Schwinn Searcher 3 (2016) : ChooseMyBicycle.com Expert Review

Price: ₹34,500

Vishnu Sharma Bicycle Expert

Want similar cycles? Click Here

Hybrid Bicycle

Schwinn Searcher 3 (2016) Review

Want similar cycles? Click Here

Snapshot

3.6 Product Rating Out of 5

Performance

3.5

Design

3.5

Features

3.3

Value for Money

4.1

Things We Like

Comfortable ride
Good frame geometry
Speed lock Hydraulic suspension lockout

Things We Don't Like

Narrow saddle
Poor finish

Frame

Schwinn Alloy

Good Frame Geometry and build.

Bicycle Suspension

Suspension

Suntour NEX HLO 63mm travel

This suspension unit played a significant role in soaking up vibrations from potholes.

Drivetrain

Shimano Altus/Acera 3x8-Speed

Good Gear sytem for basic commuting.

Bicycle Disc Brakes

Brakes

Mechanical Disc Brakes

Brake levers have a good response time.

Tires

Innova Dual Sport 700x40c

The 700 x40c semi-knobby tires are meant to take you on city roads as well as off the beaten path, without worrying about grip and comfort.

Technical Specifications

frame SCHWINN N LITENED 3 TRIPLE-BUTTED ALLOY

fork SR SUNTOUR NEX SUSPENSION, 63MM TRAVEL, HYDRAULIC LOCKOUT, 1 1/8"

front derailleur

front derailleur SHIMANO ALTUS, FD-M191, 3-SPEED

rear derailleur

rear derailleur SHIMANO ACERA, RD-M360, 8-SPEED

shifters SHIMANO ALTUS EF-51, EASY FIRE, 8-SPEED

brakes Disc Brakes

brake levers SHIMANO ALTUS EF-51

tires INNOVA DUAL SPORT 700X40C

rims ALEX DC-26 ALLOY DOUBLE WALL 32-HOLE

handlebar SCHWINN S2 SPORT ALLOY, 31.8, 25MM RISE

stem SCHWINN S2 SPORT ALLOY, 31.8

seatpost SCHWINN S2 SPORT ALLOY, 27.2X350MM

saddle SCHWINN S1 SPORT ERGO

pedals ALLOY/RESIN WITH REFLECTOR

hubs ALLOY 32-HOLE, QUICK RELEASE

cassette SUNRACE 11-32T, 8-SPEED

chain KMC Z72

crankset SR SUNTOUR NEX, ALLOY TRIPLE, 48/38/28T, (3X8-SPEED)

bottom bracket SEALED CARTRIDGE

riding purpose leisure

Trending
Products

24Hrs Dispatch

Firefox Meteor 700C

Firefox Meteor 700C ₹22,425

Montra Downtown (2022)

Montra Downtown (2022) ₹23,030

Montra Chord (2022)

Montra Chord (2022) ₹20,180

Firefox Rapide 21S

Firefox Rapide 21S ₹22,500

24Hrs Dispatch

Polygon Path 2 (2021)

Polygon Path 2 (2021) ₹37,990

Montra Trance Pro (2022)

Montra Trance Pro (2022) ₹31,825

Schwinn Searcher 3 (2016) : ChooseMyBicycle.com Expert Review

Schwinn Searcher 3 (2016) Review

Schwinn Bicycles (USA) have a heritage of being America's leading bicycle brand for over 100+ years. They are known for making extremely functional and comfortable commuter bicycles that are priced well. There seems to be a significant shift in their design philosophy in the last 2-3 years, as there is a conscious shift to move away from their "heritage/classic" bicycle tag, to a more trendy and contemporary one. We test rode the Schwinn Searcher 3 2016 which is part of the company's "Signature series", to see if this change is evident enough.

A comfortable and well-built hybrid with front suspensions that will appeal to a large number of cyclists who are looking at an able urban hybrid

Overall Product
Rating

Performance

3.5

Design

3.5

Features

3.3

Value for Money

4.1

Things We Like

Comfortable ride and handling
Good frame geometry and build
Speed lock Hydraulic suspension lockout

Things We Don't Like

Narrow saddle, which could be uncomfortable for some riders
Poor finish and smoothening of the welds, takes away from the good paint job

Frame, Fit and Comfort

Schwinn Searcher 3 (2016) Frame, Fit and Comfort

The frame of the Searcher 3 is made up of thin, sleek and gently curved tubing. This stiff frame is made of Schwinn N Litened 3 Triple butted alloy. There seems to be a conscious effort to remove excess material where it is not required, thereby reducing the overall weight of the frame. The overall weld finish and smoothness could have been better. ¾The fit of this new geometry was good. The posture was fairly laid back and comfortable. The overall fit and feel of the bicycle was relaxed, and it gave a good position for commuting and leisure riding.

The one component that added that extra bit of weight was the SR Suntour NEX front Suspension that comes with a 63 mm travel with a hydraulic lockout. This suspension unit played a significant role in soaking up vibrations from potholes. One noteworthy feature of the suspension was the Hydraulic lockout named 'Speed lock', which allowed us to disengage the suspension on the go, and it did so seamlessly and really fast.

Good Frame Geometry and build

Design

Schwinn Searcher 3 (2016) Design

If you have experienced Schwinn hybrids in the past, you will be pleasantly surprised by the design on the Schwinn Searcher 3 2016. It comes with a sporty and sleek frame design and geometry. The paint job is a good blend of classic lines and contemporary colors. It comes in a refreshing shade of Blue with deep red, and another option in pearl white and fluorescent green lines.

Sporty and Sleek Frame Design

Gearing

Schwinn Searcher 3 (2016) Gearing

The 24 speed gear system on the Schwinn Searcher 3 are Shimano Altus, FD-M191 (3 speed) front derailleurs, and Shimano Acera, RD-M360 (8 Speed). These are connected to Shimano Altus EF-51, Easy fire shifters. The gear system is good enough for basic commuting, the odd 50km ride and leisure riding. During the review we did experience a bit of delay in the shifting, this can be rectified with basic adjustments.

Good Gear sytem for basic commuting

Brakes and Steering

Schwinn Searcher 3 (2016) Brakes and Steering

The Brakes on this hybrid are mechanical discs in the front and rear. They are equipped with Promax mechanical disc s with 160 mm rotors in the front and rear. They did a good job bringing the bike to a halt during some anxious moments on our test ride in crazy city traffic. The brake levers are Shimano Altus EF-51 units, which had good response. During our review we did notice a minor clattering noise from the rear brake cable clamp below the top tube, that appeared when we got into a pothole.

The handling on the bike is relaxed. You will not find the bicycle in a hurry to change directions, thereby staying true to it's commuter philosophy. This also ensures that a wider range of riders across all age groups could use the Schwinn Searcher 3 without being uncomfortable with it's handling.

Brake levers have a good response time

Ride Quality

Schwinn Searcher 3 (2016) Ride Quality

The tires on the Schwinn Searcher 3 were fairly wide for a Hybrid. The 700 * 40c semi-knobby Innova dual sport tires are meant to take you on city roads as well as off the beaten path, without worrying about grip and comfort. We felt the extra traction that these wider tires gave us, thereby slowing down the overall roll of the tires. These wheels are fitted on to good-looking 26'Alex DC Double walled alloy rims (32H)

¾

The Schwinn Searcher 3 felt confident, well built and stable through out the review. The one thing that stood out for us was the overall ride and user comfort of this bicycle. The combination of the well-built frame, front suspension and the wide tires aided the ride quality. This bicycle comes with ergonomically designed 'Schwinn Comfort tuned' handlebar grips which were really well designed and effective. One sore point was the saddle, which we thought was more sporty and sleek than it should be, on a commuter hybrid. We felt that a wider and more comfortable saddle unit would have given riders of all sizes, a better ride.

Comfortable ride and handling

Verdict

The Schwinn Searcher 3 2016 comes priced at Rs.31,900. The value proposition that it offers is a comfortable and a well-built hybrid. It comes ready to tackle good and bad road conditions with i's front suspension, good set of tires and mechanical discs to boot. If you are looking for a classy urban commuting hybrid that keeps you plaint through your rides, the Schwinn Searcher 3 2016 is a bicycle worth looking at. We would like to thank The Cycle Store, Chennai for providing us with this bicycle for the review.

Prices are subject to change by the brand, without due notice

Found this review useful?