Kabuki12

Pastorbobninh, I just love that Paramount ....well I actually just love Paramounts even though I don't have one in my stable. Is that Strawberry Red? It looks very similar in color to a Le Tour IV I rebuilt for my mailman. I rode with a friend who had a 1973 P13 , I was on my same year Mondia . We stopped for a drink up the coast and were noting the similarities in the bikes . I built his bike for him and when I first put my Mondia on the road , it reminded me of when I test rode his bike. The Mondia is probably closer to a P15 though. Joe

sbarner 

That color was called Flamboyant Red. It was a translucent top coat over a white or silver base. There was a similarly done blue, and I think Campus Green could also be considered one of the "flamboyant" colors.
My first 10-speed was a Campus Green Varsity, and my first Paramount was a '72 in black, which I bought new in '73 from the shop where I was a mechanic. I always thought that the black was stunning when contrasted against the chrome Nervex lugs. The classic Paramount I ride the most these days is this '74. The paint is getting a bit long in the tooth from the time and the miles, and it has developed the infamous cracks at the seat stay caps, so if I can find a set of white decals, I will likely repaint it black. The bike currently has a proper Brooks Pro and black tape.

I couldn't resist buying this next one because it ticked off three boxes, including being the prettiest Campus Green Schwinn I have ever seen, and being a '72. The third box (in addition to a cheap price) was its downfall -- it looks to have under a hundred miles of wear. Thus, in over 20 years, I have ridden it exactly once. I always talk myself into riding the '74, instead.


Other Paramounts in the stable include:
'73 Ladies in Opaque Blue (a total blast to ride, as long as you don't try to go downhill fast)
'74 P10 in Flamboyant Red
'77 P15 in Flamboyant Red (bought new--don't need two!)
'78 P15 in Sky Blue, which is actually a darker blue flamboyant, not to be confused with Opaque Blue or Kool Blue. This bike is my wife's and we bought it new.
'86 Waterford in white -- equipped with its original Dura ace 7400 group, indexed 6-speed on a freewheel. The Paramount I ride the most.
'91 Waterford in black metal flake (currently a frameset)
'92 Waterford in pink (thankfully needs a repaint)
'99 60th-Anniversary steel in blue
'92 Waterford MTB frameset in deep purple (technically not a Paramount, I admit)
'92 MOS PDG 90 (mountain bike) in Purple Freak. The top Japanese model. We actually have two of these, one being a pristine original which is my wife's the other a heavily modified version, because I liked hers so much.
Two 1970s Paramount tandems that we never ride. These have a lot more in common with the Sports Tourer than any other Paramount model, but the factory did fit them with a few Campagnolo parts.

Apparently, I have a bit of a Paramount problem.

merziac

The only "problem" I see is nothing older than a 72.

Aside from that it looks just fine from here.

I only have 9 so far and quite remiss with no Waterford's, yet.

sbarner 

That color was called Sierra Brown. I would suggest a 42 if you are looking for lower gears. If you run the numbers, it's tough to find a 5-speed cluster that works with 44 x 52 without a lot of duplication. I think this is one of the reasons you see so many 151 mm BCD bikes with a 49 x 52, as a half-step setup. With a 44 x 52 you can run a straight block, or even a 13-20 five-speed and get fairly even jumps, but if you want to go up to a 26, 42 x 52 works a lot better. In the early '70s, Paramount stock gearing was 49 x 52 and 14-26, with a 42 optional, typically matched to a 13-24 or 13-21, if I recall correctly. The shop I worked for typically speced Paramounts with the 42.

ascherer 

I haven't put my '72 P13 in this thread. The frame came from a fellow forum member and I had most of the components on hand. I love the ride! I got a set of frame decals from Waterford just before they closed the doors and I just sourced a set of very clean Schwinn Approved 330 tubular rims, so I'll be back in a couple of months with the updates.

pastorbobnlnh 

I should mention, this was the first ride with the wheels I traded with you years ago. Remember how you traded your Campy high flange Schwinn Approved tubular wheels for my set of Campy high flange 27" wheels?

I've ridden them a few times and realized that a spoke or spokes is/are loose in the rear wheel. There's a slight "tick" with every revolution. It took me forever to narrow it down to the wheel. I have finally moved into my new shop and getting it set up. Once I do, I'll dig out the truing stand and track down the culprit or culprits.

sbarner 

I came close once to getting a pre-1960 track frameset many years ago, and later accumulated a very nice set of wheels for an early frame: straight wooden rims laced to Paramount 3-piece hubs. Sadly, all the frames I have found had top tubes far too long, as was standard practice back then. Then there's the fact that I have track bikes now that I rarely ride and insufficient space for the bikes I have. Still, I hold out enough hope to hang onto these wheels.

I think the next bike I'll send away will be the '74 P10, but the market right now is a bit soft.

pastorbobnlnh 

I like that freewheel. That's fantastic that you've found a pair of the Campy HF/Schwinn Approved wheels! Tubulars rock!

sbarner 

That would not have been a stock frame. It was wise of the original purchaser to order it with the optional top tube cable braze-ons (standard on the P10 and P15), and the BB cable guides. They make the bike look cleaner and reduce the potential for rust. I always liked the look of top tube cable clamps against paint, but they are a total pain to keep clean and dry. You could get a lot of options like this on Paramounts, including custom geometry, for very little extra money. The charge for custom geometry was around 10%, as I recall.

ascherer 

Folks, let me pause and see if I can remember and acknowledge all the good folks who knowingly or not helped me make it this far. Thank you all for encouraging my behavior!
Frame: @Milepost105
Freewheel: pastorbobnlnh
Right Pedal: @Brewsmith (I broke the toe tab off mine back in the 80s and switched to modern systems)
Little bits like jockey wheels and toe strap buttons: @The Thin Man
BB cable guide @Catnap
Brake levers: @Mad Honk
I could swear I got the calipers from a forum member but I have no record of it.

pastorbobnlnh It's just the rims, when I spotted them at a very attractive price I jumped. I'm going to switch out the Super Gentlemans I'm currently running for these.

Not my first rodeo with tubulars, I rode them starting in 1973, probably a for good 20 years plus. I switched because I figured clinchers were getting better and at the time they were much cheaper than the Contis I preferred. I could use some intel on good contemporary models that don't break the bank. I've started perusing the Totally Tubular sticky and find it pretty amusing...
I knew there was a reason I kept my last Velox repair kit in my toolbox for darn near 30 years!

Incoming:


Supposedly tires were mounted just once. Looks legit.

trainman999

Apparently, I have a bit of a Paramount problem.[/QUOTE]

How could you possibly have a Paramount problem I only count 14, that's only enough for 2 weeks.
Think about it, the rider that has no Paramount to ride, HE has a problem he never gets the joy of riding a Paramount.
The rider who only has one, he may have a Paramount problem. He has to ride the same one all the time.
The rider who has 60+ Paramounts, He may have a Paramount problem. He can only ride each one 2 or 3 times a year.
.The rider who has 100+ Paramounts , Well He has a problem, he is keeping the rest of us from getting our fare share.

merziac

Well I could use those wheels right now but they are far too dear and would out class the frame they would go on by far.

I finally got a track this year, about 5 years too late as Alpenrose velodrome is gone, I did ride it one last time before it closed, albeit with barricades in the way and on a custom Merz from Portland at least. We rode it a few times back in HS but never anything serious, just a heck of a lot of fun.

This last ride there was interesting having not been on it in 45 years and having to slam on the brakes to go around the barricades that were in the way.

joesch

Right on. I did go 42 x 52 and find the jumps even and especially appreciate the lower range with the 42.

pastorbobnlnh 

Great C&V team effort! First Class for the win!

The rims do look great and will build a beautiful and perfect set of wheels for your chrome P13.

Reading "Totally Tubular" can either be fun and informative or a great lesson in who to add to your ignore list. Lately, I and few others have been ambushed on TT by a couple of BFers, primarily because our approach does not line up with their world view of riding tubular tires. When, pushing back against their insults, they seem to become even more hostile. All I'm saying is, beware if you ask questions about tubulars which diverge from their opinions, i.e. glue verses tape, rim cleaning, tire pressure, specific tires, leak prevention, etc. I'll be glad to share my experience from the past 10 years of riding tubulars via PM or email.

Back to our Paramount Programing: In my nearly two decades on Classic & Vintage, I've only rarely found a Paramount fan who displayed any of the behaviors I've described above. As an example, a C&V Lurker was reviewing this and some other Paramount threads over the weekend, saw one of my posts, and contacted me through my website. This is what he wrote:
Jimmy and I will meet in person this coming Saturday morning after I return home from a trip. Turns out he also has a '71 Schwinn Super Sport and a '75 Peugeot PX10. As soon as I can I'll recruit him to join C&V and add his Paramount to this thread!

Kabuki12

Pastorbobninh , I do remember that swap. It is so good to see those wheels on the bike they belong. I remember getting those in the mail after being the only bidder . I was amazed at the condition but disappointed that they were tubular not clincher as advertised. I should have looked more closely. WHO could complain after paying only the opening bid? The hubs and skewers were the nicest I had ever seen , they cleaned up with just a wipe with a soft cloth and just a dab of Mothers. You told me what they were when I posted here and I knew I had to find the right home for them , you adopted them! I did not even ride them after cleaning . I just pumped up those nice “silkies” and used them to move my ItalVega around during restoration. The wheels you traded have a nice home on my Kabuki. I am sorry that the “tubies” needed some tuning , I didn’t check the spoke tension , they seemed to spin fine on the bike. I have had that clicking sound on a bike recently that needed spoke tensioning . My experience , even after tuning , was that it took a couple of nice long rides and fine tuning to get the rims to quiet down .

52telecaster

I've showed this before but, tonight it took me to work.

The cargo...

The transportation!

cb400bill

That's not a Telecaster...

ascherer 

The lights on the trailer! Awesomeness abounds.

52telecaster

Actually that's reflectors under flash.

Just got home. Flash lights up the trailer sidewalls too.

PilotFishBob 

And you didn't need to even hit 88 mph for the flux capacitor to kick in on that thing.

sd5782 

I wish I could join this club. 2 years ago I thought I was in. An elderly acquaintance of my sister had a vintage Paramount to give away to someone who could use it. The bike formerly belonged to her brother who died years previously. I was so excited. Turns out the Paramount was too big for me by perhaps 2 sizes. I posted it here and sold that Paramount Elite to a proud member who has also posted it in this thread. Perhaps in the future a nice 23” touring will come my way and I too can be in the club.

merziac

merziac

You need to gather your chi and make it so, plenty out there but can still be a bit of a slog.

sd5782 

It’s a race between a Paramount, a Raleigh International, or a vintage 60s-70s tourer. Not too much else has me too interested, and truthfully I don’t need anything really.

merziac

Need < all else