Classic & Vintage - '70 Paramount On the Road Again

I finally, finally built up my 1970 Paramount with the ugly gold repaint job. Earlier, I had a problem with the rear derailleur and freewheel. I solved it by replacing the Regina 5 speed freewheel with a Suntour 6 speed and replacing the bent Nuovo Record derailleur with a Super Record.

Quite the Frankenbike; Scooper and Cuda don't be too mad at me. This was my first ever build with derailleurs and I haven't used downtube shifters in over 20 years. Still needs some hoods, should get here soon. I also haven't finished off the cable ends because I wasn't sure the shifting would even work once I got it on the road and I ran out of those little crimp caps.

Weinmann Vainqueur brakes, Dura Ace 7401 levers, Super Record FD and RD, Veloce compact crankset, Cinelli bars and stem, Gipiemme seat post, San Marco Concor light saddle(may be replaced by a Brooks), Mavic Module E 27" 1 1/4 wheels. SunTour PowerRatchet friction shifters. Chorus bottom bracket.

http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2369/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2375/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2376/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2371/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2372/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2373/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2374/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2370/web.jpg

The bike actually rides well and shifts just fine though I cannot use the small-small combination(not that I would want to.

Very, very nice! I just love that you left the paint alone. Very classy.

Mike

You did a nice job. That Paramount was for sale briefly on the San Diego Craigslist then was listed on ebay if I recall correctly.

Just curious, what month does the serial number show? The reason I ask is my wife's Paramount is a late 1970 and has Nervex lugs. I wonder when they stopped using Prugnat lugs.

What's going on with the rear rack and brake? are they somehow integral to each other? it looks like they're connected?

Looking very nice - very spiffy.

Curious though - was the SR acting up with the large cogs? I'm surprised that the build requires the rear wheel set that far back in the dropouts.

-Kurt

I like it. The Veloce CT compact should help out on the hills. What's the biggest cog on the Suntour 6s freewheel?

I've always liked the Prugnat lugs.

Good job!

http://gallery.me.com/bbattle/100178/100_0968/web.jpg

I just shoved the wheel up to where it is; haven't had any trouble shifting to the large cogs. <goes to investigate>

I just got back from riding around the block after moving the wheel forward a half inch. No shifting troubles at all.

Freewheel is 14-23, so no top end speed to speak of but I intend to use this bike in the city and maybe out and about with my wife. Perhaps a 25 or 26T cog would work and a 28T if you don't crosschain.

So far, not a fan of the Concor Light saddle. Luckily, I have a Brooks Team Pro to try out.

I just got back from riding around the block after moving the wheel forward a half inch. No shifting troubles at all.

Excellent. It'll probably improve the handling a bit too, since you've effectively shortened the wheelbase.

-Kurt

Thanks; I'm learning as I go; one of the reasons I frequent this forum. Building up fixed gear bikes is much easier. ;)
http://gallery.me.com/bbattle/100178/100_2379/web.jpg

Oh, the rack does have a mounting bracket held by the brake post.

http://gallery.me.com/bbattle/100178/100_2377/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/bbattle/100178/100_2378/web.jpg

Nice fork crown. :) I didn't realize Schwinn ever used a sloping crown.

Ah, erm, as a self-professed newbie to derailer bikes, and maybe you know this already, but: you need to be less stingy with the chain!

http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100178/100_2372/web.jpg

I didn't realize Schwinn ever used a sloping crown.

IIRC, it is a replacement, supposedly from a Raleigh Pro.

-Kurt

Regarding the chain, I had shifting troubles when in the small (34T) ring. Had I used a 52-42 traditional crank, I could've kept more chain. My garage floor is littered with links of chain, taken off one at a time.

It does look a bit silly.

If you want to use a 34 T minor ring, just get a 42-45T large ring, and you'll be all set!

Regarding the chain, I had shifting troubles when in the small (34T) ring.

Chain skipping troubles?

-Kurt

Nice, but I have to confess that I was mightily distracted by the beautiful bit of gardening on display.

:lol:

East Hill

Nice bike.
Did you do the repaint and sticker job yourself?
It looks great at 640x480!

I'm doing a '73,
but am going overboard on keeping parts 73ish, mostly campy,
-very unlike the mutts that schwinn originally sold them as!

So its relieving to see a good riding workhorse of a bike out there.

I would get those chain/axle-positioner bolts though for the rear dropouts.
There kinda pricey for 2 little bolts and 2 caps, maybe 2-8 bucks, but they do work.

TP

It's lovely. I bet it rides great.

May I offer constructive criticism?

Twist your handlebars down a bit. Move the brake levers down on the bars, too. Run a ruler along the bottom of the drops of the bars. Your brake levers' tips should run just under the top edge of the ruler.

Add about 1/2" to the cable housing that ends at the rear derailleur.

Tighten your derailleur cables. They appear to be loose.

Lower your front derailleur so that there's about 1 or 2 mm between the teeth of the big chainring and the cage of the derailleur.

You might like KoolStop brake shoes. They'll be better than the Weinmanns.

Congratulations on your Paramount build. My guess is that this is not the final incarnation of this bike. I bet you will continue to tweak the parts as time goes on.

Just an observation: I noticed that the headset has quite a few washers - I wonder if the front fork is original? John E did question the sloping fork crown too.

I'm definitely no Paramount expert but I do like the like of that particular fork crown. I really like its sweeping lines. Perhaps the original headset had a taller stack height.

I love the bike and approve of your choice in tyres... those Avocet tt30's are the bomb.

Chain skipping troubles?

-Kurt

Too much chain for the RD to handle. Here's what the 34-14 combo looks like:

http://gallery.me.com/bbattle/100178/100_2381/web.jpg

It's lovely. I bet it rides great.

May I offer constructive criticism?

Twist your handlebars down a bit. Move the brake levers down on the bars, too. Run a ruler along the bottom of the drops of the bars. Your brake levers' tips should run just under the top edge of the ruler.

Add about 1/2" to the cable housing that ends at the rear derailleur.

Tighten your derailleur cables. They appear to be loose.

Lower your front derailleur so that there's about 1 or 2 mm between the teeth of the big chainring and the cage of the derailleur.

You might like KoolStop brake shoes. They'll be better than the Weinmanns.

Thanks for the info. I may leave the brake levers where they are and not spoil the best bartape job I've done. :lol: They do need to move down a touch and right now, they are uneven.

Cables are actually pretty darn tight. Do they need to be extra darn tight? Is there a tool to use to keep them extra tight while tightening the lock screws? Brake cables give me fits; I usually set them with the pads rubbing the rim knowing that sure enough, they'll slip a tad while tightening. Everything will need tightening down again in a month anyways. For that, I'll probably ride over to the LBS and let the head mechanic go over it. He loves old bikes.


Fork is not original; there was a thread about this frame a while back when it was on CL, then on eBay. Fork identified as Raleigh Pro. If the eBay seller knew for sure, he wasn't saying.

Once I got the fork installed with the two spacers, I decided against cutting it down

Now that you have practice taping bars well, doing them again will be easy, and they will come out well again. The problem with levers high up on the bars like that is that you can't use them well from the drops.

Maybe I misjudged your derailleur cables. If they're tight, then fine. They don't need to be super tight. I just thought your shift levers were pulled back very far. My trick for getting them tight is:

- Grab the cable with pliers in your left hand. Hold it.
- Pull the cable with the lever in your right hand.
- Pull back and forth in a game of tug-of-war with two hands.
- Let the left hand win.
- Shift the pliers into your right hand.
- Tighten the anchor bolt with your left hand.