Yelbom15

I bought this and honesty just want to know about it. Tubing, ride feel, and overall opinions on their worth. I’ve always wanted a Waterford but some were just out of my price range. This one popped up and I bought it right away. There isn’t a chip or scratch in the photos. Should be here in a couple weeks.



Thanks.

SoCaled 

Don't know what this sold at, but here is a reference point. I have always associated "PDG" and "OS" Paramounts as Japanese built? This link seems to confirm this bike was Waterford made. - Edit - Looks to be the same pictures/bike, is this where you bought it and got the info?
https://bicyclecollective.org/products/paramount-pdg

Yelbom15

SoCaled Yes, really good people. I was curious on Schwinn and Waterford. Some bikes you see for 300…some for 4,000.

3alarmer 

...I do not know what tubing they were using at Waterford for these. The OS frame tubing was used to make a slightly stiffer frame, and it seems to work that way. But it's not anything you can't adjust for by tire choice. That era of Dura Ace is probably my favorite, from when it was first introduced as 6 speed indexing, and going forward. I like the look of it, and it works as well, or better than, anything made by anyone else. Waterford is famous for using good paint.

Looks like the wheel rims don't match, but are of good quality. I would think that if it fits you well, you ought to get a lot of enjoyment from it.

I am more a fan of the old, regular curve on the handlebar, rather than that ergo style. Those get used with brifters a lot. It's possible someone built this out with ergo brifters originally, but went back to DT shifters. I do that sometimes. It's a personal preference thing.

Steel1

Very nice, I love the color scheme. Bike looks really clean. 7400 DuraAce is sweet.
Is front hub Dura Ace? If so, maybe you could find a replacement rim to match whichever one you want to keep, front or rear. Rear looks cleaner from photos, the front 4CD usually gets that brake track wearing off.
It would also be pretty easy to find a whole wheel as well, I bet.

tkamd73 

Nice bike, you will enjoy riding it, I’ve got a 91 also, but a bit larger at 66cm. My frame came off of eBay, paint and decals were original, but no tubing sticker at all, yours won’t have one either, but will have a decal on the left chainstay stating Designed and Handcrafted . Waterford Wisconsin.
If you’ll check out the history of Paramounts on the Waterford site, you’ll find the the OS tubing on 91s is from True Temper, for 92 they hardened the tubing, making the frame it bit lighter, and for 93 they used Reynolds 753 for the OS frames.
The Asian Paramounts 91 & 92 are all OS Series bikes, with the corresponding decal set, and have internal cable routing on the top tube. Ride feel is too subjective, so not going there, but I built mine up with mostly DA 7400, and Velocity A23 rims, and its probably the best ride in my small vintage fleet. I doubt you’ll have any complaints.
Tim



91 OS Waterford & too small 92 OS Series 5

91 Waterford OS Paramount

icemilkcoffee 

My understanding is that all the PDG's with brazed fork crown forks are Waterford built. The ones with unicrown forks are built in either Japan or Taiwan.

Yelbom15

Thanks everyone. Yes, the wheels are unfortunately not the same but luckily I see a lot of Dura-Ace front wheels come up from time to time on EBay. Waiting game.

t2p

sweet bike

Senior Ryder 00 

Lovely bike! It certainly looks like a Waterford Paramount. Verifications: serial number on the bottom bracket will start with three numbers (size in mm) followed by three letters (one of which is a W for Waterford), the sloping fork crown & top tube cable guides. BTW, the tubing is True Temper. The Japanese cousins used a unicrown fork, internal cable routing thru the top tube & the serial number was stamped on the bottom head tube lug using a different format. I have one of each.
A couple of comments about yours, never seen a fade painting on any of this generation. Doesn’t mean anything other than the limit of my knowledge. Also, although the OS decals are common, haven’t seen a PDG decal on a Waterford frame, but decals & their placement was inconsistent during this period. Ride & enjoy, you will be happy with it!
Cheers,
Van

tkamd73 

If one would look at the 91 catalog on the Waterford site, they show a Waterford Paramount with the same fade as yours, different colors, but you could do it with any of the colors offered. There is no OS decal because a Columbus tube bike is shown, the True Temper ones had the OS decal.
I looked at a lot of bikes, and frames before I found mine, many had the same paint fade as yours, with identical decals, though the majority were one of the solid colors offered. The one you bought is a Waterford OS Paramount, enjoy.
Tim

Senior Ryder 00 

Hi,
Thanks for broadening my knowledge base.😲
Cheers,
Van

Yelbom15

Just delivered. Blown away by the drive train and how well kept it was. I’m fairly certain this is the original chain. The bike looks like it was covered in dust for a very long time.

MarshalHillside

Hi there,

That is a sweet bike. Let me know if you want to sell it.

Thanks!

Chombi1 

From what I have always seen out there, Waterford Paramounts always sell for more than the Japanese (Or Taiwanese?) made Paramounts.

dombey19

I have a 1991 Waterford Paramount OS. The Japanese Paramounts were simply a different line of bikes. Mine was originally solid red. It developed some corrosion along the top bar where the cable guides are. I'm sure that perspiration was the immediate cause of that. I sent it back to Waterford and they repainted it with a red, white, and blue fade to my specifications. They also fixed the corrosion and rotated the top tube so the cable guides were moved to the seven o'clock position. They adjusted the decals slightly also. I wouldn't call the decals "inconsistent." These are custom made bicycles and you could get them however you wanted. I've put about 23,000 miles on mine and have simply retired it in its pristine shape. The paint and clear coat are dazzling and unlike anything you would get on a "factory bike."