Behold the Schwinn Cutter, named after the legendary team in Breaking Away. This ‘09 model should be appearing at dealers soon enough for around $299. Single/fixed, flat bars and two brakes. This is sure to be a winner, and is pretty well the bike I’d personally be recommending to legions of folks looking for a solid, cheap bicycle to get around town. Look for more information as Interbike approaches.
Cool!
$299? wow, that is pretty aggressive pricing. I am sure it will sell quite well.
The Cutters team still races every year in the Little 500 in Bloomington. I went to undergrad there, and those riders take their legacy pretty seriously. All Cutters have to be locals, born and bred.
cool tidbit of info there t-mas… yeah, @ 299 you can’t go wrong…
I just hope i can get a hand on it over here in germany
The frame looks almost identical with my (08) madison bar the 1″ headset and the more than likely heavier tubing. It should definitely sell well at that price. Most people would definitely choose it over a bikes direct offering. Just cut down and add Oury’s
Damn, that’s pretty sharp! Esp. at $299.
That’s one sharp looking bike! Ugh, and I just bought my Madison a few days ago.
anyone know where to pick it up?
I imagine your local Schwinn dealer would be the place to find one of these bargains. Perhaps you’d be advised to get there fast, with cash in hand, and ask kindly to be put on the list.
Anyone have specs?
Will the Madison be dropped from the line?
um, volumebikes already makes a fixed gear frame called the cutter. http://www.volumebikes.com/frames-cutter.html
quite like my volume cutter…
T-mas Says:
August 14th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
The Cutters team still races every year in the Little 500 in Bloomington. I went to undergrad there, and those riders take their legacy pretty seriously. All Cutters have to be locals, born and bred.
************************
That is incorrect, they just have to be Indiana University students. Cutter riders have been from all over the U.S.
Does anyone know if any internal geared hub would fit on the Schwinn Cutter or Madison?
I believe this is the same frame as the Madison and the Madison and Cutter will both be offered this year. Madison should run about $500 and the Cutter $300.
Hot hot bikes this year. Way to restore some honor in the name Schwinn.
Anyone know the exact date this comes out?
Or at least an estimate?
I can say that I highly doubt this is the same frame as the Madison. Not bloody likely at this price point.
brad,
Check those frames again, they’re identical. The price difference is accounted for in the front fork, paint scheme, and component upgrade of the Madison. The Cutter is essentially a bare-bones Madison.
This is a bit strang… Check this site…
http://web.mac.com/phatatude/Cutterville/Cutters_Blog/Cutters_Blog.html
That site has been in service for quite a while and those bikes have been being sold for over a year… They are sweet too… More in spirit of the original.
The Madison and Cutter do have different frames. The Madison is double butted cro-moly while the Cutter is straight gauge hi-tensile.
The Cutter will come with an over-clear decal set that includes three different styles of decal so you can customize the bike to your style.
We are pretty excited about the Cutter, great to see the reception it is getting from diehard urban cyclists!
tim- when is it being released to retail shops?
Hey Guys and Dolls,
I was told by my shop that they’d have these “the first week of Sept.” Since my my was recently stolen I held out till last week to get one. When I arrived at the shop, they told me - now it’s going to be not until OCtober sometime. I was bummed but needed a bike so I bought a similar one in the SE draft. It’s OK but I have a feeling that it will not last long. I could have bought the Madison which I think is really cool looking but I couldn’t really afford it and then to change the bars sine I don’t “do” drop bars - I’m coming from a mountain bike background and just getting (back) into single speed for commuting.
later,
~jg
Hey folks - we are hoping the Cutter is available in your local Schwinn dealer sometime in October.
Good luck getting one, I think they are going to go fast!
–Tim
I don’t know why I peruse these American sites. Here in Canada Raleigh and Schwinn are sold at Canadian Tire, with the result being we’re only offered crappy department store models (much like you’d find at Target I guess). Apparently Raleigh USA is going to start moving some product to Canadian bike stores, a development which is more than welcome. Now if only we can get Pacific Cycles to follow suit. The Madison looks uber-cool, especially in the 2009 yellow. The Cutter and it’s like are fantastic alternatives to the foul, heavy, health-endangering $200 full-suspension “bikes” out there.
I’m kind of new to bikes in general, I was just wondering, could I replace the rear fixed gear hub with a free one?
When will this be out?
I have my Cutter sitting right here in my basement, they arrived in warehouse on Oct 14 so they should be hitting stores soon. Mine came as a replacement thus direct ship from warehouse. The bars aren’t like what is pictured, the riser is more MTB styled but fairly flat bars none the less.
I got my cutter today and took a spin it kick ass go get one cheep and good fun…
I just ordered one from Performance here in Baltimore.. I also have a matte black rear rack being put on it. Looks tight in person and it is a TANK im 6′1 300lbs and this bike feels solid (I test road a XL frame). Cant wait to pick it up
does anybody know how much the cutter weighs?
My Cutter Weighs 16.5lbs but I pot new wheels on mine to make it a fixie… so it may not be that weight exactly…
The Cutter does not weigh 16.5lbs stock. I’m not sure what it truly comes in at, but $300 bikes do not weigh 16.5lbs.
Jay, can I ask… What was wrong with the fixed gear that it came with?
cutter has beautiful balance except for the neck as they show in the picture which is a fault you need to transfer either a 72 continetnal neck or a 82 world tour neck which should fit
Ben hey - It did not come with a fixed gear it was a single gear when i got it…
Ok I finally got my bike. and put 20+ miles on it. So far i chopped the handle bars.. im planning on getting road bars “maybe” The quill stem that came with mine is an ugly riser stem. im planning on getting a 90 degree stem. Thats my only beef I think the shop switched it out. I did not weigh the bike but seems a bit hevier than 17lbs but not to sure. I got a freewheel SS setup. once I get familiar I may get a flip flop hub. Overall Im pretty happy and people think I paid big bucks for my lil beater. Oh yeah it truly a TANK
So what’s the deal, guys? Both Jay & New Guy are claiming it only comes with the freewheel. *Everything* I’ve read, including Schwinn’s site, says that it comes with the flip-flop hub. Who’s right?
The bike shop I got mines from says its an option of either freewheel or fixed. Now this could mean that it came with a flip hub and they swapped it out. Schwinn site also said that the headset is 1 1/8″ and 3 different shops assured me that it is a standard 1″. As stated above, the stem I recieved is different from the one pictured. if anyone would like I could email or post pics if it is possible
Hey Ben,
I emailed the sales rep on the Schwinn site and it is definitely a flip/flop hub, but it only comes with the freewheel cog. If you want to make it a fixed gear, you just have to get the fixed gear cog and set it up yourself.
I guess that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.
I’ll be posting when mine arrives & I’ve got it set up. My plan is to add the drop bars from the Madison (faceted, more ergo), yank the rear brake & add some fenders.
some of the comments from intercon say it only has a freewheel hub, also some of the 08 cruisers were also supposed to have 2 speed kick back hubs, that didnt happen either, i was excited about 2 schwinn bikes and disappointment from schwinn 2 years in a row now, im still gonna order one anyway just cause tho.
As was stated above, the stem is a riser and the handlebars are pretty rough. I picked up one yesterday and looking to throw on some bulls or drops soon. Keep in mind it’s a 25.4 clamp so your options are a tad limited.
Otherwise it’s a very solid bike. No thrills but exactly what I wanted: a limited graphics, stealie SS for cheap. With a new stem and handlebars this should be quite the fun beater.
Added a set of drops last night and took it for a 20 mile run. The new bars really helped. Think it’s going to make quite the beater.
Took some pictures this morn:
http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp323/tmanana/DSCF0009.jpg
http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp323/tmanana/DSCF0002.jpg
I’m going to add a new stem and fenders and call it a happy day.
Tman,
When you picked yours up was it already at the LBS or did you order it?
Are they all coming with Riser stems??
Or are the LBS changing them out thinking people dont want the quill?
Is that original cranks too??
They built it at the LBS as I was there. The floor model also has a riser so I am hard pressed to believe the shop switched out stems (though, given, I did not watch them build the bike). It’s unfortunate because it looks like I’m gonna have to get a threaded/threadless conversion stem to keep from having to get an “adjustable height” threaded.
Cranks are orig. Only things I’ve done to the bike: pedals, drops, water bottle cage, lock mount.
But others above have mentioned the same: riser stem (not +0), big ass mt. bike type handlebars (not shorties), black cranks (not silver).
Thanks very much for the info Tman, and for the pics too.
Well, I just got it. And yes its a TANK.
HEAVY.
It came with riser stem and I had the LBS trade it out for a 0 deg stem.
Clamp dia is 25 and bars are 25s.
Seatpost is 25.4 and the clamp is not same as pictured on website or Interbike. Clamp is HEAVY.
BB and Cranks (Silver Ring attached to black arms, 165mm) SUCK and
you cant replace it easily cuz the arms are attached weirdly (not the standard way cranks are attached)
They didnt come with pedals. LBS said all the Cutters they received didnt have pedals in the box.
Tires come with Shrader valves
Decal set: comes in 3 colors (Silver, metalic red, dark metallic pink, white) and diff Schwinn Logo styles
I made the mistake of ordering this bike (my first road bike) before seeing it in person.
Im replacing the cranks, ring, BB, seatpost, chain, cutting the bars shorter, switching to cross levers and getting metal platforms.
Then im going to beat the hell out of it!
I got mine. Dealer said his were on order since spring, that he was told there were to be two production runs. They said it is a flip flop hub but you have to add the fixed cog. Mine weighs 25lbs on the bathroom scale. Black crank arms on mine too. I have been riding nothing but vintage schwinns the last 10 yrs, so I’m happy with it. The seat has togo though! Mine has pedals.
FYI: My headset is also 1″ as stated by someone else above. The 1 1/8″ to 1 1/8″ threaded - threadless converter I purchased didn’t fit so Schwinn’s posted size is totally wrong.
you guys should NOT buy this bike. the madison is so much better.
if you wanted to make the cutter a decent bike with the cutter you would have to replace the seatpost, brakes,wheels, crank, bb,stem, brake levers, pedals, and handlebar. Now you’ve just spent a ton of money and you still have a piece of crap frame.
Hey everybody - thanks for the comments on the spec on the Schwinn website being incorrect. We caught that based on your comments and should have it corrected for you now. Sorry for any confusion it may have caused!
–Tim
Nickski - I’m sorry but I think there’s a market for it. I’ve spent maybe an extra $80 on a new stem (120mm 83/97 threadless with a 1″ to 1-1/8 converter), drops, pedals and some extraneous things (fenders, lock, etc) and now have an all black, relatively incognito SS that is a pretty fun ride. I don’t have to worry that much about leaving it at the train station but yet I’m not embarrassed about riding it in the least. Even with the upgrades it’s on par for what people are paying for overhauled fixies on Craigslist. It’s on par with bikesdirect.com SSes but you get the added benefit of purchasing from an IBS.
The Madison retails for twice as much. For the $600+ range you have a ton of SSes to choose from. For the $300-$400 range you are limited to ebay and craigslist specials. The market is there and I gotta say I really like the bike for what it is.
Here’s a few pics of mine. I’m loving it. picked up a bunch of stuff local on craigslist like xt square taper cranks, un72 bb, da threaded headset, kenisis fork. the salsa stem cost a little bit but is so choice. someone mentioned the paint rubs off the rims on the brakeing surface, well duh.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/skotajarvi/cutter2.jpg
My Cutter is the first road bike I’ve ever owned, and it’s proving a decent investment – though given my last bike lasted 16 years, it’s got a long road before I call it a wise investment. Chopping down the handlebars and putting new grips on helped my back comfort a lot, though the top tube is a little short for my size (I bought the ’small’ frame, for people 5′3 - 5′6″, and I’m 5′7″. The ‘medium’ frame’s top tube pushed nads into intestines when I straddled it; Schwinn HQ employs some oddly proportioned fit models). I called Schwinn to inquire about the riser stem/quick-release seatpost not matching up w/ their site images, and they were like, “Yeah, it shipped with different components.” So if anyone thinks they can hold Schwinn to what they themselves publish, think again. All told though it looks pretty cold murdered out.
Just picked mine up yesterday for $190 new, at a shop outside of Boston. Comes with a freewheel but does not come with a flip-flop hub as some were wondering.
$190?? That’s stupid cheap. Makes you wonder whether there’s some truth to rumor that a 2nd run more true to the original images is due to ship??
Update, So I weighed my CUTTER.
Comes in at 23.
Although Ive replaced almost everything on it but the Wheels, Fork and saddle.
I think I can shave more weight off if I cut the seatpost and goto 25 or 23 tires.
Although its been quite the money pit,
It rides real nice n smooth compared with me Alum bike.
This is my first experience with a Steel frame.
Next spring build Im getting a lighter steel frame, um hooked on Steel!
Hey what up…
I got 3 photos if my Fixed Cutter…
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