Are Schwinn Mountain Bikes Good? Pros and Cons!

The standard is basic, and the ALX has upgraded components. The lower the number, the better components that the bike has. They come with front suspension, typically a Zoom fork with 60mm of travel. It is going to dampen light bumps but not something you’re going to want to take to a downhill mountain bike course. They are all made of lightweight aluminum and are strong and robust. The bike itself wasn’t even listed in the product catalog.

Frank brought with him all the design energy and styling that had been developed in the motorcycle business for over two decades. He began producing bikes that looked more like motorcycles than traditional bikes, like the “Aerocycle”. Many believe the Schwinn Bikes of the 30’s and 40’s to be the direct ancestors of the present day mountain bike. Hall of Famer, Joe Breeze, used the 1937 Schwinn Excelsior’s geometry in designing his first mountain bike frames in 1977.

Roller cam brakes were designed to reduce brake arm flex to improve braking accuracy and performance. The frame also offers plenty of braze-ons for mounting racks, fenders, water bottle cages, and other accessories. For example, there are two eyelets on both the rear dropouts and ends of the schwinn mountain bike fork blades. This allows you to mount both racks and fenders at the same time. These allow for a greater range of front rack options, such as lowrider racks. The High Sierra features a nice mix of high-end components from Shimano, Suntour, Dia-Compe, and other manufacturers of the day.

For the frame construction, most Schwinn bikes use aluminum. This lightweight material gives you an elegant, durable bike that’s easy to maneuver. Explore, search and compare thousands of the world’s best mountain bikes here on Mountain Bike Database. This bike is suited to shorter people than the Traxion, so Schwinn has given it smaller wheels at the size of 26″. This makes it much better for the user and does add a lot of control to the rider but takes away some top speed.

If you shop around a bit, you can buy one of these bikes for just over $100 in decent condition. If the bike isn’t in perfect condition, replacement parts are affordable and relatively easy to find. The High Sierra offers excellent durability and features some high-quality components including a solid drivetrain and nice wheels. The bike’s sturdy steel frame promises a stable ride, and its seven-speed gear shifters will help you navigate a range of terrain. Take the bike out on different trails and use it during any time of the year. Its mechanical disc brakes promise to help you come to crisp stops whenever you need to and to keep your speed under control as you ride.

The High Sierra came equipped with an 18 speed Shimano Deore drivetrain with a Biopace triple-chainring crankset. The Deore derailleurs and shifters are solid schwinn tricycle and high-end. At the time, Deore was Shimano’s second-best groupset after XT. The groupset shifts well and feels durable, even though it’s over 30 years old.