Re: [CR] Schwinn Superior

(Example: Framebuilding:Restoration)

Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:42:34 +0000
From: <joeb-z@comcast.net>
To: classic <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To: <327061477.5335391255894245339.JavaMail.root@sz0107a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [CR] Schwinn Superior


A few more comments to Jerry's excellent summary. The Superior name goes back earlier than 1938 (perhaps to the founding of the company in 1895). I think it was the name for the top racing model in the early days.

The fillet brazed Superior (and Sports Tourer) is a strange "lightweight". It uses good materials and is incredibly rugged. However due to the relatively heavy straight guage tubing it is a couple of pounds heavier than a quality double butted frame. The wheelbase is quite long (42" or so) and the end result is a smooth riding dreadnought. The headset is not the common threading, but is still used in the BMX industry so very nice cheap headsets are available for replacement.

Joe Bender-Zanoni
Whitneyville CT


----- Original Message -----
From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos
To: classic , Rich Pinder
Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2009 3:00:24 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: [CR] Schwinn Superior


The Superior was one of the high end models released before WWII, about 1938 or so. For many years it was second to Paramount in the Schwinn lineup. The classic Superior was fillet-brazed from Chrome Moly tubing. These lasted until about 1963 (I have a 1962). The model then disappeared as the Super Sport, then the Sports Tourer, both fillet-brazed CroMo, became the #2 Schwinn model. In the mid 70's, Schwinn resurrected the Superior name, basically renaming the Sports Tourer, but the reborn Superior was still fillet-brazed CroMo. This lasted only a couple of years until circa 1979, when the classic Chicago-made fillet-brazed CroMo Schwinn models were discontinued.

In about 1980, Schwinn terminated Paramount production at Chicago, to resume it a couple of years later at Waterford, WI. Meantime, they used up the inventory of 531 Paramount tubesets, lugs and DO's by producing a lugged 531 model under the Superior name. The bike had Campy Nuovo Gran Sport rather than Nuovo/Super Record, but the frame was essentially the same as the prior year Paramount, causing this bike to be nicknamed "baby Paramount". I think these were made only one or maybe two years.

The Superior name has been recycled a couple of times since, sometimes on Japanese frames. If there was a Superior in 1983, it was probably Japanese made. Most fans of the Schwinn fillet-brazed bikes consider the last "real" Superior to be 1979.

Regards,

Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA


--- On Sun, 10/18/09, Rich Pinder wrote:


> From: Rich Pinder <rpinder@usc.edu>

\r?\n> Subject: [CR] Schwinn Superior

\r?\n> To: "classic" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>

\r?\n> Date: Sunday, October 18, 2009, 10:12 AM

\r?\n> Hi all,

\r?\n> I was searching around a bit for information on the schwinn

\r?\n> Superior model.

\r?\n> Seems like it was around through 83, and in 84 a Columbus

\r?\n> tubed model called Peloton seemed to replace it's place in

\r?\n> the lineup.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Is it true the Superior models were built in the same shop

\r?\n> where the Paramounts were ?

\r?\n> Any thoughts on their ride ??

\r?\n> (Peloton, seems, was a Japanese machine built frame bike)

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Thanks,

\r?\n> Rich Pinder

\r?\n> Sherman Oaks, CA