General Cycling Discussion - Looked at a Schwinn Trail Way today.

Let me preface this by saying that I'm usually an LBS kind of person. I have one MTB that came from JCPenney about 12 years ago, and part of why I bought it was because I worked there and got a discount. To its credit, it's still chugging along. My Schwinn came from an LBS about 18 years ago, and it too still has many miles left on it. So, I've had good experiences both ways. The Penney's bike needed adjustments that had already been done on the Schwinn, but I knew how to do them and wasn't bothered.

Well, while shopping at Target today, I looked at their bikes out of curiosity. As I expected, there were alot of MTBs and a couple of hybrids and road bikes. One of the hybrids caught my eye. It was the Schwinn Trail Way, in 700c with 21 speeds. The frame was aluminum and the brakes were like the ones on my wife's GT Outpost Trail. I can't remember the name of them. The front suspension looked identical to the one I saw on a Giant at the LBS. Anyhow, the bike was priced at $199 and looked like it had been in the rack for awhile, not that it matters.

I can't spend $600+ for any kind of bike. I shouldn't even put something like that on a credit card. Even if I had that kind of money I'm a cheapskate and would hesitate to spend it. This Trail Way is all but the peak of anything I could spend for a bike in the near future, and it would be a short time in the future before I could get it anyway.

Now, the big question is, would this bike be suitable for the kind of trail riding I like to do? We have a park nearby with a 2-mile gravelled MUP that connects to another, longer path, which in the next two years will be connected to our local Riverwalk, which is paved. The bike information package said it was suitable for light trail riding, which to me sounds like that type of trail. Small and large gravel mixed with dirt. Having 21 speeds might make for a better commute-type ride on the roads than the 12 on the old Schwinn, and would save some wear and tear on it as well.

I know this thread will probably draw out everyone who claims to dislike discount bikes but has never had one. They don't seem to realize that not all of us can go the pricey route. An earlier thread on the GMC Denali showed that a well-used Denali could go the distance with proper maintenance and adjustment, so I could see this bike possibly able to do the same thing. I almost wish I could run back to Target and grab it before they close.

Thank you,
-Bill

That looks fairly much like a rehash of the Schwinn Sierra 700 that I'm currently pushing around town, only the Trail Way is carrying a suspension fork where the Sierra has a rigid. I really like the Sierra for what I'm doing with it. Tho' I ditched that big old sprung gel saddle for a Bontrager MTB saddle. Much more comfortable.

I'd say that will do just fine for what you want.

Now haul yer bunz back to the store an' buy dat thang! :D

I bought my schwinn from target. I've had no problems with it and I've ridden it daily for about 4 months now. Mine is the s60 with the full suspension. I've had it off road and it's been great. I've more than gotten my money out of it and now I'm just riding on house money. The money I've saved commuting on it easily paid it off. Plus I'm in better shape than ever.

I've read it every where that a wally world bike is trash, but the reality is $200 gets you a lot of bike if you shop right. Around here the only used bikes I could find in the sub $250 range were trashed or were older than the dirt they were caked with. So I took a gamble on the target bike and I couldn't be happier with what I spent.

For the riding you described I think you'lll be in good shape. I did that kind of riding for a whole year on a Next POS and never had any issues. My wife also on her $49 Mt POS wally world jobber and no probs. I do that type of riding on my 30 mile rt commute on my schwinn and it's great. My commute buddy does it on a rigid fork hard tail with no probs and he's pushing 275 lbs. So unless you start grinding rails and dropping cliffs, I think you'll be ok.

This forum seems more tolerant of cheaper bikes, but CigTech got alot of "That bike's a POS" just because it was from WalMart when he reviewed that Denali. There's another bicycling forum out there that gets pretty nasty about almost everything.

I forgot to mention in my OP that the MTB from Penney's is a Huffy Jackal. It was the first bike I bought with my own money, and I was about 19 or 20 at the time. I've just given it a cleaning and regreasing. The wheels aren't quite true, but with the riding I do, they don't need to be. It's been all kinds of places and has some scratches to prove it. The first day I had it, I got it all together and adjusted, and took it out on a muddy, gravel-strewn trail. It got plenty of paint scratches that day. I just noticed that one of the front sprokets is bent, but not enough to render it useless. I could drop some dough and give it some upgrades, but it would be fixing something that's not broken. We took it out on a 7.7 mile ride yesterday with everything from smooth gravel to rough terrain, and it did just fine.

Finding used bikes around here is hard, no matter the price range. I've seen a few that were very high-end and cost more used than some of the bikes at the LBS do new. Some might have had US-built frames, but I'd wager that most came from the same factories that build Giants and the bikes seen at the discount stores.

I'm glad to hear that y'all have had good experiences with your Target and Wally World bikes. On that subject, have you seen the Schwinn at WM with a carbon fiber frame? It's not too cheap at $450, but seems interesting. I'd like it to have 21-spds, but that's just personal. I've gotta get some money before I can hustle back to Target and get the Schwinn. If it disappears, the store manager is a family friend and could probably get me another one.

Thanks for your advice so far. I really appreciate it.

-Bill

This forum seems more tolerant of cheaper bikes, but CigTech got alot of "That bike's a POS" just because it was from WalMart when he reviewed that Denali. There's another bicycling forum out there that gets pretty nasty about almost everything.

I forgot to mention in my OP that the MTB from Penney's is a Huffy Jackal. It was the first bike I bought with my own money, and I was about 19 or 20 at the time. I've just given it a cleaning and regreasing. The wheels aren't quite true, but with the riding I do, they don't need to be. It's been all kinds of places and has some scratches to prove it. The first day I had it, I got it all together and adjusted, and took it out on a muddy, gravel-strewn trail. It got plenty of paint scratches that day. I just noticed that one of the front sprokets is bent, but not enough to render it useless. I could drop some dough and give it some upgrades, but it would be fixing something that's not broken. We took it out on a 7.7 mile ride yesterday with everything from smooth gravel to rough terrain, and it did just fine.

Finding used bikes around here is hard, no matter the price range. I've seen a few that were very high-end and cost more used than some of the bikes at the LBS do new. Some might have had US-built frames, but I'd wager that most came from the same factories that build Giants and the bikes seen at the discount stores.

I'm glad to hear that y'all have had good experiences with your Target and Wally World bikes. On that subject, have you seen the Schwinn at WM with a carbon fiber frame? It's not too cheap at $450, but seems interesting. I'd like it to have 21-spds, but that's just personal. I've gotta get some money before I can hustle back to Target and get the Schwinn. If it disappears, the store manager is a family friend and could probably get me another one.

Thanks for your advice so far. I really appreciate it.

-Bill

If it's a choice between riding and not riding, go for the bike! Two things to consider:

1. One of the big problem with discount store bikes is that they assembled incorrectly. Sometimes the assembly just looks funny, but sometimes they're set up so that they're dangerous to ride. You may want to reassemble it yourself before you ride it.

2. Your $200 might be better spent on something used. Check your local classifieds before you pull the trigger. You'd be surprised at what you can find. In fact there's a store where I live that specializes in recycled bikes. You can get a fantastic rig for about $220.

If it's a choice between riding and not riding, go for the bike! Two things to consider:

It's not the choice between riding and not. I'm just trying to think ahead to the time when my MTB might bite the dust, and am trying to preserve my Schwinn a bit even though it's not really a collectors item. I'm just attached to it for sentimental reasons. It was the last big present my grandfather gave me before he started getting sick.


1. One of the big problem with discount store bikes is that they assembled incorrectly. Sometimes the assembly just looks funny, but sometimes they're set up so that they're dangerous to ride. You may want to reassemble it yourself before you ride it.

Yeah, I could feel that the brakes and saddle QR would need adjustment before a ride, and assumed that the derailleurs would need some work as well.


2. Your $200 might be better spent on something used. Check your local classifieds before you pull the trigger. You'd be surprised at what you can find. In fact there's a store where I live that specializes in recycled bikes. You can get a fantastic rig for about $220.

Believe me, I've looked in the classifieds and craigslist, and there's not much there. There is a nearby LBS that specializes in used gear. He's got a couple of older classics I'd like, but for different reasons. The drawback to buying anything used is that there's rarely any warranty protection. Even if it's not a top-shelf bike, warranties and return policies can be helpful in the event of trouble.

Thank you,
-Bill

If it's a choice between riding and not riding, go for the bike! Two things to consider:

1. One of the big problem with discount store bikes is that they assembled incorrectly. Sometimes the assembly just looks funny, but sometimes they're set up so that they're dangerous to ride. You may want to reassemble it yourself before you ride it.

2. Your $200 might be better spent on something used. Check your local classifieds before you pull the trigger. You'd be surprised at what you can find. In fact there's a store where I live that specializes in recycled bikes. You can get a fantastic rig for about $220.

One of the first questions I asked when I was looking at my Schwinn at Target was who did the assembly. Apparently, at least around here, Target contracted with a professional assembler to assemble all of their bikes in the area. Whether that means some kid with a box of wrenches or a real "pro", I don't know. But the assembly on mine was top notch. Compared to my wife's and my wally world bikes that needed a lot of work just to get them out of the driveway.

Can you give me the name of that recycler? I wonder if they'd ship.
The local classified and craigslist scene is pretty hit and miss in my area. The good stuff is gone fast. The rest is either way out of my range or just more of the same stuff I already have. The primary reason I went with the target bike was the "need it now" factor. But now that I've got a ride, I've got a little more time to get the next one. So the name of that recycler would be great.

Can you give me the name of that recycler? I wonder if they'd ship.
The local classified and craigslist scene is pretty hit and miss in my area. The good stuff is gone fast. The rest is either way out of my range or just more of the same stuff I already have. The primary reason I went with the target bike was the "need it now" factor. But now that I've got a ride, I've got a little more time to get the next one. So the name of that recycler would be great.

I'd be happy to:

http://www.freezethaw.com/

I know that Schwinn has changed ownership a few times since the original USA owners. Now, of course, they are made in China.

Also, the Schwinn of yesteryear that was sold only to excusive Schwinn approved LBS has now moved on to selling them at Target.

HOWEVER, I have to say that the Schwinn bikes I have seen are considerably better designed and better made than the typical Chinese wobblers that you see at Walmart or some of the other discount stores.

The neighbor kid has one. He is a real bicycle enthusiast and takes great care of his bikes. I help him do maintanance on his bikes including his Schwinn. The bike is a nice bike and a very good bike for the money.

In my opinion, Schwinn still offers a good value package tucked in-between the typical cheap discount store wobblers and the expensive high end LBS rigs.

I know that Schwinn has changed ownership a few times since the original USA owners. Now, of course, they are made in China.

Also, the Schwinn of yesteryear that was sold only to excusive Schwinn approved LBS has now moved on to selling them at Target.

HOWEVER, I have to say that the Schwinn bikes I have seen are considerably better designed and better made than the typical Chinese wobblers that you see at Walmart or some of the other discount stores.

The neighbor kid has one. He is a real bicycle enthusiast and takes great care of his bikes. I help him do maintanance on his bikes including his Schwinn. The bike is a nice bike and a very good bike for the money.

In my opinion, Schwinn still offers a good value package tucked in-between the typical cheap discount store wobblers and the expensive high end LBS rigs.

Yeah, the Schwinns at the discount stores are less likely to be covered with useless flashy gimcracks than most of the other bikes there. If they're not put together correctly, they look like it would be easy to fix them. They still pay attention to design. What caught my eye besides the brand name was that the bike looked well-built and no-nonsense. The sprung seat might be questionable, but it didn't look cheap. The front suspension looked nothing like the other bikes, but more like the Giants at the bike shop. The front springs on some of those cheap bikes look worse than useless.

My Schwinn came from an LBS not too long before the bankruptcy. Seems like there's still a high-end Schwinn line that can only be found at a good LBS. Nothing against LBSs at all. I just can't go high-end right now. But they do a good job when I need help with service, for reasonable prices. I've had too many good bikes from Sears or other department stores.

I bought my wife a Hybrid Schwinn at Target and she loves it. The Target by me has a professional that assembles the bikes. It just needs a minor adjustment on the spokes, but thats it.

The Schwinn brand as we knew it is long dead and gone. The name is now one of the 'brands' marketed by Pacific Cycles, along with Mongoose, GT, and a bunch of private label store brands. And where it is made is not really an issue. Face it, most of the under $1000 bicycles are made in China. Trek and Giant are no exception.

Schwinn is still sold in some bike shops as an entry level product. The componentry is again entry level but respectable (Tekro or ProMax brakes, Suntour gears, Shimano Tourney derailures, SRAM grip shifters). Some Schwinn bikes are also sold in WMart, Target, and other mass market retailers. The model names are changed, but if you look carefully, you will sometimes find reasonably crafted high-ten steel or aluminum frames, and much the same componentry, along with a more reasonable price. Steer clear of the units that have gears, shifters, etc, from brands you have never heard of. Same with needlessly complex suspensions with those big coil springs and tube shocks! They will wear faster, and good luck finding replacement parts.

Remember, though, when you buy from a dept store, you are kind of on your own to get it properly assembled and running right. You might be lucky and find an employee that was properly trained, or you might not.... The extra $100 or so paid to the bike store is part of your insurance policy that it will be put together right, and that the frame size was chosen to properly fit your body. If you are handy, go for the dept store version. Be prepared to spend some time 'rebuilding' it to make it right, but if you would rather invest labor than cash, go for it. I have done both, depending on what was in my pocket at the time.

The Schwinn brand as we knew it is long dead and gone.

First, I am sorry to bring this thread back to live. Second, hello everyone :)

I wonder if the quoted statement is still true. If you go to Schwinn website, they have many very expensive bikes. So, if the price always reflects the quality - Schwinn is for sure right on the top with their bikes.

For sure they also have cheaper models, that are sold to supermarkets.

I actually went to Target last night to check on Schwinn Trail Way.
I liked the design and the bike is almost exactly what I am looking for. What I did not like is that is quite heavy (whats up with that? Why it is so hard to find weight of bikes, no matter if expensive or cheap?), the frame looks like it was taken from a MB.

Also, I noticed that the wheels are not quite true. Is is possible to fix that?

Any recommendations for a hybrid bike for up to $300? I saw MANY recommendations on this forum of this type:

"If you are on the budged, but used: go Craigslist or sunday paper" It is hard to agree on this. Used bike may be in a bad condition and for a newbie this is very hard to spot at times. The selection is very limited too. Plus, many used bikes are stolen.

Anyhow, I need a bike for bike paths and city riding, less than $300, any recommendations?

I wonder if the quoted statement is still true. If you go to Schwinn website, they have many very expensive bikes. So, if the price always reflects the quality - Schwinn is for sure right on the top with their bikes.

Schwinn brand name is owned by Pacific Cycles.

Bikes from Pacific are offered n several flavors, and qualities and even found in LBS along side Trek, Specialized, gian and other top brands.

The LBS offerings should be labeled Schwinn Select, providing identifier to determine the quality factor.

IMHO that Pacific Cycle provides bikes to the bike box chains at the criteria the chain store requests and desire price break for stock turn over. Quality is likely a difference between a Wally bike, and a Target, or even ToyrUs offerings.

The Schwinn offerings at LBS were good, warranty offered following the manufacture and LBS standards.

This is an example that knowledge is important and rumor can create false impressions.

If you already have a MTB, why get this new bike. The MTB can handle the light trails just fine.

Any recommendations for a hybrid bike for up to $300?

Anyhow, I need a bike for bike paths and city riding, less than $300, any recommendations?

Pricing may vary by LBS and city/location you reside. Supply and demand as well as competition among retailers can provide price ranges for new as well as use.

I went shopping for new bike for Mrs, last year, and was surprised by the technology changes, and ended up leaving with one for myself as well. For just the need you describe I bought new the Crossroads Sport (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32296) 2007 model from LBS for just little more than your price cap. They are nice riding bikes, and see action almost each evening as my lady :love:loves her bike and we have a good routine when I am not traveling. In my book these are an excellent value new bike offering for the hybrid/comfort line. Actually I was expecting to pay much more, instead I bought two for the expected amount of one. Boy was I out of touch:o.

For less than $300, and used knowledge is your best asset, and let your LBS know you are in the market, they may take in a trade and call you straight away with good deal for you. This is the time those deals can be found as trade in are common place in my area, for recent models to newer or more advance models.

Target Schwinn Trail Way = Walmart Schwinn Voyager... Only the stickers are different, otherwise identical bicycle.

The real difference I saw between them and the Schwinn Sidewinder mountain bike was 700x35 tires and a different handlebar that you can adjust the angle on.... It's about 50 bucks more than the Schwinn Sidewinder. Both have front suspension and a suspension seat.

Make a fine commuter bike or just a bike you want to have fun on.

Oh, and watch those plastic pedals..... After about 1,000 miles of riding, you might have to fork out 7 bucks on a new set of them :D

I looked at this bike. It looked a cut above the other bikes made by pacific. It even had a sturdy Shimano derailluer. My guess is a lot of these will be used by newly broke commuters. It looked like a rideable bike. Service, assembly, and adjustments you're on your own.

This is funny. Take it to a bike shop and have one tuned up. Once the brakes grab properly, and the gears shift crisp and perfect, you'll swear at the mechanic and claim he switched bikes on you.

I have schwinn Pathway that I got off the Wally World website and am very satisfied with it so far. It will be my commuter this summer when my kid is out of school ( mom drops off, I pick up), as well a weekend small tripper. It was $250 on the site and took a few days to get, but like other , I don't have a thousand to plunk down on a bike.

ALL bikes are built to a price point, I don't care where you get them from. Buying from an LBS should get you proper assembly and a free tune up after 30-60-90 days depending on the store, some offer lifetime adjustments to the original owner. My LBS sells used bikes and provides a basic warranty and free tuneup and check over at the 30-60 day mark.

Walmart/Target/Kmart all sell bikes. Some of the bikes are better than others. gpsblake's being an example of one of the better ones. I have a Huffy Cranbrook that I purchased at WM as a disposable bike for use in a corrosive industrial environment. It is a serious POS, crappy welds, the rear hub self destructed in less than 2 weeks and the local WM gave me grief on replacing the wheel. I looked at the local Kmart prior to purchasing the WM Huffy. They had a similar bike, same name, same crappy welds, but it came with chrome fenders and steel rims. The WM Huffy came with painted fenders and aluminum rims...go figure. IF you know enough about bikes to be able to take a close look at the componentry, the assembly and the quality of the frame build you can get a good deal at the big box retailers. BUT you are on your own when it comes to set up and adjustments. The low end/cheap price stuff that WM sells is garbage. If you happen to get one that is put together properly and lasts more than 100 miles...you beat the odds. I am convinced that the consumer is the final quality control check on most cheap stuff. The stores figure there is going to be a certain failure rate and one of two things will happen. Either the consumer will just toss it and go get another, or if they take the trouble to bring it back, just give them another one. It is written into the overall costs.

I have not seen the bike in question, but if it is built properly it is probably a good value for the money. I also know what you mean about the lack of good used bikes. The thrift stores around here are selling beat up Next full suspension MTB's for 90% of what a new one costs.:(

FWIW I needed/wanted a new city bike. I made the decision to spend the money and order a 2008 Redline R530. It was around $600 but the build quality was excellent and it is fully backed by the LBS I purchased it from. Xmart carries nothing even remotely similar to that bike at any price range.

Aaron:)

If someone buys a $239 bike from XMart or a $350 bike from a local bike shop. I would say that those bikes are approx the same price point. XMart makes $30 bucks off the bike and supplements with jeans, eggs and milk. LBS has higher rent (Xmart pays cash for property), assembly time, higher shipping, and limited floor space, LBS don't buy by the trainload so they pay more. Both bikes are from China but at Xmart it's up to the customer for proper assembly and adjustments. The reality is when (not if) gas doubles from here most people will be flat broke and that XMart bike will look really good.

Oh, and watch those plastic pedals..... After about 1,000 miles of riding, you might have to fork out 7 bucks on a new set of them :D

A few points

A: I have a Schwinn Pathway and I think its the same bike / different name. Love it because of the awesome value and I plan to get a 2nd bike that I will shell out serious money on (my sports car if you will). That hybrid probably weighs 40 lbs but rides well.

B: Yes the pedals are going to break. Mine broke. No other problems but the pedals you may as well have your LBS replace immediately.

C: I would have rather gotten a Schwinn Varsity Road Bike like this:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4698938

That feeling will probably leave once I get my mid to high end road bike. For 200 bucks though that Varsity looks flippin sweet.

The only thing I really don't like about the Schwinn Varsity is the position of the gear shifters... it's on the handlebars in the center taking up valuable real estate. Just for me, the way I set up my bicycle along with a GPS unit and headlight, it would leave me with very little room for my hands.

However, I do like that bicycle a lot except most roads around here are too rough for a road bike... That's why I rarely ride my $99 road bike I got in 2006 unless I'm on a major smooth road.

Thank you very much for all the replies.

I dont think Schwinn Varsity is for me as this is a road bike. But The Schwinn Pathway from walmart looks like a better choice than schwinn Trail Way from Target. No, they are not the same. The target Trail Way seem to be what Walmart Schwinn Avenue Hybrid is. How complicated!

I think all of them are on Schwinn website with more tech info. But... under yet different names. I emailed Schwinn to send me links to these products.

Now why is it so difficult to find how much a bike weight? Even in case of expensive, carbon bikes. At best the manufacturer says that the bike is lightweight.

Several factors cause weight to vary. On the low end, I would think that cheaper bikes are built of lower-cost metal tubing, with less-uniform wall thickness. On the high end, things made with carbon fiber, kevlar and high-tech "glass" fibers are held together with resins, which can vary a bit in final weight, depending on how much of the resin was "squeezed out" during manufacture.

I just ordered a Schwinn Avenue Hybrid from Walmart. It sounds good, 21-speed, Shimano parts, etc. I was at the LBS a few months ago, but it was raining and I said I would be back when it wasn't raining. Of course, I never went back; it was a horrible experience. Maybe I'll take it up for repairs and tune-ups, but shopping around there is not something I want to do again.

Of course, they didn't have any Treks or Raleighs or anything like that, but the ones they did have cost several hundreds of dollars, and they had wide tires, plastic pedals, and the same kind of shifters that the one I ordered had. I'd hope that something $700 would be markedly better than a $240 Wally World bike, but it doesn't seem that way.

I would have rather gotten a Schwinn Varsity Road Bike like this:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4698938

That feeling will probably leave once I get my mid to high end road bike. For 200 bucks though that Varsity looks flippin sweet.

I would have considered a walmart road bike, if they came in more than one size. I'm about 5' 5.5", and a 55cm bike is simply way too big.

uh, nothing intended with all the 5s

I would have considered a walmart road bike, if they came in more than one size. I'm about 5' 5.5", and a 55cm bike is simply way too big.

uh, nothing intended with all the 5s
I was considering a road bike too, but there were two things that detered me:
1. I hate the hunched-over position they require. I've never had a road bike, but it just looks uncomfortable.
2. With how bad the roads are around here, I think a road bike would be throwing me all over the place, so I'm sticking with a hybrid with some suspension.

I have this exact bike. I consider it a hybrid. I don't consider it a mountain bike. I have made some changes for commuting. I like the bike.

Walmart has a "jeep" mountain bike that looks fun. Dicks Sporting Goods is having a sale on some Mountain Bikes.

I, too, stumbled upon this bike at a Target while wandering around. I liked the look and the price and had been considering a hybrid. I actually rode it home from the store. I have since added clipped pedals and extensions to the handle bar to be able to vary my hand position. I ride a Fuji road bike with the local cycling association because only a road bike will keep up but on other days I like to change up to different bikes for training rides. The Trailways is very comfortable. I rode 60 miles on it yesterday and felt comfortable throughout the ride. Using the big ring forward and the 6th of 7 gears on the rear turning about 75 rpm, the bike does about 18 mph. It varies with wind, level, etc. You are not going to ride with the road bikes with this bike but if you want to go it alone for distance or just ride around town, this is pretty nice. If it fell to pieces tomorrow like the car in the Blues Brothers, I have already gotten way more than $200 riding out of it. I tend to prefer the larger tire bikes on long rides alone just to avoid flats. I have yet to have a single flat on this bike and I have put a lot of miles on it. Just for completeness, I also have a 29 inch fat tire Fuji Monterey which is like sitting in a recliner for those "my butt is shredded" days. All in all, I have been very pleased with the bike and would recommend it to anyone within the limitations of use intended.

I'm a new member (as of about 15 seconds ago), not an avid cyclist at all.

I bought a Schwinn Trailway today at my local Target store after reading some of the reviews here and on other sites, and wanted to provide my feedback.

I sold 2 bikes this week in order to be able to even afford the Trailway (my 15 year old bike that never fit me well and had maybe 20 miles total on it - looked brand new! And, my wife's 30 year old Schwinn).

I really like the Trailway. I did visit local bike stores, got a lot of what I hope was good advice, but in the end, just couldn't justify spending over $400 for a bike to go on short rides around the subdivision with.

My experience at Target started out not so great. The sales associate told me that they put a new bike together every time someone takes the one off the display.

So, in light of the many comments about assembly issues, I made them show me that everything worked properly, which it didn't. Both derailleurs were not adjusted properly, and the rear brake was binding.

The original sales guy tried to fix it, but gave up and called one of their bike assemblers, who spent over an hour working on it in the aisle. He brought out a bike stand and all his tools. In the end, I had to read the manual and learn about tensioning the cable for the rear derailleur so he could get it right. The front one and the rear brake were fixed in about 2 minutes.

I took the bike home, went for a short ride after positioning the seat, and guess what? I really like it! VERY comfortable, the gears shift smoothly, and the brakes work well.

So, my recommendation is that if you want to buy this bike, don't leave the store with it until they can demonstrate that at a minimum, all the gears function smoothly and that the brakes work. Check to make sure the wheels are true, too - mine were, at least they spun cleanly, no wobble or high spots visible. The crank was nice and tight (no wobble).

So, thank you for all the comments and advice about this bike - it helped me make what I hope was a good decision!

One item you did not indicated was check, and this can be costly to resolve once damage is done. Make certain the pedals are tighten into the arms. The left side is left threaded, tightens counter clockwise. The right is right threaded, tightens clockwise.

Daughter-n-Law's new Trek wms 7300, stripped the left pedal threads, it was not tighten properly. At first the mechanic said not under warranty because it was brought in for its 30 day inspection. DnL produced the receipt that she had, (he had signed off as the inspector:innocent:).

The LBS took care of straight away, no cost, and added a CatEye 5 'puter for your troubles.:thumb:

Enjoy your new ride! I really enjoyed mine. careful of the kickstand, it is a bit fragile. keep an eye on your rear wheel. they are very good quality wheels but being a low spoke count in pairs - you should not be rough on them. every now and then check the spoke tension with your fingers and if any ever feel looser than the others have your bike shop tighten them professionally. you should get years of enjoyment out of that bike! ;-)

I bought the Schwinn Avenue at Walmart last May. It's the same bike as the Schwinn Trailway at Target. (Only differences is that the Avenue is black; it doesn't have the bosses on the seatstay for a rear rack; doesn't have the aero grips; and, has only two stem spacers instead of three, a small difference in adjustability of the handlebars.).

I've really enjoyed my bike. Put about 500 miles on it in 3 months.

I changed

- The seat with a Zefal performance seat they sell at Walmart for about $20. It seems to have longer rails and adjusts further to the rear.
- The stem, adding a Delta stem riser.
- The seatpost, replacing it with a rigid post from M-Wave at Amazon for $8.
- Replaced the nutted rear axle with a hollow axle and quick release skewer (it's Wheel's Manufacturing part number Axle-12).
- I replaced the tires with Bontrager H4 Hardcase 35mm. Smooth rolling centers.
- Replaced the rim tape with Velox narrow.
- Used rubber grommets to convert the tubes to presta valve (the deep "aero" rims make it hard to find schrader tubes with long stems. They can be found. But, it's simpler to switch to Presta tubes.).
- Replaced seat clamp with one that has integrated rack-mount bosses (to make up for the seat stays not having bosses).

I completely disassembled my bike and rebuilt everything. I found the grease used by the factory wasn't very good. It seemed like "cosmoline," a metal preservative. The bottom bracket had metal shavings in it. The shavings were up in the connecting tubes too. The frame needed to be rotated and shaken to get all the shavings out, lest they'd end up in the bottom bracket over time.

To me, the bike seems like it's adequately sized for someone in the 5-7" to 6-2" range. But, if you're taller, you might have to work on raising the bars and moving the seat back, like I did at 6'-0".

Considering the work and upgrades I put into it, I might have been better off buying a Trek FX. But, I was just getting into riding and wasn't willing to spend that kind of money. Doing it incrementally as a "project" was the only way I could justify it. And, I learned a lot doing my own maintenance. No regrets at all. But, I went into it knowing retail bikes are problematic. I had my expectations set accordingly.

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