[rynoman03]

Hello MTBR,

I recently acquired an old Schwinn Full Suspension S-10A from a local bike recycle-ry I help out at. I got the bike for free so I'm really not out any money on it. This old girl was in a corner and looked pretty clean for its age. I thought I might give it a go and maybe even try to ride it some as a nostalgia bike.

The fork didn't seem bad until I threw tires on it and went to go for a ride. The fork instantly compressed with my weight on it, and it never came up for air. :eekster:

Kinda bummed out I took the bike back into my home and went scouring the internet trying to find out if the fork is rebuild-able, is it worth rebuilding, should I replace with another fork, or should I just part it out.

It's pretty well equipped for 1998-99. Gold SunRingle rims, Deore Hubs, Deore LX brakes, XT rear derailleur 8sp, XT Shifters, White Industries triple crank, RockShox Judy XC, Cane Creek rear shock, Stock Cockpit. It's no Yeti or Specialized but it was supposedly a good bike back in the day.

So here is my issue, this thing is clean as a whistle but it's broke. The Fork is shot, and the rear der \ shifter needs tuned or replaced. Can a person even resale one of these bikes for a decent price to make it work fixing? Should I sell it as is? Is it even worth keeping to ride?

Good or bad i'm open to opinions.

 

[phattruth]

Nice bike for free. I rebuild a lot of these old bikes. If it were mine I'd do the following....

1. Find a replacement fork that works (preferably a rebuildable air fork) or rebuild with a spring kit if you can find one. You can get replacement elastomers, but they don't last forever.

2. The rear air shock likely needs a rebuild or will at some point. Good luck finding a rebuild kit. Assuming none are available I'd find the original manual and find out the oil weight and the o-ring size and type required and do a rebuild. Rear shocks are pretty simple so you may be able to rebuild it yourself if you do your homework.

3. The shifter/deraileur parts are still around on ebay. The old shifters have a tendency to gum up over time and as a result don't downshift or the plastic parts inside break altogether. If it's just gummed up, pull it a part and lube it up really good while shifting it up and down several times until it starts shifting properly. The rear mech should be alright but I'd replace the cable and housing for sure.
If you can't get the shifter to work and you can't find a NOS rapidfire shifter, the Sram grip shifters are still available online. I know JensonUSA.com carries them.

As for selling it, you're not likely to make money on the bike, but it is still a great bike and assuming you can make the fixes happen I'd just ride it.

Good luck and happy trails.

 

[rynoman03]

The cables look new still. No rust or anything. I need to get a shock pump and see how much air is actually in the rear currently or I could use my MTB high flow pump.

I think I mainly was drawn to it just because it was different and was kinda rad looking. Crap my 90's are showing.

I will probably take the shifter apart, and shift cables are cheap. I can get those for free or for a buck. I've had the Sram grip shift, bought them off of JensonUSA.com too as replacement x9's. I'm not much of a fan of them, but I have a friend that will ride nothing but them.

As for a rebuildable air fork what would you suggest? I think an older SID would be cool but maybe even a newer Solo Air RS would be nice if I could find a decent used one.

 

[phattruth]

As for a rebuildable air fork what would you suggest? I think an older SID would be cool but maybe even a newer Solo Air RS would be nice if I could find a decent used one.[/QUOTE]

A SID wold be great if you can find one, the only trick will be finding an 80mm travel version. I think 100mm will mess up the geometry.

 

[rynoman03]

Got a used manitou from this era coming on the mail for 35 bux. Might need to have the decals redone but it was cheap.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[CTB]

Wow, that's one HECK of a free bike!

BTW, 100mm will improve the geo IMO. I have 100's on my Sweetspots to slow down some of the twitchiness. 100 works well.

 

[rynoman03]

I forgot to update. I got the replacement Manitou fork installed.

Sadly the bike rides terrible.

The shifter needs rebuilt or replaced. It's gummed up and the top 3 gears the trigger doesn't engage.

The suspension I bottom out just hopping curbs. But it doesn't help that I'm a Clydesdale. (Working on that... Dropped 20# this year already.)

The brakes are xt rim and make a boatload of noise. They probably just need the glazing from over the years cleaned off. Same goes with the rims.

I'm sure it was a sweet bike at one time, or maybe it was not. But it's just going to get parted out.

I have no desire to hang a frame on a wall unless I won a race on it or it has sentimental value. I can get my money for the fork back from selling it, the cranks, and other parts.

If anyone wants the frame I'd gladly ship it at your cost. The RS fork is mint condition. I'm going to try to sell it for someone whom wants to restore it / rebuild it.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[bad mechanic]

If anyone wants the frame I'd gladly ship it at your cost. The RS fork is mint condition. I'm going to try to sell it for someone whom wants to restore it / rebuild it.

PM sent!