Schwinn Sold AGAIN
 

I found this in my weekly VeloNews email:

I went to BicycleRetailer.com to see what they were reporting and found their quote of the day:

The Schwinn name lives on, but the marque means even less. Pacific said that they would continue to support Schwinn dealers. I never saw any evidence of that happening. The Schwinn dealers in my area are all selling other brands now. While Richard Schwinn is right, Schwinn had a good long run, I'd rather see the name die than be relegated to a big box brand.

It makes you wonder what brand will be next to be lowered to the status of being sold in department stores ?

It's just disheartening.

Those of us that work within the fitness industry are more affected by the Schwinn sale now more than ever. There is a lot of stuff going on with the indoor cycling, Schwinn Europe and Schwinn USA. I think this will be the nail in the coffin for those people. I'm not even sure what's going to happen to the fitness conventions, as Schwinn provided all our continuing ed. Even when I went to Europe, a lot of the continuing ed was Schwinn Fitness Academy.

*sigh* There are a lot of instructors who are moving out of teaching in the fitness industry because it just keeps changing on us too much and they don't feel like dealing with the crap anymore.

Does this apply to Schwinn only, or was Nautilus and LeMond (Stairmaster) bought by these dudes too?

Koffee

Pacific has done quite a bit of lying to the IBD (or LBS if you prefer) over the years. I love seeing the Aerostar in big box stores for about what we pay for it, but their version gets a QR seatpost clamp and a chain guard. It's not so much that they trashed the company and destroyed everything they stood for, it's that they seem hell-bent on screwing the IBD. I anticipate we will be dropping Schwinn soon.
As to Koffee's inquiry, this deal will have no affect on your end of the spectrum, as the Nautilus group that owned Schwinn fitness is a completely seperate entity.
The whole industry is a joke, really. It's all a matter of who can source items the cheapest from Taiwan and China (and yes, even the almighty Trek plays this game on many models). Then you market the heck out of what little innovations your product might have and go from there. I love seeing the same bike sold as different brands. There's few bike companies out there. And don't get me started on mail order...

Here's an interesting question:

Hypothetically, if all of the bicycle manufacturers went big-box and outsourced for cheaper labor and parts (in other words, if all bikes became Magnas so to speak)...would you give it up? Or would you ride? I'm sure the more bike-savvy and mechanically gifted among us wouldn't be deterred; they would simply gather the materials necessary to build their own. What of the rest of us?

Not me. I would rather see the Schwinn name live on. Schwinn is one of the most, if not THE most important names in the USA bicycle legacy.

And you know what, I take my hat off to Huffy too. They are often critisized and scoffed at, but they have been around for about as long as Schwinn (longer?) and have probably put more people on bicycles than anybody.

I don't know why people whine and cry because Schwinn ended up in department stores. Schwinn bicycles are junk. They always have been. Always will be. They never belonged in bike shops in the first place.

That's why Schwinn failed when they tried to move upmarket in the 1990's. Customers associated Schwinn with old gas pipe clunkers and chose to buy other brands instead.

Excuse me? Schwinn has always have been junk?
I suggest you look at the history and not just the last 5 to 10 years.
If you wanted a quality racing bike, and didn't want imported you had
very few choices, Drysdale or Schwinn. At least up until the mid to late
60's when US framebuilding started to come into its own.
Old paramounts (p10, p15 etc.) are very collectable and are still very
desirable bikes. Check the prices for them, avg for a paramount frame
is about $500. Paramount Track frames are considerably higher.

Marty

Bicycling magazine reviewed a toy store and a bike shop Schwinn. They found both bikes to be exactly the same component wise but the toy store Schwinn was improperly assembled. If you can properly put together that toy store Schwinn, it would make a very good junk bike.

My toy store bike has been on the street of Manhattan 24/7 for almost 1 year in April. It no longer shifts but I basically use it as a beach cruiser. I'm begining to think that dual suspension bike is indestructable. You won't see me jumping off cliffs with it but I really believe that bike will last me for years!

I ride it for 2.2 miles per day and so far it saved me close to $700.00 dollars from NOT having to take the subway in Manhattan. There is a place for these junk bikes as short distance commuters. These toy store bikes are the perfect "Leave it outdoor" bike since even the bike crooks won't steal the junker. You would never leave a Trek 5200 on a bike rack for 7 days and nights like I leave my toy store bike.

Marty you'll just have to excuse him he is just a kid. Schwinns at one time were very good for what they were. I grew up riding my fathers schwinn. He was a big cyclist during the war years (WWII) up until college. I inherited it in the mid 60's after it sat in our garage for almost 20 years and rode it for another 10. How many bikes are around today that have that kind of track record. Huffy and Murray used to be good bikes too.

Well, I'm going to be mature here, despite the fact that you've posted a sheer opinion with no correct information to back it up. The original Schwinn went out of business in the early 1990's because of their (mistake) lack of involvement in the MountainBike scene. They thought it was just a fad, and by the time they caught on, it was too late. Marty is correct when he talks about he Paramounts, they are still arguably regarded as one of the best bikes ever created in their time (the Waterfords). The Schwinn muscle bikes are the reason that the BMX craze began. The Schwinn Varsity, albeit a "gas-pipe" bike, made bicycles more available and wide-spread to adults during a time when riding a bike was seen as something only children did, and at the end of it's run, had outsold every other American company's derailleured bikes combined. Companies today are copying the original Schwinn cantilever, or cruiser, frame. I think that most informed non-Schwinn fans can at least recognize the greatness of both Paramounts and even the Homegrowns of more recent times.
The most collectable bikes as a whole, are Schwinns. For a reason.

Jessica

Dang! Now I want one!

Reading your moniker, you're not Biased, are you? :D

I still want a late 1960's full chrome paramount, Nervex pro lugs
with red pinstriping, full Nuovo Record and Tubulars. Just like I lusted
for back then.

Marty

Funny.

I hope you meant vintage and not Pacific, right?

Marty - I'm drooling.... :D

Ah, Schwinn. The Peugeot of America, but heavier.

Seriously, I can't believe anyone would cut on Schwinns. They may not be perfect, but hey, there's some cool stuff in there. If someone dropped a Paramount on me, I think I'd be liable to keep it. Or they'd be liable for dropping it, one of the two. The only way you could cut on Schwinn is if you'd only had experience with Schwinns you see at WalMart nowadays. I'm quite sure the true Schwinn purist regards this turn of events with the same horror and outrage I'd muster up if I saw Peugeots at Target. Even the old Letours and the like are sturdy old B*st*rds worthy of being converted into fixed gear urban mashers. And hey, even the various "krates" have a certain nostalgic appeal.

He he he, one of my LeTours is a fixed!!! :P

THe last know schwinn dealer in my area just dropped schwinn as a line recently. They were probably aware of the impending sale already.

Amen to that! The Varsity was my first 10 speed and it turned me on to biking for life. Schwinn was part of my life and I hate what continues to happen with the company. Oh well, at least I still have my Voyageurs!

Well, yeah the Paramount stuff was good. There was not alot of it and the other stuff was mid to bottom of the barrel.

I had a Schwinn Speedster not long ago with a 3 speed hub. I love the town bike frame of the Speedster with fenders and spring saddle. It had a comfortable geometry that was straight up and truly enjoyable. The only problem with the bike was the weight. It was like moving a tank and you could only ride that bike for 5 miles before I was exhausted. I would really like someone to build a light weight Alu bike with the exact geometry of the Speedster. Seriously. I think it would sell. In the end, I eventually sold the Speedster for $100.00 dollars to a Schwinn dealer

On another note, junk bikes like Schwinn today are hauling more food than ever before. I see many Chinese food service delivery men carrying prepared food on the handlebars on Schwinn junk bikes.

Schwinn was a major player and innovator in the bicycle boom of the 1890s. They were one of a very few companies to survive from that time. The Phantoms were heavyweight beauties and the Krates were trendsetters.

I owned a Schwinn World Tourer in the 80s. (It was made by Giant of Tokyo). It wasn't the best bike I've ever owned, but it was sturdy and trustworthy. I gave it away years ago to someone who still rides it.

Schwinn, in their day, did what Trek does now. They provided good value bicycles at every price point. I personally hate seeing the name reduced to a bargain store brand

Jessica, you've ruined a perfectly good argument and mindless rant by introducing information.

Aw man! I'm ashamed of myself!