Scwinn Superior

[jon_norstog]

About 25 years ago I answered an ad in the Phoenix Sun for a Schwinn "Fairmount" in my size, 25" It was pretty dilapidated and had been painted with ugly black metalflake epoxy. It was the Superior, a lower grade Paramount that Schwinn made up to burn through their remaining Reynolds 531 and Nervex pressed lugs. The company had closed the Chicago paramount shop and moved the whole operation to Waterford. There they made the last of the old 531 Paramounts as well as the Superiors, whikle getting ready to change over to investment cast lugs and Columbus tubing. This is about when Marc Muller was hired. Supposedly there was another, older 'builder who got things going before Marc arrived ..

This bike is SN 15007, which puts it right at the front of the 1981-2 production. It might be the seventh one made. Interestingly, there are traces of metallic blue paint inside the BB shell and headtube, while the catalog lists a pearl orange as the only available color. I did add shifter bosses and rear rack mounts, then did a repaint, "chinese red" with black lugs. I rode that bike a lot in AZ and New Mexico, then made one of my own about 18 years ago and rode that. I have some slack in the shop so I thought I would repaint and see if I can sell the frame or the bike.

After cleaning off the old paint I could tell this was a really well-made frame. You have to really look at the shoreline to see any silver - and it IS silver, not bronze. It could be Marc's work, or it could be that of the unknown older 'builder. Whoever did it was good.

The frame has been molested enough I don't feel I have to do a restoration. I did pick up a Super Record/Nuovo Record group last year in decent shape and I have a set of NR hi-flange hubs with period correct Ambrosio 700c rims. I might see f I can pick up a set of derailleur cable guides - nobody carries them but perhaps Andy N has a set lying around?

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I really liked that bike, especially its butter-smooth ride and that Schwinnly combination of stability and nimbleness. It's just that I like the bike I built even better ... sigh.

jn

"Thursday"

[jon_norstog]

A bit of work with the wire brush followed by white epoxy primer. Looks pretty clean.schwinn_1.jpg

[jon_norstog]

I got a msg from Marc Muller in response to some questions I had. In part:

"Most of the Superiors were crafted over in Racine Wisconsin by my friend and mentor Don Mainland. We finished off the project over at PDG in Waterford. The frames Don built used old style Nervex lugs, and Reynolds tubing, while the last 50 or so built by us used Henry James cast lugs. Quite the bargain!

Many of the frames were pearl orange, but there was also a deep blue/grey metallic available. That may be what you are seeing in the BB area.
Forks for all Superiors were made by Tange."

Marc clarified that the forks were 100% Tange in spite of the Reynolds "Tubes, Stays and Forks" decal the bikes sported.

I did buy some orange kandy DCC I was going to shoot over a pearl base, but based on what Marc said I may shoot a blue "poly" DBU that has been kicking 'round my paint locker forever.

Many thanks to Marc Muller!

jn

"Thursday"

[jon_norstog]

Based on what Marc said, I decided to go for a match to the blue metallic traces I found inside the BB shell and headtube. This is the DBU basecoat. I will skip the replica decals; the originals were kind of ugly IMHO and the frame has ben molested beyond hope of a strict restoration.


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[jon_norstog]

Here is the painted Superior, complete with clearcoat and headbadge. The badge is for a Paramount - later frames carried their own "Superior" headbaDGE. I took the the frame down to Velo Cult – Brick by brick since 2��6 today to weigh it. 5.7 pounds painted. for comparison, the bike frame I built to replace it weighed 4.2 pounds.

The Schwinn has heavy tubing - my guess is 1.0-.7-1.0 on the frame tubes and maybe a straight gauge, .09 seat tube. The frame I built as a replacement The unpainted one) is also 531, but has OS tubes. Top tube is .7=.4=.7 and DT is .8-.5=.8.. I used 753 track chainstays on that one. That frame is almost 20 years old and got ridden pretty hard. I'm going to peel it and do a repaint in time for the Oregon Handmade Show Handmade Bike and Beer Festival.Come to the show if you can!


See you there!

jn

"Thursday"






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[jon_norstog]

And here it is, completely built up. The equipment is now a mix of Nuovo Record and Super Record. Wheels are Ambrosio Elites in 700c laced to NR high flange hubs. Brakes are NR with SR drillium levers and like-new pads. Cinelli stem, bars and tape. Gearing is 6 speed, 13-28 in the rear and 42-52 in front. The SR derailleurs seem fine with that spread. Seat is a big-rivet Brooks Pro on a fiddly old NR seatpost. The rack is a period-correct Blackburn.

This is a bike for riding around - watch out, you might slip in all the drool it inspires.

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