Explain The Schwinn Fasination

[nanac1212]

Why is it that Schwinn seems to be THE bicycle compared to every other brand.? They are no better made than any other. Parts for them are weird and wont interchange with others like crazy tire sizes.

Example (and heres what prompted the question)

I went and bought myself the Town/Country trike to keep and ride. I have owned other trikes but was excited to get a so called high quality Schwinn. This thing rides like total crap. Its so short you can hardly steer it. Quality? Not hardly. Its actually the cheapest and most unstable trike I have ever sat on. Next as for resale....its plastered on every CL site in a 200. miles radius with NO interest whatsoever. I have sold Trailmates, Worksmans etc quick. So whats the Schwinn thing? I certainly dont get it. Other bikes like Huffys were built in America too and built just as well if not better. My old Good Vibrations is bulletproof.

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[Bicycle808]

Of all the old-time, pre-bike boom US bicycle manufacturers, Schwinn's story is the biggest. They had the most sales, the longest run at a single factory, and without a doubt touched the most ppl. Most folks remember riding a Chicago Schwinn at some point in their childhood, and this is STILL true, more than 3 decades after the Chicago factory closed.

To non-riders, Schwinn is the "Kleenex" of older bikes. Ppl will use that specific brand-name to describe a vintage bike in a generic sense. Doesn't make it right (it's actually pretty stupid), but it's a real phenomenon.

You make an excellent point re: proprietary parts. The wheel sizes are unforgivable, and the threading for the cranks is lame, too. But it's really no big deal; most folks find a way to either live with it or change it, without major incident. Annoying, but not tragic.

You make a decent point re: quality; many other manufacturers offered machines that were as good or better than the standard Schwinns--- but then again, many did not. We tend to think of all the old, domestic bikes as being "good" bikes--- durable and well-built, even if they were heavy and a bit crude. In truth, there were a lot of dogs made in the states BITD. I'm not going to call any manufacturers out, but you can see the difference in quality, fit and finish, when you compare some of the nicer brands with some of the chintzier ones. I will say that Westfield/Columbia bikes were as nice as any of their competitors well into the 60s....

But we can't forget that firms like Westfield didn't offer the same kind of high-end bikes as Schwinn did. There was no Columbia version of the "Paramount". If you're into Schwinns, you know that any frame produced in the Cage was a few cuts above the rest. I defy anyone to look at a Paramount (duh), Sting, King Sting, Superior, Sports Tourer, or a Super Sport and deny that it's a better-built, higher quality frame as compared to any other mass-produced American frame from the same time period. (Yes, boutique builders in small shops doing limited production made nicer bikes, but we're talking about a factory, with union workers and massive production numbers...)

I own some Schwinns, and I really like them. The electroforged ones I have are cool bikes, fun to ride, but nothing special. I think the Schwinn mystique has less to do with the bikes themselves, and more to do with the tale told when we consider he company; it's rise and fall were of such a grand magnitude, and the countless stories told by ppl who have been riding Schwinns all those years are fascinating, too. Many other manufacturers have stories similar to Schwinn's, and many riders have epic tales to tell about their exploits on other bikes.... but no other classic US manufacturer can compare to Schwinn in terms of sheer scale.

 

[KJV]

Mainly because,; their bicycles
where assembled @ the factory,,
and had a warranty. Where as:
Most others: were assembled in store,
or by the consumer.
Plus ; they were a union shop.


For me : i'll take a Huffy !

 

[DJ Bill]

Agreed with 808 completely.

Again... the trike you had was purchased most likely for an older individual with not a whole lot of strength, and it was made by adapting a full size bike. Purpose built trikes are a whole different animal as you have said.

I do own an older Schwinn trike, but it is a yard ornament and I haven't ridden it.
I do ride the 70's Schwinns, have since I was big enough to ride , and other than the minor issues of tires, they are pretty darn bombproof. I don't want or need super lightweight as my riding is to stay in shape or just neighborhood transportation. A Suburban 5 speed is just perfect for me. (Says the man who rides a Hercules and a Schwinn Mesa Runner)

The other bikes my buddies rode as kids usually didn't last more than a couple of years before terminal failure of some part or other. There were other quality brands, (Raleigh and Columbia for example) but in the 70's people were already buying on price alone at stores that did no service or sell bikes as their main deal.
(Western Auto, Sears, Wards, K Mart, Woolworths, Grants, etc.

 

[nanac1212]

Interesting. The tryke was really a huge disappointment. I did get one person to test ride it for about 50 feet before asking "whats wrong with this thing...why cant you steer it?". and passed on it. Inferior design IMO. Maybe a good idea on paper but thats all. I have only had one other true Schwinn to resell. A Hollywood...again another bike that rode horribly and I barely got my 35.00 back that I paid for it. From now on I will never touch anything that says Schwinn. All the hype sounds like John Deere just a name.

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[Kruez]

Hey, now! Nothing runs like a Deere! Are you sure that trike is a Schwinn and not just a badge pulled off a parts bike to make you think you were buying quality?


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[nanac1212]

Oh no its a famous Chicago Schwinn. You can see it in the for sale section. I pray no overweight person comes because I wont let them near it. Talk about flimsy and cheap. Our 11 year old granddaughter wont even ride it. Said she hates it and pushed it back to the house.

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[Rustinkerer]

Overall, in the classic bike era ('33-'65), I'd say Schwinn did have the edge, quality wise. Their frame joinery was much better, especially over the competition's spot welded rear dropouts. And, the tubular rims were a lot tougher than the others. Their chrome was way better- Westfield's seems especially weak, and some of the others substituted anodized for chrome. And their paint colors were above and beyond, really held up over the years (summer cloud white being the exception). Furthermore, their hardware was held to a higher standard, hence the 'Schwinn Approved' stamp on outsourced parts. These may seem like small things, but they do add up. And look at the number of them that have survived! Sure, every co. had a few clunkers, and the 3 wheelers would definitely fit there. Other companies had cooler looking bikes, and rare models, but I have to give Schwinn (Chicago era) props! -Adam

 

[Rebel_56]

I actaully hate schwinns but not cause they're crap bikes I just gotta stay true to my punk rock spirit.i have an early 20s schwinn a late 20s schwinn and now a 41 dx. They are well built bikes. 90% of the klunker builds are schwinn frames for a reason other then looks. They hold up to a lot. In the collectors world schwinns are the tri-5 Chevys they have that vintage nostalgic appeal. And it's as common as a household name as ford or Chevy. Movies have used schwinns for that affect. I mean in back to the future one and two u had nothing but columbia and schwinns in the back ground. At the end of the day it's up to who owns what to dispute quality. A ford guy will always fight a Chevy guy over that just like an elgin guy will battle a schwinn guy over that. I think they're a quality built bicycle. But over produced but still an awesome bike and a piece of our history so can't knock em to bad.

 

[Oak Tree]

Schwinn chrome....and bearings

 

[DJ Bill]

I'm curious.. Did the trike have one wheel drive or were both wheels locked together? (Or did it actually have a diff?) and how do the modern trikes you have had deal with that? The only modern Trike I've ridden was a special needs one with 20 inch tires, and it was sorta weird. Someone had installed the brake pads 90 degrees off so they hit the tires, and there were other similar assembly issues we fixed before I got to test it for about 50 feet.

Honda 3 wheelers are strange to steer too.. I can ride the bike in my Avatar but not a Big Red Honda...But that's another topic.

 

[jamesdart]

i think there is a big difference in frame construction compared to other makes. at least the ones i have ridden. the chrome is awesome too. my favorite sprocket is the Schwinn clover. i like the look and strength of the wheels but the sizes just make me mad. wouldn't bother me if there were more tire choices though.

 

[Bicycle808]

Some folks have mentioned the bearings, and they make a good point: Schwinn bearings, races, all the hardware at the headset and BB were rockhard and awesome. The chrome was nice and stayed nice; a lot of other makers had really awesome brightwork pre-war, but many of them let that slide as time marched on and they cut more corners to stay profitable. I think the electroforging looked nice and made for a strong frame, but DANG was it heavy!!! Schwinn was unique in that they rolled their own tubing from plate steel, whereas most of their competitors just sourced tubing that was ready-to-go, and cut, rolled/bent, and welded from there.

As far as the wheels go, yeah, it was annoying, but the rims were plenty strong (but, again, heavy)-- overbuilt for sure, but quality given their intended usage. If you go s@, you can mount normal tires, and Schwinn middleweights will fit s2 rims with 2.125" rubber--- might take some work to shoehorn a fender in there.

I totally get that not everyone is into Schwinns, for various reasons, but to pretend that they were substandard and "ride horribly" seems dishonest. A 70s era trike, that might be one thing, but if a Hollywood ain't riding right, it's either mis-assembled or damaged. To each his or her own, but vintage Schwinns are always a reliable money-maker for flippers, and the quality was equal to or better than other American bikes from the same era. Personally, a lot of them don't "do it" for me in terms of their lines, but I love prewar Model C balloon bikes, early 60s twinbars (especially the ones where the double mid-bars continue to become the seatstays), early BMX (Scramblers, SX-series), most of the diamond frames, and anything from the Cage are awesome.

 

[Bicycle808]

A ford guy will always fight a Chevy guy over that just like an elgin guy will battle a schwinn guy over that. I think they're a quality built bicycle...

I don't think anyone could ever honestly claim that anything good ever came out of the Elgin factory....

 

[nanac1212]

DJBill the tryke had a coaster brake bicycle wheel on one side. Most trykes use a solid one piece axle. The Schwinn has 3 majors flaws 1. Its too short.Probably 6 inchs shorter than a rear adult tryke. 2. It has a 2 piece frame not a solid one piece so the Schwinn flexes. 3.Very high center of gravity giving it a most unstead feeling. The tiny skinny tires need to be larger too. Lots of design problems here.

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[G-Matt]

Not a big fan of owing one but they were a strong well made bike . That over whelmed the U.S.. For many years . They made a strong frame & there chrome was one of the best if not the best . . I guess my thing is I don't want something that everyone else on the block has . I like to ride off the beaten path !



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[nanac1212]

Heres a Trailmate I had. Note the longer and lower one piece frame with slightly out front pedals. A very solid and stable comfortable bike.IMO the best built and simplest tryke you could buy. I liked it much better than the 4 Worksmans I have had too.



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[Bicycle808]

One of the athletes on my team rolls on a Trailmate DeSoto 3speed trike.... been working quite well for her.

 

[blwnmny]

I have many different brand bikes, Colson,JC Higgins, Monark, Western Flyer, CWC, etc. my favorite out of my bunch to ride is my 53 Schwinn Panther, thing rides like a cloud. It's one Heavy bike, Much heavier than any of the others, and built like a tank. I really love them all, but they are NOT built like it. When your assembling them, big difference in the frames, hardware, and chrome, etc. like I said... I love and appreciate them all, but, Oh Yeah....there's a difference.

 

[ozzmonaut]

I have had tons of trikes. I actually liked my huffy the most because it had a diff. Made it much easier to ride. Town and Countries were junk, just a cheap trike kit on a 24" womens frame. The Schwinn name is referenced so much because of the facts stated above about popularity and a saturation in our culture. However, they did have a lifetime guarantee on their frames. And the chrome holds up amazingly well. I have had Schwinn wheelsets and fenders that looked like solid rust and cleaned up to look almost new. In the 30's-50's, the really did have the lock on style and over-engineering. With the chrome touches and embossed tanks, they were considered the bike to have. I used to be really into Schwinns. I still like them, but I like a lot of other brands just as much. For me it's more about the era of bicycle, not the name. Example: I'd take a 30's Schwinn over any 60's bike, but I'd take a 30's anything over a 60's Schwinn. A Town and Country is the worst example of a Schwinn bike. Own a 40's-50's tanker Schwinn and then see what you think about them. Or if you like later models and styles, check out a 70's Schwinn Suburban with the F/F drive system. Those are sleek bikes and make the Town and Country look like Walmart junk. The proprietary wheel sizes was just a measure to ensure future sales. It's no different than buying a car with no aftermarket parts available. They want you coming to the dealership in the future.