One minor bummer is that the informational stickers on the frame don’t peel off cleanly. To get the paper and gummy glue off completely takes some effort. There’s also a nut or something inside my test frame that rattles and rolls like a penny in a jar whenever the bike is moved.
It wasn’t until around 1986, when Ned Overend won two Mountain Biking National Championships for the Schwinn team, that people really started to notice how excellent the mountain bikes had become. Twenty-niner wheels, one-by drivetrains, and dropper posts were once just for in-the-know riders. Now, the entry-level and budget-friendly Schwinn Axum delivers all of this, plus a surprise or two beyond the official spec sheet. I had been shopping around for an old steel 26-inch mountain bike to convert into a touring bike when this Schwinn High Sierra popped up on Craigslist nearby.
Schwinn mountain bikes are available with front suspension or full suspension. I would argue that everyone deserves tubeless tires, no matter the price of the bike. I converted my Schwinn High Sierra into a touring bike and took it on my first bike tour. Before the tour, I installed a rear rack, swapped out the 2.5″ mountain bike tires for 1.5″ touring tires, and upgraded the saddle to a more comfortable Brooks B17.
So, while you can use a tube in modern tires, their design intent is tubeless-first. As you mentioned, the choice to tube that tubeless-first tire or not is all yours. Now that Jeff schwinn hybrid bike has tested these wheels and tires, folks who buy this bike know that it’s an option. As an entry-level hardtail, the Schwinn Axum is best suited for easy to moderate trails.
The frame was fillet brazed in the front and TIG welded at the back and at the bottom bracket. Evidently, this was done because frame builders at the time didn’t believe that TIG welding was strong enough to hold the fork together. The lugged fork gives the front end a bit of character. The High Sierra was one of the first mass-produced mountain bikes on the market. Depending on where you live, you should be able to find a Schwinn High Sierra in decent condition for $100-$300. In late 1997, Questor Partners Fund, led by Jay Alix and Dan Lufkin, purchased Schwinn Bicycles.
These days, many riders customize their High Sierra to fit their needs. Replacement parts are cheap and plentiful for vintage mountain bikes. With a few tweaks, the Schwinn High Sierra makes an excellent long distance touring bike or commuter bike. Some riders convert these bikes into drop bar gravel bikes.
The Schwinn High Sierra is not compatible with cantilever brake calipers due to the brake stud location. If you don’t like roller-cam brakes schwinn mountain bike or if you can’t find a replacement part that you need, there is a solution. Roller-cam brakes use the same brake stud as U brakes.
While company ownership has changed over the years, the brand is still synonymous with quality and value. One of the things that have blown me away for years about Mongoose is the quality they offer. Mongoose has consistently, for over a decade at least, from my experience, led the way in delivering high quality at a fraction of the price of their competition. This is a place where you can learn all about cycling and get recommendations from experienced riders passionate about the sport. They are not making super high-end performance bikes, but they are making something for people that might want to go at weekends for a ride or a family group outing dragging the kids alongside.
Schwinn High Timber will suit users from 4’8″ all the way to 6’2″ depending on the wheel size and model. I’d agree that we should be critical of technologies that add a bunch of cost and complication to our already expensive sport. (Strava said otherwise, a top-10 time on a familiar trail, without pushing for it)
Tire grip lacking. Forks suck, even worse when locked-out, with a nasty clunk. (I usually ride full rigid)
Left the kickstand on, made a ton of noise, but never deployed.