd likely not own a bike. Its supposed to be cheap transportation, $998 is not cheap.
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Old 07-17-20, 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by 27inch
What ever they're building in Detroit may say Schwinn on them but they ain't Schwinn's. A Schwinn was a bike built in Chicago years ago, anything made elsewhere is just an imitation...
You guys really know how to take a new bike company with promise and piss it into the ground with nostalgia, don't you?

Funny thing, the only thing I've seen made in the 21st century that equals old Schwinns for abuse tolerance are the latter generation of Chinese dockless bikes, built with an assortment of Taiwanese (HL handlebars, Sturmey hubs) and Malaysian (Shimano Nexus 3-speed) parts. They deserve the credit too, as these bikes hold up to worse abuse, namely adults who get pissed off at the dockless model and throw them into rivers from bridges.

Plus, unlike an old Schwinn Collegiate with Weinmann 810's, these dockless bikes are usually equipped with Sturmey drum or Shimano roller brakes - which means they actually have a chance of stopping those fun-loving kids who bomb down the steepest hill in town.

-Kurt
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Old 07-17-20, 10:33 AM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by oldlugs
If they want to bring back Schwinn, then do it in Chicago, with the same manufacturing processes used before.
And watch all the lights in Cook County dim every time they throw the switch on the electroforge machine......
Originally Posted by cudak888
You're overlooking the fact that this has put a small US builder like Detroit Bikes on the map. A Schwinn for a new generation. From their photos on Google, their plant looks like something along the lines of Trek when they first started - if for city bicycles, rather than road bikes.
...
Be realistic: US labor isn't cheap. The Detroit prices are more than reasonable for an American-made bicycle of this type that isn't a complete pile of crap on a cracker (I'm looking at you, Worksman). Compare it with a US-made CoMotion Pangea - starting at $1,965 for the frameset alone - or the inexcusably pretentious, poseur "Wright Brothers Van Cleve" things (also built by CoMotion) at $4,750. Blech.

I can't think of anything that deserves praise more than a small US company churning out practical, cro-mo city bicycles for under a grand.
+1; Imagine the audacity of employing Americans in the manufacturing sector, presumably at living wage, in a city that desperately needs every such job that can be created. It may be an economic drop in the bucket, esp. in these times, but who knows, one small nugget of economic/manufacturing success, followed by another, a few jobs at a time, might be the key to turning things around.

Last edited by madpogue; 07-17-20 at 04:11 PM.
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Old 07-17-20, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by madpogue
+1; Imagine the audacity of employing Americans in the manufacturing sector, presumably at living wage, in a city that desperately needs every such job that can be created. It may be an economic drop in the bucket, esp. in these times, but who knows, one small nugget of economic/manufacturing success, followed by another, a few jobs at a time, might be the key to turning things around.









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