Released just a few weeks ago, the Schwinn Axum impressed us with a surprisingly well equipped build. The bike includes 29 x 2.6″ tires, properly wide rims, a 1×8 drivetrain complete with a narrow-wide chainring, disc brakes, and more – all for less than $400. Now, Schwinn has added another version that cranks things up a notch, but still keeps the price under $500.
You might guess by the name, but the Axum DP is equipped with a dropper post. Specifically, it uses a mechanical KS EXA 900i (internal) dropper with 125mm of travel. Maybe more impressive is that the remote is actually a 1x style lever to keep the functionality high.
The prices of dropper posts have dropped substantially over the past few years, but it’s still hard to believe that you can get an entire bike for the price of some of the original high end posts. Priced at $498, the Axum DP just squeaks in under $500, though tax and delivery will take you past that mark. You can avoid the delivery fee though if you agreed to go pick it up at your local Walmart.
Like the original Axum, one of the biggest drawbacks is the limited size range – as in “one size fits all”. This will certainly mean some riders will have a poor fit on the Axum, but riders in the middle of the bell curve should find the 483mm seat tube, and 645mm top tube measurement (horizontally) to work out just fine. The Axum DP won’t be for everyone, but riders looking for the cheapest way into a well equipped mountain bike to give the sport a try, may find this one hard to resist.
For more details on the Axum, check out the original post here.
