Schwinn Bicycles
  Since the early 1900s, no name has meant "bicycle" to Americans more than Schwinn. Do you remember wobbling down the street on your cousin's banana-seated baby? Riding beyond the confines of your neighborhood for the first time? How about reveling in the hiss of balloon tires against the open road, or popping wheelies on a Krate?
Maybe it was yesterday when you sat back on your new Homegrown full-suspension mountain bike, took a leisurely look around you, then jammed down the long hill home. Chances are, if you were born in the twentieth century, you've logged some time on a Schwinn.
From its founding by Ignaz Schwinn and Adolph Arnold in 1895, Schwinn strove for greatness. Within a few short years of its creation, it was an acknowledged technical and quality leader. Schwinn moved from strength to strength over 90 years, along the way building some of the best-known bikes of all time, including the Black Phantom, Varsity, Jaguar, and more. Today, Schwinn still thrives, offering innovative, high-quality bicycles—just like in its golden days.
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- The Origins of Schwinn
- "Soaring on with Lightning Speed"
- Schwinn's Motorcycle Era
- Balloon-Tire Quality
- Uphill on Lightweights
- The War Years
- The Black Phantom Era
- The New Bicycle Boom
- To the Second Century
- Index
With Schwinn Bicycles, you have the history of an American icon at your fingertips. An exhaustively researched text and brilliant illustrations, culled from historical archives, combine to tell a story not only of bikes, but of the millions who loved them. It's a story that anyone who has ever pedaled a Schwinn will enjoy.
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