acavengo

So I got a 1967 Schwinn Paramount frame and fork this weekend and I am just starting to build her up. I am looking for a few suggestions from the gallery here. The bike is black with chrome fork-ends.

I am sort of in an in between spot when it comes to spending. Don't want to break the bank, but don't want to go with something just b/c it is cheap...unless of course it is cheap and good. My riding will mostly be commuting 9 miles each way, in case that helps any.

Things I am decided on:
Brooks Saddle (likely the B17 Narrow)
Velocity Deep V rims, either white with silver spokes or black with black spokes


I was originally going to get some Suzue ProMax hubs that are available at a good price from my LBS, but now I am thinking I want something that is fixed/fixed and those Suzue's are fixed/free. Who makes a comparable hub in fixed/fixed for about the same price? I have heard some mention of IRO, how do those compare?

My biggest debate so far has been with the crankset which of course then helps determine what BB to get. I like the look of the Sugino 75's, but I wonder if they are really necessary and practical for my use. I was thinking of just getting the Sugino RD's from Harris Cyclery with the matching BB, but they are currently out of stock of the 103mm BB which means that I have more time to debate this.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

onetwentyeight 

i may have to smack you if you put sugino rds, and deepv/suzue wheels on there. i mean its your bike and do what you want but those bikes can be built up to look *so* classy. thats a really great frame you have there. best of luck with the build tho. have fun.

carleton

The first thought that came to my mind was: "He's going to commute 18+ miles a day on a 40 year old frame and fork?"

onetwentyeight 

i commute often on my stan miles. about 8 each way on the days im on the east bay and have countless longer rides on it and its 50 years old. steel is steel. ride it like you stole it. (and use framesaver)

and since i wasnt that helpful in my previous post, can i recommend some low profile boxy rims rather than deep v?

Dogbait

+1... and I think your bike would be a lot happier with Campagnolo cranks, bottom bracket and high flange hubs.

A black and silver Campy Paramount would be on the top of my wish list... unless I could find a chrome frame that fits

But like the man said, it's your bike and you should build it as you want.

Serendipper 

I hope this guy calls me back on the Vitus. This thread reminded me of it. Full Dura-Ace grouppo, and polished aluminum.

Now that my retro-lust is at peak, he will sell it to someone else. Such is the law of bicycles.

Retem

dude please tellme your not going to put all the japanese and deep v junk on there when americancyclery has the c-record group man c'mon you have a67 paramount it was meant to be built right go with the c-record track group and get some ma40 rims to lace the hubs to i will be sweet

non

YUM! I'll surely be putting those on my new build. Either that or campagnolo montreals.

tomacropod

I thought C-record was introduced in 1984.

Anyway, I would definitely go with something period. Your options are campagnolo, or Japanese. Campagnolo is nice, but stpuidly overpriced in the market at the moment. You could build with 1970s dura-ace track gear and sansin/suzue hubs for so much less. I'm a little biased toward Japanese componentry though...

Don't put deep Vs on there. They look ridiculous and are just too heavy. The velocity aeroheads are much more subtle and lighter. But you shouldn't be using new rims. Araya clinchers. mmmm...

- Joel

absntr

A paramount deserves only Italian.

If it were me (and me only), I'd go Campy hubs, cranks, seatpost (all vintage preferably -- save for the cranks) with some Campy rims (of the omega strada kind) or wolbers and the like (they go on ebay for reasonable prices -- 2 for the price of a deep V). Cockpit is to your liking.

But either way, I'd keep it as silver as possible. Keep it classy!

Mr.Joey

DerekRI did this with his paramount. It looks amazing eventhough hes still looking for the OE stem and bars. Hes most likely got some knowlede as to where one would look aside form ebay for OE. . .

jfmckenna

I woul'nt mind seeing a picture or two of your frame.

onetwentyeight 

Theres some great old paramounts on velospace

https://velospace.org/node/762
https://velospace.org/node/359
https://velospace.org/node/149
https://velospace.org/node/377
https://velospace.org/node/762

The stan miles in my sig may be some inspiration too. i put a lot less money into it that you may expect through carefull shopping and waiting for good deals.

marqueemoon

Not everyone has the patience or desire to restore an old bike to period correctness, but I think the advice to hold out for deals on quality parts is good.

TNCLR

he shouldn't have purchased a 1967 Paramount then.

carleton

+1

DerekRI

Here is an old picture my 76 paramount. It's actually not era correct, but it's a lot closer than when I bought the bike. The guy I bought it off had a carbon fork on it (WTF?!?!), and he had even drilled the original fork before that... I think the only part on the bike that's original is the seatpost (nice campy), but it still retains a vintage look due to the boxy mavics, and the vintage dura ace cranks. A matching front wheel (phil wood, open pro) and some old cinelli track stem/bars and i'll be all set!

acavengo

Excellent advice and input from everyone. Much appreciated.

I already have an ugly Schwinn Super Le Tour conversion that I do most of my commuting on right now, so I am not in a super hurry to get the Paramount built up, but at the same time I do want to get on it and ride it. DW gave the advice to buy a cheapo commuting bike and save the Paramount. I got 2 kids at home (2 year old and 4 month old) so my riding is my commute and that is about it. DW, when you said "save it" did you mean don't ride it?

I definitely want to get it close to period correctness, sans rim size b/c the 67 came with 27 1/4 rims. I also want to get on the damn bike so I see myself doing this in stages which I think is possible without spending too much money, except for the wheels. I think I only want to build up one set of wheels so I need to get those right from the get-go. Deep V's are out, that seemed very clear from the advice given here which I am grateful for. I can always put a whatever crankset on there for now until I get my hands on a period correct version.

I will probably hop on the Schwinn Forum and check with those guys as to what the exact specs were on a 67 Paramount. I need to see if I can get the badge replaced anyway which I think the guys on there would know about.

Someone asked for pictures, I will try to get those tonight and post then. There is not much to see though, black with chrome ends, no badge, no stickers. The badge I want, the stickers I am going to likely hold off on.

Oh, and one more note on my commute. This bike will *never* get locked up. I bring my bike into my office and it sits right behind my desk all day. I say that just in case that had anything to do with people saying I should not commute on it.

GirlAnachronism

That's kinda like what I have! I was gifted a really awesome custom track frame from the 70s, and it had Dura-Ace 10mm pitch cranks on it. I sold them (too much hassle to find the hubs, chain, tools etc.) and scored some Campy cranks for cheap, and Campy hubs laced to Mavic Ma3's. Kept the original Cinelli track stem/bars and some other little bits and it looks/rides like a dream. Seriously, I feel stupid riding such a nice bike.

But I'd never ever commute on that thing, that's what I have my ugly road-conversion for. I'd say wait around to build it up nicely (mine took about two months and I already had most of the parts) and get a beater for the bad weather/crappy roads/locking up etc.

acavengo

Actually you were *very, very* helpful in your first post. It was a good wake-up call. What I took away from it was that I had to take a step back and listen to what everyone had to say b/c I was doing something wrong here. I asked for advice, so I opened up myself to anything and everything.

Just wanted to point that out b/c I think people take posts like yours the wrong way sometimes and they are not always malicious which I don't think yours was at all.

marqueemoon

I guess he should have checked with you first

acavengo

Ok, so I have these wheels I bought on craigslist a while back when I need a 700c front, they have a green and yellow sticker on them that says Mavic MA on them, not MA3 as mentioned above. Any thoughts on whether using those rims and relacing them with new spokes to a proper hub would work. They are definitely boxy rims, so they will definitely look more period correct. The rear takes a cassette which is totally useless to me right now, so in that regard re-using the rims would be nice.

Would the cost savings be minimal?

carleton

I assume that DW meant make it what's called a "Sunday Bike" or a "First Date Bike". You know, for special occaisions or when you want to floss. But, def not a daily-driver.

TNCLR

i was joking mr. tight ass.

my biggest problem is fitting my shimano hub (i use the Surly Fixxer on all my bikes!) that I built to a Weinmann rim on the outside of my Timbuk2 Yoga bag. Sheesh! Then I used to have to walk my bike all the way to the BART from the Delores Park. Whew...glad those days are over!

onetwentyeight 

balls to that. build it up proper and ride that **** into the ground!