A growing number of US teens and young adults were purchasing imported European sport racing or sport touring bicycles, many fitted with multiple derailleur-shifted gears. Schwinn decided to meet the challenge by developing two lines of sport or road ‘racer’ bicycles. One was already in the catalog — the limited production Paramount series. The Paramount series had limited production numbers, making vintage examples quite rare today. Other road bikes were introduced by Schwinn in the early and mid 1960s, such as the Superior, Sierra, and Super Continental, but these were only produced for a few years. The Varsity and Continental sold in large numbers through the 1960s and early 1970s, becoming Scwhinn’s leading models.
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.
I have not had to touch them since installing the new pads. I like how the brake lever snaps back when I release it. Roller cam brakes work similarly to center pull brakes.
Steel, a tried and true material used in bicycle construction, is inexpensive, easy to work with, and may offer a more forgiving and compliant riding experience. The Schwinn High Timber is a traditional steel hardtail mountain bike inspired by bikes of the 1990s. With a simple design and understated style paired with modern components, this bike may be the closest to a go-anywhere, do-almost-anything mountain bike. The tires are suitable for light to medium-duty off-road riding, but should also perform well on hard-pack trails and pavement. While the drivetrain and the wheels perform well, the brakes and suspension will leave most mountain bikers wanting more. Mechanical disc brakes are lower maintenance than their hydraulic cousins but offer far less power.
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 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.
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.
Everyone has a unique set of buying criteria and budget constraints, so this is a hard question to answer. I haven’t tested any bikes that cost less than this one (unless you count the non-dropper version of the Axum) but a quick look at 29er mountain bikes priced around $500 makes the Axum look pretty good. Few others come with a one-by drivetrain and none have dropper posts.
Even with the seat post pulled to its minimum insertion point, the saddle is too low for my tastes, so I would suggest taking the 6’2″ maximum rider height as a hard limit. The seat height issue could be solved with a longer post, and I would look for a dropper with more than the included 125mm of travel. The 720mm-wide handlebars also make for a tight fit for taller riders.
The same can be said for XC and EWS, where the vast majority of riders have forgotten about flat tires. If it’s working for the folks who are pushing tires and wheels far closer to their limit than I ever could, there’s likely some evidence there. schwinn hybrid bike Athletes who are making part of their living from results aren’t going to use tubeless if it’s not the fastest and safest way to get down the trail with max grip and no flats. I get it; a decent mountain bike fork costs more than this entire bike.
Mountain bikes below $1,000 with a suspension fork and between 21 and 24 gears generally weigh between 38 and 41 pounds. The materials used for the frame, fork, and components usually account for most of the weight variation in this price range. As a rule of thumb, more expensive bikes weigh less than budget bikes, thanks to higher-quality components and materials. As mentioned, Mongoose is commonly thought to be the better of the two brands; Mongoose or Schwinn. Although Schwinn makes a decent enough line of low to mid-range mountain bikes, Mongoose’s reputation for high quality and durability precedes them.