I dont want it to seem like I think they were bad guys. in fact I am to young to remember the glory days,but I currently own and cherish 7 different chicago built models. I never knew it,but after reading this book,it is clear that the "family" refused to follow trends. they tried to set the trends and were very succesfull with some.(stingray) in the later years they also refused to update the chicago plant with modern equipment to keep up with the smaller upstarts like mongoose,trek,and specialized. not to mention fisher,cunningham,ritchie,and breezer were all growing very fast. the contemplated a new factory in tulsa and only after conditions got so bad the employess got the UAW in the plant did the do anything about it.

there is no 2 ways about it,and the facts printed in the book make it perfectly clear. the business was always run by the family. in the early years,they were commited and driven and still lived humbly,despit the millions they made. the later members of the family tht ran the company lived it up.after all ,they were born with a silver spoke in their mouths. the didnt want to pay a good wage,offer any kind of retirment or pension,like was done in the early years. the also would not modernize the factory to keep up with modern demands. they insisted the way they did it was right,and by the time they realized this it was too late. when they turned to the asian market,it was already too late,they became a follower,that just couldnt keep up. the children of ignaz schwinn drove his company to bankruptcy by refusing to do respond to what the market wanted. until the very end,they thought they set the market,they told everyone what was"right" and how to do it. they were schwinn...how could they be wrong?

it does sound like an attack,but its not.its a fact. the beook is really a good one and I would recomend it to any enthusiast,even if they can pass 'em on the hills!