Hi, everyone. Welcome to another Paramount build! (BTW: long initial post)
Story:
Was working at a bike co-op last Wednesday and while working on a different task, heard "...Schwinn Paramount..." and immediately turned around to see this very old yellow frameset with nearly all its components on it save for wheels. Now, the components were a mess. The only plausibly original items on it were the bottom bracket (Campagnolo with English threading), cable guides, Campagnolo FD, and headset. A Campagnolo Record Strada triple crankset (54-46-36) in good shape was dated to 1973. Cinelli stem and 64-series bars. The rest of the parts were newer: Deore RD, Nashbar dual pivot brakes (recessed nut......), and Nashbar-branded Microshift brifters. No saddle or seat post. Oh, and the original fork had been replaced by a carbon one.
Disassembling the entire thing was incredibly weird as pretty much nothing was tight and/or fully threaded on. Simply bizarre! Once we were down to the frame, I set about dating it. Turns out we have a March of 1967 build. Nervex Professional lugs. P-13 model. A later measurement (last Saturday when I came to eventually pick it up) revealed my suspicions that it was indeed a 25" model (62cm CTC)--my size!
The frame is straight as is the fork. Now, the fork was missing for most of the night until right when we were about to leave (10 PM or so) and all of a sudden this yellow and chrome fork appears in this pile. Score! Looks like the original one. The serial number stamped in the steerer 1) existed in the first place 2) matched the serial number stamped on the rear Campagnolo dropout.
Now for the tragedy: Some person decided (HOW?!?!?) to
cut the steerer threads off with a hacksaw, leaving me with an inoperable fork!
Thankfully one or two threads remain because my immediate thought was to repair or replace the steerer. The chrome is in great shape for a 50 year-old bike (or 20 for that matter), and there are no dents hiding beneath the totally toast paint.
Interesting human component: The presumably original owner carved his name
and social security number on the bottom of the NDS chainstay. His name was Ronald W. Cross. Not listing the SSN of course, but I would imagine the man to be very old or not alive any more. The guy liked his bike! Preliminary name research yields no good leads, and I've just started Paramount registry searching, but maybe some of you could help if you knew anything? The Schwinn store it was sold from was called Turrill's Schwinn Cyclery and has a picture of a man riding a pennyfarthing. Couldn't find record of that store either. Anyone have a database of them?
Now:
I am excited as this is my first Paramount and I have been passively looking for one. Didn't expect one this old to come my way! I paid a small sum, and am financially "ahead" per the value of a nice version of the frame. I just get to do all the work to come out slightly ahead or even (though I'm keeping it).
- With the help of fellow BF member and friend Dfrost, we have HT and ST angles of 72°/72°
- Chainstay length of 43cm (measured center of BB to center of horizontal dropouts)
- DB Reynolds 531 tubing (not labeled during these years, as far as I can tell)
- BSA BB size and threading (good shape!), tubes inside look decent
- Brake reach with 700C F/R: 57mm/68mm CTC --- 27" F/R: 53mm/64mm (as best calculated)
- BB drop is 77mm or very close
- 22.2mm quill stem
- 27.2mm seat post
- Axle spacing is 98/120 F/R -- close enough to 100 to not be a big deal at all
Job #1: repair or replace the steerer. R&E Cycles (Rodriguez & Erickson, both custom framebuilders, well respected) offers many times of bike and frame repair along with a cost breakdown. Prices look just fine to me and I have inquired as to overall cost, anything else I need to do for context (I sent measurements and pictures along with my explanation), heat-vs.-chrome, and timeline. Will hear back soon.
Build:
I'm keeping this classic. I am not a yellow guy and since the paint is toast, I'm going to choose a different corner, and I am leaning towards powder coating (if they can mask off the chrome well) for durability, cost ($400-600+ doesn't appeal to me on a bit of an unknown internal-tube condition frame), and "let's ride it and not worry about errant scratches from well-cared use!" I know it's a Paramount, but this is my thought process. I'm taking it a step at a time. First hurdle is the steerer repair, and then I inquire about powder coat or paint (Seattle Powdercoat does bikes and they did a great job for one of mine).
The Campagnolo headset and clamp-on derailleur cable guide (at the BB) will be employed, but I want to go classic Japanese with it as opposed to the nearly-ubiquitous (because of good reasons) Campagnolo builds. I have lovely Superbe brake levers and Superbe clamp-on DT shifters. Superbe (or Cyclone if needed) FD and RD and Sugino Mighty/Mighty Competition crankset. Brooks B17 (I have) and 22.2 quill stem (100-105mm) with Nitto or Sekai bars--no steep Cinelli 64s, though maybe a 65-series... Re-decal'ed with as-close-to-the-year-as-possible graphics (attainable!). I have an IRD 6-speed freewheel, so that will be employed as well. Wheel choice is
TBD. Tires as well.
I don't want to use old center-pulls, mostly as I can't find Dia Compe ones that 1) match 2) are in good shape. I'd like to take advantage of modern metallurgical advancements and grab a new Dia Compe center-pull. Dia Compe 610s look great, but there is no 750 model (for the rear) that matches. Dia Compe also makes a Mafac-Racer-esque GC700 that not only is new but also covers the front and rear reach ranges in a single caliper--my preference (must match, if possible). Not cheap, but gorgeous and they work properly.
May be forgetting something, but that's what I have for now. The build won't be fast, but rather quite methodical. The bike is to be a rider that is also more than pretty enough to be shown (not trophy hunting, though). Looking forward to this for sure. I enjoy the redemption process, and will be on that road again with this.
Thanks for reading and comment or inquire and I will do my best!