MASS-MARKET SCHWINNS AND WATER BOTTLES ON SMALL FRAMES
April 29, 2006
When did Schwinn start selling
bikes in department stores? I was at a bike store looking
for a used bike and they sold me a ladies’ Schwinn
Frontier that was made in 2000. The shop guy said, “This
is when a Schwinn was a Schwinn.” Is that a true statement?
Also, what size water bottle cage
would fit a ladies 13" frame? The mounts are there
but it looks like a bottle would not fit in that area. Thanks.
Joe S.
Joe:
Bicycle manufacturer Pacific Cycle
acquired the Schwinn brand in 2001 and starting offering
Schwinn bikes thru deparment (“mass market”) stores
in 2002.
Your question has to do with the quality
of the manufacturing of a Schwinn bike. As with almost any
bicycle product line with models priced below, say, $500,
the quality varies by model. If you get a really cheap Schwinn
at a big-box store, don’t expect it to last as long as
a more expensive Schwinn.
The way to avoid trouble: Buy your
Schwinn from an independent bicycle dealer (IBD). Like others
in the industry, Pacific Cycle has one set of Schwinn bikes
it offers to big boxes; it offers another, generally superior
set to IBDs. Individual IBDs might have soured on Schwinn
after 2002—so, if you want a Schwinn, just stay away
from those guys.
Bicycle water bottles, and therefore
bottle cages, tend not to vary in diameter. So if a small
bike frame doesn’t let a bottle fit exactly in the
place determined by the mounting bolts, you have two options:
- Use mounting straps to place the bottle cage in a better
place. My book, Urban
Bikers’ Tricks & Tips, shows how to use
different kinds of hardware for custom installations like
this.
- Get a bottle cage holder (like on the right) that lets
you mount a cage on the bike’s handlebar, seat, or elsewhere.
Mr Bike
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