SharpByCoop 

After restoring scads of entry-level Schwinn Suburbans, Varsity's, Superior, and more, I acquired and restored THIS Paramount gem last Fall. What a GREAT project. (Thanks to all for the advice and support.)

Still willing to stay with the classic Paramounts, I scoured eBay again: I liked one I saw and it needed RESTO LOVE. It had all the right stuff, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, it had a grand paint job, reportedly from Waterford Cycles. (Paperwork lost, quality = TOPS)

After listening to jjhabbs excellent interview with Richard Schwinn (and his closing salute) I was convinced: I NEED THIS BIKE.

I negotiated and got a better deal than he was asking (which was VERY attractive anyway.) Someone before him had done a restoration and then it sat for years as a wall hanger. Lots of tarnish and dust. That's the easy clean.

After it arrived (Packed NICELY through BikeFlights) I took an hour to unpack and then partially reassemble it to capture.


Complete sans UGLY red cables it came with.

Paint quality is really fine. Sharp edges on tarnished chrome and nice striping.

Rusty downtube shifter, old clincher Conti tire. Everything else looks good.

More as rec'd: Nice Brooks which I want advice on restoring. Hideous white bar tape.



Campagnolo pedals, and ugly cables. It was too colorful.


MY choice: Converting to the Schwin 'Twin Stik' stem shifter (available on a Paramount as an option.) I purchased the requisite Campagnolo downtube cable holder. I want to RIDE this and my experience is the stem shifter is safer.

So. Since these photos were taken I have brought it all down to a bare frame and all my parts have gonee through the effective Evaporust treatment overnight.

These are OE (?) Campagnolo hubs which need polishing with SS spokes. Clinchers which, for me, is a bonus.

I need a few rechromed and/or replaced bits: Campagnolo Derailleur pivot bolt scratched, maybe the stem (It's a 3ttt with incorrect stem bolt. I don't think that was a stock option. Also: No markings on h/bar), pedal caps, etc.

I would simply go with grey or black cables and traditional handlebar wrap. The yellow is LOUD enough.

Those tires look hard and old. Ready for new. It is SUPPOSED to be a 1977. Can someone verify? A7705 (Looks like a replacement badge which is glued on and has the numbers '0787' stamped into it. Please advise.)

Lastly: can I refinish the seat? Or do you have a source who does this?

I'll add to this thread as I go through the process. I simply LOVE spending time refinishing these older gems. You would agree.

Thanks for viewing. Coop

SwimmerMike 

Wow, that is a great paint job. I really like the Kool Lemon paramounts.

Fairlane63

Very nice snag and I think the the red cables would look great.
Labor of love projects are always the best, but please don't put on the stem shifters!
Look forward to the after pictures when she's done.

ascherer 

Lovely bike. Do with it as you desire. Regarding the saddle, paging @rhm

Rick_D

Love a yellow bike and this is a beaut.

Enjoy the resto project, seems like smooth sailing ahead from here in the bleachers. Should be a wonderful ride.

pastorbobnlnh 

IIRC, the Kool Lemon Paramounts usually came with red decals and red cables. Another option for shifters might be barends. Paramounts could be spec'ed with Campagnolo or Schwinn Approved Suntour ones.

Beautiful Paramount. Great find!

Classtime 

Nice one. I was also inspired to find a Paramount after watching that interview. I haven’t acted on it yet🤔

Piff 

The twin sticks are probably the most seamless stem shifter you could use for the build. Another option would be some suntour barcons or the like. If you go black with bar tape and hoods, white cables might look nice. But black cables always work no matter the bike!

icemilkcoffee 

Really beautiful find! I'm with the others- barcon shifters would look much classier than the stem shifters.

merziac

I think there were plenty of yellow and black as well.



But I do agree on the red too, it looks fantastic, especially on a nice shiny one like this.

albrt 

I love the stem shifters! Don't let the race-bike elitists talk you out of it!

romperrr 

The use of schwinn approved stem shifters is an interesting one, certainly don't see many people putting stem shifters on paramounts! I appreciate that they'll be schwinn approved and I'm pleased it means you'll enjoy riding it. I hope you have many miles on it. That paint job is achingly sharp, great score.

merziac

Lots of Paramount's came with them, they were an option and plenty were specced with them, they weren't approved, they are Schwinn kit from the jump.

I saw them at 2 of the Schwinn shops here, Phil's on Broadway and Gateway in Parkrose back in the day.

BTinNYC 

Yowsa!

sd5782 

I really like the feel of the Schwinn stem mounted Stik shifts. Of course I’ve had them on my Super Sport for decades. That got me to try some Suntour ratchet stem mount shifters on a recent Trek build I did. They were just okay, but not like the Schwinn. They didn’t feel quite right. At first, I thought it was because the Suntour sat a bit higher or maybe because the lever was shorter. I now think it is because the Schwinn is attached to the head tube differently and are even out in front of the stem a bit for a different feel. The way they are mounted seems to cause very little disruption of the steering when using them. Using the Suntours just felt different and not quite as natural. As an aside, I am trying my first set of barcons on that Trek. The jury is still out on that one.

IdahoBrett 

I am not a fan of yellow. There are exceptions in my personal opinion that look great in yellow. Some of my personal favorites; 87-91 Chevrolet Iroc-z, C-3 Corvettes, my old 65 Chevy step side pick up. And now added to my list is a Schwinn Paramount. Stunning! Congrats!

4funbikes

Another vote for the Twin-Stick shifters!

ehcoplex 

From the photo(s), the Brooks Pro looks like all it needs is a bit of cleaning and some Proofide. I don't see any cracks/tears and doesn't look overly dried out.

SharpByCoop 

Hi Friends,

Well, I went to bed grousing because of the lack of support for the OEM Schwinn 'Twin Stik' shifters. Then I see POSITIVE responses this AM. THANK YOU!

I have ridden downtube shifters a lot. At age 70 I am 70% hands on the top bar and 29% on the brake hoods and 1% on the drops. If that. Bar end shifters are mostly for the drops.

There is a reason down-tube shifters aren't around anymore, and even Schwinn took advantage of this change (with skyrocketing popularity) in the sixties. I LOVE using them.

You WILL see them fitted. But... I get why this would seem unlawful. Sorry.

I've been cleaning parts. This is going to be GORGEOUS. All they need is a bit of fluff and buff.

Thanks for the input.

Now to refinish the seat. I want it BLACK and shiny. It IS in great overall condition. Anyone have a thread or a person to guide me?

Coop

SharpByCoop 

Here is an original as-purchased photo of bike with red cables. Ugghh. Not for me. Just too much like a carnival.

I'm going with neutral OEM grey or black. Black tires like the other bike shown above compliments the yelllow.

ehcoplex 

If you want black and shiny for the seat I think you'd be better off sourcing one that was/is originally black... They're not cheap, but Brooks does currently produce a black version of the team pro (or the venerable B17- which actually may be better if most of your riding is more upright). Dyeing a vintage brown one black seems both messy & risky. With some Proofide and a bunch of riding that original Pro will become shinier (though maybe not fully 'glossy').

repechage

Appears as a high quality respray to me. Note the seat tube graphics variation and “star” on the seat stay caps. Uncommon and excellent interpretation of the red striping and outlining.
‘I suggest grey Weinmann appearing housing. Not a fan of all black tires, just reminds me of the Schwinn Varsity.

qcpmsame 

Very nice score that! Another vote for Schwinn Twin-Stick shifter assembly. I have truly enjoyed these past few weeks coming back to these stem mounted shifters, on my fresh resto 1971 Super Sport. Still have Campy DT shifters on two bikes, this just has a great sentimental value for me.

The local Schwinn dealer, Escambia Schwinn Cyclery, back in the day, usually speced out stem shifters on the Paramounts they carried. I do remember that the chrome frame Paramounts they had were equipped with red cable housings, for some reason Kool Lemon was not in demand on Paramounts around NW Florida back in the early ‘70’s. Not that I was in the league to get any Paramount back in my HS days.

A local deputy sheriff had a custom ordered pair of 1976 chrome frame, his and her’s Paramounts. Beautiful bicycles.

Have fun and enjoy your new find!!!

Bill

smurfy

I had a Schwinn catalog w/prices as a kid back in '72 and I remember to this day the Paramount was a heart-stopping $600! I don't think Mom and Dad would buy me on of those for Christmas anytime soon lol.

pastorbobnlnh 

SharpByCoop one way to turn your brown Brooks into a black Brooks would be to use Fiebings Leather Dye. I use their products on my leather bag and other projects, and they are first class. Their website offers plenty of instruction and guidance. You would only need the smallest sizes of their products, which would be more than enough for such a product.