My first bike after a few years of not riding was a Schwinn Ditch. Besides the fact that information on the bike could not be found anywhere, it was an okay ride. Shifting was always an issue; in fact, I couldn't shift to the big ring until I took it to the mechanic to have them verify that (not surprisingly) the drivetrain was built incorrectly. It had full suspension, but it wasn't that tight, so I had a lot of bob.

I will say that it was really comfortable to ride, and after I put some slicks and a better saddle/seatpost, it was a hell of a lot of fun! It was the bike that made me want to go to road cycling.

Fast forward to a few months later. As I'm getting out of my Japanese class, I mount my bike, begin to pedal and then feel myself drop a bit. It turns out that the damage was far worse:



That was the seat tube, which sheared right across. I'm pretty sure that had to do more with the assembler overtightening something around there, though it could have very well been a frame defect.

I will say that Pacific Cycle's service was very good at handling the matter, and they sent me a complete bike with wheels and tires as a replacement. Flipped it, and I haven't heard from the owner since. Last time I communicated with him, his wife was loving the bike!

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