Schwinn history question....

[Bendix]

So, why is the 'hat in the ring' insignia on some old Schwinn frames anyway :?: :?:

 

[CCR]

ive never wondered til now :|

it probly does have something to do with throwing their hat in the ring, lightweight bikes maybe ??!!??

 

[Crassly]

This same question was posed on the Schwinn forum and the following reply was posted by oldalfie:

"That's from the 94th Aero Squadron, Eddie Rickenbacker's outfit in WWI. Same squadron emblem/same sq number in Eighth Air Force in England in WWII and continued well into the late Cold War period as an air defense squadron at Detroit.

My suspicion, and only a guess, is there was some connection - friendship perhaps - between Schwinn and Rickenbacker."
alf

 

[Anonymous]

For what its worth,I seem to recall some American WWI bi-planes used that insignia too.

 

[Anonymous]

^ Crass beat me to it,only better

 

[Bendix]

ww1

everybody knows that logo in the ww1 context, but i want to know the definitive answer to how the heck it ended up on schwinn bicycles!