Schwinn Pecking Order – Please Chime In
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Schwinn Pecking Order – Please Chime In
I have a 79’ World Sport that I bought new, and was told it’s not worth very much. So I asked the guy at my LBS what I should have bought back then, and he said a Paramount.
So what’s the pecking order for vintage Schwinn models in order from the most desirable to the least? Everyone opinion welcome.
057912
Edited: Correction, it's a '79 not a '72
So what’s the pecking order for vintage Schwinn models in order from the most desirable to the least? Everyone opinion welcome.
057912
Edited: Correction, it's a '79 not a '72
Last edited by ejaggers; 08-22-14 at 08:16 AM. Reason: CORECTION: it's a '79 not '72
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Is your bike a 1972 or a 1979?
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Schwinn catalogs are all on line, just look them up, models are in order. Back then, Schwinn had a waiting list for bikes. Rather than improve their product line, they were happy just producing the same stuff. So they only had a couple of "good" models, the rest were basic to extremely basic.
actually, Schwinn left the imported bikes out of the catalog, but the only good import back then was the World Voyageur, and it was a 1973. I'm thinking in 1972 they had a World Traveler, and it was low end.
My comments are in regards to 1972.
In 1972, Paramount, then Sport Tourer, then Super Sport, then Continental, etc.
actually, Schwinn left the imported bikes out of the catalog, but the only good import back then was the World Voyageur, and it was a 1973. I'm thinking in 1972 they had a World Traveler, and it was low end.
My comments are in regards to 1972.
In 1972, Paramount, then Sport Tourer, then Super Sport, then Continental, etc.
Last edited by wrk101; 08-17-14 at 02:48 PM.
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Schwinn 1972 Cycling '72 -- Front Cover
Thats an overview of the 72 catalogue, not seeing the world sport.
Heres the 79 one:
Schwinn 1979 Bicycles And Accessories -- X-tra Lite Models Specifications
Theres a lot of steel on it, and the frame was straight gauge steel. The whole thing is listed at 33 pounds, which is heavy. for comparison, the paramount the bike shop mentioned is listed at 23 pounds.
All in all, not a very high end bike. The hallmarks of a lowerend bike are all there, like stem shifters, safety levers, kickstand.. Great bike to learn mechanics on though.
Paramount is the most sought after, and there's a big drop in quality after that. by the 80's schwinn was selling a range that included some more mid level bikes, and even the world sport was made of cro-moly tubing, an upgrade on straight gauge.
Thats an overview of the 72 catalogue, not seeing the world sport.
Heres the 79 one:
Schwinn 1979 Bicycles And Accessories -- X-tra Lite Models Specifications
Theres a lot of steel on it, and the frame was straight gauge steel. The whole thing is listed at 33 pounds, which is heavy. for comparison, the paramount the bike shop mentioned is listed at 23 pounds.
All in all, not a very high end bike. The hallmarks of a lowerend bike are all there, like stem shifters, safety levers, kickstand.. Great bike to learn mechanics on though.
Paramount is the most sought after, and there's a big drop in quality after that. by the 80's schwinn was selling a range that included some more mid level bikes, and even the world sport was made of cro-moly tubing, an upgrade on straight gauge.
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Given that the OP lists a '79 World Sport in their profile, i'm thinking '72 was a typo.
If you base desirability on a combination of current market value and fanaticism by BF members you'd get something like this:
Paramount
Superior (Baby Paramount)
Superior (Fillet BRazed)
Sports Tourer
Super Sport
World Voyageur
Varsity/Continental
I'm not including PDG series bikes in the list because largely nobody knows how good the good ones are and they don't fetch big bux.
Yes Varsity is on the list because there's legions of die hard fanatics (also homeless people) who ride and love them.
If you base desirability on a combination of current market value and fanaticism by BF members you'd get something like this:
Paramount
Superior (Baby Paramount)
Superior (Fillet BRazed)
Sports Tourer
Super Sport
World Voyageur
Varsity/Continental
I'm not including PDG series bikes in the list because largely nobody knows how good the good ones are and they don't fetch big bux.
Yes Varsity is on the list because there's legions of die hard fanatics (also homeless people) who ride and love them.
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#6
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Given that the OP lists a '79 World Sport in their profile, i'm thinking '72 was a typo.
If you base desirability on a combination of current market value and fanaticism by BF members you'd get something like this:
Paramount
Superior (Baby Paramount)
Superior (Fillet BRazed)
Sports Tourer
Super Sport
World Voyageur
Varsity/Continental
I'm not including PDG series bikes in the list because largely nobody knows how good the good ones are and they don't fetch big bux.
Yes Varsity is on the list because there's legions of die hard fanatics (also homeless people) who ride and love them.
If you base desirability on a combination of current market value and fanaticism by BF members you'd get something like this:
Paramount
Superior (Baby Paramount)
Superior (Fillet BRazed)
Sports Tourer
Super Sport
World Voyageur
Varsity/Continental
I'm not including PDG series bikes in the list because largely nobody knows how good the good ones are and they don't fetch big bux.
Yes Varsity is on the list because there's legions of die hard fanatics (also homeless people) who ride and love them.
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Schwinn 1989 Lightweight Bicycles -- Circuit / Tempo
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#9
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Middle? LOL I think that would be the Le Tour. I am sure my Circuit rides every bit as nice as a Paramount. Just costs so much less in the used market. Makes me happy anyway.
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Ten years later... Paramount was still king. LeTour and Super LeTour were both nice bikes. There was one between the LeTours and Paramount. I forget what it was called.
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Ive been wanting an 86 letour lately, ever since I won an auction ebay and the dude never shipped it....
#12
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Not a fanatic but it was my first geared bike and I rode it through high school. Funny, I don't remember the gears being up at the head. Then again, I didn't shift often.
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https://www.bikecatalogs.org/SCHWINN/...89_Ltwt_06.jpg
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Last edited by Steve Whitlatch; 08-17-14 at 05:11 PM.
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That's why I didn't list any of those frames… all good ones but nobody knows/cares about them thus they fetch less $$$.
OP asked about desirability. Nobody is like oh man I really really want a Schwinn Circuit and I'll pay any price to get it!.
No….but Paramounts…people foam at the mouth and lose their minds and the contents of their wallets….its not that its a better bike…its more desirable.
There's also more fanatics over Varsity's than there probably should be…. way more than a Schwinn Peloton. Its not rational, its just the way it is. Most people have heard of a Schwinn Varsity, most people haven't heard of a Peloton
OP asked about desirability. Nobody is like oh man I really really want a Schwinn Circuit and I'll pay any price to get it!.
No….but Paramounts…people foam at the mouth and lose their minds and the contents of their wallets….its not that its a better bike…its more desirable.
There's also more fanatics over Varsity's than there probably should be…. way more than a Schwinn Peloton. Its not rational, its just the way it is. Most people have heard of a Schwinn Varsity, most people haven't heard of a Peloton
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If you ask me, it's the Voyageur SP. The 84 and 85 versions are the cat's pyjamas.
Any Voyageur is a pretty cool bike.
Any Voyageur is a pretty cool bike.
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Actually, my neighbor has a mint 23" (?) Circuit hanging in his garage that I've been coveting ever since I spotted it. He won't sell at any reasonable price (yet!) because he knew it was special the minute he went to move it out of a house he flipped. Growing up in the Varsinental days, he'd never hoisted a bicycle anywhere near that light in his life.
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Last edited by Hudson308; 08-18-14 at 08:08 AM.
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agreed on the PDG bikes. They fly under the radar. I had a PDG 3 series & ended up selling it when I got my '84 Waterford built Paramount. I won't get into the debates of which is better. Each has its own distinct characteristics and ride. There's a mint PDG series 5 I've been watching on CL but the guy is asking about double the value of it. But he's also asking I think about $4500 (correct # of zeros) for a 50th anniversary Paramount, at least that's what I was told by a freind that looked at it... a year ago (and its still for sale.) He's had it for sale for over a year and claims he doesn't really want to sell it but will for the right offer. I remember seeing it in person when I looked at a bike last summer he had for sale. Nice, near NOS but still.
#18
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I want a PDG 7, but since I started looking I've only seen 650c frames. If I couldn't have that, I'd love an 85 Peloton, or 88 red Circuit. I'm a sucker for the chrome stylings on the Circuit.
Edit: I don't know why the LBS dude would say "You should have bought a Paramount," unless at the time, OP had an unlimited budget.
Edit: I don't know why the LBS dude would say "You should have bought a Paramount," unless at the time, OP had an unlimited budget.
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I haven't seen any mention of the 1977/8 Volarie which was basically a Japanese built Paramount. It used 531 Reynolds tubing. Dura Ace group set. Slightly less fancy lugs and cost 50% of the same year Paramount. Roger
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Thanks for the bikecatalogs reference -- I found the 1990 successor to my KOM-10 mountain bike. Too bad Schwinn was so inexcusably late to the offroad party -- they had a pretty nice ATB lineup by the 1990s.
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OHhhh let's start talking about Tenax and how... oh wait. Relevant to the OP though, why is the Super Sport considered so good? I can understand for the 80's models, but I keep seeing electroforged Super Sports.. and that turns me off in terms of a performance machine.
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Actually, my neighbor has a mint 23" (?) Circuit hanging in his garage that I've been coveting ever since I spotted it. He won't sell at any reasonable price (yet!) because he knew it was special the minute he went to move it out of a house he flipped. Growing up in the Varsinental days, he'd never hoisted a bicycle anywhere near that light in his life.
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OHhhh let's start talking about Tenax and how... oh wait. Relevant to the OP though, why is the Super Sport considered so good? I can understand for the 80's models, but I keep seeing electroforged Super Sports.. and that turns me off in terms of a performance machine.
I don't know if the 70's model like mine is really coveted or not, it has a lot of declasse features. It was replaced by the Le Tour and is par with that for quality, weight, componentry. They don't seem very rare around here, either. Pre-bike-boom anything (like see the recent thread on a 60's SS) seems to be collectible, though. I can tell you I really like how it rides but I'm not sure how much of it is the frame and how much of it is the contact points.
#25
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By comparison the electro-forged frames were constructed of thicker 1010 low-carbon steel tubing, with 16ga non-butted tubing used throughout except for the down tube, which was even thicker 15ga tubing. These were butt-welded electronically, however the actual welds were an inch or two away from the curved one-piece "joints". This put the actual welds in a much lower stress area and made for an incredibly strong design. In addition the low-carbon steel was not affected by the higher temperatures of the welding process.
Attached is a diagram showing the differences in the electro-forged (left) and fillet-brazed (right) frames at the head, showing the internal lugs on the 4130 fillet-brazed frames. This diagram and information came from a series of articles on Schwinn frame construction that appeared in the Schwinn Reporter (dealer newsletter) in 1973.