pepperbelly

I have an old bike a friend of dads gave him long ago. I picked it up from s bike shop back in ‘75 where it was hanging on a wall as decoration.
It had sewn tires and other items suggesting it was a race bike.
Dad tried to find crank bearing, I think, and took it to another shop years later. Dad’s Honda shop started carrying bicycles but he didn’t have any that fit.
The bicycle shop owner said it was a Paramount, but we had doubts even though the Paramount bearings fit. He said it had been handmade for the Tour de France. Who knows.
I did find an Olmo badge on the frsme.
Dad changed a lot of components so very little is original. Paint isn’t original either.
Is this worth restoring?

markwesti

Of course it is , some pictures would be nice .

iab

For money? Probably not.

Because it's there? Absolutely.

wrk101

Paramount bearings were not unique. Sounds more like an Olmo. Worth restoring as a financial decision? NO. Worth restoring as a family heirloom? Maybe. If it was my dad's old bike, I'd do it. Be prepared to dump serious $$ into it, depending on how far you go (repaint, rechrome, etc.) and its present condition. Its not going to be a few hundred $$.

The thing about bikes is there were hundreds of brands and each had dozens of models. Yet the parts used brand to brand were very similar. Sure, there are geographic differences. But a handful of suppliers made the parts that went into those thousands of models. In the example of a Paramount, this is good news as the old Schwinn Paramount plant in Chicago closed decades ago, Schwinn has gone bankrupt two or three times. And the Schwinn today as no relation to the old Schwinn. So if you had to rely on Schwinn to supply parts, it would be impossible. Fortunately, its pretty straight forward.

BTW, Paramount serial numbers are very easily identified and the fork and frame triangle both should have the same number on them.

Last ride 76 

"Restoring" means different things to different people. The sums of money and amount of labor vary according current condition and degree of restoration. Repaint, and re-chroming, lots of money. Cleaning by hand, researching and replacing parts with used OEM parts, more time, less money. In those days, Olmo made a full range of bikes, but it sounds like yours is a high end bike. Google "olmo bulgier.net" for 1973 catalog photos and specs. There is also an Olmo registry you may find interesting.

cb400bill

Thread moved from C&V to C&V Appraisals.

juvela

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There is an enthusiast created web site for Olmo bicycles here.

Lots of information, history and photos.

Olmo, Peter Brueggemanwww.peterbrueggeman.com/cr/olmo.htm




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pepperbelly

I will probably pass on restoring it. Dad never rode it-it was too tall for him.
It’s interesting that being a steel frame bike it’s lighter than my aluminum Raleigh.