Give a bit of info on this if you can. He doesn't list a serial #. Any guess on a year ?

https://cgi.ebay.com/49cm-Schwinn-Par...QQcmdZViewItem

The SLX decal would suggest 86-89 or so but I don't think it's a Paramount. I have never seen those decals on a Paramount, the rear lug work (hard to see) looks mass produced, etc. What does the fork crown look like.

SLX tubing? At oldest...probably 1985 would be my guess.
The writing on the front calipers are the older ones .. something like pre-mid/late 80's when they changed to script.
The 1A stem was a biaatch to put on. Can you see the scratches on the bar on the left side of the bar?
Those are some pretty tough wheels he had. He probably was thinking of riding some rough roads.
Pretty nice though. You'd have to stretch the rear dropout if you want to ride a 9 or 10 speed. But you are in NYC right? Biggest hill is Prospect Park and 110th street in Central.

Likely a repaint with crappily installed downtube stickers. Is it really a Paramount?

I don't know, thats why i'm asking here. I requested a serial #.. We shall see.

Just my bet.....there is no way in anywhere that is a Paramount. Decals are wrong, lugs are wrong...everything is wrong and IIRC the head badges were still riveted on at that time, not stuck on with adhesive.

The head badge on this one is secured with screws. I believe I can see them. Paramount head badges like this one were used on the '60s-'70s bikes, and always used screws until they switched to head badge decals in '83. They looked like this:


From late '80 until early '83 only custom ordered "anything goes" Elite Paramounts were built. I have seen a handful and they all had the '60s & 70's era head badge, and the simple looking Henry James investment lugs. Also the downtube decals looked different then any other style (although I doubt they would be installed on an angle).

See this link about the 1980s and Paramount's move to Waterford, WI. Unfortunately it does not show the decal style I was thinking I remembered.
https://www.waterfordbikes.com/site/c.../para_8090.php

I believe it is an early '80s Paramount that was repainted with a homemade "Paramount" down tube decal and whatever other decals could be found at the local Schwinn dealer.

BTW, the serial number on my '83 is on the left rear dropout, and uses the same system as the '70s bikes.

I might just need to correct myself. Take a look at where my RD cable stop is installed on the top of the rear stay. Then look at where the stop is installed on the bottom of the stay for the bike in question.

Maybe, but I'm suspicious of the fact that the headbadge on that ebay bike is not a Paramount one at all but reads "Chicago" where it should say "Paramount."

The seller seems confident that its a PDG bike with a Chicago headbage. Any chance its a Panasonic frame?

I'm sorry I misread the badge! My poor vision and the less then clear photo tricked me into reading "Paramount" along the bottom arch. My mistake all around! Maybe I should delete my first postings?

Is there a smilie for kicking yourself?

Serial # G838628

According to the Waterford site, those downtube decals are from the "Team" decal sets from the late '70s. Definitely not original to this frame. Funny - that repainted gold Paramount tandem on eBay presently has an identical decal set.

That's a pretty crummy looking transition from the seat stay to the dropout. I'd really like to get my hands on some closeups of the fork crown and lugs (curiously omitted in the auction). I dare say they'll look suspiciously Japanese.

Weren't all the outsourced frames equipped with unicrown forks, while the Waterford-built machines (not that I'm about to suggest that it is - that dropout work is enough to convince me otherwise) built with crowns? It's rather obvious that this is not Waterford's doing, and if the unicrown theory is correct, that would tell against this machine as being a Japanese Paramount. Presto - at least you've eliminated the possibility of it being a Paramount.

I've got my bet cast that it is one of the mid-range models from the '80s (Tempo, Prelude, etc) with a respray job and fancy components - done by someone who couldn't get themselves a 49cm Paramount, or by someone who purposely wished (or wishes) to defraud. EDIT: The dual, not triple, rear brake cable braze-ons shoot that theory.

-Kurt

This number could point to two possibilities: First, it is like the one on my '83 Paramount, i.e. G=July, 83=1983, and 8628=the # frame built in July 1983.

Since Paramount/Waterford never built that many frames in a year, let alone that many in one month, the second possibility is more likely. G=Giant, 83862=Serial number, and 8=1988. Thus this might be a higher end Giant built Schwinn, repainted and Team Paramount decals applied.

I've asked the seller where the serial number is located.

I had a chance to go check my serial number on the '83 Paramount. It is E8337. I was pretty certain there were less then a 100 frames made in a month during that year.

No way is that a Paramount and I doubt it's even Columbus tubing. I'd guess it's a mass-produced mid-level frame gussied up with Paramount and Columbus decals.

Is that a unicrown fork?

Sloping lugged crown.

Thought you'd spot that.

-Kurt

Oh, you did? The pics aren't clear to me, why I asked obviously. No need to be a little punk. Anyway. Looks to me to be a 1986 Peleton, repainted/decaled with the original head tube badge, Columbus SL. If it was really SLX tubing, it wouldn't be an '83. 1986 was the first year. I don't buy the "As somewhat of an anomoly, the frame carries a "Chicago" Headtube badge but it is most certainly a PDG bike, NOT a Chicago built Paramount."

Nope - more like '84. It's possible some frames were built with SLX in late '83, since it debuted at trade shows that year, but they would have been prototype-type deals. Though I'm quite certain that eBay bike is no early-SLX job.

1984- SL/SP tubing. 1986 was the first year for SLX Paramounts.
https://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...984Ltwt05.html

Sorry - misunderstood your post. I own a Serotta made from SLX that was built in '84.

Oh, yeah. I'm not saying '86 is the first year for SLX in general.

Thanks for your help guys.