The seat height issue could be solved with a longer post, and I would look for a dropper with more than the included 125mm of travel.

Photo: Leah BarberĮven with the seat post pulled to its minimum insertion point, the saddle is too low for my tastes, so I would suggest taking the 6’2″ maximum rider height as a hard limit. That’s actually the same upper height limit for the previous, one-size-fits-all model so it would seem the new sizing option is meant to expand the fit to smaller riders and not necessarily tall folks. I’m 6’3″ and to be fair, Schwinn says this size is meant for riders up to 6’2″ tall. I tested the larger size, and unfortunately it’s still too small for me. The latest Axum models are offered in two sizes this year, up from just one previously. Everything on the bike appears to be secure, so perhaps it’s just an extra part or some welding slag that ended up inside the frame. There’s also a nut or something inside my test frame that rattles and rolls like a penny in a jar whenever the bike is moved. To get the paper and gummy glue off completely takes some effort. One minor bummer is that the informational stickers on the frame don’t peel off cleanly. I didn’t get the tell-tale popping sound when the tire finally seated, yet it seems to be holding air well enough for riding. It just took a few shots with an air compressor, a tubeless valve, and a bit of sealant to make the switch. The stock tires are 2.6-inch-wide, unbranded, and feature a wire bead while the rims are surprisingly well taped with a thick-looking band covering the spoke holes. Schwinn doesn’t advertise this, and the bike ships with tubes installed. Surprise number two: The stock wheels and tires can be set up tubeless. It’s a pleasant surprise to find the bike not only ships with a one-by-style dropper remote, but that the cable can be pinched at the lever for easier installation. So, I installed a fresh cable and longer housing and also flipped the direction of the cable so it could be clamped at the lever instead of using the included barrel nut at the post. It turns out the cable and housing weren’t long enough. Right away I noticed the dropper post remote wasn’t working.

Schwinn boundary