[lorsban]

Hi guys,

There's not a lot of info about the Moab or current Schwinn online. So, I'm hoping to shed some light on this bike.

I've been riding since I got my first mtb Schwinn Impact in the 80s. I'm not a competitive rider but I do ride about 3-4x a week.

This is my 2nd 29er. My 1st is a Mongoose Maurice. A cromo singlespeed that made me fall in love with 29 inch. So I wanted a 29 mtb and the Schwinn fit my budget.

This is a medium. I'm 5'9" with a 30.5-31in inseam. It has a 23in+ top tube, 18in seat tube. My other bikes are 17-17.5inch seat tube so this feels a tad more stretched-out. But not strained in any way.

I love the color because it's the same color my 1st Schwinn was. Only this is matte.

Minor issue - the decal isn't centered. How hard is it to center a decal?

It has a Alivio derailleurs and shifters. They work well enough. 9 speed. Sun Race cassette - which I may swap for Shimano later.

Here's another blast from the past: Suntour cranks!!! Brings back memories for sure. But again, I might swap these out for Shimano.

I find that I get better feel and shifting when everything's from the same brand.

Tektro Auriga brakes are quite good. I mean with hydraulic discs, brands and models aren't that far apart in my opinion.

Weakspot here. Will definitely change this to at least an Epicon. They're ok but too bouncy and jerky feeling. Not unexpected at this price.

Alex tubeless ready rims are a nice touch. Tires are great for hardpack and road, ok for mud. Very round profile.

Had to cut an inch and a half of seatpost since it was hanging up on the bottle cage screw and ended up too high for me.

I really like the wrap-around seat clamp tho.

Overall:

Great frame, mostly solid components.

I don't want to get into 29 vs 26 or whatever but this bike just rolls downhill, flats, and slight inclines EASILY. I added about 5-10 kph. Steep uphill is the opposite haha! Have to use an easier gear (there goes my 1x9 plan).
Steering is also somewhat slower compared to my 26 but again this is to be expected and ok because I'm not that technical a rider anyway. I prefer flowing trails more.

Another thing, it's not a lightweight. This feels like its 27-28lbs.

I intended this to be my long distance road hybrid but now I'm seeing a lot of pluses for off road duty as well. I still meed more time on my favorite trails to know for sure whether I should keep this as my main bike and sell my FS 26in.

For now tho, used as a road biased hybrid and cross country adventure type bike, this is more than capable in my opinion.

 

[lorsban]

Update:

Bike weighs a hefty 15kg!!! No wonder it flies downhill lol

Anyway, I've decided to put this on a diet. Originally just planned on swapping out the Suntour parts but I've read that I should look at the wheels as well.

So far, I've found Maddux Explorers. They're about 1.8kg (2 rims, spokes, hubs). $150. So I'm upgrading that first.

Next up would be forks or a 1x10 setup: SLX cassette/Rd/cranks.

That should save me 2 kilos at least.

I'm sure some of you are thinking (why waste time on a Schwinn???) Well, after riding it a bit, I like how this bike handles. Making it lighter, will only make it better.

I'm not hung up on this whole Dorel/China thing since everything's made in China anyway. Lol

 

[dietz31684]

Im actually impressed with it for a schwinn. Not any worse than trek/spec entry level bikes. The weight is about on par as well.

After a new fork is fitted I think it'll be a nice bike.

 

[lorsban]

Im actually impressed with it for a schwinn. Not any worse than trek/spec entry level bikes. The weight is about on par as well.

After a new fork is fitted I think it'll be a nice bike.

Yeah I'm quite impressed with the Alivio. They're pretty much exactly like my 2012-2013 Deore shadow setup.

If I don't get an awesome deal on the SLX, I'm keeping this setup.

Fork is definitely on the list.

 

[Rocket88R]

My biggest weight savings came from going to a 1x9 or a 1x10 drivetrain. That will really save some (over 2 on my bike) pounds. Then converted my wheels to run tubeless tires. That saved another 1.5 pounds. If your hubs are decent, you can probably rebuild your wheels with double butted spokes and lighter, wider rims for less than $150 for both wheels. That is what I did and it was a great upgrade. Building wheel seems daunting but turns out it is pretty easy. I just built my first set over Xmas break.

Replacing your fork will probably be the biggest performance increase you will feel. I would shop around for a used Fox fork in good shape. They can be had on ebay or CL in your area.

It is feels really good to ride a bike you put some sweat into building. Even better when you are passing bikes worth way more than yours.

 

[lorsban]

Thanks for the tip Rocket!

That's more or less what I plan to do. But I'm going to start with the fork, maybe Epicon. Should save me 1.5-2 pounds over the coil XCM. And give me a big performance boost. Fox is good but $$$.

Next, rims and maybe hubs. I need to do research first tho.

The drivetrain I might do last because the Alivio setup is still quite good. Works as well as my 2012 Deore.

 

[Rocket88R]

Fox = $$$ True, but you can rebuild it will parts from the manufacture (or other) for years to come. I think you will come out ahead in the long run and have a great fork for the life of your ride.

 

[lorsban]

Fox = $$$ True, but you can rebuild it will parts from the manufacture (or other) for years to come. I think you will come out ahead in the long run and have a great fork for the life of your ride.

Yeah, Fox is awesome, it's just that I don't race and I use the Schwinn for tamer routes. It wouldn't be very cost effective for me to spend too much on a fork.

 

[lorsban]

Got a good deal on a wheelset/fork combo so that's 2 down.

 

[lorsban]

Damn! Xcm fork was 2.8 kg! Stock Alexrim set was also 400g heavier.

Net savings for the Fulcrum wheelset and Epicon fork was just under 1.5kg. Whole bike is now 29.6 pounds.

I'm just gonna wait till something breaks in my Alivio setup then I'll upgrade to an Slx 2x10 and save another kilo or so.

When the tires wear out, I can save another 200-400 grams or more if I convert to tubeless and go for lighter tires.

That'll bring weight to a respectable 26.5 pounds.

 

[lorsban]

Anyway here it is:

Put on my old Kore stem, which is about 10 mm shorter than stock. Angled it downward and lowered the stem position. Made handling quicker. Tho it could also be the lighter wheels...or the 15qr...

Whatever it is, handling is much sharper now.

 

[Doktor Esperanto]

Nice bike dude ! Does it say anywhere on the frame which country it was made ? I'm hoping for at least Taiwan, but everything seems to be made in China these days.

 

[lorsban]

Nice bike dude ! Does it say anywhere on the frame which country it was made ? I'm hoping for at least Taiwan, but everything seems to be made in China these days.

Thanks man!

The frame is from China. Like 90+% of all frames and parts these days.

Since Dorel also bought GT and Cannondale, their frames are made in China as well. But still US designed tho.

Tough to beat $4-6/DAY labor cost.

 

[ConchoBill]

I think I read that a guy bought a Moab to ride the great divide, on another page of this forum . That's a very nice looking bike!

I bought a Trek Marlin 5 last wknd because it was convenient and I could afford th price. Honestly the best bike I've ever owned, but yesterday when I was installing a speedometer I found that sticker "made in China" .

 

[lorsban]

I think I read that a guy bought a Moab to ride the great divide, on another page of this forum . That's a very nice looking bike!

I bought a Trek Marlin 5 last wknd because it was convenient and I could afford th price. Honestly the best bike I've ever owned, but yesterday when I was installing a speedometer I found that sticker "made in China" .

Haha yeah that's just how it is these days.

What's important is the main company's quality control.

 

[lorsban]

It has just occurred to me that I have zero standover clearance on this thing lol

Even the small is listed with a 31.3" standover. This medium has 32.1".

I never notice because I hardly ever stand over the top tube. And I dismount off the side all the time. When there's trouble, I still put one leg down. So basically I don't notice standover.

 

[Mace27.5]

I have the 2014 Rocket 2. It is basically the 27.5 version of your bike. Has all the same components (except that some are designed for 27.5"). I love it! Probably the best bike around for $750.00

 

[lorsban]

From MTB to Hybrid:

This is replacing my Singlespeed since I wanted something more modern, with disc brakes and a bottle cage. 9 speeds is good too.

Haven't weighed it yet but it feels like it's around 22-23 pounds now.

Tires are 700x38C.

Sent from my LG-H818 using Tapatalk

 

[moto120]

I just purchased a Schwinn Moab 2 29er. Great bike. Wondering if you have an update on your bike. Any more mods, photos, etc.
Thanks.

 

[Mace27.5]

I quite love my Rocket 2 650b. I believe the Schwinn Signature Series (the models only available at independent bike shops) are one the best deals on the market. The model year of mine (2014), the Rocket 2 and Moab 2 were the least expensive bikes on the market with tapered head tubes. Send some pics of your new Moab 2...