The 2011 Madison has a sloping top tube. Yuck!
#27
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wow, schwinn really screwed that up
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Way to ruin what was a decent bike, Schwinn!
#36
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The fork is CRAP! Bike needs chrome again. I like the sloping TT as it would give me a better fit for people who actually like to RIDE their bike for than a few miles to the coffee shop.
I prefer my 08 Madison ove this easily! Add a nicer lugged chrome fork and a few small minor touches and its a nice bike.
I prefer my 08 Madison ove this easily! Add a nicer lugged chrome fork and a few small minor touches and its a nice bike.
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Neo-luddites, the new Madison looks just fine. I wonder how long it would take to ride it before whatever criticisms give way to the "feel good" Schwinn ride & build quality ?
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How much of the sloping tube is from an optical illusion ? The static picture the bike is not flat, by that I mean the two wheels aren't equidistant in the frame of reference or angle of the picture. Then in the video, the bike is on a stand or hanging and imbalanced, front tire is higher than the rear ?
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#41
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No it does not. The chrome accents and simple logo were excellent. With that gone the Madison loses some of what makes it a Madison.
Some bikes don't need to evolve or change. That is the point of the Madison. Neo-luddites? If I want modern I'll go to BD and buy a Motobecane Team Track on the cheap.
Some bikes don't need to evolve or change. That is the point of the Madison. Neo-luddites? If I want modern I'll go to BD and buy a Motobecane Team Track on the cheap.
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I'm pretty sure leveling out the photo will make the sloping TT even worse. The TT is fine for me, but what the frick is going on with the graphixx?
#44
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No it does not. The chrome accents and simple logo were excellent. With that gone the Madison loses some of what makes it a Madison.
Some bikes don't need to evolve or change. That is the point of the Madison. Neo-luddites? If I want modern I'll go to BD and buy a Motobecane Team Track on the cheap.
Some bikes don't need to evolve or change. That is the point of the Madison. Neo-luddites? If I want modern I'll go to BD and buy a Motobecane Team Track on the cheap.
#46
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yah unfortunately companies feel the need to constantly come out with new models every year, and need to change it so its something new and different, even thought the previous year's model was perfectly fine.
i play soccer, and nike and adidas do the same thing with soccer cleats. new models every year, and particular players will pay top dollar for USED cleats from previous years because that specific model felt perfect for them and their feet.
i guess marketing departments dont want to seem useless and need to occupy time during the year changing things just to seem like they are doing something....i dunno
i play soccer, and nike and adidas do the same thing with soccer cleats. new models every year, and particular players will pay top dollar for USED cleats from previous years because that specific model felt perfect for them and their feet.
i guess marketing departments dont want to seem useless and need to occupy time during the year changing things just to seem like they are doing something....i dunno
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#48
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Well, for one, you cite the chrome tips as better looking ? Not everyone prefers chrome. I can't stand chrome bumpers on certain cars ? Is the new Camaro ugly because it doesn't have a chrome bumper ? A chrome bumper would simulate the classic Camaro wouldn't it ? I mean, we've had people inquire on painting over the chrome parts ?
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I don't prefer chrome.
But chrome tips do help for saving the paint with repeated gear changes and wrench marks. The key here is that I find the chrome is what makes it a Madison. Some generic frame with track ends welded on and some graphics that the janitor came up with **** it of its heritage and look.
Using the Camaro analogy, what if the new Mustang looked like the Camaro? What if the new Camaro looked like a Beetle? This new bike is not a Madison, only in name. It has zero points from what previous Madisons had. there is nothing bad about the older bikes that needed revamping. It looks like every other bike out there now.
Keep the old frame, freshen the geometry a bit maybe (add .5 on the head tube angle) keep the deep V, keep the new fluted post, keep the new cranks. See what I mean? The frame is what made this bike and it just looks like a MTB frame jig recycle with track ends now.
But chrome tips do help for saving the paint with repeated gear changes and wrench marks. The key here is that I find the chrome is what makes it a Madison. Some generic frame with track ends welded on and some graphics that the janitor came up with **** it of its heritage and look.
Using the Camaro analogy, what if the new Mustang looked like the Camaro? What if the new Camaro looked like a Beetle? This new bike is not a Madison, only in name. It has zero points from what previous Madisons had. there is nothing bad about the older bikes that needed revamping. It looks like every other bike out there now.
Keep the old frame, freshen the geometry a bit maybe (add .5 on the head tube angle) keep the deep V, keep the new fluted post, keep the new cranks. See what I mean? The frame is what made this bike and it just looks like a MTB frame jig recycle with track ends now.
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The madison is a low end entry level fixed gear marketed at people that want to ride fixed(or ss) but dont have a lot of experience with bikes, and arent used to a more aggressive geometry.(that may not be what you use it for, but thats the market schwinn is trying to fill with the madison.) A slopping top tube means a relatively longer head tube, than if it had a flatter top tube. That in turn leads to a more sit up ride, which is more comfortable for the market they are trying to get. It all makes sense.
The thing that confuses me is a lot of the low end 2011 fixed gears are coming with 1" quills. Its not an aesthetic thing like Bianchi did with the pista via brera, most of these bikes arent trying to look throw back. No one could ever claim that a 1"threaded set up is better performance wise, and its not aesthetic, so the only choice is cost.
The thing that confuses me is a lot of the low end 2011 fixed gears are coming with 1" quills. Its not an aesthetic thing like Bianchi did with the pista via brera, most of these bikes arent trying to look throw back. No one could ever claim that a 1"threaded set up is better performance wise, and its not aesthetic, so the only choice is cost.
Last edited by Kayce; 08-12-10 at 12:21 PM.