Paramount purchase
 

All of a sudden it is all about Paramounts it seems. I just made a sight unseen purchase of a 1993 Paramount, Shimano 105 stuff, white, no splash color. The owner says to the best of his knowledge it is an R5.0, 56 cm.

I won't get it for another week but..what is it? It doesn't show as a "Series" bike.

Not a flipping thing, I bought it to ride so it doesn't matter all that much but I am getting curious.

Mike

Schwinn filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October, 1992, and was sold to Zell/Chilmark and Scott Sports Group in January, 1993.

Although Waterford built Paramounts for the new Schwinn owners until September, 1994, I don't believe they used Tange tubes, and the 1993 Paramount catalog indicates the R5.0 is built using Tange CrMo. Since the Series Paramounts were built in Asia using Tange and the Greenville plant was closed by 1993, my guess is that the R5.0 was built in Asia. The serial number should offer clues, since Waterford was still using the self-describing serial numbers on Paramounts built for Schwinn (I have a Waterford built 1994 Paramount with a self-describing serial number), and the Asian built bikes never used that serial numbering scheme.

DOH !

Hope you didn't pay a Pre-Chapter 11 Paramount price for that one.

Either way, RIDE IT and if it breaks, FIX IT and ride it more!

Picked up my sight unseen Paramount last night and I am pleased. It is in very nice condition with many new parts including new tires. The seller was true to his word, it is ready to go. It is a series 5 and it's worth is low I am sure but I just want it to ride. Some pictures:

Actually, the PDG Series 5 is a really great bike. The PDG Series 5 and Series 7 were built by National/Panasonic.

When asked on the Waterford Forum about the Series bikes, Marc Muller (who managed the PDG Waterford, Wisconsin facility and is now Richard Schwinn's partner in Waterford Precision Cycles) had this to say:

"National/Panasonic were willing and eager partners in this project. I spent a lot of time in their plant, and they at our corporate headquarters, overseeing the smallest details to assure the bikes were worthy of the name. While some of us had reservations about the use of the name, after spending the 80's building up the Schwinn/Paramount/PDG brand, once the decision was made to use the name everyone was on board to make the finest possible bikes at their price point. Are they Waterford Paramounts? No. Are they excellent bicycles? You bet! Don't listen to the bashers, you'll drive yourself crazy!"

Thanks for the input Stan. I rode last night and am going on a 40 miler this morning. I like the way it feels and I may make it one of my main rides.

Mike

Nice find! Enjoy the ride for that baby should fly in the flatlands of Florida!

It looks like a very nice bike. While I don't have a Series Paramount, I would certainly be open to buying one should the right example come along.

Enjoy your new ride!

Koala, from the look of your bike list it appears you buy many things :)...when do you get the time to ride them all?

Had a nice first time ride on the Paramount. But what a day..hot, hot ,hot..got a little carried away going south, which is ok except I had to come back and the heat clock was ticking. Just under sixty miles drank all the water on the bike plus seven glasses of water on returning about 12:30. I'm gonna need a new stem to get the bars up a bit, running the stock one with a bit of the wedge showing..not safe.

Mike

Mike, I was born and raised in Jacksonville and have many fond childhood memories of family outings to St. Augustine. I didn't realize how the heat and humidity in thiose parts saps your energy until after I escaped. :D