Classic & Vintage - 1972 Schwinn Olympic Paramount track - a piece of history

Just felt the need to show this off. This past weekend, I bought myself a new frame. Not just any frame: a Schwinn Paramount custom built for American John Vande Velde for the 1972 Olympic pursuit race! It was hand built in Chicago by George Flagle, who apparently had built a few Paramounts in the past during a shift in builders. It had been crashed (post-Olympics, AFAIK), and the seatstays and bridge were replaced by Bernie Mikkelsen using the period correct Reynolds 531c tubing.

The Nervex lugs have been filed down beyond recognition, the Campy track ends drilled a total of 30 times, both sets of dropouts filed paper thin (well, that's an exaggeration), and there are 4 large cut-outs on the BB shell; all in the name of weight savings. Apparently, the frame and fork alone weigh around 3.6 lbs! Included in the purchase was a Campy NR (I think) headset, pista BB, and high flange Record Pista hubs. On top of all that, I have photos of Vande Velde racing on this particular frame in Munich, including one signed photo. Needless to say, I'm very excited about building this up.

Now, without further ado...

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z306/tweso/IMG_1961.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z306/tweso/IMG_1963.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z306/tweso/IMG_1967.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z306/tweso/IMG_1968.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z306/tweso/IMG_1964.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z306/tweso/IMG_1966.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z306/tweso/IMG_1972.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z306/tweso/IMG_1974.jpg

Very cool bike, and always nice to have real racing provinance. But is it really a "Paramount", or more a George Flagle?

I can't tell from the original racing photos but the bike does not appear to wear a Schwinn badge or lettering? Was it built for Schwinn and badged as such?

It would sure look nice painted in a early 70's Schwinn color and decaled as a Paramount. That one deserves an expensive paint job!

Congratulation! Beautiful frame.

What type of wheels are you planning on building up? Campy Record Pista group for the balance of the build? Nice!!!

That's a Paramount. The ridge on the headlug is unmistakably Nervex, and the track dropouts as they join from chainstays to dropout are finished in the unusual characteristic way you would find on a stock Paramount Track.

-Kurt

Congrats El Twe,

I can't wait to see the end result :)

My circa 75 has circular cutouts on each side of the fork chrome, but none on the bottom bracket or holes in the dropouts. I don't see Nervex in the lugs, but maybe they were the basis.

As far as being a Paramount, certainly it is, but being a custom order for the Olympics, anything was possible I'm sure. Maybe they didn't use builder brands, don't know.

Otis - the bike never had nice paint, and was never branded as a Paramount, however, Schwinn provided Paramounts to all of the team. This is just a very modified Paramount built to Vande Velde's specifications.

GeraldChan - the current plan is to lace the hubs to a set of black Open Pros I have sitting in Santa Cruz. Unless anyone has any 32H MA2s for me ;). Record Pista cranks and chainring, Cinelli bar/stem, MKS Sylvan pedals with MKS clips and Toshi double straps (at least for now).

bigwoo - me too!

My circa 75 has circular cutouts on each side of the fork chrome, but none on the bottom bracket or holes in the dropouts. I don't see Nervex in the lugs, but maybe they were the basis.

As far as being a Paramount, certainly it is, but being a custom order for the Olympics, anything was possible I'm sure. Maybe they didn't use builder brands, don't know.
I have a CD with pictures from an auction of a '72 Olympic Paramount built for the sprint race, fully decal'd.

this is similar to another pursuit frame I have seen for the '72 games, word on the track by 1974 was that the reason they were so ugly was that the seat stay bridge was missing, I suspected this a bit, my guess was the chainstay bridge was left off due to rush to finish them off, the bikes got bad reviews the story goes, and were modified offsite. The '72 team selection was pretty late by modern standards, so once the team was selected it was a mad dash to provide bikes.

The "official" color was the opaque blue for the team, each rider got a road bike too, if they raced the track.

Very nice. Would it originally have been red? It looks to be a dark colour in the old photos. Are you going with gold deep-Vs or an aerospoke ;)

It was originally the silver as pictured. The white rear triangle is just primer from the seatstay repair.

word on the track by 1974 was that the reason they were so ugly was that the seat stay bridge was missing, I suspected this a bit, my guess was the chainstay bridge was left off due to rush to finish them off, the bikes got bad reviews the story goes, and were modified offsite.
Can you elaborate on this? This frame obviously had a seatstay bridge in Munich (though it has since been replaced), and I imagine there was a chainstay bridge as well.

Can you elaborate on this? This frame obviously had a seatstay bridge in Munich (though it has since been replaced), and I imagine there was a chainstay bridge as well.

The chainstay bridge can be clearly seen in the first vintage photo. Looks as if the frame originally had both bridges.

Great bike el twe! Wonderful piece of history! This will be a great project to see you complete. I take it John Vande Velde is related (the father?) to Christian, one of our current American riders?

this is similar to another pursuit frame I have seen for the '72 games, word on the track by 1974 was that the reason they were so ugly was that the seat stay bridge was missing, I suspected this a bit, my guess was the chainstay bridge was left off due to rush to finish them off, the bikes got bad reviews the story goes, and were modified offsite. The '72 team selection was pretty late by modern standards, so once the team was selected it was a mad dash to provide bikes.

The "official" color was the opaque blue for the team, each rider got a road bike too, if they raced the track.


Repechage, can you make your explanation a little clearer? You seem to have first hand info about the '72 games bikes such as the original colour, and an interesting observation that they were regarded as ugly. Who reviewed the bikes and were they modified prior to the games? As Pastorbobnlnh observed, the bike seemed to have the bridges in the photos.

Great bike el twe, I hope you can bring it back to it's olympic persona.

The chainstay bridge can be clearly seen in the first vintage photo. Looks as if the frame originally had both bridges.

Great bike el twe! Wonderful piece of history! This will be a great project to see you complete. I take it John Vande Velde is related (the father?) to Christian, one of our current American riders?

Yes, that is indeed Christian's father.
John (goes by Jay) posts regularly on Classic Rendezvous.
El Twe you might join up (if you haven't) and post there about the bike
and get the full story on the bike from Jay

That is a beautiful piece of history, el twe. I can't wait to see it built up.

Sure sounds like you should join Classic Rendezvous and contact the man himself for more details.

Very nice. Would it originally have been red? It looks to be a dark colour in the old photos. Are you going with gold deep-Vs or an aerospoke ;)

Haha that sad thing is there are 1970s paramount track bikes on the street with such set-ups.

This bike need super champions, fiamme red labels or NISI rims.

It's going to be built up with clincher rims to save myself the tubular hassle on the street. I was thinking MA2s. Suggestions?

It was originally the silver as pictured. The white rear triangle is just primer from the seatstay repair.

Re: the color - I recall reading an article about the 1972 Olympics bikes when I first started getting into cycling (in 1973, when I was in high school), and have a clear memory of the article saying (1) that Schwinn privided bikes to all the 1972 Olympic cycling team members and (2) that they were all painted the same color. I also have a clear memory of a photo of at least one such bike in the article, and it was a light blue - not quite a baby blue, but pretty close. I also clearly remember thinking that I would not have chosen that color, although if I had an 1972 Olympics Paramount, it would not be allowed to be any other color, even if I had to repaint it, for historical reasons. (Sort of like why I think all high-end Bianchis ought to be celeste even though I hate the color on pretty much anything else.) I do not recall anything about decals, head badges, or the like, one way or another. I believe the article was in an issue of "Bike World," but I am not certain about that. There was nothing in the article about how they handled that I can recall.

So I do not have first-hand knowledge about the machines, but I do have a clear first-hand memory of contemporary reporting and photos of the 1972 Olympic Schwinns, and the reported and photo'd color was light blue.

EDIT: To the OP - very cool find. Many congrats. I'm glad it's in the hand of someone who appreciaties how unique such a machine is.

I remember seeing that frame on eBay. I think it was about a year ago. I know it's the same one because the ad included the old pictures and the history of the frame

Yep. Came from eBay. When I get un-lazy I'll post up the original auction info.

Bump! Finished the bike about a week ago, the ride quality is amazing. No idea on the weight, but it's probably somewhere around 17 lbs.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/2546410560_fdfaa7eb57_b.jpg

Damn, that's a nice bike - all business.

Amazing! Interesting how the lugs and seat stay caps are so different from the normal '70s Paramounts.

Wonderful, wonderful bike. Congrats El Twe.

Amazing! Interesting how the lugs and seat stay caps are so different from the normal '70s Paramounts.

I can see where the filed-off Nervex lugs may appear drastically different, but what of the seatstay caps seems unusual, might I inquire? I dare say they look quite the same as what is on my own stock, production road Paramounts.

-Kurt

It looks great, el twe.

Dave Chauner's 1972 Olympics Paramount was just on eBay and the reserve wasn't met. The auction is HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260246231024), and the lugs, seat cluster, etc., look very similar to your bike.

Dave Chauner's 1972 Olympics Paramount was just on eBay and the reserve wasn't met. The auction is HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260246231024), and the lugs, seat cluster, etc., look very similar to your bike.

Funny thing - if I had nothing but money to burn, I'd probably go for that Chauner track machine.

Except for one thing - is that a hole drilled in the bottom of the top tube?

-Kurt

I can see where the filed-off Nervex lugs may appear drastically different, but what of the seatstay caps seems unusual, might I inquire? I dare say they look quite the same as what is on my own stock, production road Paramounts.

-Kurt

I don't have a clear picture of the end caps on my '66, plus my brake cable passes over the right one so it is tough to see, but el twe's looks to be sort of "rounded" or "stubby" compared to the nice flat I'm used to seeing. Maybe it's just my old eyes and a long day playing tricks on my mind. :o

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p71/pastorbobnlnh/April%2020%202007/66Paramount.jpg

Chauner's bike has been on eBay several times in the past, not sure if it's the same seller or not. Thanks for all the kind words, and yes those are (were?) Nervex lugs. The headlugs give it away.

Funny thing - if I had nothing but money to burn, I'd probably go for that Chauner track machine.

Except for one thing - is that a hole drilled in the bottom of the top tube?

-Kurt
I still can't believe the guy put a blue chain on the bike. I emailed him post-auction with a reasonable offer but never heard back.

I think the head lugs are the "Serie Legere" Model 32/169 (second row, second from left).

If there is a difference in the seat stay caps it's probably explained by el twe's first post where he says the seat stays were replaced at some point.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/1958Nervexp5.jpg

I think the head lugs are the "Serie Legere" Model 32/169 (second row, second from left).

Nope, they're filed Professional 49/162's. Note the lower ridge in common with 55's machine. The 32/169's have a more graceful curve at the sides of the headtube joint too, not possible (or present) from filing the Professional.

-Kurt

Nope, they're filed Professional 49/162's. Note the lower ridge in common with 55's machine. The 32/169's have a more graceful curve at the sides of the headtube joint too, not possible (or present) from filing the Professional.

-Kurt

OK, I'll buy that. The ridge you mention is the giveaway for me. When I first looked, it seemed to me there wouldn't be enough 'meat' left on the Professional after filing to have the appearance of the lugs on el twe's (and Chauner's) bike.

Nice bike! Ride it very carefully.....!

Nice bike! Ride it very carefully.....!
Thanks! Such an intimidating bike to ride, but at least it's being ridden.