Well, to be honest, your Paramount is not vintage, and neither a Chicago nor a Waterford made Schwinn, but for me, this is no biggie that it is posted here. I'm guilty of posting pictures about my 2001 Cannondale here in C&V.

But you asked how we might suggest changes, which opens the door to all sorts of possibilities. So I put on my creative thinking cap and thought, "reverse!"

We see many vintage bikes converted to SIS and Ergo shifters on a regular basis. The rear triangles are cold set and spread to accommodate 130mm spacing for 7-11 speed rear freebody hubs. So why not suggest that someone turn a modern bike into a bike that could appear to be C&V? Seems reasonable to me.

As far as "fredly doodads," I am never one to criticize how someone equips his/her bike in order to make it a practical rider. Each of us needs to make it work for our own personal needs and the ride we are on. Check out how I set up my Paramount for a 93 mile ride the end of June. I mounted a water bottle to the inside of the stem. I have both a seatwedge and a saddle bag mounted under my Brooks B5N. I wanted to be prepared and I didn't care how it looked.


Ignore the fat guy holding the sign. That is just me letting my ego get the best of me as I hit 1000 miles for the year.