Schwinn is one of the most well-known bicycle brands in the United States, if not the most well-known. The company has been in business since the 1800s, and during its run, Schwinn bicycles have been a standard for quality across many bicycling disciplines.
Founding
Schwinn was founded in 1895 by a partnership between Ignaz Schwinn and Adolph Arnold. It was originally called Arnold, Schwinn and Company and was founded in Chicago. The original Schwinn was the one-speed "Roadster". In 1908, Ignaz Schwinn bought out his partner and became the sole owner, hence the Schwinn name we're familiar with today. However, the name wasn't officially changed to the "Schwinn Bicycle Company" until 1967.
Introduction of Racing
To compete with the 300 something other bike companies of the times, Schwinn developed a racing program in early 1896. During the course of that year they began to win races and by year end Schwinn riders had taken more victories than any other bike company.
Early Development of Bikes
In its initial years, Schwinn focused on making bikes for adults as they were quite a popular means of transportation and were quite pricey with an average of $150 (well over $3000 today). When the automobile began to take over wheeled travel and more advanced manufacturing enabled lower pricing, Schwinn broadened its focus and introduced sturdier children's bikes in 1909.
Innovations
In 1933, Schwinn introduced the "balloon tire" which measured 26 x 2.125 inches. This size tire became an industry standard a few years later and was also an important development for mountain biking, which developed decades later. That size tire is still a standard tire/tube size for mountain bikes today. In 1963, Schwinn released the iconic Sting-Ray, the distinctive, banana seat bike emulating motocross bikes. It served as the inspiration for BMX. The bike has been re-released several times, including a 2004 redesign. In 1965, Schwinn expanded indoors by introducing in-home fitness machines.
Mountain Bikes
While Schwinn had a rich history of prodding the development of bicycling as a whole and individual disciplines like BMX, they neglected mountain biking for a long time. As the sport popularized during the 1980s, Schwinn ignored the market and even went so far as to call it "a fad". After facing bankruptcy in 1993, new management at the company finally shifted focus to the mountain bike sector. The headquarters were also moved from Chicago to Boulder, Colorado, a popular base for mountain biking. Schwinn has made quality mountain bikes since and joined forces with GT in 1998 to create the Schwinn/GT Corporation.
Recent History
In 2001, the Schwinn/GT Corporation filed for bankruptcy. That same year, Pacific Cycle Corporation, owner of other bike brands such as Mongoose, Roadmaster and Pacific purchased the company from bankruptcy court. The Schwinn brand moved into mass retailers in 2002. In 2004, Dorel Industries, Inc. purchased Pacific Cycle, which is now a division of the greater Dorel Industries.
