Chaps, I've just bought a new toy, and I'm going to be selling my beloved Schwinn 4 Banger to make way for it. Apparently its Ok for some people to "need" 8 dozen pairs of shoes, but not to "need" to own four different bikes... :evil:
So, the 4 banger is going, but I really need to know its approximate value since it has a few pros and cons;
Pro's.
It's not cracked or dented, hasn't been raced, thrashed or crashed, and it's been used in dry weather only. I've only fallen off it once, when I low sided it going through a long corner...
It's got the best rear suspension system ever devised. A mix of carbon and alloy swing arms devised by Mert Lawwill, just like a Yeti.
It's one of the last 4 Bangers, made of easily repairable 7000 series aluminium tubes, which, if the worst were ever to happen, would make repair very simple.
Its fully IS disc brake compatible, meaning that you won't have to scour the earth looking for a direct mount 22mm brake for the back end.
It's been very well serviced, with annual strip and rebuild of the suspension system, including new bearings only a year ago.
The rear suspension is the latest iteration of this system from Schwinn, so it doesn't have the troublesome and crack prone pinch bolts of earlier frames.
It comes with both a coil shock
and an air shock, complete with all the mountings for the trunnion mount.
Its datatagged.
With a different shock, it can deliver 6" of rear travel, as per the almost identical Schwinn Straight 6.
Its still on its original headset, bottom bracket, chain, cassette, and sprockets. They're worn, but still very serviceable, reflecting just how little use this bike has had.
Cons.
The paint on this bike has proven to be fragile. It's all there, but there's 13 years worth of stone chips and scratches there.
It's one of the last 4 Bangers, so it's not a "Homegrown" 6061 frame.
The frame is Large, 21" if memory serves. I'm 6'2" with a 34" inside leg, and the photo shows it set up for me.
I'll be keeping the wheels for my new bike, and I may even find a use for the recently serviced Judy SL as well, so this sale will be just the frame and shocks.
The inclusion of two shocks makes this about as future proof a 4 banger as you are likely to find.
So, what do you think its worth.