Vintage Schwinn - The bike Collector's Dream

The Vintage Schwinn motorcycle is a true collectors item. If you don't believe me, simply do a search on the Internet and see what kind of results you see? Yes, the Schwinn motorcycle is without a doubt one of the true gems in American motorcycle history.

Schwinn, was founded in 1895 by Ignaz Schwinn and became the dominant manufacturer of American bicycles throughout the rest of the 20th century. The motorcycle craze that originated in Chicago, Illinois saw 30 factories producing over 1,000 units per day! But the with the advent of the automobile, popularity of the motorcycle waned - yield dropped 25%. What followed were many turbulent years brought on by Schwinn's insistence that their distributors sell and service only Schwinn bicycles. This led to many battles that ultimately resulted in Schwinn losing a supreme Court decision in 1967. This did not affect the quiz, of the "vintage Schwinn" and its legacy lives on today. Even though the name Schwinn still remains strong today, the term "vintage Schwinn" may be even more popular!

Cruiser Beach Bike

The 1960's and 1970's saw the 10-Speed and the popularity of the Varsity and Continental grow. These two models still remain one of the most sought-after vintage Schwinn bikes today. The mid 1970's also saw the the Paramount, a heavy-weight motorcycle beloved with the wealthier riders finding for a high-end bicycle.

Vintage Schwinn - The bike Collector's Dream

The mid 1970's saw the oil emergency force many citizen to use the motorcycle as a major means of transportation and recreation. That period also saw Schwinn merge efforts with Panasonic. The big models to come out of the Schwinn/Panasonic partnership are also two of the more beloved vintage Schwinn's today, the World Traveller and World Voyager.

Probably one of the biggest Schwinn motorcycle to to mouth a high "vintage" status is the Banana bike... And they made a ton of them in the 1960's and 1970's. Does Stingray ring a bell? How about Apple Krate? The Krate model unmistakably saw 6 color models derived from the period in the middle of 1968 and 1973, Apple Krate, Orange Krate, Cotton Picker, Lemon Peeler, Grey Ghost, and the Pea Picker.

Without a doubt, the "vintage Schwinn" remains one of the biggest names on the motorcycle collector's docket. Their long-standing tradition of excellence keeps the name Schwinn a true collector's item.

Vintage Schwinn - The bike Collector's Dream

The 20 Most favorite Bike Brands Sold in the Us

Well, this is really a controversial, complicated and constantly evolving topic. There are so many bicycle manufacturers, bicycle types and beloved brand names sold in the Us, that it can be difficult to find a extensive overview and to sort it all out.

The top 20 most beloved bike brand listing that I've compiled here is not based on the amount of bikes sold alone or on the capability or perceived capability of the bicycles. Most of the bike manufacturers listed here also sell separate bike types (road, mountain, hybrid, etc.) and the list below is not broken down by bike type or category.

Cruiser Beach Bike

This listing is intended to be a guide as to what bike brands are currently the most beloved in the Usa, at the time of this writing (since bike brands come and go and the sales of varied bike types rise and fall).

The 20 Most favorite Bike Brands Sold in the Us

The Top 20 Most beloved Bike Brands and the bike types that they sell

1. Trek - Road, Triathlon , Mountain Hardtail , Mountain Full-Suspension , Urban , Bike Path, Cruiser , Women's , Kids
2. Schwinn - Road, Commuter, Comfort, Cruisers, Electric, Mountain Bikes, Bmx, Kids
3. Giant - Road, Mountain, Giant for Women, Lifestyle, Hybrid (Hct), Bmx, Kids
4. Cannondale - Road, Mountain, Women's Recreation (many sub categories)
5. Mongoose - Bmx Bikes (Team Bikes, Freestyle Bikes, Dirt road Bikes) Mountain / Pavement (Dual Suspension, Jumping, Hardtail Xc, Comfort, Commuter, Road Alternative, 
6. Raleigh - Road, execution Hybrid, Hybrid, Comfort, Mountain, Cruiser, Women, Youth
7. Specialized Road, Multi Street, Globe (commute, comfort), Dirt/Street/Vert (Bmx), Kids Atb
8. Diamondback - Mtn Full Suspension , Mountain Hardtail , Devine Designs , comfort ,Cruiser , execution Hybrid , Hybrid , Youth , Bmx
9. Fuji - Road, Mountain, Specialty, Women's, Lifestyle, Kids
10. Haro -All Mountain-Freeride, Dirt Jump/ Urban, Xc Trail / Xc Sport, 650B, 29er, Metro, Comfort, Cruiser
11. Shimano - Road, Mountain, Comfort, Bmx
12. Huffy - since 1892 - Mountain, Bmx, Kids, Road
13. Gary Fisher - 29ers, Full Suspension,  Genesisters, Hardtails, Kids, Pavement, Road
14. Ellsworth - High end Mountain Bikes
15. Klein - High end Mountain and Road Bikes
16. Jamis - High end Full Suspension, Hardtail, Road, Street, Sport Comfort, Youth
17. Bianchi - Hors Categorie (Hoc), Born for execution (B4P), Coast to Coast (C2C), Dama Bianca, D2, Special, Classica, Road Steel, Mtb Performance, Mtb Leisure, Sport, Cross-Terrain
18. Gt - Mountain, Bmx, Road, Womens
19. Rocky Mountain - Mountain, Road, Urban & Path, Ladies Only
20. Scott - Mountain, Road, Women's Junior's

Some of the beloved bike brands listed here can only be purchased at specialty bike shops or independent dealers. Although this marketing technique makes these brands harder to find, in some cases this it improves the perceived capability of the bikes over brands that are distributed to the mass market or that can be really found at sporting goods shop or even online.

I have included the bike types or bike categories that each builder sells under the brand names listed. The bike type descriptions were, in most cases, taken directly from each bike manufacturers website in order to not only let you know what kind of bikes they make but also how the firm perceives the bike types that they make and how they market them to you.

The 20 Most favorite Bike Brands Sold in the Us