M A V

I have a 1977 P-15 on it's way with factory cantilever braze-on brake bosses. I plan on getting the pedigree report from Waterford. I haven't been able to find another. I'm sure it had to be a custom build but does anyone know about this option?

Lascauxcaveman 

Haven't seen one of that model year, but it's my understanding in many model years Paramount frames intended for touring were offered with cantis, although this option was much less popular than the road-racing frame. Somebody around here has catalogs online...

Yours looks a like the start of a very nice project. I don't think I've ever sen such swoopy looking canti mounts.

rhenning

I think because a P15 is a touring bike and Paramounts could be custom built those are rare but would have made better brakes on a P15. I will enclose 3 pictures I saved of a track Paramount with track drop outs. In the pictures you will see Schwinn made them so you could use a derailleur on the bike. I doubt that Schwinn made many of these. Roger

Scooper

The 1977 model year P15-9 Paramount catalog specifications do not show cantilever brakes as an option. I suspect, though, that Schwinn would equip a P15-9 with canti bosses at extra cost if requested on the Paramount Order Form prepared by the dealer and customer and sent to the factory. It's probably pretty rare.

It's also possible the bosses were added after delivery to the customer (not brazed on at the factory, but by a local framebuilder).

The T32-9 Paramount Tandem was equipped with Mafac Cyclomoteur brakes with brazed-on fittings for both front and rear wheels, so the braze-ons were being done at the Schwinn factory on the tandems.

repechage

Those braze-ons look very much like my Paramount Tandem's, lots of brass.

TugaDude

Can't add anything but compliments to the workmanship, beautiful brazing there.

Scooper

The factory had a number of brazers highly skilled in fillet brazing from experience building Superiors, Sports Tourers and Super Sports.

M A V

Thank you, all! I'll get tighter photos when it gets here so hopefully I can get some comparison to a Paramount tandem. I have pretty much all the parts to build this out, most of it will be French (I think that's relatively appropriate for an American built frame from '77)
aside from the brakes in the photo, I have:
Lefol hammered fenders with integrated racks/braces
Huret derailleurs
Ata stem
Triple Super Maxy crank
Atom high flange hubs laced to Regina rims
Campy single bolt post
Old road pedals
Brooks B17 (when I get a "professional" to replace it on my '72 Paramount)

I still need:
a touring bar (something with a rise on the top)
bar end shifters
and brake levers

I'd really like to nail down which of those would be era appropriate, thanks!

rhenning

MAV these pictures may help you. Sorry that they are not better pictures. My friend happens to have a 1974 Paramount Tandem with the same Mafac brakes on it hanging in the garage. Roger

M A V

Thank you, it does help! I would love to know which brake levers and handlebars it has.

ish

Was this the one recently on Ebay? It seemed really cool and I thought about throwing a bid at it.

jjames1452 

[QUOTE=M A V;16550937]I have a 1977 P-15 on it's way with factory cantilever braze-on brake bosses. [QUOTE]

Did you happen to buy the frame on eBay?
Sorry to echo the eBay question, but I too thought the frame was pretty cool and was definitely considering bidding.

rhenning

That Tandem has never been on E-Bay. The other single might have been. I will take some pictures of the levers tomorrow but I think they were Mafacs. Cantilever brakes do not require special levers like V brakes do. Standard Camp Record levers would work with Mafacs. I will look again but think the bike has Cinelli bars on it. Roger

Scooper

Sure looks like it. ebay item # 171252007161

romperrr 

Great looking frame. Excited to see how you build it up if you decide to post progress pics.

M A V

Thank you, yes, it's the one from ebay, thank you for not bidding on it lol and I will post the build here

vqstaphbeard

Super cool, build sounds awesome as well! GB randonneur bars would look good on it. Simplex made bar end shifters as well.

jjames1452 

Thank you for posting pictures of the build. It will be great to see it as a complete bike. Have fun!

pastorbobnlnh 

Nothing like having a unique Paramount that came from the factory with these features.

I'll second the GB randonneur bars, which have become my favorites and are now on all four of my '70s Schwinns ('71 P13, '72 Super Sport, '75 Sports Tourer and Voyageur II). Very comfortable bars for all day riding. Looking forward to seeing your build progress.

The Golden Boy 

I know you're going for the "French" thing... I'm totally out of my element.

It looks like a really cool frame- that brazing on the canti boss is cool. It's going to come out a really sweet ride!

rhenning

I checked the Paramount tandem today and it has standard 1970s Weimann brake levers. No safety lever just the gold dot ones you see on thousands of Schwinns and other bikes. Roger

M A V

Thank you, I thought that may be the case.

rhenning

Technically Weimann center pulls and levers were standard on the P-10 and P-15 touring bikes unless you checked a brake up grade box. My P-10 has Campy Records because the original owner who I bought the bike from paid an extra $30 to up grade them. The top tube pictures are pictures of Eddie and Richard Schwinns signitures. I had the bike at the Waterford plant and both were there so I asked them to sign it. Roger

Metacortex

The "dual-position extension levers" (aka safety levers) were available as a no-cost option, so it would be entirely correct to install them if you like. Personally I love seeing Paramounts with safety levers and Twin-Stik shifters. <g>

According to the way that frame/fork was originally being sold as a complete bike it had the Schwinn Approved (SunTour) BarCon shifters, which would be entirely appropriate for a "touring" model as this was apparently originally conceived: https://www.ebay.com/itm/181280177461

The Golden Boy 

I did my High Sierra with some SR bars and levers that came from some Schwinn- I assume a relatively fancy-pants model. It came with drilled levers with safety levers- I added barcons.