Serious Paramount freaks?

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (supabonbon)

Quoted message said:

I'm curious to find out some history behind a Paramount track bike I
picked up.

http://www.waterfordbikes.com/2004/data/culture/paramount/index.php

There's an email address for Waterford in there somewhere. I don't know how
responsive they are to questions from Schwinn owners. --TP

"supabonbon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm curious to find out some history behind a Paramount track bike I
picked up. It's 63cm c-t with Nervex lugs, dates from May 1975, and
has a SCHWINN sticker on the down tube and a TEAM SCHWINN sticker on
the top tube. I don't know if the TEAM sticker was applied at the
factory or applied later, or if there's a story to go with it.
Does anyone know who was working at Paramount at the time who would
have built this bike, or who it may have belonged to?
Much thanks!

If it has a Team Schwinn decal and it dates from 1975, it should also
have a grayish paint job. Schwinn provided those to the three amateur clubs
they sponsored in 1975; what part of the country did you find it in?

"Charlie Wilson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"supabonbon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm curious to find out some history behind a Paramount track bike I
picked up. It's 63cm c-t with Nervex lugs, dates from May 1975, and
has a SCHWINN sticker on the down tube and a TEAM SCHWINN sticker on
the top tube. I don't know if the TEAM sticker was applied at the
factory or applied later, or if there's a story to go with it.
Does anyone know who was working at Paramount at the time who would
have built this bike, or who it may have belonged to?
Much thanks!

If it has a Team Schwinn decal and it dates from 1975, it should also
have a grayish paint job. Schwinn provided those to the three amateur clubs
they sponsored in 1975; what part of the country did you find it in?

It's painted white. I bought it off ebay from a guy in Michigan
(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3689504351&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT).

/s

"Charlie Wilson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"supabonbon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm curious to find out some history behind a Paramount track bike I
picked up. It's 63cm c-t with Nervex lugs, dates from May 1975, and
has a SCHWINN sticker on the down tube and a TEAM SCHWINN sticker on
the top tube. I don't know if the TEAM sticker was applied at the
factory or applied later, or if there's a story to go with it.
Does anyone know who was working at Paramount at the time who would
have built this bike, or who it may have belonged to?
Much thanks!

If it has a Team Schwinn decal and it dates from 1975, it should also
have a grayish paint job. Schwinn provided those to the three amateur clubs
they sponsored in 1975; what part of the country did you find it in?

It's painted white. I bought it off ebay from a guy in Michigan
(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3689504351&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT).

/s

supabonbon said:

It's painted white. I bought it off ebay from a guy in Michigan

(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3689504351&ssPageNa
me=STRK:MEWA:IT).

I may be wrong about the color. The ones Schwinn sent to the California
club were gray, and I assumed the other clubs got the same. That bike may
have belonged to a member of Michigan's Wolverine Club (they were sponsored
by Scwinn in 1975); the downtube decal looks correct, but the one on your
toptube doesn't look familiar. Because I don't see the 531 decal (which was
standard in 1975) I suspect a re-paint.

The seller on Ebay is clearly Russ St. John, who is and has been associated
with the Wolverine Sports Club racing program for many years. Why don't you
just write him and ask about the provenance of the frame? I'm sure he'll
have teh war stories that go with it.

"Charlie Wilson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

supabonbon said:

It's painted white. I bought it off ebay from a guy in Michigan

(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3689504351&ssPageNa

Quoted message said:

me=STRK:MEWA:IT).

I may be wrong about the color. The ones Schwinn sent to the

California

Quoted message said:

club were gray, and I assumed the other clubs got the same. That bike may
have belonged to a member of Michigan's Wolverine Club (they were

sponsored

Quoted message said:

by Scwinn in 1975); the downtube decal looks correct, but the one on your
toptube doesn't look familiar. Because I don't see the 531 decal (which

was

Quoted message said:

standard in 1975) I suspect a re-paint.

(supabonbon) said:

I'm curious to find out some history behind a Paramount track bike I
picked up. It's 63cm c-t with Nervex lugs, dates from May 1975, and
has a SCHWINN sticker on the down tube and a TEAM SCHWINN sticker on
the top tube.

I think it's a little bit strange to see a track bike with chromed
forks and stays. Chrome is usually omitted from track bikes, since
chroming can risk the integrity of the tubes, and it adds weight.
Chrome is ostensibly to protect your frame from road debris kicked up
from the rider or car in front of you. You don't see cars in a
velodrome, and you don't see a bunch of gravel or road debris, either.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

It appears to be a P12, not a single speed P11 track bike. Schwinn
applied a thin chrome plate to the P12's before painting. The Campy
dropouts, which were always exposed, had an especially high quality
chrome. My recollection is that the dropouts on the P11 were not
chromed, but it's been a long time.

Donald Gillies said:

(supabonbon) said:

I'm curious to find out some history behind a Paramount track bike I
picked up. It's 63cm c-t with Nervex lugs, dates from May 1975, and
has a SCHWINN sticker on the down tube and a TEAM SCHWINN sticker on
the top tube.

I think it's a little bit strange to see a track bike with chromed
forks and stays. Chrome is usually omitted from track bikes, since
chroming can risk the integrity of the tubes, and it adds weight.
Chrome is ostensibly to protect your frame from road debris kicked up
from the rider or car in front of you. You don't see cars in a
velodrome, and you don't see a bunch of gravel or road debris, either.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

--
Bob Wheeler --- http://www.bobwheeler.com/
ECHIP, Inc. ---
Randomness comes in bunches.

"me" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

The seller on Ebay is clearly Russ St. John, who is and has been associated
with the Wolverine Sports Club racing program for many years. Why don't you
just write him and ask about the provenance of the frame? I'm sure he'll
have teh war stories that go with it.

"Charlie Wilson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

supabonbon said:

It's painted white. I bought it off ebay from a guy in Michigan

(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3689504351&ssPageNa

Quoted message said:

me=STRK:MEWA:IT).

I may be wrong about the color. The ones Schwinn sent to the

California

Quoted message said:

club were gray, and I assumed the other clubs got the same. That bike may
have belonged to a member of Michigan's Wolverine Club (they were

sponsored

Quoted message said:

by Scwinn in 1975); the downtube decal looks correct, but the one on your
toptube doesn't look familiar. Because I don't see the 531 decal (which

was

Quoted message said:

standard in 1975) I suspect a re-paint.

Russ sent me this: "The Wolverine sports club based nearby had a long
relationship and sponsorship with Schwinn. The club built a Velodrome
in 1968 in Detroit that developed many national and world champions,
including Frankie Andreau. The frame came thru this relationship with
Schwinn."
He didn't know who the original owner was or have answers to my other
questions. I wrote back asking if it had been repainted, but with the
yellowing of the stickers I'd imagine that if it had been sprayed it
would have been before Russ got to it.

Bob Wheeler <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

It appears to be a P12, not a single speed P11 track bike. Schwinn
applied a thin chrome plate to the P12's before painting. The Campy
dropouts, which were always exposed, had an especially high quality
chrome. My recollection is that the dropouts on the P11 were not
chromed, but it's been a long time.

Donald Gillies said:

(supabonbon) said:

I'm curious to find out some history behind a Paramount track bike I
picked up. It's 63cm c-t with Nervex lugs, dates from May 1975, and
has a SCHWINN sticker on the down tube and a TEAM SCHWINN sticker on
the top tube.

I think it's a little bit strange to see a track bike with chromed
forks and stays. Chrome is usually omitted from track bikes, since
chroming can risk the integrity of the tubes, and it adds weight.
Chrome is ostensibly to protect your frame from road debris kicked up
from the rider or car in front of you. You don't see cars in a
velodrome, and you don't see a bunch of gravel or road debris, either.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

According to the Waterford site, it's a P14
(http://www.waterfordbikes.com/2004/data/culture/paramount/history/pdggold.php).
It doesn't really say anything about chroming. If I remember something
I read correctly, I think the Nervex lugs were chromed except on the
track bikes certain years.
/s