Future Rat Rod Schwinn

[MazdaFlyer]

125th anniversary Limited Edition Schwinn Collegiate. Frame welded up in USA by Detroit Bikes, Detroit and designed by Schwinn.

To be sold by Walmart, medium and large sizes.

https://www.schwinnbikes.com/pages/collegiate

 

[Captain Awesome]

 

[MattiThundrrr]

"Hand welded in North America" immediately puts that bike in a special position. Not too many of those anymore, and even less at Sprawl-mart prices. The green looks nice too, retro enough for Matti. "Inspired by Collegiate," hopefully, if it's successful, maybe a Camelback!

 

[MazdaFlyer]

If their price point holds it may be a buyers premium for the Limited Edition decal and Stateside welding. I have a 1995 100 year anniversary edition MoabS mountain bike. The Collegiate would be a cool addition but price seems a little high.
Bicycling Mag review: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a33004270/schwinn-collegiate-review/

 

[Captain Awesome]

price seems a little high.
Bicycling Mag review: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a33004270/schwinn-collegiate-review/

Pass at that price

 

[horsefarmer]

Wow - $995.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Yikes! That's a spicy meatball! Count me out.


*Not saying that's unreasonable for a welded in the USA bike, but that's why they aren't doing it here anymore. People have a hard time justifying the added expense.

 

[Duchess]

It's totally fine and I like the color, but for that price, it should have disc brakes or something—at least a cromoly fork to go with the frame. The components aren't amazing, but fine for the job. Again, though, that price. And it's pretty heavy. My USAAF bike (originally a 1993 Giant Innova) is cromoly, has a 3x8 drivetrain, a heavy Brooks Flyer saddle, oak block pedals, a motorcycle LED headlight with a heavy mounting, semi truck tail light, 12V battery for each light, fenders, rack, same size tires and weighs only about 35 lbs. I can't remember what it weighed undressed like this one, but it was definitely lighter than 29.9. I'm not a weight weenie, but come on! One would really have to want a bike that was welded up in the USA (implying everything is imported?) to pay that premium over, say, a Linus or similar. Aren't these the same guys who made those laughably overpriced Harley bicycles a short while ago?

 

[Wildcat]

"Hand welded in North America" immediately puts that bike in a special position. Not too many of those anymore, and even less at Sprawl-mart prices. The green looks nice too, retro enough for Matti. "Inspired by Collegiate," hopefully, if it's successful, maybe a Camelback!

I looked at the Detroit Bike webpage. They make a camelback.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

It's totally fine and I like the color, but for that price, it should have disc brakes or something—at least a cromoly fork to go with the frame. The components aren't amazing, but fine for the job. Again, though, that price. And it's pretty heavy. My USAAF bike (originally a 1993 Giant Innova) is cromoly, has a 3x8 drivetrain, a heavy Brooks Flyer saddle, oak block pedals, a motorcycle LED headlight with a heavy mounting, semi truck tail light, 12V battery for each light, fenders, rack, same size tires and weighs only about 35 lbs. I can't remember what it weighed undressed like this one, but it was definitely lighter than 29.9. I'm not a weight weenie, but come on! One would really have to want a bike that was welded up in the USA (implying everything is imported?) to pay that premium over, say, a Linus or similar. Aren't these the same guys who made those laughably overpriced Harley bicycles a short while ago?

Yep, a similar Linus bike is listed for $699 on their online page. So maybe $200 for USA welding and $100 for Schwinn badge and decal. A chance to buy and support American workers though, a rare thing lately.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Yeah, that. People with the dough almost have a responsibility to spread it around well.

 

[Duchess]

I just used them as an example off the top of my head, but that's a 6061 aluminum, frame. The higher cost of the material and construction are add a premium and it still comes in cheaper. They do have a steel model and that's half the price of the Schwinn, though it isn't completely comparable, either, as it's hi-ten. Then again, the Schwinn is still heavy, anyway, and I don't know if people care much about the frame material for this type of bike. I still think that for the price, the fork needs to be cromoly (minimal material cost) and/or disc brakes. When a car company offers a drivetrain option that costs a lot more money for them to make, they usually throw in a bunch of options that cost them very little so the customer seems to be getting more for their money and it reduces the perceived cost increase of the more expensive drivetrain. They know almost nobody would buy a stripped model for the high end's price just to get a drivetrain improvement for a couple more mpg in a country with cheap fuel or more power that can't be used 99.9% of the time be it opportunity or driver ability. When they do go the stripped/performance engine route, they limit the production and claim the weight savings make it better for a racetrack (on an inherently compromised street car no matter if the door pulls are 4 ozs lighter because they turned them into pull cords—looking at you, Porsche) so that it seem more valuable from that angle, then collectors buy them and never drive them. I suspect a big reason this is limited edition because of the poor value/dollar ratio that tacks on such a premium for something that's basically just assembled here and that pool of people is small. It looks good for Walmart, though, to be able to advertise what's essentially a collection of foreign parts as "welded in the USA" and it being a limited edition might draw some people who think they're collectible. I get a premium for not being made in China (even if that's where the parts are likely from), but there should be more value in it besides a sticker that implies more than it delivers.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Wow, I continue to read posts with people ragging on stuff from Taiwan and China. A few companies collaborate to add some built in the USA influence...and wow.
I just got back from riding my Trek District 8 bike from Taiwan, think the list price was around $650. It’s similar to the Schwinn in question, sans fenders but has manual disc brakes and came from a Trek bike shop.
The LE Schwinn is maybe overpriced but a step in the right direction, USA jobs.

 

[Captain Awesome]

The LE Schwinn is maybe overpriced but a step in the right direction, USA jobs.

Agreed!

 

[Wildcat]

Worksman still makes industrial cruisers. And Emory, back rolling again with new bikes. Pricey but even the wheels are made here.

https://emorybikes.com/mens-emory-bikes/

 

[Captain Awesome]

https://detroitbikes.com/collection...tion/products/cortello?variant=19485348495463
That's a bit more like it! Would be great to find a miracle gear and SS it

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

The LE Schwinn is maybe overpriced but a step in the right direction, USA jobs.

Exactly, any support for the Home Team is good anymore and that's especially true right now. The highest quality bicycles I own all have boutique USA fabbed frames. Sure, I own Azn-made frames, but all of them are re-born from the scrap pile, unused NOS, or in the case of my big orange singlespeed, a temporary platform for when I can afford to have a USA made boutique frame to swap the parts onto.

Yeah, that. People with the dough almost have a responsibility to spread it around well.

Therein lies the rub. Large corporate entities are selling the general public on being a swarm of consumers that are hades-bent on "saving" at all costs with slogans like "Save Money. Live Better." The fact that the media at large is also selling Instant Gratification as the norm in lieu of patience to acquire quality doesn't help either. A swing away from those mindsets in any form is something I regard as steps in the right direction and if it takes an Azn equipped USA made Schwinn frame, then so be it.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

https://bikerumor.com/2020/06/03/12...-be-us-made-by-detroit-bikes-sold-by-walmart/

 

[AndyA]

Sorry, but I'm feeling a bit cynical. The idea of jobs for Americans is nice, but since almost every bit of these bikes probably comes from somewhere else, how would one calculate what percentage of the bike is "made in the USA?" How many welders are working on these? It's like eating a meal of corn dogs, French fries, and ice cream and then topping it off with leaf of lettuce to make it a healthy meal. "Hand-welded in Detroit" is simply a marketing ploy. And "U.S. sourced chromoloy steel" probably means the steel came from a warehouse in the U.S., not that it was manufactured in the U.S. Buy it if you like it, but don't think that you're helping American workers.

 

[Verrt]

I don't mind if my bike is from China(Or Taiwan, Go Giant!), but I like it when my software made in the USA.

If you want to save American jobs, send your kids to collage to be developers or material scientists, not factory welders.

On topic, the schwinn is too expensive and kinda boring. I bet someone on RRB could weld you up a great 'USA made' frame for 1000 bucks.