juvela

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transfers are water slide; correct terminology is "decalcomania" (not a joke)

they are not clear coated, hence lack of robustness

took in a chrome Paramount in trade many years ago and recall getting a set of these red transfers at me local Schwinn agent

if you are going to replace them suggest to clear coat them after mounting


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sfazio 

Very interesting, I suppose clear coating chrome didn't make a lot of sense . I am in the middle of another build (and my garage is still to hot to spend much time in) so it will be awhile before I get to this one which gives me a little time to think. I will of course keep the Reynolds sticker and possible replace the Campy sticker at the bottom of the seat tube but at the moment I am thinking I will leave the rest of the frame plain chrome. Even in its current state it is just stunning--once everything is gleaming it should be incredible.

sfazio 

Thanks!! Would love to see some pics of the bike.

merziac

They are stunning and incredible but that is all because of the Mighty Schwinn creating the Paramount and while many of us can often spot one a mile away,

those that can't or don't need to be informed straight away so there's no confusion or doubt about what they're seeing.

I encourage you to get the decals, they are some of the most iconic decals in all of C+V, they belong on every one, especially the beautiful chrome ones.

sfazio 

Well said! I do love the red decal against the chrome and I would hate to deprive the uninformed of the sight of a true American classic .

ascherer 

Sure. That was a slip of the keyboard, it’s a P13-9. I bought the frame, fork and headset from a forum member and built it with parts I had. The decals are barely present, I’ll be replacing mine over the winter. I got a set from Richard Schwinn just before they shut down the Waterford operation. It quite possible they have more stock.

mpetry912 

my own experience with Paramounts in the classic period is that the frame quality was inconsistent

I have ridden two that had alignment issues. and a couple that were very nice.

I think the guidance I would offer is to ride the bike before you buy it. That may be hard to do on a remote purchase.

another hint is that bikes that were built for a racer or friend of the factory would get an extra dose of "love"

if you find one of those, they can be very desirable bikes.

/markp

merziac

Atta boy

merziac

Agreed, and considering the bike boom industry quality at the time, no surprise, all were cranking them out at a breakneck pace with Schwinn helping lead the charge.

They were IMO doing a very good job of keeping up, maintaining a pretty high standard and setting the bar for the market at the time.

PX-10's and Raleigh Pro's were much the same in quality, a bit hit and miss as most/many were at the time.

I love all Paramount's for the iconic history and richness of it, the only true American classic racing bike that stood the test of time until Schwinn and now Waterford didn't.

Not all are perfect but most are just fine, never met one I didn't like.

sfazio 

Great pics and a beautiful bike!! The red ends on the shifters and skewer's are a particularly nice touch.

pastorbobnlnh 

Sfazio, don't be afraid to "make this your own." While restorations to originality are commendable, sometimes they are not practical (i.e. the bike needs to be ridden, not simply displayed, and admired). For instance, while I only have limited personal experience with the Campagnolo Gran Turismo RD, it is a real PITA, lousy shifting, boat anchor (it is very heavy).

Here's a recent picture of my '71 P13. It was taken on a cold, wet, March Day, in the farmlands of TX, thus the non-drive-side mistake by me, the cold and shivering owner.

Somewhere west of Schulenberg, TX on a cold, wet, day in March 2023

What you can't see is that I've ditched the Campy RDs it has worn in the past (NR and 2nd gen Rally), and the Regina freewheel. It has also lost the Cinelli stem and bars, standard down tube shifters (it does sport Schwinn Approved barends), and Campy pedals. I'm still using the Campy Record FD.

I've added a bar/stem combo that is better suited for my riding ability, a Brooks B5N narrow (which is my favorite saddle), Shimano SPD pedals, and in the above, Hi-E/Faimme tubulars with 28mm wide tires. I do have the original Campy HF/Schwinn Approved tubulars with narrower tires, and switch between the two wheelsets regularly depending on where I am riding.

I've also added my own leather handiwork bits which add comfort, are practical, and IMO snazziness (but many will disagree with the last sentiment ). In the past, when I lived in the NH mountains, it ran a triplizer, a Sachs-Huret DuoPar RD, and a 15-38 Suntour freewheel.

All this is to say, don't be afraid to take a path less traveled. It's a beautiful chrome P15 but it doesn't have to look as if it just arrived from the cage at Schwinn in Chicago.

ascherer 

For the record, that snazzy 32 on mine is @pastorbobnlnh’s handiwork!

sfazio 

So far the Campy GT derailleur isn't getting a lot of love . This is my first triple so I am grateful for any advice--my preference would be to eventually replace the SunTour that is on it with something Campy but if the current one is working well I may just leave well enough alone for now.

SwimmerMike 

I wanted to go Campy for my bikes also. The '71 Paramount came with a first generation Rally and I bought a parts bike to put a Rally on my '71 Bob Jackson. For the Bob Jackson, I first tried the SOMA long cage on a NR body and it didn't shift as well a the Rally IMO.

sfazio 

The cheapest Rally derailleurs on Ebay are close to what I paid for the bike, I may change my tune later but I think the SunTour option will suit me just fine for awhile.

SwimmerMike 

at the prices on eBay I would make the same choice until I found a cheaper one (parts bike, better deal on eBay, or the C&V sales forum)

Reynolds 531 

The Rally is more parallelogram than the regular Campagnolo. Closer to Suntour geometry than a NR with Soma cage. (which is a good thing)

Bogester 

My 71 came to me with a long cage Shimano Crane. They look good, work fine, and are pretty reasonable on eBay. Ive also used a Campy NR with the Soma long cages but like the feel of a short cage much better. If you wanted to try them out you can have them for the cost of shipping. I have since scrapped the campy triple for a TA double (I’ve no need for a 52 tooth big ring) and with that set up I can use a regular NR rear derailleur. Shifting feels much smoother and I can still get up the hills.

sfazio 

I will message you--thanks