Schwinn Lightweight Data Book

I don't know anything about Schwinn Lightweights. Well, maybe just a little. I started this site in a quest to find out information about my '75 Schwinn Paramount P-10. At the time (1999), there was very little info on the web regarding Schwinn Lightweight models. I could find out all sorts of things about Sting-Rays or Phantoms, but not much about Schwinn's premiere line of lightweights or their derailleur equipped cousins.

Pridemore and Hurd had published books featuring price lists, dealer bicycle specification books, consumer catalogs, etc. for the Sting-Ray models and the bikes of the 1950s. I tried contacting them, to no avail, to see if they planned on publishing a book that covered the Lightweights of the 1960s and 1970s (my primary area of interest).

With no response from these fellows, I contacted Schwinn to see what their thoughts were with regard to my putting together a similar book, but they were in the midst of their 2nd (3rd?) corporate sale and I was left hanging (though not directly denied).

I have since given up on the idea of a book, but wanted to get the information together and "out there" for other collectors and enthusiasts. That is where this Schwinn Lightweight Data Book site on the web comes in.

Thanks to the generosity of several Schwinn collectors, many of the publications that were available from the era were offered up for scanning and display. I've decided to limit this site to the years 1960 (first year of the Varsity and Continental derailleur lightweights) to 1979 (last year of Chicago Schwinn Paramount production). I've also decided to limit the models to those that sport derailleur gearing, although many Schwinn Lightweight models were one, two and three-speed equipped.

As it turns out, this was an even bigger bite to chew that I had anticipated and the site is slow in coming together. We will get there! Check the Contributors page to see what has been located and will soon be up on the site. There are still several areas that need filling out and if you can help with locating those publications, please contact me.

I want to especially thank Eric Amlie of Madison, Wisconsin for his help with many of the details of the bikes in question and for offering up a multitude of the publications found on the SLDB site. I wouldn't have got this far without his support.

I hope you find the site useful in helping you enjoy your vintage Schwinn Lightweight bicycle.

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO