Schwinn Paramount from OUTER SPACE

This Schwinn Paramount is a 56cm center to top. It has a 32.5" standover height. All of its component and geometry information can be found at the bottom of this post.


The Schwinn Paramount is literally the best or "paramount" Schwinn frame. All are collectible. This is a Japanese-made model, and it has a large "OS" decal which means "over-sized." This tubing was over-sized in order to make it with less steel but the same strength. It is about a half pound lighter than comparable frames, according to Schwinn.

The paint job is a blue with bright red speckles. It is pretty awesome. There are double Paramount decals running down the front of the fork.



This bicycle is available for purchase. $850.

by John Wade

Cycle Safely!

DISCLAIMER:
In the following few tips on riding safely with automobile traffic, it might sound like we think bicyclists are the ones usually responsible in a bicycle-automobile crash. Far from it! We know that bicyclists tend to be more alert than automobile drivers--they have to be.

And that is just it. A bicyclist, like any individual, must be conscious of the fact that s/he is responsible for his/her own safety. The bicyclist must control their part of the road, so that--like any vehicle--they can scan the road ahead and make their way along in a straight line. Don't weave in and out of your "safe zone" in traffic, and don't bet your life that car drivers will be good citizens. With defensive riding habits, you can stay safe!


Here it is in three rules:

-Be as visible as possible.
Wear lights at night, stick your hand out, wave it around, do whatever necessary so that you know that you are clearly visible to bored, distracted automobile drivers.

If there is ever a car behind me and I do not think it is safe for them to pass, I stick my left arm out at a 45 degree angle and point at the ground. It is unfortunately a not-quite turn signal, but it lets drivers know that I consider that area my space.


I have found that even the most aggressive drivers will come only as close to my outstretched hand as they otherwise would to my body. Just like that, my worst-case scenario for a car coming from behind and passing me on the left has gone from them squeezing me off the road or hitting me, to them hitting an outstretched hand. Don't play the odds that a driver will have good judgment, make sure drivers are aware that you expect them to follow the law in Kentucky: three feet to the side to pass a bike. If you are anywhere in the lane, they should basically be changing lanes to pass you.

-Ride predictably, signaling violently where appropriate.
Only move out of the lane and to the right if you have enough future open space, and traffic is light enough, that you will be able to move back into the flow of traffic without having to ask a new car behind you to yield and let you in. It is great that you consider yourself a bicycle ambassador. We want to win the hearts of automobile drivers, but do not let your considerate nature get in the way of your safety. Better to just stick well in the lane and try to go as fast with traffic as possible than to weave in and out of traffic and get squeezed to the right.

-Know your "safe zone."
At least one and a half feet away from any obstructions to the right, or in the same position relative to any potential future obstructions, based on your knowledge of the type of road you are on. If the obstructions or potential future obstructions to the right are parked cars, then the bicyclist should be a full car door's length away from those cars/potential future cars. Do not compromise on this basic principle; the lane is your birthright as a vehicle!


Remember, know the law! If you use your good judgment, chances are the law will be on your side, although you might have to remind the police.

For those of you interested in better, more comprehensive instructions, see this great page on bicycle safety, with cartoons that show how bike wrecks occur and how to avoid them.


Remember, stay out of bike lanes if there are parked cars to the right of them!



by John Wade

Copper and Chrome Raleigh International

This Raleigh International is a 53cm center to top (that link contains a wealth of information on bicycle sizing, once again from the late, great Sheldon Brown). It has a 31" standover height, and would have been called a 21" by Raleigh at the time it was made. It is an example of a Raleigh bicycle that was built by Carlton (as mentioned in an earlier post about a Carlton bike), and both the Carlton and obviously the Raleigh logos are in great condition.

This bicycle is a one-owner, all-original example that has been properly stored and maintained. The condition is 9.5 out of 10. These pictures are of the bicycle in original, unrestored condition, but before it goes out of the shop it will undergo a full restoration including all bearings greased, bicycle polished, new tires, chain, tubes, cables, bar wrap with full tuneup.


This bike has a full Campagnolo Nuovo Record group, except for the necessary brake calipers for the International's long geometry.


"While the Professional was patterned after the popular Italianate style popular in the early '70s, the International hearkened back to an earlier ear. The International frame was built for comfort, lightness and versatility, while the Professional was built for stiffness and maneuverability. The Internationals had very generous tire clearance (hence the need for the long-reach Weinmann calipers) and relaxed angles. The frames make very nice light-touring bikes, but the racing components supplied as stock, including tight 10 speed gearing and tubular tires make the stock version somewhat of an anomaly."
--Sheldon Brown


"Some years featured Reynolds "Rapid Taper" chainstays, which are round in cross-section from one end to the other, but taper rapidly from the bottom bracket to the tire area for clearance." --Sheldon Brown


In my opinion, it is better for most riders to have a bike that is a little longer like this one. It puts the weight farther forward on the bike and gets it a bit off the back wheel. This makes for a smoother ride, and it will be easy to ride this bicycle "no hands."

This bicycle is available for purchase. $1,400.


by John Wade

Louisville Sunday Group Bicycle Ride

The Louisville Bicycle Club-sponsored Sunday morning ride left from Vic's Classic Bikes at 9:15am. It was a bit chilly in the early part of the morning, but very comfortable with long sleeves.








This bicycle ride leaves Vic's Classic Bikes at 9:00 every Sunday morning. Riders of all skill levels are welcome, but this is a Louisville Bicycle Club ride, so bring a helmet!

View Larger Map

by John Wade

Guerciotti

This Guerciotti is a 61cm center to center.

This frame is absolutely top of the line. It was hand-built in Italy with Columbus tubes. Guerciotti is engraved into seat-stay tips and bottom bracket shell. Guerciotti logo is engraved into the fork crown on both sides. Forged dropouts front w/ adjusting screws in the rear. Fork is chrome, with fresh plating.

Grey anodized Wolber alloy rims laced to low flange alloy hubs.

The cranks are Nuovo Record as well as the rear derailleur. Shimano Dura Ace front derailleur. Shimano 600 tricolor brakes & levers (aero). The brakes are model BR-6403 and are some of the first dual pivots. They are great brakes. Stronglight headset.

Perforated Turbo Saddle, Sakae alloy seat post.

This bicycle is available for purchase. $1200.

Schwinn Peloton

A few years ago, this Schwinn Peloton was sitting outside my friend's garage collecting some serious rust. He gave it to me, and I built it up and rode it back down. Now, he needs a bike, so we built it back up for him--ahh, steel everlasting!

We put on Shimano 105 brakes. Above the "Schwinn Peloton" head badge, you can see the chrome where my terribly thin spray paint job has scratched off (or possibly blown off!). The entire bike is chromed though, so it won't be rusting so easily.


We added SunTour down tube shifters. SunTour is my favorite component company of the era of the widespread manufacture of this sort of classic lugged steel racing bike. Their parts always really perform, and they last. Read the awesome story of their company here.


My friend built a front fender using a quarter section of a cheap plastic tube and some zip ties. He needs this commuter to be totally functional, because he will be using it to ride to Capitol Hill every day for his job as a congressional aide.


A Shimano 105 front derailleur. We left the old crank on, as it is in fine shape.


We put on a very old Shimano 600 rear derailleur. Justin, who did not seem impressed by this derailleur, says it is from the mid-70s. I really love it because it shows no sign of use after thousands of miles and over thirty-five years! The whole body and cage appear sturdily constructed.

It is very short, as most road derailleurs were at that time, and so we put a more of a small "corn cob" type cassette on the wheel with a max sprocket count of 23 to ensure easy shifting to all gears. As this is a commuter, we were comfortable with not having a greater range of easy gears.


The most exciting thing about this frame has to be the awesome lug work. Check out those wrapping seat stays!

by John Wade

Cinelli SUPERCORSA

This two-wheeled beauty is 54 cm center to center.

It has a full Campagnolo Super Record groupo except the Suntour retro friction downtube shifters and Sugino 75 carbon aero brake levers.

The Campy Super Record hubs are laced to Synthesis Ambrosio Super Professional tubular rims. This bike is an Italian racing machine.

Sheldon Brown, who we trust in all things, has a lot of nice things to say about this bike here.

This bicycle is available for purchase. $1,500.

by John Wade

Carlton Professional

This bike is a 56cm center to center Carlton Professional frame from the late 60s. Carlton was a high-end frame-building workshop that was purchased by Raleigh in 1960 and eventually took over all of Raleigh's high-end road builds.


This bicycle was manufactured by Carlton, under the Carlton name. Oddly enough, the Carlton name had too good a reputation for quality, and eventually the "powers that be" at Raleigh decided it was eclipsing the Raleigh brand and making it more difficult to sell Raleigh branded product. So, Raleigh stopped producing bikes under the Carlton name.

This sweet ride has a full Zeus groupo except the Sugino crank (it was probably considered an upgrade at the time, but now we would rather just have all Zeus components).


The Zeus components are highly regarded, and were basically a high-quality Campagnolo knock-off. They also made frames.


This bicycle is available for purchase. $1,200.

by John Wade

Concord Pro 1 Gets a Face Lift

I acquired and restored this bicycle about 2 years ago. The Pro 1 was the top of the line for Concord. I was wondering why this bike had not sold. As I studied the bike it just had no panash.
So into the rack it went. I had originally left the thick-form bar covers on and wrapped over them with black cloth. The white finish on the paint was rather dull. The brake calipers and cables were just dull and tired looking. Just difficult to get excited about. Soooo......

I took the brake calipers apart for a thorough polishing to a bright shine.

Off came the bar wrap, brake calipers, and cables. A little polishing compound and wax brought the finish on the frame up to standard. Chrome polish to the chrome and now it shines like new.

Yellow, Yellow, Yellow. Replaced the black rivited saddle with a brite yellow one. Yellow cable housing & yellow cloth bar tape with several coats of schellac.