Tag Archives: schwinn

Schwinn Paramount P13-9 & Sprint with curved seat tube

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Taking a time machine back to the year 2011, here’s a very rare frame set that passed through my hands.  It’s a 1975 Schwinn Paramount P13-9 with a curved seat tube.  This was referred to by Schwinn as a “sprint style” or “short-coupled” frame, and was an option when ordering a custom frame in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978.  The feature was available on the P14, P10 and the P13 models (and the T22 tandem).  The good folks at Bikeforums’ Classic & Vintage message board helped me identify it, especially member Scooper, who shared the original catalogs and order form.  This particular one was customized in several ways.  Read on to learn more! Continue reading →

1990 Schwinn Crosscut Cross Check style

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xcut-brick3

This one started out as just a frame, a 1990 Schwinn Crosscut, size 55cm seat tube with a 61cm top tube. This was their top-of-the-line cyclocross / all-rounder from the early 1990's, similar to the Surly Cross Check or the Pake C'Mute, and built from stout double-butted cro-moly steel tubing with a fully chromed fork. I stripped and repainted the frame in a dark metallic green with a subtle sparkle and shined the fork.  Read on for more details and pictures.

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Vintage “Townie” single-speed

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townie side shot

This is my third bike build, a vintage “townie” style bike built on a 1970’s-era Schwinn frame.  The frame came with leather-wrapped handlebars, which inspired me to build it out as a classy around-the-town bike.  I replaced the heavy steel 26″ Araya wheels with lightweight 700c deep-v track wheels, and put Nashbar’s “Duro” tires on them.  The dark brown sidewalls match the leather nicely.

The seat is a riveted leather Brooks copy, taken from from a Masi Soulville bike.  I installed a 68x107mm Miche bottom bracket, red KMC single-speed chain, and built the single-speed crankset from a new 170mm Campagnolo Mirage set.   It has a 42-tooth chain ring up front and a 16 tooth freewheel in back, with a flipflop hub & fixed gear cog & lock ring.  Pedals are MKS Syvlan touring, brakes are new Tekro side-pull calipers, and I added a set of Planet Bike “Hardcore Road” fenders for all-weather riding.

Full story and more pics after the jump…

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