I don't like the ride quality of any of the basic Schwinn ten-speed models either, to my mind they ride like heavier bikes than they actually are, and I suspect it's because the frame construction and thick tubing transfer a lot of vibration from the road to the rider. This makes bumps feel bigger, riding into a small pothole feels like dropping into a chasm, and unlike quality frames that flex a little bit and give the rider some subtle feedback about the forces going into the frame, the road vibration masks those signals and you end up with a 'dead' ride quality.