5 stars

Bought this bike about a month ago and I have to say it is awesome. Cant beat it for [the price I paid].

5 stars

after riding this bike for awhile,i find myself extremely happy with it.the fine tuning with shifting were very simple,just read the manual and follow the very simple instructions.the other poeple that gave this bike bad ratings are sadly mistaken about this bike. i would absolutly recommend this to my friends and have done so.

5 stars

Schwinn makes a top notch product at a reasonable price. Derailleurs and brakes will need adjustment, but are by no means faulty, Do Not Listen to " Doctor Angelo ", I actually am a bicycle engineer with over a decade in the field and I buy Schwinn bikes as a rule. The other reviewer is describing textbook maladjustment of the componentry, adjusted properly you will not have a problem, and never place your foot on the back of the front tire upon brake failure because it can cause the bicycle to flip. Upon brake failure, keep one foot on the pedal and the other one on the GROUND.
Even Schwinns website states that their quality will stand up to other bikes which retail for twice as much, I have, for many years now, always found this to be true. You, quite literally, can-not beat this bike for the money.
By the way, Angelo is a quack, the engineering is just fine. I know because it's what I do.

2 stars

I purchased this bike about 3 months ago and sold it a couple of weeks ago.
The gears stick, and will shift when you least expect it...this is a problem when you are going up or down a hill. If you get this bike be ready to take it in to a bike shop to get the derailleurs adjusted. The bike is not properly put together or adjusted. In my opinion, save your money. For a $100 more, you can get a decent bike at a bike shop, not to mention the fact that it will be assembled correctly and they might give you free bike adjustments. Purchase at your own risk.

4 stars

The bike itself is great, I haven't gotten to ride it much, but I just finished the adjustment process of the bike. Looks like it was assembled by a monkey at the store, which made me almost not buy it. As I was Adjusting it to the way things are supposed to be on the bike, I noticed it really is a great bike for the price.

Clearly if you are used to bike shop bikes this bike is not going to compare to a 500 dollar bike there, but for my needs it works very well. If you plan on 40 mph down hill ventures, then this bike is not for you. It even warns you thats a bad idea in the manual, It is a cross country tourer, I believe is what was stated.

Over all it is the Best quality bike I've ever had, a big step up from my usual 100 to 200 dollar bikes.

5 stars

When I first time I saw this bike in the store last December,I didnt change my mind. I just bought it right away. Then, I did a test drive for almost 2 hours. I had some fun with it though. I thought the ride was not that bad when I rode this bike on the road. But, when I tried riding this bike going up in the hill, It gave me a little hard time. I had to change the gear from 7-3 or all the way 2. Then I looked down at the chain right away because I heard a pop sound. I thought the chain took apart. But the good thing, it didn't and I kept pedals the bike until I reached the top of the hill. That was only my problem but other than that, it's a nice bike and worth of price. I also rode this bike on the snow,it didn't slip or fell down in the snow. I was amazed.

5 stars

I bought this bike because in the $300 price range it is an excellent value for a department store bike. The frame on this model is very similar to the much more expensive Mesa line (see one circa 2002) and is made of higher quality 7005 aluminum found on more expensive bikes so the frame makes a great base for upgrades. The rest of the components (suspension, shifters, brakes) are good enough quality to last the average rider quite awhile. I will upgrade them as they wear out. I also loved the way this bike looked and it just felt right to me. (I prefer the handle bars to be slightly higher than than seat, not level which often seems to be the case on mountain bikes)

1 stars

(This applies Schwinn Double Suspension Ditch unmotorized Models with Shimano Derailleur and Brake Components)

I bought this bike and used it for awhile, as an experienced bike rider, and as a manufacturing engineer I noticed several things were wrong with it. Derailleur did not work properly, chain and spokes got together at will and snapped out of gear uphill, and came off completely downhill (even though it is a name brand component: Shimano). It does have an impressive suspension and the comfort level is perfect.

But the dangerous thing about this particular model (Schwinn markets them under Ditch subname through stores like Costco, Target etc.) is not the derailleur system but the brakes. Brake components are poorly designed and put together and after a little use they come off at the handlebar. If you check the customer handled model in the store by applying brakes and examining at the handlebar you will see Achille's heel. This bike is not engineered at all, a novice drafstman appear to have designed the product. When you are coming down 35-40 miles an hour at an incline and tension wires of brakes comes off you are likely to be seriously injured or killed.

If you find ever yourself in a predicament like that, steady yourself with one foot on the pedal put the other foot between the tire and the top of front fork, bottom of your sole pushing against the outer part of rotating tire, push as hard as you can, it may ruin the shoe but it surely will stop the bike or slow it down to save you from injury.

4 stars

this bike is great for taking off road on trails for beginners. its a good price and is of pretty good quality. my only complaint is that the rear tire doesnt have a disk brake