Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Schwinn Coffee Cruiser

Schwinn Coffee Cruiser. Available at Performance Bikes for $250. May also be available at your local Wal-Mart.

2008 Specs:

Frame: 700c Schwinn Classic Sport
Crankset: One piece, 46T
Pedals: Schwinn Bowtie cruiser
Freewheel: 22T
Rims: Alloy 700c 36H
Hubs: SRAM I-motion, 3-spd with coaster brake
Handlebar: Low rise sport
Saddle: Schwinn sport saddle
Chainguard
Rear rack
Fenders: steel

If you have any feedback on the Schwinn Coffee, please leave a comment.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Finally, something (almost) sub $250. Course I'll swap the bars out for some drops (I'm weird) but otherwise it's tick the box time:

* Mudguards
* Rack
* sensible 700C wheels
* hub gears
* chain guard

Yeha!
Fishbones

Freewheel said...

The price is right.

Of course, the best deals, IMHO, are used bikes.

Anonymous said...

I got one a little over a month ago. Nice bike (definitely not a Wal-Mart model, but I know that was a little joke). I like the little additions like faux-leather grips. One thing I was surprised at is that it seems like a fairly large frame bike (and only one size, natch), so anyone much shorter than 5'9" or so might have trouble with this one. All in all, an enjoyable ride.

Freewheel said...

That's good news (except for the one size only part).

As far as Wal-Mart, that was not intended as a joke. Many Schwinn models are available at Wal-Mart; I don't know whether this one is or will be.

Anonymous said...

Well, this is what they call a "Schwinn Select" model which, fwiw, seems to be what they sell to LBS's. The cheaper ones go to Wal-Mart. At any rate an LBS is where I bought mine.
Speaking of money, I noticed on another website that the Performance Bikes version of the Coffee is a single speed. I certainly hope so -- I paid full price (near 400) for my 3 speed right before it appeared at Performance. And I was kicking myself. So if that's true, it makes sense.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I'm a little sick now; I recently put about $500 into rehabbing a 1960 Raleigh 3-speed. I should have just bought the Coffee Bike.

Still, I do like that Raleigh.

ProgressivePete

Emmy said...

For those of you with this bike, do you know the standover height, top tube length, and weight? I can't seem to find it anywhere.
Thank you!

Emmy said...

Actually I know the standover height, just not the weight or top tube length!

Anonymous said...

So, how much does it weigh, and is the stand over really 30.75"? And what is the top tube length. I want to get this bike for my boyfriend for his birthday. I showed it to him, and he loves cruisers, but I want to get him something... faster than a classic cruiser, and something lighter. I'd like to do some touring with him maybe later on, but he doesn't really like the touring bikes. So, if anyone can get me that info, I'll come back to find it.

winterwhite said...

It looks very similar to my 1978 Collegiate Cruiser, which was a dream to ride until someone stole the handlebars last winter. I'll definitely have to look more into this.

Art Simon said...

Just ordered my single speed Schwinn Coffee from performance bikes today. I'd been watching these, and the current sale price with the 15% coupon is $169, too good to pass up! I was a kid in the 70s, and this looks like what bikes are suppose to look like, something right out of those Schwinn catalogs I poured over as a kid. I will post again once I have had a chance to ride. Thanks for the great blog, and bringing this beauty to my attention.

Art Simon said...

Just picked up my Schwinn Coffee single speed today and rode it back from the shop. I like it. It rides well, it's comfortable and it's a great looking bike. The standover height on mine is a tad over 31". It does feel cheaper than my K2 Big Easy Deuce. The fenders bend easily, my front fender came with a small dent and isn't quite straight. Mine freewheels, there is no coaster brake. I don't know enough about bikes to know if that's an option in the setup of the bike, or a design feature, but I prefer it to a (third!) coaster brake. I bought it for the looks, it looks just like my dad's old Schwinn kickback two speed. The rear rack isn't a useful as a more modern design. It has a slight curve, and no bottom attachment point so neither of my two sets of grocery panniers fits. It's a small price to pay for the cool style though. All in all, a great deal at the current online sale price of $169. Thanks again for the great blog!

Anonymous said...

I've been riding mine for a number of months. The low price certainly shows in some ways (crap paint that scratches easily, really heavy, poor components), but it sure gets compliments with its old school styling.

I guess my biggest complaint is fit. It is a very large frame. I'm 6'0. Standover is fine (barely). But the pedals are well-forward of the seat, putting uncomfortable stress on my knees when pedaling in a seated position. Second biggest complaint is the brakes -- they barely stop the bike coming down a hill.

All that said, I'd buy it again for $200. I don't care about leaving it outside, and it's handy for getting around the neighborhood. I would not want to depend on it as a commuter, but it serves its purpose.

Art Simon said...

I just mounted a Wald 139 basket on this bike, and I think it's a great match. I put a review of the Wald 139 up at amazon.com, along with some pictures of it mounted on the Schwinn Coffee.

Jeff said...

Just picked mine up from performance bike... Im very happy with it so far. The 700 cc wheels and gear ratio make it faster than a beach cruiser, but just as comfortable. I have to say however I think the saddle and grips are ugly in person, but thats an easy fix. Definitely worth the $169 sale price plus $20 oversize item ship fee.

Anonymous said...

I Have been asking for this bike up in Canada for a year now and i cant find it.Anyone knows if and where i can find them in Bufflo?

Art Simon said...

I've had mine for several months now. A nut on the pedals came loose, and there was some annoying movement I could feel when pedaling. I took it into the local Performance Bikes shop, and a guy quickly fixed it (for free in 5 minutes or so). It's back to my favorite bike, but it's not too expensive to leave locked at the local BART station, which is good now that the Bay Bridge is still closed. All in all, I'd still give this bike a big thumbs up. I notice that performance bikes has the woman's version on sale now as well. I'm looking forward to riding mine to the BART station tomorrow.

Unknown said...

I cannot remember how to reattach the gear cable. Does anybody share a pic with me on how it connects?

Anonymous said...

I notice that performance bikes has the woman's version on sale now as well.
Cruiser Bicycle

la blonde paranoïde said...

where to buy it in russia(( seems nowhere(((

Ben S said...

I have one - it's great for day to day riding. I ride it probably 10-15k a day as part of my commute to work and I enjoy it. It's easy. Looks great too.

Anonymous said...

I have a 1970 lady Ross i take from Penn station to the village and back every day. NYC is where you go to get your bike stolen I had two mountin bikes get ripped off in a short time. The lady Ross is so ugly no one bothers it, but its getting old. The coffee seems to be in the ballpark for my needs

Taylor said...

I've had this bike from day 1 (I worked at a dealer and scooped up the first one we got). My first adult bike was a Schwinn Collegiate with an SA 3-speed hub and I've very much enjoyed this new spin on an old classic. A few points:
The handlebars, while cool, leave me in a somewhat odd middle ground in terms of posture. I prefer to sit more upright and I find myself leaning on my wrists more than I'd like. I'm swapping for a Dutch-style handlebar.
If you ride a lot and live in a relatively flat town you may find yourself wanting more gears. I think the SRAM 3-pack tops out around 1:1.35. I'm considering a switch to the Shimano Alfine 11 (the 11 has evenly spaced ratios compared to the 8's more haphazard spacing)
If you're a bookworm or serious shopper you may quickly overload the rear assembly. It may be that the spokes are just at the end of their lives but with fully loaded panniers it doesn't take much to break them. I'll be going to 35h and 13G for the new assembly (currently 32H and, I presume, 14G)
Other plans include switching the 1-piece crankset out for a Schlumpf 2-speed, adding a Hebie chaincase under the stock guard, and replacing the headset with one that accepts the Dutch handlebar stem