# Schwinn Sierra. Is it a vintage mountain bike?



## marius.suiram (Nov 1, 2011)

I just bought a Schwinn Sierra bike.
The serial number is G 0884 and 4739765.
Can it be from 1984? Is it a vintage mountain bike? What value can it have? How should I clean it?
Thanks for helping me


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## Iverider (Nov 4, 2011)

Not worth much I don't think, but keep it and clean it up. You could probably get $100 for it if you wanted to sell it after you make it rideable. 

Schwinn didn't really get into the MTB scene LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE! Even after they figured it out, they had YETI build their nice bikes.

My first MTB was a late 90's Schwinn Frontier GSX with a Chromoly frame made in Taiwan. It was alright, but the components were kinda crap. Sold it to my RA in college for $40 so I could buy the neighbor kid's year old Gary Fisher for $60.

Just want to add, that the Sierra will make a nice trail or townie bike! I'd keep it, but then again...I have an 83 Huffy Scout that has those same handlebars!


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## marius.suiram (Nov 5, 2011)

Now the bikes looks like new. I'd had a client who offered me 160, but if you look on e-bay the prices for this bike is from 250 and up to 500 plus shipping almost 100$. It was back in '85 almost 400$. The bike has a 23" frame and it works beautiful. Maybe I'll keep it.


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## Iverider (Nov 8, 2011)

Nice, throw up some photos of it post clean-up!


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## marius.suiram (Nov 8, 2011)

here it is


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## Iverider (Nov 9, 2011)

Sharpish!

Looks like it might even be my size.

I think I saw the one on eBay listed for $500. I wonder if it'll get that much though? I love the fork and the fact the frame is steel. Aluminum MTBs today ride a lot stiffer if not suspended.


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## how (Nov 23, 2011)

I have this High Sierra I think it is about a 85. They were made in Taiwan but are of pretty good quality.
I paid 50 bucks for this large frame bike almost mint. I have seen them asking 300 for them I doubt if they get it. The larger frame bikes are more sought after than the little ones.


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## harpon (Jan 8, 2012)

*What I know of them-*

I worked in a Schwinn shop in Goleta california in 1982- Murdoch's Schwinn- and put together quite a few mountain bikes-
As a road cyclist- albeit almost through with my carreer- I liked mountain bikes but slightly irritated by their sudden popularity-
I liked cyclocross, but at almost 30, didn't have time then to get into serious mountainbiking.

 Yuppie types were buying them who I believed would never take them off the pavements and less likely to leave even the neighborhood than on something I thought more roadwort€hy.

Anyway, we sold mostly Specialized mountain bikes- very high quality and at a reasonable price then.  I just recall one Schwinn- I think it was this model- maybe the first year- I almost bought one because I could have had it quite cheap-  I'm thinking it then had still even a one piece steel crank- I think it probably caught up quickly to the competition in the next year or two, because they were more like this one.  So based on that I would date it probably no earlier than '84

It shouldn't be too hard to find in a catalog- Judging by the serial # I'd guess '84 yes.

Clean it with solvent and elbow grease at first- I think you'll find that that takes off MOST of the rust- then for deeper things use some steel wool or soap pads.

It'll clean up almost spotless- use clearcoat paint sparingling where you can to keep the rust off- at your discression. I've been using a lot of that new chrome paint to restore some parts, or even annodized paint and then clearcoat if there's still some scratches or pitted surface- and it looks great.


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## cyclebuster (Jan 15, 2012)

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Sierra is a lower model bike, if you had a $160 offer you missed the boat. The High Sierra is an altogether different bike that looks the same. Its entirely chrome moly where the sierra is steel. the bull moose bars are nice, but the real star of the high sierra is the seat post. If you ever saw one you would know why. I am sure that the $500 bike you saw would have been either a correct High Sierra with the post, or a con job.

G 0884 = Giant produced 08 1984


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