NEXUS

I grew up with Schwinn bikes so Schwinn always has a place in my heart however, Schwinn bikes have since the 80s, have developed a poor reputation mainly because of the crap quality bikes they sell at K-Mart and Target. And because of this, most people stay away from Schwinn when considering a new bike and never get to see some of the higher end Schwinns that are fantastic.

Your opinions please.

BengeBoy 

There are better choices available.

surfrider

Their owner of the last decade, Pacific Bicycles, really killed off the brand by using the name to sell cheap discount store bicycles. Seems like they've turned the corner and are improving the type and quality of bikes, but they still have a way to go. As previously mentioned, there are better bikes at the same prices at your LBS.

NEXUS

I think Schwinn has improved much over the last decade. A lot of their bikes that you see at Walmart and Target can't even be found on the Schwinn website as if they don't want to be connected the crap they put there.

Take a look at this only 14lbs:



https://www.schwinnbike.com/usa/eng/P...mount-Series-9

BengeBoy 

For $5,499 there are better options.

I have a soft spot for the Schwinns of my childhood, too, but when I became an adult I found their bikes were heavy and overpriced, and the Schwinn dealers I met as an adult were snooty and hard to deal with. Consumers voted with their dollars and the company collapsed.

They are now trying a strategy of presenting a cheap line at discount and a better line somewhere (I don't know where, I never run into their bikes at better bike stores). I don't get it.

CliftonGK1

Any bike could be 14 pounds if you only weigh a 42cm model.


Seriously though, Schwinn is doing a lot to try and change the image of their upper end bikes and at least get back to the modest prestige they had in the early 90s when they turned over manufacturing of the Paramount "Series" bikes to a Japanese framebuilder. Sure, it wasn't Waterford... but it wasn't mass-milled gaspipe junk, either.

Now, my 1987 Schwinn Woodlands OTOH... Let's just say that for pulling it from a dumpster, it's worth every penny I spent on it.

jcm

I'm not particluar to any of the new blingers myself, but I think that most consumer products have a break point in terms of competitive quality. Bikes are probably no exception. Spend $1000 and you can get a decent bike from just about any brand. Spend $2000 and it gets better. After that it just gets non-sensical to me. I'm sure Schwinn makes a right proper blinger, too

knobster

Schwinn and others like Mongoose have two separate lines. You can get a LBS type Schwinn or Mongoose and they are decent bikes and then you can get the department store line that are cheap knockoffs. With brands like these, you definitely get what you paid for.

pipes

I own all LBS bought bikes and brands are Schwinn Jamis /Trek / Torker the Schwinn World GS is as good or better than the other companys bikes in that class . And there normaly less money ! Ride what YOU like Schwinn had a few problems yrs ago . BUT If you buy from a quality LBS you can get more for your money with Schwinn IMHO . Tho there prices are rising so are the other companys Just my opinion

And the stuf sold at wally world and other big box stores is not the HI quality you get at a LBS not even the same bikes . Its like there fron 2 diffrent worlds folks on the forums seem to have a hate for Schwinn . Go ride a few diffrent brands and ride and buy what U like

NormanF

Its better to get a classic American-made Schwinn. I have the Black Phantom and the Madison.

spaceballs

I just picked up a late-nineties Peloton, and it is incredible. I was really worried about the aluminum fork on it, but it hasn't given me any grief yet.

I am not sure where it was made, but this is the smoothest bike I have ever pedaled.

NEXUS

I bought my World Avenue One from Performance and the guys there all said it was the best bike for the price and one of the lightest in it's class. I got it on sale for $499 plus and extra 10% off.

I got a flat my first week of riding but luckily, I was only a block away from a LBS and rolled it in for a quick patch. The mechanic, who also happened to be the shop owner, commented on how decent a bike it was and might consider having it available at his shop.

tjspiel

Though often overweight and just as often over priced the Schwinns of yesteryear had a well deserved reputation for durability.

By putting the Schwinn name on a line of crappy bicycles and crappy accessories the current owner's of the Schwinn brand are trying to put one over on the buying public. For that reason, they go to the bottom of the list as far as I'm concerned. There are plenty of other bikes.

sonatageek

Just to agree with the previous posts that the LBS Schwinn line are good bikes and the ones sold at department stores are, well, department store level bikes like the other brands sitting next to them in the sporting goods department.

Fremdchen

My main ride is a Schwinn '07 Super Sport Ultra. Paid about 650 for it (maybe a pittance in bike terms but that's a lot of money for me) at Performance. I've been riding the hell out of it for a year now. In comparison w/ my other bikes, the ride is responsive and not too harsh. The center of gravity is pretty high because you sit upright. The grip setup is comfy - next best thing to the many hand positions of drops. The gearing is wide-ranging. I've needed to have the wheels trued a couple of times but I would expect that of any bike. It's a great commuter. Nice and fast, but you're upright and can see around.
I'd definitely recommend it to a beginner, especially if they had a back problem that precluded use of drop bars.

And although I'd never post white-garage-door pics of it on THIS forum, since it's such an uncool brand, I DO get compliments on it being a nice looking bike when I am out and about.

Here's a pic of the '09 model, same bike different color.

GodsBassist

I have a Scwhinn Super Sport and love it. (the non 'ultra' version of the previous bike) I've had 0 mechanical problems and it rides great. I would recommend it to a friend.

StanSeven

The Schwinn Paramount anniversary edition is made by Waterford. If you like classic bikes but today's technology, it's a great one to get. Or get a Waterford - hand made in the same factory as the Paramounts from the later 80's and still run by Richard Schwinn.

JeffS

Yea, pay $6-7000 for a Paramount or about half that for the same bike with a Waterford brand on it.

Tough choice.

dynaryder

I had a DBX and really liked it(too bad it was the wrong size). I think their higher end bikes are just as good as any of the other name brands.

BengeBoy 

Hi, I'd like to apologize for my anti-Schwinn comments above. One of the things I dislike about BF is people popping off with uninformed opinions and to be honest I don't know much of anything about the bike-shop line of Schwinn bikes.

My negative opinion of Schwinn is based on the rude way I was treated by their stuck-up dealers years ago when it was the "old" Schwinn; my disgust with the way the owners let the iconic company fail; and my confusion about what Schwinn represents today, since they have both department store bikes and bike shop bikes.

If you guys are shopping carefully for bikes, get good deals, and ride your Schwinns then that's great. I'll give them another look.

BB

Sawtooth

Well done Bengeboy! I am always impressed with someone who has the insight and confidence to recognize a perceived "error" and correct it. That said, you are as entitled to your opinion as anyone else, and remember that the the OP asked for your thoughts.

I remember the schwinn dealers from the days I was enamored with the Predator bmx. What a beautiful bike! My local dealer was a nice guy who let me drool as much as I wanted and, years later, gave me wonderful service on a Diamond Back purchase. Though he no longer carries schwinn, his shop is a major provider for my entire extended family because of his great service to me.

I have never owned a schwinn but I personally would have no problem making a well informed buy on a DBX or one of their fastback models. The reviews are very positive in general. If the price were equal to that of trek or something more well known for recent quality, I would probably forgo the schwinn, however.

Obviously, the above comments have nothing to do with the company's big box store line of bikes.

gmule

As my commuter I ride a 2006 Schwinn fastback. By the end of February I should have 10k miles on it. I purchased it at Perfomance on sale as a year end closeout in 2007. I paid around 400.00 for it and it has been trouble free with no issues. I mainly purchased it becasue it was a Schwinn. I figured that nobody would steal it becasue of the brand All in all it is a decent bike. It's not a Specialized or Cannondale but it has been dependable.

NEXUS

Hey no need to be sorry. I also was very turned off by Schwinn for many years because of it's poor reputation. I think Schwinn's history parallels that of the American auto industry. American cars used to be high quality cars that were a status symbol worldwide untill the early 80's when execs started just pumping out junk for profit. In the 90's they started to wake up and make quality car agian but by then their reputation was so bad that no one wanted to touch American cars.

Sawtooth

Curious, if brand were not an issue...what about the ride/quality makes you say it is not a specailized or a cannondale? Do you notice a quality difference?

miket.

the one and only LBS in my old town sold the higher end schwinns. but the manager told me he might stop carrying them cause it was a pain to have to explain to people how they were better than the bikes you find at wal-mart. but i think once you've stepped up to a bike shop model, you know the extra money is worth it. not to mention the service you get at the LBS vs. someone who knows jack about bikes.