Submitted by
Mike Prinsloo
a Downhiller
from durban south africa
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2008
Strengths: bomb proof .let go the brakes and she goes on steep stuff . Good old clean welds bearing havent been changed yet as far as I know.
Weaknesses: no replaceable drop out . has old style hayse rear brake . to change the rear tyer is a mission. rear shock makes me wonder if there are any spare parts for the shock A bit heavy on flatter courses
Bottom Line:
BOTTOM LINE IS IT IS OLD BUT STILL WORKS; It took me to 5th in the class at SA champs last week against more current bikes .If you are in to old timers DH then the bike works
Strengths: Excellent suspension design with minimal brake jack and pedal bob. Light weight design.
Weaknesses: Pull shock has double the leak paths.
Bottom Line:
Great bike that will always go fast as you can. You will go just as fast on this bike as any other bike out there. If the shock doesn't leak, you will go fast. Note: you can get the shock rebuilt at Hippie Tech Suspension, they are the only ones I found that will help keep this frame going for the near future.
Strengths: great stability at high speeds due to long wheelbase, great slack head angle,floating disc, rebound and compression easy to play with on trail, pure vertical wheel travel, no pedal bob, wheelbase same length along all of rear suspensions stroke, nice paint scheme, got room to stick the bench pole in far enough to have some to spare for longer flat rides(yes i know its a dh bike but its my all arounder, but not up hills)
Weaknesses: derailleur hanger not replacable...i broke one had to order new lower swingarm from yeti in colorado cost me 450$ canadian to get it to me. Pull shock not standard...but works great.
Bottom Line:
love the bike just wish i had it when i came out 6 years ago now its just an ald school dh bike, but i still love it all these people coming to talk to me about its radical shock design, asking me how she goes, complementing me on the looks of it and just pure WOW look at that bike. i love high speeds and big drops...this bike does it with style to spare...amazing on fire roads for bombing down it is a little long for tight singletrack but thats a compremise im willing to take.
Bike Setup: boxxer race 03, titec hell bent bars, shorty stem, shimano xt 8in disc 03 front, hayes nine 6in 05 rear, old school stx/rc cranks shimano 105 derailleur, mr.dirt chain guide, kona platform pedals, mavic D321 front w formula hub, alexrim D25(i think) top line of alexrim w ringle hub.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Neston
a Weekend Warrior
from Burbank, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2000
Strengths: Cornering, Handling and Pedaling. Ease of adjustability and it's ability to soak up just about anything.
Weaknesses: Nothing yet.
Bottom Line:
This is my first DH rig, though I come from 15 years of Motocross background. I was amazed at what this bike can do. Ledges, roots, big rocks, steep, loose inclines were absolutely not a problem. This thing rips. It jumps great and doesn't do anything weird or unpredictable. I love it. If anyone is thinking about getting one, ride other bikes and ride the Schwinn, then make your own decision. Everyone has different preferences and experience. My preference just happens to be the Schwinn.
Strengths: WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!1 WAS THAT A SMALL CAR I JUST RODE OVER???
Weaknesses: SCHWINN/YETI DON'T HAVE WEAKNESSES, CAUSE THEY'RE THE BEST TOUGHGUY!!
Bottom Line:
MERT LAWWILL IS GOD. IF YOU ARE CONFUSED ABOUT THE LORD, LISTEN TO ME: LAWWILL IS GOD. HE KNOWS HIS $HIT. NO ONE DOES IT LIKE MERT LAWWILL. NOT BRENT FOES, NOT TURNER, NOT HORST LETNIER, NOBODY! THE SUSPENSION DESIGN OF THE STRAIGHT 8 IS PURE GENIUS. IT GOBBLES UP ANYTHING IN ITS WAY, IS ALWAYS ACTIVE, IS COMPLETELY UNAFFECTED BY BRAKING FORCES, AND IS AS SOLID AS THE FLOOR OF FORT KNOX. SEALED BEARINGS THROUGHOUT, VERY NICE! THE WELDING IS FLAWLESS, AS IS THE MACHINING. I WISH I COULD PUT IT DOWN, BUT I CAN'T!! THE PAINT JOB IS TITS! ALL CABLES ARE ROUTED PERFECTLY! THE PULL SHOCK? WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THAT; IT IS AWESOME! MUCH MORE RIGID AT THE SHAFT THEN A NORMAL SHOCK SHAFT BECAUSE IT IS SUPPORTED AT BOTH ENDS. THE SHOCK MOUNT EVEN FLOATS AT ONE END SO IT ISN'T A STRESSED MEMBER OF THE SUSPENSION. BRILLIANT! THE RIDE IS OH SO HEAVENLY, WHICH MAKES SENSE........SINCE LAWWILL IS GOD..........RIGHT! I JUST WISH IT WAS LESS EXPENSIVE.
Bike Setup: EVERYTHING W/ WHIPPED CREAM AND A CHERRY
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jon
a Downhiller
from Charlotte, N.C. USA
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2000
Strengths: I'm reviewing the 2000 straight 8. I just bought this bike, and it is the shizat!!! The rear wheel travels vertical without arching which keeps the wheelbase the same throughout the suspension travel. In other words, just blast through the rock garden and forget the brakes. This bike corners on rails, you can really lean it over far. It handles more like a bike and not a 45 pound rig that you have to muscle around. The bike is very stable at high speeds and over rocks. It can also handle 6 to 8 foot drops with ease. No pedal induced bobbing either, which is great when it's time to sprint-the bike rockets. The rear brake is a floating system so that braking does not lock out the suspension. Can fit 3.0 tires like the gazzaloddi's!!!
Weaknesses: The rear wheel is a pain in the arse to get off/on with the thru axle and floating brake.
Bottom Line:
I bought this frame used because they are not available new. Call Schwinn at 1-800-schwinn and tell them to keep this design in production for next year. They have actually changed the DH bike for next year. Why change something so good?? Just do it!!! If you can ride this bike do it, and you will see what I mean.
Similar Products Used: Giant team DH, Intense M-1, KHS Dominatrix, Rocky Mountain RM-6, Ellsworth Dare
Bike Setup: White Bros. DH-2 fork with extended travel kit, Sun Ringle Modo rims, Kooka DH cranks, MRP chain guide, Easton flat pedals, Azonic shorty stem, Azonic chubby bars, Hayes disc brakes, Tioga 2.3 factory DH tires and Gazzaloddi 3.0's.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Lee
a Downhiller
from Honolulu, Hawaii
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2000
Strengths: Corners on rails, Eats up roots/rocks, fully adjustable, & Easier to pedal than most Pro level DH bikes
Weaknesses: Back wheel is kinda hard to take out of the frame because of the floating brake system, but the braking doesn't effect the suspension action....Trade-offs I guess!?! The Edco Hub that comes with the frame set uses straight-pull spokes....not as easy to find as traditional spokes, but supposedly stronger.
Bottom Line:
The bike feels good right out of the box. Predictable as hell at speed and in steep drops, yet it still corners unbelievably even in loose, powdery switchbacks. Not to mention the fact that you can actually pedal this bike. No matter what anyone says, if you are riding a bicycle, sooner or later you will have to pedal....not to mention the starting line jump. My level of riding and confidence has jumped up tremendously with this bike.
I'm not the richest guy in the world, so I thought about buying some of the cheaper DH bikes out there. But why go half ass, and then have to buy another bike because the cheaper bike doesn't perform and you feel like you're gonna crash all the time? Spend the money, get a bike that works and go out and win races! This is a pro level bike!!!
Similar Products Used: Tested many friends bikes at the local DH....Intense M1, Karpiel, SUNN, Turner, Kona, Foes....You name it, I've tried it.
Bike Setup: 6" Boxxer, Hayes Disc, XTR.....Same old Stuff
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Eb Coolio
a Downhiller
from South Africa
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2000
Strengths: Durability;
Weaknesses: Rising rate sluggish; Pricy
Bottom Line:
Great bike for smooth riders. Hard hitters stay away. Bike will take your positions up for sure. Fantastic bike to look at and also to ride! Make sure tou get the right size because it is a quite long bike that handles fall-line stuff nicely.
Submitted by
Crevisimo
a Downhiller
from Sun Valley, Idaho
Date Reviewed: September 12, 1999
Strengths: everything
Weaknesses: nuthin but good to say
Bottom Line:
This is a bike to rival all others now dont get me wrong, the kona Stab Dee-lux and Karpiel Disco Volante are great bikes but the ride of the Straight 8 is much smoother and more active.
I probably should've known more about thus bike before I reviewed it previously. It does have a full sweet 8 of travel. I cruised around on a Yeti DH 8 (the same exact thing), and it was totally awesome.
THIS IS AN AWESOME BIKE, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS IDENTICAL TO THE STRAIGHT 6. WHY THE HE!! DID THER CHANGE THE NAME???!!! IT STILL HAS 6 INCHES OF REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL, SO WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA??? BUT SINCE IT IS IDENTICAL TO THE 6, AND THE 6 IS THE BEST DH BIKE EVER CREATED, IT DEFINATELY DESERVES 5 CHILIES!!!
