Part commonality in Schwinn bicycles: benefits and manufacturing strategy

Schwinn Bicycles

Schwinn Bikes (Schwinn, N.d.)

This analysis considered the material components used in two Schwinn road bicycles. The first bike was the "Fastback 1 Mens" bike and the second was the "Fastback 3 Mens" bike. Since these are different versions of the same model, it would be reasonable to assume that these bikes had several of the same components. However, this wasn't the case and the only component that was identical in both models was the fork on the frameset. Both models used the Schwinn Fastback Carbon with Alloy Steelr, 1 1/8" for their forks.

The other items found on the bikes were completely different. Many of the drivetrain components, such as the derailleurs, were manufactured by Shimano however they were different models. For example, the Fastback 1 used Shimano Tiagra Derailleurs while the Fastback 3 used Shimano 2300 derailleurs. Therefore, even though the bikes look incredibly similar and share forks, they Fastback 3 has less expensive components compared to the more expensive Fastback 1 model.

Even though the models have different components that are used in their production, the models still appear to be starkly similar. Therefore it is likely that they are manufactured in similar ways. This has a benefit to the company because the employees from each production line can most likely manufacture either of the models without a significant amount of additional training. Therefore, the road bike manufacturing division most likely does not need to incorporate many unneeded processes in production. Each model uses the same production procedures with the exception that there are different components used in the process.