Schwinn High Sierra: 30 Year Old Bike Review

Alloy linear pull brakes and a 21 speed twist shift deliver powerful control for safe and seamless riding. Introducing the Schwinn Mountain Bike Protocol 1.0, a reliable and responsive ride for your outdoor adventures. With its lightweight aluminum frame and full suspension, you’ll mongoose bmx experience a comfortable and smooth ride on any terrain. The 26-inch wheels fit riders from 64 to 74 inches tall, making it suitable for both men and women. SCHWINN made their contributions to mountain biking long before the mountain bike movement of the past 25 years.

At that point I asked the budding photographer to pull over into the parking lot of the local Schwinn shop. Back in those days most towns had a local Schwinn shop. In the shop, I hurriedly purchased a Schwinn High schwinn electric bike Plains mountain bike for $335. I wrote a check (remember those?) And so began my cycling career…well, not really. I actually called my sister and had her come and get me and the bike in her Chevy S-10 pickup.

A growing number of US teens and young adults were purchasing imported European sport racing or sport touring bicycles, many fitted with multiple derailleur-shifted gears. Schwinn decided to meet the challenge by developing two lines of sport or road ‘racer’ bicycles. One was already in the catalog — the limited production Paramount series.

The best part of the Schwinn High Sierra is the 4130 Chromoly steel frame and fork. The frame was fillet brazed in the front and TIG welded at the back and at the bottom bracket. Evidently, this was done because frame builders at the time didn’t believe that TIG welding was strong enough to hold the fork together.

The Paramount continued as a limited production model, built in small numbers in a small apportioned area of the old Chicago assembly factory. The new frame and component technology incorporated in the Paramount largely failed to reach Schwinn’s mass-market bicycle lines. W. Schwinn, grandson Frank Valentine Schwinn took over management of the company. The High Sierra features a nice mix of high-end components from Shimano, Suntour, Dia-Compe, and other manufacturers of the day.

Now that Jeff has tested these wheels and tires, folks who buy this bike know that it’s an option. That feels significantly better to me, and it’s worth the price. Even the first tubeless models felt better in terms of grip and suppleness, and those took a frustrating amount of work to set mongoose excursion up. It’s also worth the hassle, as I find tubeless tire mounting and setup with the current selection of tires and rims to be a quick and simple task. It might be even faster than mounting with a tube since you don’t have to worry about pinching the tube between the tire bead and the rim.

They became common on high-end bikes during the mid to late 80s. Roller cam brakes were designed to reduce brake arm flex to improve braking accuracy and performance. The Schwinn High Sierra was produced from around 1984 until around 1996. Most frames were made by Giant in Taiwan and sold under the Schwinn name. The High Sierra was Schwinn’s top-of-the-line mountain bike model from the time it was introduced until 1985 when Schwinn introduced the Cimarron. Schwinn mountain bikes have always been a reliable option for those looking for a high-performing and durable product at an affordable cost.