The company’s next answer to requests for a Schwinn mountain bike was the King Sting and the Sidewinder, inexpensive BMX-derived bicycles fabricated from existing electro-forged frame designs, and using off-the-shelf BMX parts. Front and rear mechanical disc brakes deliver all-weather stopping power and speed control so you can ride with confidence in a variety of conditions. Schwinn mountain bikes come in a variety of models and affordable price points. The Boundary is best for entry-level and casual riders who want a bike with the flexibility to ride on the trail or the street.
The rear suspension does not add a significant amount of weight, and the Traxion weighs about the same as the motorized Schwinn Ridgewood. Even with the electronics and motor, the Schwinn Ridgewood weighs about the same as a traditional mountain bike. Schwinn states that the Ridgewood schwinn tricycle electric mountain bike has a range of 45 miles, but this can vary with terrain, rider weight, and weather conditions, just like an electric car. The 2022 Schwinn Ridgewood electric mountain bike makes uphill climbs easier and riding on level surfaces faster and more fun.
Some notable features include an aluminum frame with a dropped top tube for easy mount and dismount and a suspension fork with 100mm of travel to help absorb shock on rough trails. The Ridgewood has front and rear mechanical disc brakes with large rotors for enhanced stopping power. The 7-speed Microshift drivetrain with trigger shifters allows for efficient gear selection in any riding mode.
After a crash-course in new frame-building techniques and derailleur technology, Schwinn introduced an updated Paramount with Reynolds 531 double-butted tubing, Nervex lugsets and bottom bracket shells, as well as Campagnolo derailleur dropouts. 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.
Mountain bikes were originally based on Schwinn balloon-tired cruiser bicycles fitted with derailleur gears and called “Klunkers”. A few participants began designing and building small numbers of mountain bikes with frames made out of modern butted chrome-molybdenum alloy steel. Using the standard electro-forged cantilever frame, and fitted with five-speed derailleur gears and knobby tires, the Klunker 5 was never heavily marketed, and was not even listed in the Schwinn product catalog.