Originally Posted by
tpadul
So seeing as the Schwinn bikes today are NOT at all what they were back in the day, is it safe to assume that starting in the early 1990's would be the real decline of the brand and for anyone looking to restore an older vintage Schwinn they should really stick with the ones before 1990/1991?
The company was so huge that there's no one way to summarize their offerings:
1. 60s style kids bikes like the Sting-Ray. High quality for what they were but essentially toys.
2. Early 70s bike boom electro-forged "Chicago Schwinns". These bikes would likely survive a nuclear holocaust and are engineering marvels but they're hardly high performance. Great commuters to this day, though. Leave it out in the rain for 30 years, who cares.
3. Tiny Paramount / Waterford production which actually started in the 30s, ended in the late 70s and then reemerged in the 80s. Some of the highest quality steel frames ever made. The
black and gold 1988 50th anniversary Paramount with a Waterford SLX frame and gold-plated Super Record... I really want one of those.
4. Late 70s - mid 90s outsourced models. Usually made in Japan by Bridgestone or Panasonic, these lugged, TIG welded frames could be excellent bargains. The least expensive versions like the World and Voyageur were great values. The top of the line Peloton of the early 90s had an 853 frame and Ultegra and was a great race bike.
5. Post 2001 sale commoditized department store garbage. They don't even "make" road bikes anymore. It's just a meaningless sticker now.