Originally Posted by well biked

I'm sure the company that currently owns the Schwinn name has marketing people who realize that the typical X-Mart bike buyer knows very little about bikes, and Schwinn is still probably the most famous brand in America. Combine that with an old model name such as Varsity, and something is likely to rattle around in their memory like, "hmmm, Schwinn Varsity, that sounds kind of familiar (maybe their mom or dad, or even granddad or grandmother, had one at one time). I'll take it!" Keep in mind, the other choice is something like a Roadmaster "Mt. Fury." It's all about marketing at that level. Sad thing is, the Schwinn name is now just that, a name on a decal, and nothing more. GT's another brand that falls into the same category............I believe both Schwinn and GT actually make some fair bikes these days, at a higher price point than you'll find at X-Mart (maybe at big chains like REI?), but again, what makes even these bikes a "Schwinn" or a "GT" is nothing significant, the name's just on the label-