Henry Ford was a bicycle mechanic (as were the Wright brothers), but there the resemblance stops: the Schwinns of Chicago were not the larger than life Fords of Grosse Pointe, the Schwinn Bicycle Company not the mighty Ford Motor Company. Judith Crown and Glenn Coleman, a reporter and managing editor, respectively, at Crain's Chicago Business, too glibly pronounce Schwinn an icon, and strain to tell its life story as a full-dress industrial epic. Sometimes a bike is just a bike.

The Schwinn brand became associated with quality a cut above the competition, and by the 1950s was established as the Cadillac of American bicycles. Schwinn prospered mightily in Eisenhower America, enchanting kids with chrome-swaddled cruisers (the top model weighed 63 pounds!). In the 60's a maturing Schwinn worked on modernizing distribution, weeding out thousands of marginal bike shops in favor of well-stocked, well-run dealerships. Schwinn's long decline began with the overheated biking boom of the early 1970's, when young adults by the million decided they had to own bikes, creating an opening for new imported models.

The company that enchanted kids never grasped what sort of bikes attracted adults. Among cycling enthusiasts, Schwinn became a boring, second-rate brand. Hhot demand prompted Schwinn to turn to Asian suppliers as a stopgap. The need for stronger but lighter-weight material hugely accelerated the technology of bike-making, but Schwinn's aging Chicago facility could not accommodate the new processes. Gradually, the company began importing bikes from Japan, Taiwan and China, eventually becoming more a marketer than a maker of bikes.

Although its classic bicycle is now a high priced, much sought after collectible, the company misread the market in the 1980s and initially scoffed at the idea of the mountain bike. During the last half of that decade, sales plunged by half, and the company filed for bankruptcy in 1992. Shortly thereafter it was purchased by private investors. Crown and Coleman covered the company's demise in the hometown weekly Crain's Chicago Business and here re-tell Schwinn's saga in fascinating detail. This is a corporate history that will have widespread appeal.

Schwinn Windwood 26 Men's Cruiser Bicycle
$149.99
Schwinn Windwood 26 Men's Cruiser Bicycle

Schwinn Southport 26 Men's Cruiser Bicycle
$169.99
The Schwinn(r) Southport 26-in men's bicycle is built for cool cruising with a steel frame in classic Schwinn(r) style. It's easy to control with SRAM grip shifting and front and rear alloy linear pull brakes.

Schwinn Southport 26 Women's Cruiser Bicycle
$169.99
Schwinn Southport 26 Women's Cruiser Bicycle

Schwinn Solution FS AL 26 Men's All-Terrain Bicycle
$249.99
The Schwinn(r) Solution FS AL 26" men's all-terrain bicycle is crafted around a strong and lightweight alloy frame with alloy linear pull brakes and 21-speed Shimano(r) shifting.

Schwinn Solution 24 Boys' Mountain Bike
$249.99
The Schwinn(r) Solution 24-in boys' mountain bike is constructed with a durable Schwinn(r) N'litened alloy frame and an SR Suntour M2000 suspension fork for a smooth ride. It gives you easy gear changes with SunRace 21-speed underbar shifters, a rear Shimano(r) Tourney derailleur, and a front SR Suntour TP17 derailleur.

Schwinn Solution 24 Girls' Mountain Bike
$249.99
The Schwinn(r) Solution 24-in girls' mountain bike is equipped with a Shimano(r) 21-speed rear derailleur and EF 50 shifters for reliable shifting performance. It's crafted around a strong and durable alloy frame and features an SR Suntour M2025 suspension fork and front and rear alloy linear pull brakes.

Schwinn Solution FS AL 26 Women's Mountain Bike
$249.99
Cruise around in style on the Schwinn(r) Solution FS AL 26-in women's mountain bicycle. It's crafted around a lightweight and strong N'litened alloy frame with epicenter stays. A suspension fork helps to smooth out your ride, and EF 50 shifting takes you easily through the 21 speeds.

Schwinn 500 Electric Scooter with Removable Seat
$279.99
Ideal for all riders up to 240 lbs, the Schwinn(r) 500 electric scooter comes with folding handlebars, a removable seat, and 12-in alloy 5-spoke mag wheels with 3.25-in street slick tires.

Schwinn Roadster 12 Red Tricycle
$79.99
The Schwinn(r) Roadster 12-in tricycle is crafted around a retro-styled frame with a low center of gravity and a real wood deck. It has mustache-style cruiser bars with a bell and real air tires for smooth and fast rolling.

20 Schwinn Girl's Mist Lavender Bike
$99.99
20 Schwinn Girl's Mist Lavender Bike

Schwinn
$12.11
From its inception as Arnold, Schwinn & Co. in 1895, Schwinn has built what have arguably been the best and most desirable bikes in the United States. This new title in the Enthusiast Color Series offers a comprehensive overview of the great Schwinn bikes, with chapters devoted to the early history of the company and its bicycles, classic balloon-tire bikes of the 1930s and 1940s, stylish and groundbreaking lightweights and racers of the 1950s, and all those fabulous Sting-ray and Krate muscle bikes from the 1960s and swingin' '70s. In addition, the modern era of mountain bikes, road bikes, BMX bikes, and the return of the Black Phantom are also featured. All-color photography of bicycles in mint condition is supplemented with classic period print advertisements.

Schwinn 26 Carbon Steel All-Terrain Tire
$12.96
This Schwinn(r) 26-in carbon steel all-terrain tire features an ultra-durable construction that's all-purpose, lightweight, and efficient with great ride characteristics. Fits most 26-in bicycles.

Schwinn 26 Carbon Steel Mountain Bike Tire
$12.96
This Schwinn(r) 26-in carbon steel mountain bike tire features an ultra-durable construction with a high-traction tread suitable for all mountain-style riding on various terrain. Fits most 26-in bicycles.

Schwinn 20 Carbon Steel All-Terrain Tire
$12.96
This Schwinn(r) 20-in carbon steel all-terrain tire features an ultra-durable construction that's all-purpose, lightweight, and efficient with great ride characteristics. Fits most 20-in bicycles.

Schwinn Double Gel Seat Cover
$17.99
The Schwinn(r) Double Gel seat cover has a drawstring for a custom fit. It's crafted with super-soft gel padding and a weatherproof Lycra(r) spandex cover.

Schwinn Halogen Bicycle Light Combo
$17.99
The Schwinn(r) halogen bicycle light combo features a head light and a 4-function rear flasher for added visibility and safety.

Schwinn Airdyne Comp Bike
$749.99
The Schwinn(r) Airdyne(r) comp bike offers a total body workout with an LCD display that lets you conveniently track your progress while riding. A resistance-based braking system offers zero friction, while sealed cartridge bearings help provide a smooth ride, reliability and an extra-long life. A small, quiet fan-wheel offers a cool breeze while riding, and the low step-over height helps makes mounting and dismounting easy.

Schwinn 231 Recumbent Bike
$549.99
The Schwinn(r) 231 Recumbent Bike has a walk-through design that accommodates users with a wider range of abilities and fitness levels. A backlit LCD display shows a variety of statistics, including time, RPM, distance, watts and more, so you can get the most out of your workouts. The bike also comes complete with 10 preset and 10 profile workout programs and 16 resistance levels so you can customize your workout.

Schwinn 131 Upright Bike
$449.99
Get the ultimate ride with the Schwinn(r) 131 upright bike. It offers 20 workout programs and 16 levels of resistance for maximum variety, plus integrated added features such as a fan, reading rack, transport wheels, elbow cups and more.

Schwinn 13-PR150 Joyride Trailer
$471.38
Schwinn 13-PR150 Joyride Trailer

Schwinn 13-SC211A Free Runner ST Jogging Stroller
$200.20
Schwinn 13-SC211A Free Runner ST Jogging Stroller

Schwinn 13-SC411A Free Runner ST 2 Jogging Stroller
$324.42
Schwinn 13-SC411A Free Runner ST 2 Jogging Stroller

Schwinn 13-SC508A Free Runner LT Jogging Stroller
$275.28
Schwinn 13-SC508A Free Runner LT Jogging Stroller

Schwinn 13-SC701 Free Wheeler ST Swivel Wheel Stroller
$235.69
Schwinn 13-SC701 Free Wheeler ST Swivel Wheel Stroller

Schwinn 13-SC801 Free Wheeler Double Swivel Wheel Stroller
$364.00
Schwinn 13-SC801 Free Wheeler Double Swivel Wheel Stroller

Schwinn 13-SCHOPE Hope Jogger Jogging Stroller
$236.14
Schwinn 13-SCHOPE Hope Jogger Jogging Stroller

Schwinn 13-SC702 Free Wheeler ST Swivel Wheel Stroller
$235.69
Schwinn 13-SC702 Free Wheeler ST Swivel Wheel Stroller