jamesdak 

Not really sure what to call this one. Basically it is a Series PDG Paramount that research has indicated was a prototype of some sort as the production of these was being worked out. Our resident expert Scooper has the same understanding of these and was a help in figuring this one out.

The paint scheme appears to be unique to this bikes. The 1991 Series 90 mountain bikes were painted like this but according to the Series PDG chart at Waterford bikes none of the road bikes were painted like this. And if you look closely at the pics it only says "Series PDG" there's no series number.

Can't really tell you much about the bike right now. It's a Tange Frame and Fork and is built up with a full Shimano 600 tricolor groupset. It's a 7 speed and I'll be honest and say that until I got this I thought the first Shimano Brifters were 8 Speed. But this has 7 speed brifters with a thumb shifter much like Campagnolo. The paint is pretty good, probably a 8 out of 10. Some marks/scratches and a very small amount of surface rust around some of the lugs. Bike is really clean but there's a few spots of heavy grime that the previous owner missed. I'd say it's been ridden and hopefully loved and not just hanging on a wall.

I should get this out on the road this weekend with no problem. Just need to pick up some bottle cages and put on some pedals. Oh and that's a nice Dura Ace aero post on it.

Now looking at the details I'd say the "finishing" isn't as nice as some of my other bikes. But I'm willing to bet when I get it out it'll ride as nice or nicer.

Pics are next:

jamesdak 

jamesdak 

jamesdak 

jamesdak 

rccardr 

That's nice. Bet it has Tange dropouts at both ends.

Brifters are later than the rest of the bike, I think. My daughter had a 2005-ish Trek at grad school with that same inside thumb lever for downshifting.

BluesDaddy

That group had the ST-6400 brifters as an option, didn't it?

mstateglfr 

Thats an absolutely incredible looking bike! Love the paint, components, and great housing even.

xiaoman1 

Hi, what is the backstory on this...how did you acquire it?

jamesdak 

It's quite simple actually. I've been looking for an 87 Paramount to go with my 87 Prologue and 87 Circuit. Plus I have been looking for a "patriotic" themed bike to replace a Raleigh Team USA I sold a few years ago because it didn't fit me.

In my searches found this on Ebay and probably paid too much. Worth it to me but to the purist Paramount folks I'm sure I paid 10x what it's worth.

I found quite a few negative comments on the PDG series bike from other Schwinn owners (mainly Paramount it seemed) while researching why this one was different. All I know is that my Prologue is one of my favorite rides and I figure if this is 1/2 as good it'll be a wonderful bike.

A closeup of the Raliegh:

3speedslow

Wow, great shots of your Paramount! Did not know that little bit of history when I was info searching on my Schwinn PDG 3 Paramount.

The lug and braze on details are the same as mine but not with the gold tube decal.

Hope you get out soon on the Paramount and see what it can do!

Lazyass

Wow, that's a trip. Those are Sora ST-3300 shifters, BTW.

jamesdak 

You know I really never gave it much thought other than being surprised. I should have realized that were much newer....

DMC707

My local shop had one of these frames in the exact color scheme hanging for three or four years in the early 90s

I actually wanted it badly but could not come up with the scratch to make it mine at the time. By the time I did I went back to the shop and--drumroll--it was gone

I rebounded quickly by building my Debernardi that I have featured in these forums before and the rest is history

I never forgot how cool the Paramount was though

3speedslow

@jamesdak does your Paramount have a feeder tube for the rear brake? Or did you have to spend some time connecting the housing/ cable through the other port?

Trying, but not an aggravation.

Lazyass

They don't have a feeder tube. I run an old brake cable through the housing, bend the protruding tip of the cable slightly, start feeding the housing inside the top tube and the end of the cable will pop out of the rear hole with just a little twisting around. Then pull on that and you can feed the housing all the way through the other side. Pretty easy actually. If you just try to feed the housing through alone you'll be cussing for half an hour.

jamesdak 

I honestly don't know. If I can find my inspection mirror and it fits in the seat tube I'll peek and let you know. I want to look inside there anyway since there is a little surface rust on the top seat tube lug. Wanna look inside and make sure it's just surface rust.

jamesdak 

New tires with latex tubes are on. I was surprised at how supple the sidewalls on the Continental Super Sport tires I took off were. Almost left them on but rather have new tires I can trust more. Pulled pedals off the Tourmelet and mounted those up too. I'll try and grab some bottle cages in town tomorrow morning before I ride. This bike is not easy to pick a color for the bottle cages. Hmmm, blue, no white, no silver, no red, no ummmm............

Lascauxcaveman 

Wotta great looking bike

I always wonder what the Paramount-Purist's hate for PDG bikes is based upon. Is it the OS tubing?

Get some nice clean 6400 shifters (either DT or brifters) and you're done.

(Well, I guess brake levers, too if you the DT shifter route)

jamesdak 

Yeah I need to figure out what to do about the shifters. Of course if these work fine I very well may leave them on, who know?

I may be changing the bars and stem anyway if I don't like the feel.

miamijim

Does it have a Waterford format serial number?

jet sanchEz

Looks like the Wheaties Paramount

jamesdak 

No.

According to a 2008 comment on another PDG bike by Scooper this is a Jan 1992 bike, I think.

"The real tip-offs as to whether a bike is a Waterford Paramount or a Panasonic built Series Paramount are the "Series" decal, the serial number (Series bikes' serial numbers start with a number (last digit of year) then a letter (A-M, representing the month)), while the Waterford bikes have the self-describing serial numbers like 620E WK 87077 (620 is the frame size in mm, "E" is the fork steerer tube length, "W" is Waterford, "K" is the month of October, "87" is the year, and "077" means it's the 77th frame built in October, 1987). Finally, the Series Paramounts were delivered with unicrown forks while none of the Waterford road Paramounts had unicrown forks.
Stan"

jamesdak 

Pretty cool looking!!!!

jamesdak 

Ready to head out for a test ride in awhile. As is it's weighs 22 lbs, 5 ozs.

Curious to see how the wheels feel. They have very smooth Shimano 600 hubs and Campagnolo Lambda Strada rims. But the rear is a box rim while the front is more of a tapered aero style.



So once it warms up I'll be out on a test ride.