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Submitted by
SCOTT BARTLETT
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | 1997 Toronto | | Strengths: | DURABLE LIGHT FAST AND QUIET | | Weaknesses: | DONT MAKE ANY MORE | | Bike Setup: | UP GRADES OVER THE YEARS SID CX(1999 ish)- XTR RAPID RISE - XT SHIFTERS - RACE FACE CRANK - XT BRAKES WITH HOSESHOE STIFFENER ON BACK | | Bottom Line: | I got it new in 1997 didnt know I should have gotten a heaver spring for my weight 190+.I got a A10 cane creek used about 5 years befor rebiuld was needed cane creek swaped it out for a new A12 for $100.00 sweet.i have to clean pivit once or twice a year the pin is still like new .glued the bushing back in a couple of times.I just got a 2001 Specialized FSR used good shape, not as good a ride peddals hit the ground in plases the s10 dosnt.Let my 2o yearold boy ride the Fsr 3/4 of an hour in the trails then swaped bikes he liked the s10 better allmost immediately. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Nashville, TN
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | previous poster Jared - read below | | Bottom Line: | Jared (who posted below) - I want to hear about how you and your brother designed a custom pivot setup for this bike. Tried contacting you directly but @gmail account failed. We are attempting to do the same thing with needle bearings to avoid the bushing issue altogether, so want to hear any/all details of your setup and how it's holding up. Reply back and let me know, Steve ps. I have a 97 homegrown factory FS and would echo all the comments on this very similar bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeremy Collins
a Cross Country Rider
from Columbus
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | North Country (Mich) | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$650.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | It is one of the lightest full suspension Cross Country bikes you will ever find. It climbs like a Mountain goat on steroids and decends very well too. It will turn heads where ever you go, propting people to comment and ask questions. | | Weaknesses: | If your not an experienced Mountain biker this bike is not for you. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Y11,Y22, Cannondale Super-V, Specialized Rockhopper, GT RTS, GT LTS, GT I-drive (first Gen), | | Bike Setup: | Easton CT2 Carbon handelbar, XTR M952 shifters, Seat: Selle Itala flight genuine gel, M952 XTR Bottom braket and Crank, FDerailer:M752 XT Top swing top pull, Rear Derailer: M952 XTR, Wheels:Mavic Cross Ride Disc, Brakes:Hayes HMX9, Rotors:Front Hope Gothic 8"(203mm) R:6"(160mm), Tires: F:Hutchinson Python R:Hutchinson Cyote, Pedals: Crank brothers Eggbetter Candys, XTR bar end shifter. | | Bottom Line: | This bike will Seriously ROCK, for all time!! I have raced and ridden this design exclusively for the last 10 years. I bought my S10 as a Replacement for my stolen S20. This bike is already about 10 Years old and it is much better than Any modern bikes by a long shot. The reason is the URT (Unified Rear Triangle) It is the absolute best Full Suspesion XC design ever created. Period! I dare anyone to find anything better. The closest thing is the Ibis Sasbo. The Trek Y bikes did come close but they put the pivot too low and you can't put disc brakes on eather of them. The Rocky Mountain Pipline was also good but it was billed as a All-Mountain bike and the pivot wasn't as big and strong as the Schwinn's was. I have ridden 2 S Carbons in my life the Gold S20 and my curent Red S10 Carbon and I wouldn't trade them for any of the new bikes that have come out in the last 10 years. I have developed a very deep sentamental relationship with my bikes and if you have ridden one you know just what I'm talking about. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike stringer
a Cross Country Rider
from mississauga,ontario,canada
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | devils pulpit/Albion hills conservation | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$2200.00 | | Purchased At: | built from parts | | Strengths: | awesome ride and response still on original rockshox deluxe dual dampening | | Weaknesses: | finding parts | | Similar Products Used: | nothing i've ridden has this ride i'm 40
this was a factory riders bike originally from north bay ontario canada i bought the frame @ a bike show for 150 and it escalated from there | | Bike Setup: | broke most componentsso it goes as follows shimano/lx/deore/alivio/dx | | Bottom Line: | had to give it a new look so i ground the bassboat blue off now it is raw aluminium but i have to find the original sticker kit or have some made gonna clearcoat it in glow in the dark clear | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jared
a
from Sierra Vista, AZ USA
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Purchased (used) via "The Recycler" by my brother | | Strengths: | This Full Suspension bike is lite. Schwinn doesn't make 'em this good anymore. It's sturdy and a pleasure to ride. Since my brother replaced the swingarm pivot (which is no longer made/sold by Schwinn or elsewhere) with a custom bearing setup he designed, this bike is also going to last *forever* now. :-) | | Weaknesses: | There is a bit of "pogo'ing" when pedalling. It was really noticable when I first got the bike (mainly due to having a dead rear shock), but I don't really notice it anymore. It's inherent to this frame/swingarm design, which is no longer made, for that reason. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Almost everything on this bike has been either upgraded or replaced, so the list is too long to mention. | | Bottom Line: | When dealing with a bike of this age (and perhaps this bike series (S10. S20, etc.) in particular), you will be told you *CANNOT* replace the rear shock. That a replacement simply does NOT exist By everyone. Every bike shop and shock dealer will tell you the same thing. This is what happened to me.
* D O N O T B E L I E V E T H E M ! ! ! * (I'll explain below)
My Rockshox Delux (rear shock) was shot. I was riding on just the spring with no oil left. You wanna talk about some serious pedal bob "pogo-stick" action. The bike was virtually unrideable! And everyone I went to, told me the same thing... just buy a new bike.
But EVERYTHING ELSE on the bike *WAS* replaceable! Including the swingarm pivot, if a family member (like my brother) happened to know how to design one. How could the rear shock be the ONLY part that wasn't?
So I looked online, at EVERY shock dealer/manufacturer I could find. All of them told me the same thing I was told by everyone else... buy a new bike. We don't make a shock for that bike. And after hours and days of searching, I finally came acoss a manufacturer that NO ONE told me about, yet *I* found. And it was one I'd heard of before, even in just passing.
CANE CREEK
THEY make a shock that fits the Schwinn S10. They make TWO shocks, actually. I opted for the "Cloud Nine" (their best), but they have another one that I don't recall at the moment, that also works. And, they will take your old shock in as a trade-in ($100-$150 value, if I recall correctly) towards one of theirs! Even if it's as dead as my RockShox was!
The bottom line is, the Schwinn S10 is an awesome, light aluminum bike. The swingarm CAN be replaced/upgrade, but only with custom parts (or *maybe* stock parts, if you can find 'em on eBay or someplace). The rear shock is also replacable ("Cloud Nine" by Cane Creek) and everything else is as well.
If you can get this bike and it's swingarm pivot is in good shape (or you know how to repace it, if not), GET IT! This bike is far better (and lighter) than any Schwinn made today, you can buy in a WalMart or elsewhere. The saying is: "They don't make 'em like they used to." This is 100% true!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
THONJOE TAN
a Cross Country Rider
from ILLINOIS
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | KETTLE MURAINE | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | KOZY'S | | Strengths: | NICE CARBON FRAME , VERY RADICAL DESIGN. NOT THE TYPICAL DIAMOND DESIGN . SWEET SPOT IS BEST IF YOU SIT ON THE BIKE GOING UPHILL AND NOT TO SIT ON THE BIKE GOING DOWNHILL. | | Weaknesses: | CHANGED THE STEM TO A 50 X 0 THOMSON ELITE. AND THE FORK TO A PSYLO SL 135mm. it beats the yeti asx. | | Similar Products Used: | GIANT AC 2.
FUEL 98 ,2002 | | Bike Setup: | XTR,XT,LX | | Bottom Line: | BEST BIKE FOR A GOOD PRICE. I HOPE SOMEBODY WILL BRING BACK THIS KIND OF SET UP SUSPENSION IN THE FUTURE SINCE EVERYBODY IS COPYING THE FSR DESIGN 4 - BAR LINKAGE ON MOST DESIGNS NOWADAYS. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick Patterson
a Downhiller
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Keystone Mt. | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | 1600.00 | | Strengths: | The bike is tough, and fast. You can x-country with it, or take it down the mountain.It jumps like a BMX bike, and is very predictable. | | Weaknesses: | On the really wixked down-hills the chain pops off quite a bit so I've shortend the chain and that seemed to help. Blew out the front Rock shox, but it gave me two good years. Also blew out the original rockshox rear shock. | | Similar Products Used: | GT rts 3, Giant, K2 | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Z-1 Wedge, Fox RC rear shock,Sunrino lite wheels, front disc brake, standard rear brake,Tioga White Tiger 2.5 front tire, Tioga 2.3 rear | | Bottom Line: | The bike has been great. I keep two sets of wheels, one for x-country and another for DH. The new suspension set-up is TONS better than the stock suspension. Bike has always been a little "off" in the shifting department, but you get use to that.Even for a 98' it still performs just as well as many of my friends newer bikes, if not better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rockett Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Tampa Fl
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Croom Trails (Withlacootchee State Forest) | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1260.00 | | Purchased At: | Thrifty Schwinn | | Strengths: | No matter how fast you go or how hard the terrain it always seems to track right where you point it | | Weaknesses: | a little on the heavy side but working is part of riding and its pretty flat in Florida | | Similar Products Used: | had a rigid Gary Fisher Marlin (entry level) only comparison is I rode them both in the woods | | Bike Setup: | added air springs to forks, titanium stem, and upgraded to 9 speed | | Bottom Line: | have had it 4 or 5 years (can't remember off hand) and beat it up, replace worn out parts and it still rides great | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Arnold Nagy
a Weekend Warrior
from Solon, OH, USA
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Wain National Forrest | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Eddy's Bike Shop (Stow, OH) | | Strengths: | Looks (1999 model), Acceleration, Weight do to Carbon frame, Parts for that price. | | Weaknesses: | Seat is terrible, The break cabels are placed on the bottom where it gets all cloged up by mud, squiking sound at the sweetspot do to its Carbon hollow frame. | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Tassahara | | Bike Setup: | XTR/XT/LX shifting so on and so on | | Bottom Line: | As i said, the bike is really good loking really light in weight and i am totally satisfied with its back and front shocks (Delux and Judy SL)however the break line always gets cloged up and that stupid squiking sound. I solve this problem by watering its sweet spot for 2 minutes under high pressure water. It works, at least till it doesnt dry out again. Oil or greese wont work so dont even try. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bird
a Cross-Country Rider
from North Branch, MI
Date Reviewed: August 18, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
watts lake trail (state game area) | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: |
Great looks, strong climber | | Weaknesses: |
weight (fixable with light wheel sets) | | Similar Products Used: |
gt sts | | Bike Setup: |
stock | | Bottom Line: | I've been looking forward to getting a new schwinn for the past two years, and I have to say the new 99 carbons really impress me.The the rear suspension is decent (good for xc)
and you can really pick up the speed when you get out of the saddle. I've taken out for a spin several times, feeling nothing but awe every time.
Schwinn has really impressed me with their latest bikes, and I recommend this one for the races if you're looking for a good quality bike. Of course if you can afford a homegrown fourbanger all mtn, I think those are great too. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
piNoysTumPpEr
a Weekend Warrior
from cErrItoS, Ca
Date Reviewed: July 17, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Chino State Park | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Cool Looks; Killer Parts; attention getter !!!!!!! | | Weaknesses: |
Week wheelsets...had to replace twice on two separate occassions. Painfull saddle...
it's not anatomically design for humans. | | Similar Products Used: |
Trek VRX 300
Gary Fisher Joshua OZ
FSR XC | | Bike Setup: |
New Wheelsets (3rd time) ... SPOX
Judy SL 80mm
Stock Frame and Rear Shock
XTR/XT/LX Drivetrain Combo
Replaced saddle with WTB ti ( i feel better ) | | Bottom Line: | With some mods the S-10 makes a great Boing-Boing with the performance of a Hardtail. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Russssssss3
a Cross-Country Rider
from tampa
Date Reviewed: June 12, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
tough frame,very tough
good factory package
looks cool | | Weaknesses: |
weak wheels:(
tires not trail worthy
ouch seat | | Bottom Line: | I bought my 21 '98 S-10 a year ago,I ride cross country and mosh pavement(stairs,curbs,drops etc.)
my odo.reads 1250 miles, after thrashing the mavics that came with the bike, i ended up with sun mammoth rims and xtr hubs,weighty but worth it. The suspention set up is great for speed on and off road, and the shocks are readily adustable for either. I recently rode in an organized street ride and was able to keep up in a pack of high dollar roadsters (of cours ,i could only hold the point for a couple of minutes) Graet bike | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ray Kennedy
a Racer
from Queenstown, N.Z.
Date Reviewed: April 25, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Good components, all LX. Light weight no name brand bar. Mavic rims. Nice fitting cockpit with seat angle and head angle just right. Sweet Spot-perfect combination of hard tail/full suspension. Rear isn't active while pedalling so it's like a hard tail going uphill, with 99% power transfer.
Price was good. NZD$2300 | | Weaknesses: |
Front shocks, this is where the money was saved making this bike.Rock Shox Judy T2's are crap.Too soft for the frame size, 19. All suspension movement occurs at the front during pedalling. Could be a little firmer and more balanced with the rear.Brakes, LX ughh.
Complete bike is about 28.2lbs, a bit heavy for my cross country racing, but is losing weight steadily.Moab Leader XC and Moab Pro XC tires were disapointing. In a week both tires had torn sidewalls.
Also the rear suspension pivot was assembled dry, and requires a little smear of Judy Butter to make the bike sing. | | Similar Products Used: |
Various fully active and URT, cross country and free ride bikes. | | Bike Setup: |
19 frame
RS Deluxe rear
RS Judy T2 front
LX shifters
derailleurs
crankset
cassette
IG51 chain
hubs
brakes
Mavic 221 rims
s/steel spokes
brass spokes
Scott pedals
Kore Lite Stem
kevlar reinforced saddle
Avid 1.9 brakes | | Bottom Line: | This bike can eat up the competition in XC racing, simply because of the extra traction in the rough. Energy conservation also figures, with comfortable in the saddle performance. Down hill the rear end is good under brakes, nice lock up. Actually performance is quite average going down.
In the back country you will have a ball. At the end of the day when the hard tails have a sore arse, and the full actives are sick of boinging around, you'll have plenty of beans. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
AJ
a weekend warrior
from Nova Scotia
Date Reviewed: December 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well I now have about 1500 KM on my S-10, and the verdict is in. The cable routing sucks, exposed cables catch all the mud and water thrown up from the front tire, eventally seizing the cable. Last weekend I had to go 16 KM with no rear brakes, takes some of the fun out of my favorite single track. The rear suspension is less than effective, it takes the edge off some of the larger bumps but still the fast decents are rough. The Judy XC long travel up front are great but made some noise when they were new. Tires, stick like glue. Had to replace the granny gear, center ring, rear derailer and derailer hanger, all after individual minor wipeouts, questionable quality there. The brake pads did not last long. My final opinion is that it is an OK bike but not a very good full suspension bike. The sweet spot design is ineffective making the bike more of a hardtail than a full suspension. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gio
a cross-country rider
from Des Plaines, illinois
Date Reviewed: October 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I got my 98 S-Carbon in June after a 6 month wait and two bikes shipped in the wrong frame size.
Schwinn finally sent me a Homegrown carbon frame in place of the original black to green fade,(soooooo sweeeeeet!).Anyway, after swapping out the pedals and tires, Time ATACs and IRC Mythos,
this bike truly rocks!The semi-active Sweet Spot isn't perfect but it works for a slow up and downhiller like me.The only negs are a very cheezy seat and seatpost, both of which have, or will be replaced.Any other S-Carbon owners should feel free to e-mail with their ideas or suggestions for upgrades, I'm a rider not a racer and I set my bikes up accordingly.Gio | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dick Fitzwell
a weekend warrior
from Salinas, CA.
Date Reviewed: August 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just passed thew 2000 mile mark with minimal problems except blown rear shock (Doesn't matter. Never worked worth a &^$# anyway). Still having fun each & every time!
Relax, quit holding up riding buddies with knitpicking little performance issues & ride carefree just like you did on the Stingray you had as a kid. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben Lann
a weekend warrior
from jyfthfhkfyik
Date Reviewed: July 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a HoMe GrOwN Factory Full Suspension It is too sweet go get one fast they are a limited edition GO to WHEATON CYCLES ASK FOR BEN HE CAN ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS THEN BUY A BIKE FROM HIM!!!!!!! OR ASK FOR WILLIE HE CAN GIVE YOU GOOD DIRECTIONS TO SWEET TRAILS AND THEY ARE LEGAL.....SWEET!!!!!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mac
a cross-country rider
from San Jose, Ca
Date Reviewed: July 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Since my last review, I've been doing a little more downhill riding. I wanted to get more front suspension travel so I put on a Marzocchi Bomber Z-1. To help with the braking, I put on a set of Avid Arch Supremes (Avids are the best!). But most importantly, I got an Azonic rise bar. With the flat bar, I felt unstable doing any serious downhill action. The 2.5 rise bar brought back my confidence. I bought the 15 frame with nimble cross-country riding in mind, but for optimum downhill riding, a bigger frame would probably feel better for someone my height (less seat post flex). This review is here to say that the Schwinn also makes for a great cross-country/downhill bike. The new parts brought the weight back up to around 26lbs...that's still a lot less than most other full-suspension bikes...especially downhill bikes. The URT suspension has been knocked for downhill riding because your legs still feel SOME of the bumps, but I found that this isn't a significant problem and that the increased travel of the front shocks do a lot for the overall feel. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mac
a cross-country rider
from San Jose, Ca
Date Reviewed: June 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a Schwinn S-10 for many reasons: 1) It was one of the more straight-foward and simple full suspension designs 2) In my opinion, it's the best looking full suspension bike 3) It's an excellent combination of comfort and performance 4) It's a Schwinn...my very first bicycle was a Schwinn. However, all the cosmetics aside, I will admit that I was a little disappointed with the ride and the weight of the bike after I had it for a few days. The bike I got is a 15 and I weigh about 145lbs...it was impossible for me to get the rear shock to work correctly. I'm not a full suspension expert, but I think that the shock is over-dampened for this combination. I solved the problem by replacing the rear with an air-shock and replacing the springs in the Judys with the Englund air cartridges. If you own one of these bikes, these modifications are going to make your bike sing! The improvement is dramatic.
As far as the weight, I went a little nuts with it and replaced the bottom bracket, seat post, etc. (lots of etc.) and now the bike weighs in at about 23.5lbs. I shaved off the most weight by replacing the tires and wheels (almost 2lbs!), the rear shock (1/4+lbs), cassette to an XTR Ti (1/4lbs). Between the weight loss and the air-shocks, this bike kicks some serious butt.
Out of all the other bikes I tried, the Schwinn (after modifications) is the OVERALL best performer. Of course, there are bikes that do specific things better but for people like me who want to do everything with one bike, it an excellent choice.
The other bike that I was seriously considering was the FSR--very plush. That bike is great for downhill but not so great for climbing...overall, I felt like the bike had too much going on and it was never at rest mechanically. Besides, I'm not a fan of the box-type frames.
My rating is not for a stock '98 S-10, it's for one that's been put on a diet and had that terrible shock combination replaced or modified. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jimbo
a cross-country rider
from Orlando
Date Reviewed: June 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
After riding hardtail for a number of years I wanted to get the benefits of riding a full-sus but didn't want to give up great cornering or lose energy to bobbing. As I read, rode bikes from shops and borrowed bikes from friends for nearly a year I narrowed the field to three bikes: Specialized, Marin and Schwinn. I went with the Schwinn and in the last month I've taken my it to the mts. in Georgia & North Carolina and the technical single tracks here in FL. I'm VERY well pleased with my decision. I watched my friends bob all over the place with their full-sus like they were on an Inch-worm from when we were kids. My Schwinn sweet-spot put soooooo much more of my leg power into the drive train, if I hadn't been gloating so much I might have felt sorry for them. Did I lose anything to having a URT on a downhill? Not in my mind, I've use non-URTs and I did't see where I lost anything in suspension. It still smoothed out the worst of the ride and left me well in control.
Like I said, my other worry in going full was a loss of cornering. This again is one where I felt the Schwinn has pulled away from the rest. This bike shredded runs!!! I couldn't believe it, I felt better on this bike than I did on my hardtail. No problems there.
Now, on to specs. True, the Schwinn is not the lightest bike out there, no defence on that one. But its still well under the 30 lbs. Its a Tank limit and you can lighten it up even more by changing out components.(If you really want a lighter bike look elsewhere and oh yeah, stuff a extra thousand in that wallet too!) Next point. I was a little let down that the s series didn't have a still higher component package but I put a few more bucks into the bike and made it a full xt layout with Raceface cranks(:-). I did it right when I bought it and my shop gave me full credit on the part they removed and only charged the difference. (If you do nothing else switch the LX rapidfires for the XT! BIG difference.) Last, the cost. This bike on PAPER gives you a better value than the rest in its class. This does not even mention that it out performes anything within $400-$800 close to it!
If you're looking for a bike in the $1000-$2000 range this should be it!!! But don't just take my word, read & ride for yourself. (And don't just ride in the bike shop's parking lot!!! Borrow or rent a few and thrash 'em on a trail.) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
AJ
a weekend warrior
from Nova Scotia
Date Reviewed: June 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had my S-10 for a week now, and it's broken down on every ride so far(5). When it's working it seems to be an exellent bike. The LBS has been great about keeping it on the trail, but now I just can't trust it to take it on a long solo ride. I hope it's just working out the bugs, if not I'll have to convert it to a cushie road bike. I'll post another review in the fall when i get more time on it. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a weekend warrior
from Santa Maria, Ca USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just bought one last weekend, im hoping its a good one this is the first true mountain bike i have bought for 15 years, im hoping i made a good choice. I have talked to a few folks and they said its an awsome bike for a first timer on the Full suspension aspect. I know this isnt the place to put this but im just looking for some feedback on if this was a wise descision, i had to order it there were only 5 in the US and its comming from chicago...thanks for the feedback Dave | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
los lobos
a downhiller
from canada
Date Reviewed: March 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Iam going to purchase the 98 s-10 all montain but i would like to know if they have improved their braking system, also where im from their is a lot of rocks so the front disc could be a disadvantage. I recommend that if you're from a town with a lot of rocky trails and loose rock try to get the dealer to swap youre disc for some decent hydraulics if any body has this bike i can`t wait to see you're review on it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TOM GIO
a cross-country rider
from DES PLAINES, IL
Date Reviewed: February 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I JUST ORDERED A 98 S-10 W/ THE CARBON ALL MTN. FRAME W/ A JUDY XC AND V-BRAKES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHWINN CALLS IT AND MY LBS HADN'T EVEN HEARD OF IT. ANYONE OUT SEEN OR HEARD OF THIS BIKE? A FRIEND OWNS A 97 S-10 THAT CAME W/ WHITE INDUSTRIES CRANK, XT DERAIULLERS AND SUN RIMS, MY LBS SAID DELIVERY WILL BE END OF MARCH OR EARLY APRIL. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
golfer
a weekend warrior
from Oakley ,CA
Date Reviewed: February 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I'm going to buy the S-30 looks like a good deal! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
frogger
a cross-country rider
from the wetterlands up north
Date Reviewed: December 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
my cousin has a schwinn frontier that he bought at a shop in bend. He let me borrow it for the weekend so I could go with my friends, mine was in the shop. Well I totally thrashed. the breaks snapped and I went off a cliff the bike got totalled. but since it was brand new the shop gave him a new bike and and a hundred dolllar gift certificate for whatever he wanted in the store.
by the way this is a fictional story:):):):):):) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christophe Venot
a
from downhiller
Date Reviewed: December 18, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
An axellent frame!!! worth its weight in gold. I love the pplluusshh rear end and love how much stiffer and lighter the 96 S-10 is than the s[9six](which also weighs a ton) This is the bike for hardcore riders on a budget. THIS BIKE IS AWESOME!! I would reccomend it to anyone who is short on cash, but wants a great bike. I bought the frame only used for $400 and use a fox alps 4 shock this combination works well with my 97 Judy SL's that have speed springs insied them. Without the springs, the fork does not match the rear end's plushness and ability to absorb tiny to HUGE impacts. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron Glick
a weekend warrior
from Washington DC
Date Reviewed: December 9, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got one of the 98 S-10s. It is great. The sweat spot works excellently.
It is a well ballenced agile bike. Although it is a bit heavy, you never know by riding it. The paint could be more matalic and the cabel routing sucks. Besides a few minor things (tires, bars) its well spec'd. The type 3 judy is springy even with oil dampening. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
The Other Guy
a cross-country rider
from Yakima, WA
Date Reviewed: October 12, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I posted a review below. Just wanted to update y'all. Looks like only a
few changes for the '98 model. (unless you look at the free-ride version,
puke) I still love the bike. More now than at the beginning. I sold the
Judy's and (in my opinion) upgraded to RST Mozo XL's. They are much more stiff
and plush. Plus they are buffed aluminum and match the rest of the bike. :)
Someone else wrote about the cable routing problem. I agree. My rear brake
cable finally froze up on a gnarly downhill. I changed to a continuous housing
from the lever to the brakes. No more problem, but I don't like having the zip
ties around the down tube to hold the cable.
The only other problem I've had is the large pivot got a lot of dust in it
and made a medium pitched groaning. It's easy to take apart and clean, but...
Ought to be some way to seal it better.
I love the comfortable ride, and think it handles in well in all conditions.
A little like a hard tail on fast fire roads though.
Highly recommended purchase! Steve | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Studmuffin
a racer
from USA
Date Reviewed: October 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
EXCELLENT Bike. The guy below me is an idiot | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam Linder
a cross-country rider
from Salinas, CA.
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Have just over 500 miles in the saddle of my S-10. Got it after 1st. owner bonked on riding after 3 months. Wasn't shopping for one, but fond memories of my Stingray made the buy easier.
As a diehard hardtail rider for many years, what an unbelievable difference in downhill performance. I have bombed sigle track lines I've never dreamed of before.
As for the climbs, the extra weight is tolerable, good traction, and no hint of flex, so quite a surprize.
Overall, a great value. The weight is well worth the extra effort, will never look back at my hardtail.
Also, the brakes haven't impressed me @ all even after upgrading to XTR pads. But who uses them that much when you have a Sweet Spot... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pery
a weekend warrior
from los altos,ca
Date Reviewed: August 6, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
i would like to add to my previous review that the cable routing
on the down tube is poor. it seems to be design to collect dirt and
needs alot of work to keep thing running smooth. i have modified the
rear brake with a single cable and thats working fine. the drive
train i will up grade this fall with kevlar cables (one long cable and
by pass the cable stops). the rear shock area catches dirt so i am making
an inner fender out of carbon fiber to keep the shock area cleaner. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
perry
a weekend warrior
from los altos
Date Reviewed: August 6, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
i have owned this bike for about six months and overall i am very pleased
with its performance.it took a while to get the suspension dialed in,but
that may have been from not reading the directions.this is my first duel
suspension bike.my riding style is fast on the down hill and slow on the
up hills,so i added a 20 tooth sprocket up front and would like to up
grade the rear shock to a remote adjustable model.my only compliant is
the brake pads and the head set comes loose after every ride(i am planning
to upgrade this to a chris king headset). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brent
a cross-country rider
from MN
Date Reviewed: May 16, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This bike is great except a little on the heavy side. It's really smooth on the down hills hills when you stay in the saddle. I found that speed springs were needed in the judy xc's
to make them go with the fox alps 4 that comes on the bike. I think that some
lighter componants would be great and make the bike a whole lot better.
Every thing else is great even when i'm pedeling backwards.yes I am pedeling backwards. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a cross-country rider
from Yakima, WA
Date Reviewed: April 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I really love this bike. Don't believe any of the crap you hear about the
URT. The Sweet Spot truly is... Even when standing. The parts in this
price range or fantastic. (The S.20 is a steal too though) In case you
are interested in one my LBS has a 17 and a 21 in stock as of 4-4-97.
I can't wait for some aftermarket makers for the brake pads, that's the
only problem so far. I did change the tires to V-raptors cause I ride
alot in sandy conditions. I would give it 5 stars, but I am not impressed
with the RS Judy's. (they are for sale too, check the marketplace section)Steve. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick
a weekend warrior
from Palo Alto, CA
Date Reviewed: April 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
After shopping the other FS bikes in this price range, I decided on the S-10 on the basis of value. The bike has alot of equipment for the price. It is a pure blast to ride on both fire roads and singletrack. I have changed my riding style from my other bike ('93 Trek 970). I find the sweet spot design fine -- although it was hard to compare it in the parking lot,at the bike shops. Finding one was hard (17). I had to get mine shipped down from Sacramento.My only complaint is the stock brake pads -- they seem to glaze over after a few seconds ... and they are wearing fast. But from what I've read in the hall of shame, I will need to replace them soon anyways.Lots of fun! Gets me out on the trails MUCH more often as I am not beat up after each ride like before. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stu
a cross-country rider
from Yorba Linda, CA
Date Reviewed: March 31, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased a Schwinn S-10 two weeks ago. Couldn't find a 15 frame anywhere in So. Cal, but somehow my LBS in Yorba Linda located one through Schwinn. I replaced a 95 GT RTS-2 and I can't believe the difference. This bike has been knocked for the Sweet Spot design when standing(40% stiffer), but after some fooling around with the preload on the rear shock (Schwinn recommends 1/4 sag) I still get quite a bit of travel when standing and unbelievable plushness when sitting. The bike climbs like a goat and feels much stiffer laterally compared with my RTS-2. It comes with Sun CR17-A rims, f/r XT deraileurs, LX hubs (clutchless in the rear) and Vbrakes. It also has White Industries cranks. The one negative I have at this point is with the RS Judy XC Long Travel. It's just to hard. I have heard this from others and I guess it'll have to break in or I'll upgrade to Speed Springs. Overall I am very pleased with the purchase and for what you get it's a steal if you can find one! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Seth
a cross-country rider
from Lancaster CA
Date Reviewed: March 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Full Suspsion rules! I just got a 1997 Schwinn S10 FS bike. My previous ride was a 1995 hardtail
with STX group with BodyShock seatpost. It's not even fair to compare the two bikes . This bike
plain rocks, downhills are a blast, uphill's are better than the 26lb hardtail ever was, no loss of
traction. For a great review of the Schwinn Sweet Spot frame see Feb. 97 Mountain Bike Action
Mag. The review of the S20 applies to the S10. The S10 is upgraded to a long travel Judy XC,
LX/XT mix and Sun CR17 rims. The dual rate suspension has some unadvertised advantages. The
bike does not pogo at all, in or out of the saddle! The dual rate stiffens when your out of the seat
for jumps and fast descents. This is good. The ratio change is needed since the impacts are much
more intense at speed. If your know about dirt motorcycles think about the varible rate Honda
Pro-Link, enough said. This bike is a little heavy tipping the bathroom scale at 27lbs with no
tools/tubes/waterbottles etc. On the trail it doesn't feel any heavier than my previous ride. I guess
racer's couldn't accept the weight but it hasn't hurt me in the least. I WILL NEVER RIDE A
HARDTAIL AGAIN! The price is great, only $300 bucks up from the S20. No squeaks or pivot
noise. The only changes I've made are a WTB SST TI saddle, different bars, barends and WTB
Velicraptor K tires. The stock stuff is usable but not great. I'd give it 10 stars if I could! | | Overall Rating: |
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