Did you get a Schwinn Collegiate in 1965?
If you didn't, you now have a chance to acquire it. Well, sort of. And not at the 1965 price.
Of course, the new "1965 Collegiate" won't be an exact replica of the original because none of the parts that came with it are made anymore.
The new "1965 Collegiate" will be offered by Detroit Bikes. Like the company's other offerings, its frame will be made in their Detroit workshop. In a way, it's fitting, as the old Collegiates were made in another once-thriving industrial city: Chicago, the site of Schwinn's old factory.
In another odd parallel, both Detroit Bikes and Schwinn were founded by immigrants: DB founder Zac Pashak came from Canada; Ignaz Schwinn was born in Germany. And, while many auto-industry pioneers, including Henry Ford, started off as bicycle builders, designers or mechanics, the current Master Builder at Detroit Bikes is Henry Ford II. No, they're not related, but it's quite the coincidence, isn't it?
Detroit Bikes is offering the new "Collegiate" to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Schwinn, once the most iconic American bike marque. While the brand still survives, Schwinn is owned by a conglomerate; its bikes are made in China and sold in big-box stores rather than the network of independent bike dealers that supplied Schwinns to the public for decades.
That dealer network gave Schwinn a platform for re-making the American (and, by extension, worldwide) bicycle market during the 1960s and 1970s. What made the Bike Boom the Bike Boom was the re-discovery of the bicycle by people who were old enough to drive. Schwinn helped to stoke this boom by being among the first American manufacturers to offer "lightweight" bikes for adults. "Lightweight" is a relative term: the new Collegiates, Varsities and Continentals were tanks, but they had the diamond-style frame of racing bikes and something most Americans had never before seen: a derailleur. That last feature made possible a wider range of gearing than internally-geared hubs and, even in their crude state (at least, compared to today's offerings), were more efficient. That made cycling more pleasurable--and, in many cases, practical--for adults who hadn't been astride two wheels since the day they got their driver's licences.
The Collegiate was a "gateway" bike: Schwinn offered it as a "budget lightweight." Essentially, it was a Varsity with 5 speeds instead of 10 (one front chainring instead of two) and a mattress saddle. It was offered with drop or upright bars on the men's model (upright only on the women's bike). In the days just before the Bike Boom--which would include 1965--many young people bought this bike to, not surprisingly, get around on campus and take rides in local parks.
Those bikes, sold in Schwinn's dealer network, were all part of a strategy envisioned by F.W. Schwinn, the founder's son, who believed that an adult bicycle market could be developed in the United States. His idea succeeded for a time, then backfired: People who rode those Collegiates, Varsities and Continentals would discover imported derailleur-equipped bikes that were much lighter than any Schwinn (besides the Paramount, which was made in limited quantities).
In another parallel with Schwinn, Detroit Bikes is helping to re-shape the future of cycling in the United States. Ford II and Pashak seem to recognize that for the bicycle to become an integral part of American transportation and recreation, their industry cannot continue its reliance on a few buyers of high-end racing or mountain bikes, or even imitations of those bikes. Such bikes are simply not practical for the ways most people ride, and the ways most would-be cyclists want to ride. Instead, Detroit is concentrating on building bikes that are practical as urban transportation as well as for other everyday uses.
So, in another sense, it's not such a surprise that Detroit Bikes would re-make an iconic Schwinn: Both companies, after all, have tried to re-shape the ways people see and use bicycles. Schwinn succeeded for a time and then became a victim of that success (and some managerial missteps). Detroit Bikes, on the other hand, has the opportunity for more lasting success.
(I would love to see the new "Collegiate" in a color Schwinn offered in 1965: Violet.)
If you didn't, you now have a chance to acquire it. Well, sort of. And not at the 1965 price.
Of course, the new "1965 Collegiate" won't be an exact replica of the original because none of the parts that came with it are made anymore.
The new "1965 Collegiate" will be offered by Detroit Bikes. Like the company's other offerings, its frame will be made in their Detroit workshop. In a way, it's fitting, as the old Collegiates were made in another once-thriving industrial city: Chicago, the site of Schwinn's old factory.
In another odd parallel, both Detroit Bikes and Schwinn were founded by immigrants: DB founder Zac Pashak came from Canada; Ignaz Schwinn was born in Germany. And, while many auto-industry pioneers, including Henry Ford, started off as bicycle builders, designers or mechanics, the current Master Builder at Detroit Bikes is Henry Ford II. No, they're not related, but it's quite the coincidence, isn't it?
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| The new "Schwinn Collegiate" |
Detroit Bikes is offering the new "Collegiate" to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Schwinn, once the most iconic American bike marque. While the brand still survives, Schwinn is owned by a conglomerate; its bikes are made in China and sold in big-box stores rather than the network of independent bike dealers that supplied Schwinns to the public for decades.
That dealer network gave Schwinn a platform for re-making the American (and, by extension, worldwide) bicycle market during the 1960s and 1970s. What made the Bike Boom the Bike Boom was the re-discovery of the bicycle by people who were old enough to drive. Schwinn helped to stoke this boom by being among the first American manufacturers to offer "lightweight" bikes for adults. "Lightweight" is a relative term: the new Collegiates, Varsities and Continentals were tanks, but they had the diamond-style frame of racing bikes and something most Americans had never before seen: a derailleur. That last feature made possible a wider range of gearing than internally-geared hubs and, even in their crude state (at least, compared to today's offerings), were more efficient. That made cycling more pleasurable--and, in many cases, practical--for adults who hadn't been astride two wheels since the day they got their driver's licences.
The Collegiate was a "gateway" bike: Schwinn offered it as a "budget lightweight." Essentially, it was a Varsity with 5 speeds instead of 10 (one front chainring instead of two) and a mattress saddle. It was offered with drop or upright bars on the men's model (upright only on the women's bike). In the days just before the Bike Boom--which would include 1965--many young people bought this bike to, not surprisingly, get around on campus and take rides in local parks.
Those bikes, sold in Schwinn's dealer network, were all part of a strategy envisioned by F.W. Schwinn, the founder's son, who believed that an adult bicycle market could be developed in the United States. His idea succeeded for a time, then backfired: People who rode those Collegiates, Varsities and Continentals would discover imported derailleur-equipped bikes that were much lighter than any Schwinn (besides the Paramount, which was made in limited quantities).
In another parallel with Schwinn, Detroit Bikes is helping to re-shape the future of cycling in the United States. Ford II and Pashak seem to recognize that for the bicycle to become an integral part of American transportation and recreation, their industry cannot continue its reliance on a few buyers of high-end racing or mountain bikes, or even imitations of those bikes. Such bikes are simply not practical for the ways most people ride, and the ways most would-be cyclists want to ride. Instead, Detroit is concentrating on building bikes that are practical as urban transportation as well as for other everyday uses.
So, in another sense, it's not such a surprise that Detroit Bikes would re-make an iconic Schwinn: Both companies, after all, have tried to re-shape the ways people see and use bicycles. Schwinn succeeded for a time and then became a victim of that success (and some managerial missteps). Detroit Bikes, on the other hand, has the opportunity for more lasting success.
(I would love to see the new "Collegiate" in a color Schwinn offered in 1965: Violet.)
Intriguing post, I had not previously been aware of Detroit Bikes. I hope they can succeed. It will be interesting to see if they can be sustainable in the 'urban transportion' niche.
ReplyDeleteThis morning, I was disappointed to read that the company providing the bike-share fleet and infrastructure in my city is shutting down and pulling out. Seems the closure of our urban greenways to enforce social distancing since March has put a deep dent in the use of bike-sharing here. Perhaps they were on shaky financial footing before the pandemic, and recent events simply accelerated the inevitable.
On the other hand, it was good to see a feature on yesterday evening's local TV news about our local bike shops having very limited inventory.
Rob--It's unfortunate that your bike lanes were closed and that it may have led to the demise of your bike share fleet. Some bike share programs have fallen to mismanagement: It nearly happened to Paris' program until another company took it over.
ReplyDeleteIt will certainly be interesting to see whether Detroit Bikes succeeds in the urban-transportation niche. Perhaps they are learning what works and what doesn't in other city bikes and will come out with bikes that are truly suited to the purpose.