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My turn; Schwinn Paramount incoming

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My turn; Schwinn Paramount incoming

Old 05-31-22, 11:03 AM
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My turn; Schwinn Paramount incoming

I’ve seen others with posts like this about a new mystery bike coming soon. It seems a widow lady who attends the same church as my sister mentioned a Paramount when my sister mentioned I liked older bikes. So she is giving me this “old soldier”, and will be happy to see it back on the road. The lady is perhaps 75, which is all the info I have. Picking it up Friday about 60 miles from where I live.

That sure leaves speculation open as to model, size, condition, etc. Of course I sure don’t need another bike, and it may be too racy for me, but either way it will be interesting. Around small town NW Ohio as I grew up with the Schwinn dealer being the only bike dealer in town, the paramount was exotic and tops. Perhaps it is of later vintage though, but the anticipation begins.
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Old 05-31-22, 11:15 AM
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Step right up, you’re turn indeed. Looking forward to the reveal. No such thing as a bad Paramount, they’re all at least pretty good, if not fantastic. Should be interesting.
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Old 05-31-22, 11:33 AM
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It's probably really a Continental.
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Old 05-31-22, 01:24 PM
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Originally Posted by cb400bill
It's probably really a Continental.
Now wouldn’t that be a let down?
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Old 05-31-22, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by sd5782
Now wouldn’t that be a let down?
Similar thing happened to me with a Peugeot 10 speed. I had visions of PX-10 in my mind. When I went to pick it up it turned out to be a low end Peugeot mountain bike.
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Old 05-31-22, 01:30 PM
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Well, it sounds like this kind lady volunteered the word "Paramount," which makes it seem unlikely that it would be something else. In any case, I'm sure she will be pleased it's going to someone who will appreciate it.
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Old 05-31-22, 01:54 PM
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Originally Posted by sd5782
... it may be too racy for me...
So my first 531/531 bike was a 1978/79 Trek 736. It was Trek's "racing" geometry.

I guess I always assumed "racing" meant "uncomfortable, but fast." The Trek 730 was really comfortable. AND I learned a lot about how lighter bikes ride- and just being able to compare how that really feels between different styled bikes and similar (or different) tube sets and geometry.

I think I had that bike for a good 3-4 years before I realized that my Trek 400 Sport/Tourer had more aggressive front end geometry, but with longer chainstays.

On top of all that- Because of the perception of the use of top notch materials and the expert workforce producing "the best" bikes, I look at Paramounts as being as much about the status for the "gentleman of leisure" as it was about the actual performance.

I guess short story long- don't rule out a "race" bike.
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Old 05-31-22, 02:43 PM
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Originally Posted by cb400bill
It's probably really a Continental.
Think Waterford !
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Old 05-31-22, 02:57 PM
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I suppose any would be fine, but kinda want a 70s version as that is the timeframe when I was becoming interested. As Golden Boy pointed out, a racy early version may be a pleasant middling sporty ride today. Indeed, my recently completed 1972 Fuji Newest would have been considered racy, but now it is my new favorite rider. Probably too much to hope for getting real lucky as frame size will be a real crap shoot. I do ride mid sized frames, so my odds are a slight bit better in that regard.
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Old 05-31-22, 03:21 PM
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Regardless of the model, I think an offer of monetary compensation to the person would not be out of line.
Best, Ben
BTW, please post some pictures of it when you get it home.
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Old 05-31-22, 03:28 PM
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Originally Posted by xiaoman1
Regardless of the model, I think an offer of monetary compensation to the person would not be out of line.
Best, Ben
BTW, please post some pictures of it when you get it home.
The widow lady has a newer bike that she wants a tuneup on, so I will see what I can do there for her. It will be strange working on a newer bike. My sister said she insisted no money and that she was thrilled it was going to be on the road again.
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Old 05-31-22, 06:46 PM
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Congratulations in advance. I'm an Ohio/Arizona snowbird with a summer house near Toledo. I have some recent Paramount news of my own, but I'll put up a new post when the spirit moves me rather than hijacking yours. If the church lady frame turns out to be too tall for you I might be interested.
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Old 05-31-22, 07:19 PM
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Originally Posted by albrt
Congratulations in advance. I'm an Ohio/Arizona snowbird with a summer house near Toledo. I have some recent Paramount news of my own, but I'll put up a new post when the spirit moves me rather than hijacking yours. If the church lady frame turns out to be too tall for you I might be interested.
Wellll, isn't that special, Paramounts coming out of the woodwork, most excellent.
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Old 05-31-22, 10:50 PM
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Originally Posted by merziac
Wellll, isn't that special, Paramounts coming out of the woodwork, most excellent.
And I've been keeping the acquisition of my '73 silent so far. 26"/66cm P15-9 frameset with the miles-long 62cm top tube. She's rough, and has been through a lot. Mr. 66 has lent his frame alignment skills to it, and she needed it. Somehow my larger frameset is lighter than his smaller '73 P15-9 as well as my former '74 P15-9. I like that, though. And after years of fretting over not fitting a 24.5"/62cm top tube, let alone the 61cm length from the tallest Cannondales, my revamped fitness has it in range, if only just. I look forward to putting it on the road again.
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Old 05-31-22, 11:50 PM
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Originally Posted by RiddleOfSteel
And I've been keeping the acquisition of my '73 silent so far. 26"/66cm P15-9 frameset with the miles-long 62cm top tube. She's rough, and has been through a lot. Mr. 66 has lent his frame alignment skills to it, and she needed it. Somehow my larger frameset is lighter than his smaller '73 P15-9 as well as my former '74 P15-9. I like that, though. And after years of fretting over not fitting a 24.5"/62cm top tube, let alone the 61cm length from the tallest Cannondales, my revamped fitness has it in range, if only just. I look forward to putting it on the road again.
Great news, I cannot imagine a collection without Paramount's all I have to do now is find a 60's and mine will span 4 decades with multiples in the 70's.

Here's a partial family portrait after the Albany show a couple of weeks ago.


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Old 06-01-22, 06:59 AM
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Originally Posted by t2p
Think Waterford !
My 1986 Paramount was the nicest-finished bike I had ever seen. The filing was immaculate. The clearcoat was a little chippy, though.
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Old 06-01-22, 07:41 AM
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Originally Posted by The Golden Boy
So my first 531/531 bike was a 1978/79 Trek 736. It was Trek's "racing" geometry.

I guess I always assumed "racing" meant "uncomfortable, but fast." The Trek 730 was really comfortable. AND I learned a lot about how lighter bikes ride- and just being able to compare how that really feels between different styled bikes and similar (or different) tube sets and geometry.

I think I had that bike for a good 3-4 years before I realized that my Trek 400 Sport/Tourer had more aggressive front end geometry, but with longer chainstays.

On top of all that- Because of the perception of the use of top notch materials and the expert workforce producing "the best" bikes, I look at Paramounts as being as much about the status for the "gentleman of leisure" as it was about the actual performance.

I guess short story long- don't rule out a "race" bike.
​​​​​​ I very recently got down to two keepers,. One is a 92 Paramount PDG 5 and the other a 80 Trek 414.
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Old 06-01-22, 07:44 AM
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Originally Posted by merziac
Wellll, isn't that special, Paramounts coming out of the woodwork, most excellent.
There are currently two framesets in the for sale thread.
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Old 06-01-22, 08:20 AM
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Of course, I researched here for Paramount info. I found the 9 page thread and went through that a bit. It seems that perhaps half of them were in a sport touring wheelbase and called touring. I guess I was under the impression that most were what this old guy would consider of the racy variety, but apparently not so on all. Happy discovery.
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Old 06-01-22, 08:54 AM
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Originally Posted by sd5782
Of course, I researched here for Paramount info. I found the 9 page thread and went through that a bit. It seems that perhaps half of them were in a sport touring wheelbase and called touring. I guess I was under the impression that most were what this old guy would consider of the racy variety, but apparently not so on all. Happy discovery.
Yes. If you look at the bottom of the front fork, you can easily tell which is which. The "touring" Paramounts are VERY curvy at the bottom.
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Old 06-01-22, 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by seedsbelize2
​​​​​​ I very recently got down to two keepers,. One is a 92 Paramount PDG 5...
My 1991 PDG 5 rides great, as well.
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Old 06-01-22, 09:15 AM
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I believe the racing Paramounts in the 1970s were brazed by two female welders...Saw that in a book called the Custom Bicycle by Michael Kolin that I will have to dig out of my moving boxes.
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Old 06-01-22, 09:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Reynolds 531
Yes. If you look at the bottom of the front fork, you can easily tell which is which. The "touring" Paramounts are VERY curvy at the bottom.
Okay, thanks. I also noted with pics that the more sport touring ones had a bit longer chainstay as evidenced by a greater space between the rear wheel and the seat tube. If I was going to choose my gift, it would be a 23” size, with a triple crank, and Nervex lug era of early 70s. Same era as my Supersports.
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Old 06-01-22, 11:47 AM
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It does seam like a bunch of Paramount sightings as of late. Let's look forward to yours.
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Old 06-01-22, 12:34 PM
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Originally Posted by sd5782
Okay, thanks. I also noted with pics that the more sport touring ones had a bit longer chainstay as evidenced by a greater space between the rear wheel and the seat tube. If I was going to choose my gift, it would be a 23” size, with a triple crank, and Nervex lug era of early 70s. Same era as my Supersports.
My input is more of a "Paramount Spotters Guide" for tiny craigslist pictures (don't forget to search " Shwinn" every Saturday morning!).
If you are looking for a triple, check for the Suntour (horizontal parallelogram) rear derailleur in the little tiny NDS thumbnail.

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