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    Every Day Ride

    Hit ten miles on the trails today… picked her up for 50$ secondhand, still debating on the potential customization. Thoughts?

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    5 Comments

    1. am5k on

      I wouldn’t invest any more money into that bike. Its a fine entry level bike, but you would be better off saving your money for a future build. If you want to stick to trails, I’d look into cyclocross or vintage steel mountain bikes (no suspension). Those are bikes that would last for years and you could scale upgrades as you become a better rider.

    2. kurob4 on

      If you want, you could change contact points for better fit (saddle, handlebar grips, pedals). I wouldn’t rush to it, as soon as you start putting some use on it, things will start breaking on your bike and you’ll need to spend on spares and repairs (from what I’ve seen happening to my friends who got BSOs).

      The general disdain for Schwinn is because they’re poorly made/assembled bikes with cheap components that end up breaking and failing way too soon. Also the steel on your bike (probably hi-tensile steel) is nothing like some good alloys like chromoly or Reynolds which you can find on vintage and current road bikes.

    3. tangbang on

      Are the trails you’re riding on mostly like the one pictured? If so, the first customization you should probably do is to raise the seat height. Possibly buy a new seatpost if the current seatpost doesn’t go high enough. If it’s mostly paved like that, your seat height should be closer to that of a road bike. It’ll make pedaling easier, and put less stress on your knees. Google “proper seat height road bike” or something like that for a guide to setting it up. This advice still applies if the trail is dirt/gravel but still mostly flat (like a fire access road or something). Maybe lower it a tiny bit from optimal for that situation. If you’re actually out in the wilderness riding mountain bike trails, then the current height is ok I suppose.

      Beyond that I’d probably avoid sinking too much money into that bike. A lot of customizations would cost you more than you paid for your bike. If you’re happy with this level of bike, then just ride this until it breaks and then get another cheap replacement. If you end up wanting something nicer, lighter, faster, or more durable, then the money you didn’t spend on customizations can go towards your next bike.

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