Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2020-07-27)

63

THE ONE

A hand-welded, vintage-inspired

bike from Schwinn offers

an elegant means of escape

Photograph by Frank Frances

Smooth

Cruisin’

Adult bikes are

often built to

fulfill a singular

purpose: racing

along well-paved

roads, bashing

down mountain

trails, or hauling

cargo around town.

But some exist

for the beautifully

broad aim of giving

pleasure. The

limited-edition

Schwinn Collegiate

($998) takes

up that mantle.

Celebrating the

125th anniversary

of the brand, the

It’s also got simple,

yet reliable, SRAM

Apex components

and disc brakes.

• Starting at $3,850,
  the all-purpose,
  single-speed
  Speedvagen
  Urban Racer is
  not, the company
  says, “about
  being reasonable
  or responsible.”
  Matching fenders
  and a chain guard
  keep riders clean
  while they’re out
  getting dirty.

THE CASE

You’ll find yourself

rolling the Collegiate

out the door for

the smallest of

reasons—and often

for no reason at all.

The ride is smooth,

thanks to the bike’s

supple 38mm-wide

Kenda tires and

Wisconsin-sourced

lightweight steel

tubing, hand-welded

by Detroit Bikes.

Handling is reserved

and predictable

but by no means

boring, giving you

the confidence to sip

a coffee while riding

one-handed or even

huck yourself off a

curb. The 8-speed

Shimano drivetrain

shifts crisply and

provides enough

range for casual

cruising. The

bike has all

the charm

of a vintage

American

steel frame

(smooth ride,

clean welds)

without any of

the drawbacks

that can come

with buying an

old bike (like hard-

to-find parts). The

Collegiate is perfect

for impromptu ice

cream jaunts on

summer nights.

$998; walmart.com

bike was inspired

by the company’s

lightweight 1965

Collegiate Deluxe

and looks like a

modern hybrid,

the kind of rig you

mighthoponfora

weekendexcursion

ona bikepath.

THE COMPETITION

• A similarly upright
  riding position is
  available on the
  Electra Loft 7D and
  the Townie Original
  7D (both $540).
  Each has a 7-speed
  Shimano drivetrain
  and a lightweight
  aluminum frame with
  clean, classic lines.


• The All-City
  Super Professional
  Apex 1 ($1,599) also
  features a beautiful
  chromoly steel frame
  and lugged fork,
  as well as plenty of
  mounting points
  for adding bags,
  fenders, or extra
  water bottle cages.

w

SMALL PRINT

Only 500 Collegiates will be

made. They’ll be available

exclusively at walmart.com,

beginning on Aug. 10.