In 1908, Schwinn bought Arnold out and enlarged the factory to meet the increasing demands for his Schwinn-Built bikes. He brought to America thoroughness in detail and technique of mechanical fabrication that came as close to realization of perfection in plans and ideals as the human can realize. Schwinn sport saddle with quick release seatpost provides easy height adjustability. Hall of Famer, Joe Breeze, used the 1937 Schwinn Excelsior’s geometry in designing his first mountain bike frames in 1977. IGNAZ SCHWINN was born in the little town of Hardheim, province of Baden, Germany. The second of seven children, his father died when he was eleven and Ignaz was sent to vocational school. An intense interest in the high-wheeled “ordinary” bicycle of his day, led him from town to town working on bicycles and bicycle parts whenever he found the opportunity. In time, he came to work in the machine shop of Heinrich Kleyer, who soon employed him as a designer & works manager for the Kleyer factory. Kleyer manufactured some of the first “safety” bicycles in Germany. All-terrain, wide knobby mountain tires provide the grip and stability you need out on the trail, while alloy wheels add lightweight strength. In late 1997, Questor Partners Fund, led by Jay Alix and Dan Lufkin, purchased Schwinn Bicycles. Questor/Schwinn later purchased GT Bicycles in 1998 for $8 a share in cash, roughly $80 million. The new company produced a series of well-regarded mountain bikes bearing the Schwinn name, called the Homegrown series.[62] In 2001, Schwinn/GT declared bankruptcy. In the 1950s, Schwinn began to aggressively cultivate bicycle retailers, persuading them to sell Schwinns as their predominant, if not exclusive brand. During this period, bicycle sales enjoyed relatively slow growth, with the bulk of sales going to youth models. In 1900, during the height of the first bicycle boom, annual United States sales by all bicycle manufacturers had briefly topped one million. By 1960, annual sales had reached just 4.4 million.[10] Nevertheless, Schwinn's share of the market was increasing, and would reach in excess of 1 million bicycles per year by the end of the decade. EBay is a great resource for all kinds of antique and vintage items, including Schwinn bikes. You'll see many of the models Schwinn produced in the last half of the 20th century, along with some older models from the earlier part of the company's history. If you're buying a vintage Schwinn on eBay, be sure to ask lots of questions about the bike's condition. Most Schwinn bikes will feature a head badge or plate that identifies them as a Schwinn. This badge varied in style, depending on the style of bike and the year it was made. However, if you see the Schwinn name on the badge, it's probably a Schwinn bike. The manufacturer distributed unbranded or rebranded bikes through other companies, especially prior to the 1950s. I soon found a road bike that really got me excited (no splatter – 3 color fade instead) and I began to ride almost every day. I was hooked and I soon found myself wearing tight Lycra clothing and hideous Oakley sunglasses. As I pondered being out in the woods in my birthday suit, I saw wheels…Two of them in a store window. Schwinn decided to meet the challenge by developing two lines of sport or road 'racer' bicycles. One was already in the catalog — the limited production Paramount series. As always, the Paramount spared no expense; the bicycles were given high-quality lightweight lugged steel frames using double-butted tubes of Reynolds 531 and fitted with quality European components including Campagnolo derailleurs, hubs, and gears. The Paramount series had limited production numbers, making vintage examples quite rare today.