Steel Reserve

First, let me say, thanks for all the tips on the folding bike. Selling the old one on Craigslist and replacing it with a modern model may be the way to go.

on an unrelated note, I once worked with a crusty, violent SOB who, when faced with a DUI drivers license suspension, reverted to commuting to the lab on his Schwinn Paramount. It was probably the vintage of this one, and a good looking bike. It was the only thing about him I could respect. I was surprised to see that Cyclingnews posted a review of a newly built Paramount. James Huang wrote the article (and it looks like he rode the bike for the photos). He's my new favorite journalist. He gave it a really positive writeup, raving about the comfort and beauty of the steel frame and pointing out that when built up with high zoot components, it came in at under 17 lbs. Then he dropped the bomb. This thing was being made by Waterford and being sold by Schwinn for $7000. I guess no one is set up to mass produce frames with polished lugs and high performance steel tubing, although the technology did at one time exist. We can only hope, that by the miracle of marketing trickle-down, the rave reviews this frame receives will bring about more traditional, repairable, recyclable steel frames. Schwinn has at least one lower end model with lugs, the Madison, on the market.

The steel bike re-revolution is here!