About Schwinn
Founded in 1895, Schwinn is an American icon that has been synonymous with quality and innovation. They have built some of the best-known and best loved bikes of numerous generations--Aerocycle, Paramount, Phantom, Varsity, Sting-Ray, Krate and Homegrown. Today, Schwinn continues to be a leader in the industry with innovative bikes such as the new Sting-Ray, Rocket mountain bikes, and Fastback road bikes. With a continued dedication to quality, forever synonymous with the Schwinn name, America's most famous bicycle brand looks forward to providing another century of innovation, freedom and performance to people of all ages.
Amazon.com Bicycle Buying Guide
Finding the Right Bike
To really enjoy cycling, it's important to find a bicycle that works for you. Here are some things to keep in mind when you're in the market for a new bike:
The Right Ride
In general, bikes are broken down into three major categories:
- Road and Racing Bikes--As a general rule, road and racing are built for speed and longer distances on paved surfaces. Thinner tires, lightweight 29-inch (700c) wheels, and drop bars that allow for a more aerodynamic position are the norm. Most road bikes, regardless of price, offer many gears for tackling both hilly and flat terrain.
- Mountain Bikes--With their larger tires, hill-friendly gearing, and upright position, mountain bikes are very popular for all types of riding, both on pavement and off. Mountain bikes that are designed specifically for rugged trail use typically feature a suspension fork. Some may have rear suspension, as well. A quick change of the tires on any mountain bike--even one that you use regularly on trails--adds to its versatility and makes it a worthy street machine.
- Comfort/Cruiser Bikes--For tooling around on bike paths, light trails, or for cruising a quiet beach-side lane, comfort/cruiser bikes are the ticket. With a super-relaxed riding position, padded seats, and limited or no gearing, these bikes are made for enjoying the scenery and having fun with the family.
The Right Price
A bike's price boils down to three essentials: frame materials, bike weight, and component quality and durability.
- Entry-level--You'll find a wide range of comfort and cruiser bikes in this category, as well as some lower-end mountain bikes and road bikes. Most will have steel frames and components that are designed to last for several years with frequent use.
- Mid-range--Bikes in this range may feature a lighter aluminum frame with mid-range components that keep performing after miles of use. If you're looking for a quality bike that is relatively lightweight and will stand up to abuse, this is the "sweet spot." Most serious commuter and touring bikes fall into this category, as do mid-range mountain bikes with a decent front suspension.
- High-end--Racers and serious enthusiasts who expect lightweight, high-performance components will want to stick to this category. For road bikes, exotic frame materials (carbon fiber, titanium) and ultralightweight components can add thousands to the price tag. Mountain bikes in this class often feature advanced front and rear suspension technology, as well as components designed to handle lots of rugged trail action.
The Right Size
Fit is crucial for comfort, control, and proper power and endurance on a bike. Here are some basic bike fit tips:
- Stand-over Height--To find out if a bike's overall height fits your body, measure your inseam. Next, determine how much clearance you'll need between your crotch and the top tube of the bike. For a mountain bike, you'll want three to five inches of clearance. A road bike should offer between one and two inches of clearance, while a commuter bike should have two to four inches. Compare the stand-over height for a given bike to your measurements (inseam + clearance) to determine the right bike height.
- Top Tube Length--You can measure your torso to get a good estimate of proper top tube length. First, make a fist and extend your arm. Measure from the center of your fist to the end of your collarbone (the part that intersects your shoulder). Next, measure your torso by placing a book against your crotch with the spine facing up. Measure from the spine to the bottom of your throat (the spot between your collarbones). Finally, add the two measurements (arm length + torso length), divide the number in half, and subtract six inches. This is your approximate top tube length. Compare this number to a bike's posted top tube length. You can allow for about two inches longer or shorter, as most bikes can be adjusted via stem length/height and saddle fore/aft position to make fine adjustments to the fit.
- Bikes for Women--Proportionally, women tend to have a shorter torso and longer legs than men. Bike makers design women's bikes that offer a shorter top tube and many comfort/cruiser bikes built for women may also provide more stand-over clearance.
The Right Accessories
When you make a bike purchase, don't forget these crucial add-ons:
- Helmet (this is a must!)
- Seat pack
- Lock
- Hydration pack, or water bottle and bottle cage
- Spare tubes
- Portable bike pump
- Gloves
Customer Review: VERY misleading product information...
Pros: Well, it IS a bike (thus two stars rather than one). It has two wheels, pedals, handlebars, and something to sit on. I have no doubt that an individual could ride it - eventually. Then again...
Cons: I will begin with the obvious. This bike does not - I repeat, DOES NOT - come equipped with SRAM MRX Pro twist shifters, as is CLEARLY stated in the item description. In fact, the bike I received was equipped with VERY cheap Shimano EZ-Fire trigger shifters. This is important because my decision to invest in this bike was based upon two factors: it is relatively inexpensive as compared to other front-suspension 26" men's mountain bikes; and it was supposed to be equipped with twist shifters. My intent is to use this bike for commuting during the winter in upstate NY. As you might guess, it gets VERY cold here, and I will require fairly heavy mittens to avoid frostbite. Trigger shifters don't work so well with heavy mittens.
Now on to the rest...
The first indication of the low quality of this bike is the rear skewer. It does NOT have a quick release skewer on the real wheel, an immediate and obvious indication of low quality in a bicycle.
The rear tire is factory mounted on the rim backwards - meaning that the deep lug off-road treads are facing in the incorrect direction for maximum traction.
The handlebars seem to be of a non-standard diameter over much of their length. The only 'standard' is where they are clamped into the stem. There is a section of about two inches width in the direct center of the bars that is a standard 25.4mm diameter so that they can be clamped in place. This section tapers to a smaller diameter on each side of the center section; however, the tapers are not spaced equally on each side. The overall effect of this is that (1) if you intend to attach an accessory item, such as a light, bell, or other safety equipment, the standard sized clamp that is supplied with your accessory will NOT fit correctly on these handlebars; and (2) any item, such as the mounting bracket for my Topeak Tour Guide handlebar bag, that is supposed to be mounted and CENTERED on the front of the handlebars cannot POSSIBLY be centered because the dissimilar tapers push the mounting clamps to one side or the other of center.
The shifters appear to be plastic junk. Not only that, they appear to be permanently attached to the brake levers rather than separate, so that if you choose to replace the shifters with the SRAMs that were SUPPOSED to come with the bike, you also have to buy replacement brake levers. BTW, the SRAM MRX Pros aren't available in the U.S. - if you want 'em, you have to buy 'em from England!
The saddle is the most uncomfortable piece of trash I've encountered on a bike.
Ditto for the handlebar grips. They're simply horrible.
Additional thoughts: Getting right to the point, this bike is yet another cheaply manufactured made-in-China piece of trash. Basically this is an $80 bike with a $200 price tag because it includes a water bottle and cage, an aluminum frame, and a kick-stand. To be honest, it is quite light - altogether only about twice the weight of one of my loaded panniers. The water bottle is cheap and is simply a waste in the winter of upstate NY; and the cage itself is again very cheaply made and does NOT lock the bottle in - one good bump and the bottle will pop out and be gone. And how well the kick stand (and the aluminum frame it is attached to) hold up has yet to be determined. In general the kick stand will not be used with my panniers attached, since the higher center of gravity will then cause the bike to fall over anyway. Based upon the poor quality I've encountered so far, I doubt this bike will make it through one complete season without a major overhaul of the bottom bracket, rear axle, or front suspension - and more likely all three!
The bottom line: In order to make this bike work for my purposes, and GET THE COMPONENTS that I was SUPPOSED to get on it, I will likely have to spend half as much as the bike cost. If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive beater that is unlikely to attract the attention of thieves due to it's low quality, this is the one for you. If you're looking for a good commuter that will last, keep looking. And don't even THINK of taking this thing off-road - you will undoubtedly end up carrying it home on your back.
Customer Review: Good Bike
Well, so far (now that it's warmed up a bit here in Denver), I am using this as a commuter work bike. So far, no issues at all. Will keep a eye on it as I go, but gear systems seem to work well. Bike was VERY easy to put together. I purchased a hand held tire pump as well, so I will keep a eye on this to see how it performs over the summer.
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