This is exactly our argument about shell out all at once or upgrade and enjoy over time. I can't afford $1000 at once but $400 to start and $500 or $600 over a years time plus getting to ride it during makes more sense to me. Thanks for the video, liked and subscribed.

6:15 this is what I think makes the Schwinn better. You can get it and ride it as is, and costs only $400, but you can upgrade it, vs. The Vitus you're down $750 right off the bat, and for us poor folk, that's a big deal

Great vid! Can’t beat a dedicated home build! Hunting for parts, finding bargains, building piece by piece. Truly a pleasure.

Vitus has through axles instant win even with the tektro brakes.

I would emphasize more the fact that the Schwinn doesn’t have different sizes to choose from. That limits it for a TON of people, and over the years Ive found how important bike fit is.

Great video! I bought a new entry level Specialized Rockhopper For $500 dollars. I found out that it has the same frame as the $1,400 top of the line Rockhopper. So, I began to upgrade it and I am loving the process because I am getting the parts that I like. I already upgraded the pedals, brakes, crankset, cassette, and derailer. My next upgrade will be the fork. So far I have spent altogether $900 and I like it better than the $1,400 Rockhopper.

Idk, something is just really satisfying to me about getting a new bike, and putting new better parts on it, the feeling of "wow, this feels so much better than the other ones did" and after awhile the connection that you have to that cheap bike is the kinda connection that's just like "look how far you've come from what you used to be, it's amazing"

After researching for over a month in July of 2019 I purchased a Giant Talon 2 (2x system). This was by far the best bike available for my price range. Got it from one of the local bike shops and I could not be happier. As many know Giant makes the frames for many brands. The L sizing works well as I am 6’3” 220lbs. I am still a novice and have frequent pedal strikes, crashes, etc as I often try new (stupid) things. The bike has held up very well. One great feature is the mount for the front derailer has a welded anchor point and not a screwed in plastic/metal strap that fits around the frame. When you crash as much as I do it helps. I Weighed many factors when selecting and looked at bikes from retail outlets (all too small) and every bike shop in the area and compared components. There in fact was a Schwinn that looked tempting but the size was a problem. Same with the GT at Dicks. I also came to want a 2x system. Thus the Talon 2 had the best components in my price range. Many bike shops did not have bikes my size and I was being forced to buy the bike to get it to the shop to see how it fit. Hillsboro Bicycle Center in Deerfield Beach FL. (where I am now a regular) had multiple sizes, brands etc. I have since purchased a Liv Bliss for one of my daughters and 3 of my friends each bought Talons.

Just FYI, The Nucleus VRS does have a clutch derailleur, mine turned up the other day, it's amazing.

A plus for the Schwinn - all those components you took off have a resale value!

As a dad that knows a thing or too about taking things apart and making them both objectively and subjectively better, and wanting to pass that skill onto my kids. Buying a bike like the Schwinn with my oldest and upgrading/customizing it with her is definitely the way to go.

Great comparison video! Thanks so much for putting things into perspective. Pay as you go is perfect (and way more reasonable) for a noob dad/mountain biker. Diapers can put a damper on shelling out all that money up-front. 😂

Great video man! It's actually pretty interesting to see what you can do with lower end bikes. How often do we all get asked from friends who know nothing about the sport what bike to buy. You KNOW they're not ready to drop $5000 on a bike. It's good to see there are solid low end options out there! Not to mention it's usually 80% rider and 20% bike. Or wait...is it 90% rider and 10% bike? Ok. I'm making up numbers to sound smart now. Nevermind. 😂

Would buy this bike in a heartbeat if they sold a 16’-17’ frame and 27.5 rims on it

I think about it the same way as many people think about modifying cars. Sure you can drop bulk $ on a fast car straight off the lot but there's a sense of achievement and ownership when you buy a run down beater, fix it, modify it, improve it and make it your own. Plus you learn a lot of skills along the way. Same with bikes: sure, you can buy a Trek, Marlin or Vitus and go riding. But the price of bikes is what holds a lot of people back from getting into the sport. This shows that you can buy a cheap (er) bike, hit the trails and as your skills improve, you can upgrade it. Along the way, you learn more about maintaining your bike and you make it a unique bike! Love the vid and hope to see more on this!

Hey James! I saw you recently subscribed to my channel, which is super awesome because it was this video that gave me the inspiration to start my channel last year. It's been quite the journey to get where I am, and a lot of my start was because you paved the way with this video and other Axum videos you did.

Vitus nucleus, add a dropper and you’re done. Already comes with nice tires, geo brakes etc... 15thru axle upfront

I've had this bike a month. Only pedals and grips upgraded. I like the feel of this bike way better than the marlin 5 I bought for my son. I can't get any of my buddies that have better bikes to even try the axum they say it will break. I feel confident in the axum at this point!

I have really enjoyed the videos you have put together about this bike. Liked your comments about upgrading as you go and encouraging people to get out and ride, no matter what you are on. Keep the videos coming! You are definitely winning fans by having a healthy mix of low budget and high end bikes. I think your channel is only going to get more popular.

Love this video! Very informative, I just picked up the Axum on clearance for $228!!

Nailed it with this video, great comparisons.

Budget is the new Yeti. ;P

Love the underdog so I have been watching and following along on this build even though I'm a bike snob makes me wanna go build a Walmart bike lol

I have a got a schwinn volare 1200 road bike brand new on sale for $128 around 6 months ago. I was my first decent and upgradeable (can change out fork) bike, and I've had a blast working on it. Being upgradeable and looking for parts really helped me learn about bikes and the different parts. If you're interested in bikes, diy projects, and have a lot of time, buying a cheap schwinn or other bigbox bike (I like the channel "kevcentral" to see which ones fit my needs and budget) and upgrading the parts with the money you saved is a better option than throwing down money on day one. Also, if you're new to working on bikes, getting it properly tuned up at a bike shop is recommended to make sure it's properly assembled and safe to ride on.

Worth also keeping in mind that the vitus has nicer stem, bars, crankset, bigger gear range and most importantly, a thruaxle instead of the 9mm QR axle.

"if the US military were to design a derailleur" so what you're saying is, it's garbage?

Great video! Loved your breakdown of the Trek, Giant and Vitus vs Schwinn.

I sold my Orange Five last year while I decided what other full suspension to buy for this season. I’ve been riding. Trek Roscoe 7, it was great and did the job. I’ve upgraded it heavily since but it was an amazing base. Now has Hope wheels, Hope bakes, DVO forks and Burgtec cockpit 👌🏻

This video is great, I wish I saw it before I got my bike. I ended up getting a 2020 Trek Marlin 5 after doing what I thought was enough research but now I'm stuck with a bike that has a 3x drivetrain and no upgradeability whatsoever other than the tires. Do your research folks!

Concise, informative channel. Well done! Subbed

I have a Cannondale trail 4 that I got years ago (sweet matte black/white color combo) and its double butted aluminum and the only thing I have not upgraded on it yet is the bottom bracket. I did make it a sweet 1x11 Shimano Shadow derailleur and XT brakes and raceface components and it is probably the sweetest ride ever! Also got the Fox 36 Float Performance Etite GRIP2 with 160mm. Again this is a hard tail:) and its called the most aggressive and BEST looking hard tail ever! BTW Nice video :).

A clutch and a dropper seat post is Absolutley amazing. Not even kidding.

6:46 that's new. I like it!

I just bought Axum partially thanks to your videos. I'm just getting back into MTB and agree that its easier to slowly spend money on upgrades than fork out several hundreds more at once. It also allows me to learn how to work on the bike. I live close to Lake Tahoe area...what tires would you recommend for overall high sierra moderate trail riding?

Great job breaking it all down. I had a Nucleus and really liked it. Only sold it to fund my full suspension bike for my old man lower back. Anyway, I’d give the win to the Axum for anyone who wants to spend less up front and likes getting their hands dirty, tinkering and learning about bike parts. But if you just want to buy a bike and ride, get the Nucleus.

Upgrading is the best way to make your bike feel better I first bought a normal budget MTB in childhood then after I grew up a bit I started upgrading from its stem to the drivetrain and other parts were replaced with expensive components and at last changed the whole geometry of bike by replacing the frame with a new one the bike originally costed around $200 now this custom built machine costs like $3500 and it's worth it you can go with upgrading frame if you feel your bike is not good enough

Could throw the Diamondback Hook into the comparison mix.

I up graded mine with a 1500 watt hub motor

Personally, the reason I am choosing to upgrade a cheapish 'walmart' bike over buying something new is multifold: 1) I'm preventing (yet another!) bike from going into the garbage needlessly. 2) Working on it and upgrading it myself lets me get in touch with it and understand how it works 3) It's really a beautiful bike and I haven't seen similar elsewhere--there are leather accents all over (including the chainguard! and jacquard-like patterns on the wheel skirt to match. 4) I think it'd be better to find what I need and customize from there rather than pay a huge sum of money up front for something I'm only planning on using casually as a stealth ebike.

Agreed with your assessment. I had been riding a borrowed Giant 27.5" Talon 2. Nice bike, nice forks, but I wanted a 29 and I wanted a 1X drive. I didn't want to spend $750 right away on the Talon 29. So I bought the AXUM 29. Its fairly light, the welds look well done. I would replace the brakes right away they squeal like crazy and seem to require a lot of pressure, and then replace the fork as needed later when you get more aggressive. The tires seem really wide, but the bike is not slow on hard surfaces as I expected.

I own a Marlin 7 and I've taken it down hill, down stars and drops and it feels flawless and would definitely out preform the others.

Vitus all the way! I’ve had one for a while now and it’s great

I started with the 2019 marlin 5 and pretty much have it decked out. Over the 2019 riding season I found bargains on a stealth dropper, shwalbe tires, a reba duel air fork, and I'm about to install a 1x12 11 to 50t. After the 1x it's ready to compete with anyone in my fitness category, which is "enthusiastic noob" .. I was initially very unhappy with the m5 but once I changed the fork and tires, it became a new (and safe) bike. Everything else is just gravy. I spent half of what my bike would cost if it came stock like it is. And i learnt how to do everything on my own. Can't beat that. Plus I didn't have $1000 cad to drop on the m7. I'm glad I didnt cuz i would've replaced everything i did on the m5...

many of these upgrade ideas would also be upgrades to my 2.5k focus raven. Better fork, better brakes, dropper seatpost, chainstay protector. Yup need them all

i have a 2019 trek marlin 7 and i love it, i’m looking at upgrading it with a fox fork, box two drivetrain, one bye chainring, and ks lev dropper

what about the diamondback "hook" or "line" ? as a comparison for the prices

This could be my favorite video of yours so far. Thank you for creating it and giving us such entertainment with actual thought-provoking knowledge.

I got a slights used giant talon 2 for $400 and I have zero complaints so far it’s been able to handle everything I throw at it. The tubless tire have been a life saver.

Would love to see you do a review on the fat tire bike from Costco, the Northrock XC00.

I love to fiddle. Schwinn for me 😂

Love your work. Although my main steed is a Reign Advanced 0, my backup is a cheapie Kmart Everest. Steel frame and the world's crapiest components. But honestly I've had a lot of fun tinkering with this thing, mostly used or swapped parts (to the point theres no not much original bike left), and just not taking it too seriously and the look on peoples face when you keep on with them on a black trail is priceless. Too many channels talk about entry level with ridiculously expensive, but the grass roots is where the real fun & reward is. Keep it up.

It really isn’t about whether it’s better to buy a bike that’s already built up , at least for me it is great fun to see how good I can make a bike. Practice my mechanical skills and is fun as well. I’ve managed to turn a $400 bike into a $1400 bike on many occasions with no regrets. I never plan on recovering the upgrade total cost but it gives me a bit of pride to see the potential of some big box bikes.

The Trek Marlins and the other entry level bikes shown here all win in my opinion just for the fact of being able to choose frame size and the Lifetime warranty on the frame and the Warranties on all the parts. If you don't need the warranty's and can fit the bike that Wal Mart sells, then yes, that Schwinn is awesome and I agree with the video. Don't let the bike snobs in the community sway you from getting a great deal (these new Schwinns are) With how these new Schwinns are being made and how the companies in the US that actually make their bikes in the US (Guerilla Gravity) and charge the same price for true US quality as we get for unregulated crap from China I think we are going to start seeing some real competition in the next few years where the consumer is going to see some savings. Heck we might even start seeing some of these Chinesium bikes from the big name companies actually start selling for what they truly are worth (less than a thousand bucks instead of $5,000 to $10,000 for something that cost these companies $800 to build and ship to the US.

I was just looking to buy a bike this weekend. I’m a first time rider. My research revealed that the giant talon 3 is the best bang for the buck. I found one for 475 brand new out the door. I planned on upgrading parts if I enjoyed riding that much. Would I be better suited to upgrade the Schwinn over time or the giant talon 3. 475 on the giant looks like a good deal. Please help me out. I’m a new subscriber too. Great video.

Was waiting for this type of video to compare the axum before I buy. Thanks man!

Hey thanks for this video I bought the Schwinn today I plan to upgrade forks in two weeks breaks in 4 weeks so on until it's done! I think your video was absolutely helpful!!!!

So an upgraded Walmart bike is better than my Trek Marlin?!😢

So what about the same upgrades on the new schwinn taff?

Schwinn is a great bike overall. Yes... They do, come in different sizes. I'm 6'2" and need the 19" the medium frame, is the most common up to 5'8"😊

You left out some other cost factors for a noob who would buy this with thoughts to upgrade later. Most noobs will not have the tools to make the changes as they go along. Many who are not mechanically inclined will have to take it to a shop to get it set up right. This is a great way to get into the sport if you love to work on stuff like this though. Thanks for the video

yeah hea im 5 10 lets go im bouta cop this

cube analog 2020 💪🏻

Yes, buy cheap and upgrade. I do this and learn how to put the parts on myself and have a blast doing it, tweaking things, replacing and upgrading. Yes, I could get a way better bike with the amount I spend, but I put the exact parts I want on my build. I like magura and no companies come with those. That started my upgrading parts

I just picked up a Specialized Rockhopper 2019 which was on sale from my local shop for $400 bucks. Waiting for it to be delivered, but I took your advice and will upgrade over time some of the parts, well probably all of them. But ride what it came with till they wear down (except the fork) :)

I feel like your riding the parts and just change frames every so many years...and then you slowly go thru swapping them out to match the quality level of the frame and the cycle continues

I saw that miata in that garage 👀👀

Schwinn all the way for me especially when I take all the components off my upgraded Diamondback 2014 29er. This bike has a great build quality for a big box bike I know its not the same schwinn from yesteryear but my first "Real" mtb was a 95 Schwinn Moab S and maybe its the nostalgia in me but I want one definitely.

Go used. Got a very good condition Octane One Prone with good parts on it for $500. It has a Fox 34, hydraulic brakes, clutch derailleur, the whole 9 yards.

Why do you say you put an sr Suntour fork on when it is obviously a fox fork? Edit: It doesn't even look to be a qr fork, so he had to buy a new front wheel too, and wheels ain't cheap.

What about comparing it to 2019 cannondale trail 6

I just finished building my DH bike for the season, have quite a few spare parts I think I’m going to purchase this bike to get into the 29er seen. Great vid.

Picked up one of the Schwinn Taffs a week and a half ago,with the understanding that I am going to ride it the way it is and upgrade it as it breaks. Well so far I have put about 30 miles on it between a 4.5 mile gravel run and some pretty gnarly intermediate singletrack. But it is currently at my lbs getting a new freewheel installed lol. Like I said, upgrade as she breaks. Overall I am pleased with it and think it's actually going to be a great bike in the long run.

The Fork That You Shown The Epixon Isn't Boost.

Damn it! Your never going to send me this bike. 😢

Nice upgrades I did the same upgrades to my 2018 Haro Double Peak Comp over a period of time now it rides like a dream

I went schwinn. Same model as yours. I got an excellent condition fox fork for 150 on market place. I spent 350 on a set of crankbrothers cobalt 11 carbon fiber wheels. The rest of my upgrades came from my parts bin, or flip bikes. I payed 350 for my axum. I have roughly 950 total invested in it, and I love it. I would not get the same quality parts if I went with a higher end bike.

I can't even find a vitus nucleus... out of stock everywhere 🤷🏾‍♂️

Could you do a video on how to covert the tires to tubeless :)

Just got an Axum. Going to save your video for future reference! Thanks!

This is a great video showing that Schwinn is really stepping up their game. The non tapered head tubes on the other bikes are deal breakers. Vitus is definitely a good contender as well!

The swin is my choice!

I'm old enough to remember the first time i heard about a bike that cost over $300.00 and thinking .. WHAAAAAAAAAAT ???

Nice video man! I think it was smart to compare the Trek Marlin 7. I work at my local bike shop and have built dozens of the Marlins. The average person looks at the 7 and thinks that is a good beginner mountain bike. It is a nice bike don't get me wrong, but the tires, geometry, front derailleur, and lack-luster fork will let down anybody who wants to really dabble with MTB with $800 in their pocket. The paint job is sick though, and from first hand experience it is a big reason the Marlin flies of the shelves.

i have an ebike frame that i used for 3 years and love and is very well put together but the parts that it came with were equivalent to a 300 or 400 dollar walmart box bike. so i broke the bike down to the frame, (it is a folder with a battery compartment in the top half of the fold and a controller compartment in the bottom) then replaced the suspension front and back, new forks and a new rear suspension, still low budget but much better than coil, pneumatic suspension upgrade. bought hydraulic disc brakes (they cost more because they need a motor cutoff sensor to go to the controller), top say the least while the frame of my bike is HUGE for me at 5'6" it is that big for a reason, and i couldn't even find a differently sized version if i wanted to, and i need the folding and the internal cavities for my new much higher end bike. i bought that e-bike for $899 3 years ago, it is now 1200 bucks online. so by reusing the frame to build my new e-bike i am probably saving money. i am only sticking with the frame because it is so well built, the welds are awesome and the material is thick, i won't be afraid of breaking the frame going down the street at 50-60mph, and it should handle the 30mph i am generally going to throw at it great.

Cmon let’s be realistic Vitus a dedicated mtb company with through axles air fork or Walmart. And a beginner does not want to upgrade the bike straight away they want to learn on a reliable bike.

Awesome video and sweet tunes at the ends, thx! Even though I don't even have Walmart in my country I still find this very interesting.

I bought an Axum in March. I’m new to mountain biking, and I didn’t want to dump a ton of money up front. Love the bike! I’ve made upgrades to suit my personal preference, next, and close to final upgrades are tires, and fork. I feel that I made the right choice with the Axum. All the entry level LBS bikes would have received the same or similar upgrades plus upgrading to a 1x drive train. Upgrades to date include, contact points (grips, seat, pedals), bars, chain stay protector and hydraulic brakes (MT200).

That was a great comparison. Really impressed with how you laid that out. Great job. Also, you surprised me with the change up in the outro!

I got mine 2 days ago and threw it a beating in some trails and it held up amazingly! I’m really impressed. Got some mt200 hydraulics on the way and tossed on some rockbros pedals already as well as a better saddle and grips. Good call on the upgraded fork, I was dreading the chain reaction of having to upgrade the wheel to get into air forks

That fork you can ajust the travel between 80mm to 140mm,i got the Schwinn al comp with that fork ajusted to 140mm,KS 100mm dropper,carbon handlebars,ergon saddle,next move hydro brakes and a rear derailleur...(so far $585)

I wouldn't recommend upgrade the drivetrain until it dies, but if you were going to replace it, you could've added another $100 and get Box Three Prime 9, that makes the price a little stiffer but no one else is going to give you a 1x9 with 11-50 range and a dropper for that price.

Thanks for posting this video - I very much enjoyed it. As a person who is about to refit an old Bontrager hardtail steel bike, this is some GREAT info!

Thank you !!!!!! Mine will be delivered next Monday ! And I plan on purchasing ALL these upgrades over time ! :)

Been planning to buy a bike for a long time now, decided to this week. This is literally the ONLY bike of videos i've seen that is not more expensive than it was when the video was made. All the others are 20-50% MORE than whenever the original video was. This bike is actually LESS. WM has the DP model now for $450. Already committed on a rockhopper for $600 though, M size with 27.5'' wheels. Don't think i will be disappointed (hopefully).

Hey! I'm not even in the market for a MTB but thoroughly enjoyed the series on this Schwinn. The wealth of solid info and advice offered is spot on. I'm a big enthusiast of bang for the buck bargains. Current bike is a 2016 Trek FX, on road and no feature flat dirt trail. When looking for a hard-tail or full suspension bike will definitely swing back to see what you're cooking. (would opt for the Vitus or 2020 GT Avalanche Elite if buying now)

I come from a unique position. I purchased a 2012 FUJI Nevada about 3 years ago, just as a commuter bike with the intention to maybe hit a few trails. Fast forward to the present and I have upgraded everything on that bike except the wheels, fork (non-tapered headtube so I figured I'd wait), and seatpost (standover hight is really bad, as it was originally a cross country bike and couldn't fit a long enough dropper to make it worth the money). Ive got 780mm bars, 50mm stem, schwalbie Hans Dampf tires, shimano xt brakes, shimano slx 1x11 drivetrain, and 783/780mm rotors. The thing rips to say the least. All that said, The bike is a 26" wheel size, outdated geometry, and my skills have pushed past the original intentions for this bike so bearings and stuff are starting to go out. To me a bike like the VITUS would stand out because it also has a great frame for other upgrades like the fork, seatpost, and brakes. It also has through axles so you can upgrade to a much higher level wheelset down the road. All things considered, for a beginner, go buy the schwinn. You can find upgrades cheap enough to make it an excellent bike (I would also recommend the tires, grips, and pedals). The Vitus is great for someone with a little more experience and cash, and throw a $125 dropped post on it and you'll be rippingg! The challenge though is that Chain Reaction Cycles always seems to be out of stock, and online customer support is less than ideal.

My Vitus Nucleus gets here on Monday, so excited

Right when you showed the trek I wanted you to see the nucleus so damn bad. I've been riding a vitus Sommet and I absolutely love it!

I bought a floor model 2014 marlin SS a couple years old from my bike shop, it was in 2016 and I had issues with the stainless axle stay screws bending inside the frame and so they gave me a brand new superfly frame even up! So that ended up being my first bike afterall. Still ride it and love it even though it’s also a single speed build. Xt brakes, Chris king BB, dt Swiss wheelset, ice rotors and so on. Envy carbon bars and Reba air fork. Absolute black chainring and sram crank.

I was actually in the market for one of these bikes, and I've been shopping for a few weeks now. This is a fantastic theoretical comparison, but you didn't factor in availability. The Axum without the DP isn't part of the discussion right now, because it's not available. The Vitus is too, because it's sold out. Most everything is, actually. I went to five local Wal*Marts trying to get a look at the Schwinn Boundary for my wife. The local bike shops are sold out of all of their entry level stuff too. People are riding more because of the Covid Quarantine. I'm 5'8, and I went with the Axum DP. Walmart says they'll deliver it... in a month. We'll see what happens. Keep working on your Axum! I look forward to seeing your results.