SpeedofLite 

A friend alerted me to this recent Pawn Stars episode. Season 17, Episode 15 ("Pawnsplosion"; Free on History Channel)
Seller brings in a 1955 Schwinn 3-speed Triplet, the only one in existence with a "Campagnolo derailleur and gear set".
Rick expounded with his knowledge about Campagnolo while the camera focused on various components of the bike implying that many, if not all, of the components were Campagnolo.
I was only certain about the derailleur and the top-tube mounted shifter, uncertain about the 3-cog freewheel, and incredulous about anything else being Campy, or at least the high-end components we usually talk about.
Seller asked for $7500, but Rick negotiated $5700.
It's now listed on the Gold and Silver Pawn site for $8,999.00.
What say you about any of this?
No, I am not available to facilitate.

Bianchigirll 

$9,000 and just one lousy pic? https://gspawn.com/campagnolo-3-speed-triplet-bicycle/

cudak888 

Find another Schwinn Triplet for 10% of that price, throw a Campagnolo Gran Sport RD on it, and sell it for $4k. A bargain!

Course, they have the oxygen of publicity too, enough that they'll land at least one sucker to move this.

Reality show bombast and Numbskull of the Day pricing aside, it looks like a nice example. I'd also like to see how much brake fade those drums have when the thing is fully laden. Looks like someone stuck 9" brakes from a Dodge Dart on it.

-Kurt

Spaghetti Legs 

No real expertise but I’d say they’re going to lose out on that one.

repechage

triple whammy.

poor blighters.

Chombi1 

Saw that episode......felt sorry for the Schwinn as the total load on the bike with the big three on it must be close to exceeding a thousand pounds........

SoccerBallXan

I like the bit about being built for the Schwinn Family... "They believe that this Campagnolo 3-speed triplet bicycle is a custom-made bike for a member of the Schwinn Family." Really helps ease the frightening cost with an "authentic" certification like that!

bikemig 

Reading the ad was good for a laugh. Who knew that the derailleur is a device used to change gears? Who knew that Campagnolo was a famous Italian bicycle parts manufacturer? The stuff you learn hanging out on Bike Forums=priceless.

• Campagnolo is an Italian bicycle parts manufacturer in Vicenza, Italy that opened its doors in 1933
• Campagnolo is also very famous for inventing what is now known as the “rear derailleur” - a mechanism that shifts the chain at the rear sprockets, helping the bike change gears
• The derailleur is a device that changes gears by moving the chain from one sprocket to another
• In the 1963 Tour de France, 110 out of 130 cyclists were equipped with a Campagnolo rear derailleur
• Campagnolo has been in the forefront of bicycle racing since the beginning and hasn't looked back!

Chombi1 

Campagnolo also had also been the aluminum alloy wheel maker for the famous Italian sports and racing car makers like Ferrari.

verktyg 

@SoccerBallXan "I like the bit about being built for the Schwinn Family... "They believe that this Campagnolo 3-speed triplet bicycle is a custom-made bike for a member of the Schwinn Family."

It could happen.... my tittle that is...

Quick Google came up with these images, lots of triples, quads and quints:

https://www.google.com/search?q=schw...EsbCmZ0nVqka0M

Schwinn Team from 1896 riding a quint




BTW, I can make you a special offer on your choice of 7 different SF Bay Area bridges... But wait, if you call now...

verktyg

Russ Roth

Maybe its just me but that looks like some seriously cheap undersized tubing just like most of the tandems I see and like really flimsy wheels that just wouldn't hold up very well long term. Just looks old, heavy and clunky and fully laden looks like it'd require the length of a barge to stop. Why would someone really want this except to hang in the shop as a curio?

madpogue 

The wheels are only 36-spoke, but they're 4-cross. And I can't imagine an electro-forged gas-pipe frame being "undersized" for anything.

UKFan4Sure

How ya gonna sell this in the CoVid19 days we live in?

nlerner

Actually, it’s perfect. Leave the middle position empty and you have proper social distancing.

scarlson 

I'm guessing it's not electroforged, but rather fillet brazed. The E/F process was only good for mass production, which this certainly wasn't. They might have oven-brazed it, but I'm not an expert on this old construction beyond knowing that each E/F frame style needed the tooling and process adjusted specially for it.

As for the question of "why has this happened, why the Herse money for a Schwinn tandem", the answer is plain. The pawn stars don't have to make any money on their sales anymore. The revenue of the actual business is likely dwarfed by the income from the TV contract. So it's no wonder they can do "business" like this. It's not real business, but rather it's what gets ratings from a mainstream audience (one that barely knows what a derailleur is, and will be wowed by the quasi-mystique-combined-with-familiarity of Campy). I'm sure there are other forums for other things having the same discussion about the same silly TV show. It's interesting, you've got to wonder whether these guys were shrewd showmen or bad businessmen to start with, and how they got picked up. I'm sure I could look this up, but I don't really want to know.

Hopefully they're backing it up with sound investing so that when the TV machine is done chewing them up and spits them out, and the money dries up, they won't have to pawn their own pawn shop.

The American dream, folks

KonAaron Snake 

it’s just you and you are completely wrong. Don’t crap on what you don’t know anything about. It’s an incredibly fun bike, and I’ve had mine at pretty good speed. It does take a bit to stop. Mine uses a weird German drum brake…I believe most did.

I own a schwinn triplet - a 1947. It uses 4130 cromo, and while it’s whippy, it’s amazingly stable for its length. It’s heavy - it’s a triple with a bunch of steel - but this is not a schwinn twin. These were built in the paramount section of the Chicago factory in low numbers.

I don’t believe this is the only one with that campy derailleur:

KonAaron Snake 

They were fillet brazed, beautifully so. They’re actually very well made frames.

as far as the bike’s value - I think it’s a tough sell. It’s huge - so right off you really only have locals as buyers. There aren’t many comps. I’ve tested the winds on selling mine before, and there are certainly people interested, but they also didn’t want to spend a whole lot. Tandems generally don’t sell for
much because it’s a limited market and they’re difficult to store.

I trash picked mine as a 13 year old - with my dad. Older members know the story. I had a lot of great times on that bike, and I love tandems.

repechage

someone on the old CR list had a a Town & Country tandem, and some of the joints were brazed then lead faired

KonAaron Snake 

I believe that was well known member Harvey. He got his from Via vikes…

I met him when I found mine…Curtis played match maker. Harvey stripped his down, welded a pipe to the center position for stability, and built it up with 7400. He gave me the old original bits for my tandem. This would be around 1988ish.

Years later I paid it forward with him by helping him acquire a very cool Bill Boston frame.

KonAaron Snake 

I can’t remember if this came from a catalogue, talking to Richard Schwinn, or one of the other owners…I THINK a catalogue…but I’m pretty sure I saw the campy derailleur setup as an option for this bike. I’m nearly certain I’ve seen, or heard of, others with it.

im referring to the town and country 2 seat tandem…the triples weren’t in catalogues. I’ve heard different stories from different people, but I believe that the majority of them were sold as boardwalk rentals.

Russ Roth

No, your right. Extremely slow to stop, whippy, and heavy, who could want more in a bike? The one in the picture even has steel wheels, always known for their light weight stiffness and durability especially with high tire pressures. Glad you love yours, to each their own.

gearbasher

BTW: 1 1/2 years later and it still hasn't been sold.