General Cycling Discussion - Schwinn....

Hey all,

My wife has actually said she wants a bike! :eek:. She said she found a Schwinn at Wally-World that she likes (I found it cheaper at K-Mart ) - http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_080W981174110001P

Now I know the big problem with big-box store bikes is the assembly.... I figure I can get it in the box, and put it together myself and solve part of that problem.

For an around town (flat land) and occasional ride to work bike, would this be ok? I'm just warry of buying a Schwinn (I have heard that their quality has gone to POOP in the last decade or so).

What do you all think (She has a thing for PINK :thumb:)?

TIA
Billy

Assembly is definitely not the only problem with those bikes. I'll let someone else get in this though (because I'm sure they will).

What do you all think (She has a thing for PINK :thumb:)?

I think you'd be better off spending twice that much and getting her a pink Electra. The dealer will stand behind it better and it will retain a much higher percentage of its value next year if it's not getting used as much as it should be.

The Schwinn is what it is. At least it doesn't have the crap Shimano C050 derailleurs and ridiculously cheap brakes that are so likely to fail in the first few hundred miles.

So if you spend $300 on an Electra and can resell if for $200 vs. spending $119 on the Schwinn and can only resell it for $20, that sounds like a wash to me. :)

My only concern would be whether this bike is suitable for any ride to work. Is it a really, really flat ride? I like gears. I also like hand-operated brakes.

There are two grades of Schwinns;the ones sold at Wally World,and the ones sold at LBS's. I had a DBX SuperSport from an LBS,and it was a quality machine.

Hey all,

My wife has actually said she wants a bike! :eek:. She said she found a Schwinn at Wally-World that she likes (I found it cheaper at K-Mart ) - http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_080W981174110001P

Now I know the big problem with big-box store bikes is the assembly.... I figure I can get it in the box, and put it together myself and solve part of that problem.

For an around town (flat land) and occasional ride to work bike, would this be ok? I'm just warry of buying a Schwinn (I have heard that their quality has gone to POOP in the last decade or so).

What do you all think (She has a thing for PINK :thumb:)?

TIA
Billy

if you're wary about quality, why buy a bike at K/Wal-mart?:rolleyes:

You're gonna get flamed because you mentioned Wal Mart AND Schwinn.



Yeah, I knew that would happen.

I commute on a 94/5' TREK 750. She is refusing to spend any decent money on a bike, and says "a bike is a bike!".... I know better.... you know better.... too bad she dosent.

I know that schwinn's are also sold in LBS's and had heard that the assembly at Wally-world was a major part of the problems with the bikes (had heard that the same bikes sold at the LBS's are "better" because of the professional assy)

I'll look at the electra's

Thanks
Billy

Hey all,

My wife has actually said she wants a bike! :eek:. She said she found a Schwinn at Wally-World that she likes (I found it cheaper at K-Mart ) - http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_080W981174110001P

Now I know the big problem with big-box store bikes is the assembly.... I figure I can get it in the box, and put it together myself and solve part of that problem.

For an around town (flat land) and occasional ride to work bike, would this be ok? I'm just warry of buying a Schwinn (I have heard that their quality has gone to POOP in the last decade or so).

What do you all think (She has a thing for PINK :thumb:)?

TIA
Billy
Billy,

I think you should place the opinion of your wife over what of a bunch of strangers on the internet (who don't know beans about your wife or the specific bike in question) think is OK for her.

Does it have to be NEW?

having repaired many a customers crappy department store bikes i know first hand how bad these can be...not only assembly wise but also quality of parts. they just plain do not hold up and work so poorly she is sure to not enjoy riding it long term. Check out the giant simple single, its giants cruiser that is pretty similar to what you posted but much nicer quality and the backing of a bike shop for only $100 more, also much cheaper than electras which i think the singlespeed townies start around $380 so that one would be even a bit harder to spend the money on.

http://giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/women/1278/29349/

good luck getting her into riding

Well, I officially give up..... She wont listen to advice. She asks a question, dosent like the answer and then gets angry at me..... I told her to get her own damn bike.... I doubt she will, and if she does, it will probably get ridden once..... What a waste, she just dosent get it. :(

You could probably buy a much nicer used bike for that money.

Well, I officially give up..... She wont listen to advice. She asks a question, dosent like the answer and then gets angry at me..... I told her to get her own damn bike.... I doubt she will, and if she does, it will probably get ridden once..... What a waste, she just dosent get it. :(

Walmart Schwinn will be fine for her, that's all I ride, and they don't fall apart or break down anymore than any other bicycle. So don't believe the BS in here, for everyone story they post up, I can go to the repair forum in here and find all sorts of whacko things happening to $1,000 bicycles.

I've ridden Walmart bikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway, ridden them on the C&O trail, ridden them from South Carolina to Texas, and I ride one every day around 10 to 15 miles a day.

Remember, there's a reason why **REPAIRING** LBS bicycles is a huge market...

The current Walmart bike I bought in March has 1,300+ miles on it, only thing went wrong was a cracked pedal... So I had to spend a whopping 7 bucks to replace that. The Walmart bike I took with around 60 pounds of stuff attached to it from South Carolina to Texas.... only had a few flats....

So congrats.... you just let the neo-cyclo supremacist run another potential bicycle rider off the streets because she wanted a "walmart" bike.

Let her buy what she wants... no wonder she is mad at you....

I am not at all a bike snob, but almost all the bikes sold at the x-marts are really bad. Poor assembly is a problem. But cruddy components are the real problem. An inexpensive, but decent bike can be a joy to ride. A hog is not fun to ride.

jim

I am not at all a bike snob, but almost all the bikes sold at the x-marts are really bad.

Disagree somewhat. I ride them without major problems. Of course, I do my own maintenance and such, but you've got to maintain any bicycle on the planet. But I do agree about the assembly at times, you should check the assembly and tweak what's needed or assemble it yourself. It's a small price to save a few hundred dollars.

Remember that the majority of the world's bike riders (China, India etc) don't ride LBS type bicycles.



An inexpensive, but decent bike can be a joy to ride.

As can a Walmart bike, which happens to be inexpensive. I ride mine for two reasons. First is fun, second is exercise. I don't give a darn about speed, fitting in with the neo-snobs, or spend mega bucks on cycling gear.

jgedwa, what this thread did was to totally discourage someone from riding a bicycle. These snobs aren't bicycling advocates at all, if anything, they turn people off from it. I'm an advocate for anyone riding a bike , rather it be a LBS bike, a Walmart bike, or a Goodwill bicycle. The idea is supposed to get people riding and support their activity no matter what they ride.

I had a DBX SuperSport from an LBS,and it was a quality machine.

It still is. :thumb:

Of course, I am all for anyone riding any bike. Far better than the alternative. And you are right to point out that the bikes that are ridden in China would not be accepted here. Ever seen one of those bikes? They are leadsleds. Their biggest disadvantage is that they have terrible performance. They are sluggish and unwieldy. But, to their credit, they are tough as nails. Xmart bikes usually do not have that advantage.

In my modest experience (I have owned several, flipped several more, and often look at them when I am in the store) the vast majority of them have flimsy yet heavy parts that are often non-standard. They are very difficult to maintain.

Decent bikes have two hallmarks: they tend to stay in tune, and when out of tune it is straightforward how to return them into tune.

I think that most people, with most of those bikes, could not claim either advantage.

This is not even to bring up the fact that so many of them have horrible, heavy, essentially non-functional suspensions. This adds cost, weight, and chance of breaking.

They bikes they sell are cheap. Nothing wrong with cheap. But there is honest cheap and dishonest cheap. Honest cheap is simple and basic. Dishonest cheap pretends to be something it is not. Dishonest cheap is not worth any amount of money. The vast majority of xmarts bikes are dishonest cheap.'

jim



Disagree somewhat. I ride them without major problems. Of course, I do my own maintenance and such, but you've got to maintain any bicycle on the planet. But I do agree about the assembly at times, you should check the assembly and tweak what's needed or assemble it yourself. It's a small price to save a few hundred dollars.

Remember that the majority of the world's bike riders (China, India etc) don't ride LBS type bicycles.


As can a Walmart bike, which happens to be inexpensive. I ride mine for two reasons. First is fun, second is exercise. I don't give a darn about speed, fitting in with the neo-snobs, or spend mega bucks on cycling gear.

jgedwa, what this thread did was to totally discourage someone from riding a bicycle. These snobs aren't bicycling advocates at all, if anything, they turn people off from it. I'm an advocate for anyone riding a bike , rather it be a LBS bike, a Walmart bike, or a Goodwill bicycle. The idea is supposed to get people riding and support their activity no matter what they ride.

I agree with gpsblake, I-like-to-bike, & Andy K. It's gonna be *Her* bike, so: get what she wants. Ask her to look at other pink bikes if any local bike shops have any- if they don't have anything pink in stock, *or* if she just doesn't want to bother, get her the Schwinn she wants. For only $120 new- well, have you bought gasoline lately? If you don't get what she wants, you'll almost surely regret it- a lot!;) Besides, she'll be a lot more likely to ride a bike she chose herself. And when you ride together, go at a pace she can keep up with. None of this,"See how slow it is, I *Told* you to get something else!" nonsense. And if something should break on it, fix it for her cheerfully, without saying- or even hinting at- "I told you so!"

She's shown an interest in doing something you like to do, so meet her more than halfway. It's your job to encourage her. Remember that always.

If (Once?) you get the Schwinn(or any other new cheap bike), check the grease & assembly in the bottom bracket, headtube & wheel bearings & chain tension, get it ready to roll for her, & then hand it over all checked out, serviced & ready to ride. Remember the tire pressure! (extra points for you if you can do all that & give it to her as a surprise!:thumb:)

It may be all the bike she ever wants- or it may be one for her to learn on- things like"gears would be nice":D, etc, & lead to other bikes. If she does want to move up, by then she'll probably be a lot more interested in specs & quality. That'll be her decision too.

Remember, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy! :beer:

In my modest experience (I have owned several, flipped several more, and often look at them when I am in the store) the vast majority of them have flimsy yet heavy parts that are often non-standard.

I found one with plastic brake levers, which included plastic clamps and plastic lever housings that were so soft that their pivots were binding, adding so much resistance that the whole lever assembly flexed before any reasonable amount of pressure could actually be applied to the brake pads.

Literally, the entire brake lever assembly was plastic except for the pivot bolt(s?) and the screw that held the mounting clamp shut.

I let my wife buy and ride Wally bikes for some time, then I let her ride my commuter one time on a long bike ride, she still grumbles about how much the last LBS bicycle cost her, but she no longer says "a bike is a bike".

Thanks ya'll....

The wife and I had an argument about bikes last night.... She dosent understand that sometimes quality costs a little more..... We have a 7yo son who needs to LEARN how to ride. I've been looking for a bike that I can get him on (With his butt on the seat and his feet flat on the ground). What I have found (Electra's, Trek ect) are around $2-250. She is agast at spending that kind of money on "a kids bike" She dosent understand that the reason he couldnt get off of training wheels on his BMX type bike, was 1) it was twitchy and 2) he couldnt put his feet flat on the ground (fear of falling).
Then we got into her bike. She does not understand that build quality has anything to do with price.... (Yes you can find screaming deals on a new bike, I dont think this schwinn is one of them) She asked me what I thought of this bike. I told her 1) it has no gears (we live in Indiana, and its flat, but not THAT flat) and 2) The build qualtiy probably isnt very good and I doubt you will enjoy riding it.
She just kept saying that she cant understand why people spend $300 on a bike. When I pointed out that the LHT I want costs around $1200 she FLIPPED OUT! (yet she has no problem spending $40k on a delux touring min-van????)
She had origionally said that she might like to ride to work occasionally.... GREAT! Then last night she said "I'll NEVER ride to work its TOO DANGEROUS! (We work at St. Catherines Hospital in E. Chicago IN. Not a great neighborhood, but its realy not that bad).

Why do I bother?

Thanks all. I told her to get what ever bike she wanted, I wasnt involved any more (why ask for help if you wont take it?)

Billy

Have you considered choosing an appropriate bike for her, then giving it as a gift?

It sounds like you already know her tastes, just satisfy your own need to invest in quality, whether it's a new bike or something vintage you can fix up.

In der UK ve haff 'Halfords': a nationwide store chain that sells car accessories and cycles. It started off as a cycle store back in the day, but it's a car store now. AKA 'Halfrauds' with a reputation for the cheap and cheerful.

They sell 'Apollo' brand steel Chinese bikes. You can get a full suspension bike that will go up hills, down them, tour, race, and win the Tour De France for £99.00 - about $200. They have sales - like every week - your £99.00 special can be picked up for £75.00. The components are , er sturdy - I'm being kind here. They are heavy. They are not pretty.

I bought a Halfrauds Apollo 'mountain bike' ten years or more ago, it got me back into cycling, and it lasted three years with nothing breaking. I commuted to the station during the week, then rode it down nature trails at the weekend. Yes, it was pink. It was £75.00. It refused to die. It didn't get maintenance. Nothing fell off and I didn't have to clean it.

Eventually I wanted lighter and faster and sold my Apollo to a g/f for £50.00.

Moral:

Let your wife choose what she wants. There's nothing worse than a) cycle snobs, b) men who 'choose' stuff for women on the basis that women 'don't know' what they want, and c) women who tolerate a) or b).

:-)



Sue

Moral:

Let your wife choose what she wants. There's nothing worse than a) cycle snobs, b) men who 'choose' stuff for women on the basis that women 'don't know' what they want, and c) women who tolerate a) or b).

:-)



Sue

Touche......

I told her to get what ever bike she wanted, I wasnt involved any more (why ask for help if you wont take it?)

Wrong, wrong, wrong...

You live with her, and if she is not happy you will not be happy.

Take yourself out of the argument, you will not ever win or sway her.

I made a big mistake in 1981. My wife's Schwinn 73 Varsity and my '74 Continental were stolen from our garage on my son's 5th birthday. (fortunately the thieves did not take his new bike)
The homeowners insurance agreed to replace the bikes. I replaced her drop down rider for a more mom like bike, a Schwinn Suburban 5 speed, and myself a Continental.

She never liked the bike, she rode it, but never liked it. So last mothers day I took her to local bike shop to pick out her new bike. She dealt with the sales staff, test rode the selections, and made her choice and has been loving her bike ever since.

If you just ask your wife to visit the LBS s, and test ride some different makes, models and listen to the sales person, then she will have better idea of the big box store bike that will fit her and she will have more of an idea which bargain bike she will enjoy and be proud to ride. You must be supportive otherwise you will never be happy.

Let the LBS staff do the educating, let them argue against her points, agree with her concerns, avoid taking any side, or point her to one model or another, our objective, to allow her to make her choice and be happy with that choice, right or wrong, regardless what you say you will be wrong.

This simple rule I learned about 5 or 6 years ago would have made my 33 years of marriage so much smoother if adapted earlier in our partnership -
Wife's 50/50/90 Rule - If your wife asks for you to make a decision and there is only 2 answers (50/50), (right/wrong, left/right, between two colors, higher/lower, etc), 90% of the time you will be wrong.

Avoid those situations at all costs, but understand the reality of the truth when you are incorrect.:D:D

All the best...

Ditto on the comment about quality. Once you start shopping for a bike at Wal-Mart, you already gave up on being concerned with quality. If you're going to buy there, just buy something that you like the look of and that hopefully fits.

If she actually starts riding regularly, she'll eventually become familiar with the shortcomings of her Wal-Mart bike, especially if you have something nice to compare it to. Of course, some people have an endless capacity for self-deception, and even confronted with evidence she may never accept that there really are better bikes out there.

Nothing personal here, but I once read a quote, in reference to retailers such as Wal-Mart, that "cheapness and ignorance are mutually reinforcing". Think about it for a while, and you may agree.

Keep in mind that the type of person who will get mad at you for answering questions with answers she doesn't like will eventually get mad at you for not doing enough to talk her out of the Wal-Mart bike. Have fun with that! ;)

Thanks all. I told her to get what ever bike she wanted, I wasnt involved any more (why ask for help if you wont take it?)

Billy

You've got issues more than just this bicycle. Too bad really, because it just sounds she wanted to do something that you enjoy, and you blew it up like a stick of dynamite because you let a few snobs on an internet forum talk you into it.

I would advise you sincerely apologize to her, let her get the Schwinn or whatever she wants, and you both enjoy the time together riding bikes.. then work on your other issues.

Good luck.

I've bought my wife two decent MTBs over the years and ended up selling them due to lack of or no use. This spring we bought her a pink $90 beach cruiser and she's been riding it every night. Go figure!

Actually, I went back and bought the matching blue one so I can ride with her. I just hope none of my riding buddies sees me.

Just buy what she wants. She'll be happy and you don't have to hear the riot act for years to come. Get the wheels trued and spokes properly tensioned and she'll be ready to go. If you are really picky, take the bike apart and grease everything. Shouldn't take more than an hour or 2 to do and that includes making all the adjustments. Most of the X-box bikes are old school cup-and-cone wheels and bottom bracket and they usually need more grease in there and are adjusted too tight from the factory. Should last her a long time or until she wants a lighter bike and/or more gears. Not much can go wrong with a single speed with coaster brakes.

For a first bike, get whatever. Do your best to get it tuned up and all, but if they have their heart set on junk, let them get junk. Try to discuss the advantages and disadvantages, but go with whatever decision.

When you start hearing complaints about how the bike rides, don't make any accusations because a first bike is to get into things; instead just be ready with 'Well, whenever you might want to think about getting a newer bike, we can pick one out that doesn't have those issues..' and start supportively comparison-shopping for where to go next based on the issues from the starter bike.

They have this stuff called "paint". It can turn almost anything pink. Find a nice old 3sp cruiser on CL,then paint it. Problem solved.

Devildogmech, cool name by the way, I was in a similar position as your wife a little over a year ago. I bought a walmart Schwinn for 130 bucks and put a rack on it and some other little goodies. It was ok, not that fast, but ok, got stolen. I bought a much nicer Schwinn bike#2 for $250 at Walmart It did its job well and I set it up with two different locks attached to the bike for locking up (did not want to meet fate of bike #1). Still have the bike, commute with it etc, managed to break the pedals which all pedals usually break on department store bikes, also have scratches on it from locking up or making contact with things. I saved money up, something clicked and I realized bicycling was one of the best parts of my day as opposed to watching tv etc or other things people do. I decided to get the nicest bike I could afford without feeling regret on spending, which was this Lemond :


http://www.lemondbikes.com/images/bikes/large/etape.jpg

Things I noticed
Bike#1 Tires were fat but the bike was nice looking and got a lot of compliments. It did its job well and held up.
Bike#2 (a hybrid) feels like it goes a lot faster and looks impressive, mechanically has held up.
Bike#3 (Lemond) I absolutely love everything about this bike. Its super light by comparison to the first two. Everything on it has superior appearance from wheels to handles. Bike constantly gets stares and smiles from drivers that or maybe its me as well.

Ok to summarize and stop rambling, that $110 bike your wife chose is fine. If I had started my adult cycling with my current bike the truth is the thing would have scratches all over it or have been stolen, not to mention I would be thinking I was going slow when in fact I know i'm blazing down the road and routinely pass people on hybrids or mountain bikes. Theres also a certain amount of skill that comes with time and honestly I think it takes some skill to utilize this bike properly as far as mount / dismount, maneuvering , using the clips and shifters etc. Your wife should get the bike and once she's ready, take it to the next level.

Im not bike guru, but i would avoid walmart. I went to bike world here, and they had some quality GT and schwinn bikes for about 300 bucks out the door, built RIGHT. I looked over a few at walmart, and they were not even put together properly, and i doubt you will get any type of real service outside of a bike shop if u did go the wallly world route.

Sport chalet isnt bad, my gf bought hers at sport chalet. They have a pro shop and what not, and put them together pretty good..and prices are reasonable.

At the risk of sounding sexist, bike are like shoes, you get what you pay for.

It is what it is.

You're asking a bunch of enthuiasts for their opinion about a non-enthusiast bike. I'll be surprised if you get any useful information. My advice is to give the lady what she wants.

Incidentally, if you stay away from the dunes, that NW Indiana area is about as flat as it gets. I remember doing a 50 mile ride in the Valpo area and the biggest hill we encountered was where the road crossed over the railroad tracks.

Take the pedals off of your son's BMX bike and he'll be able to touch the ground and get the feel for balancing his bike.

Oh man, I could only get part way through the flames and decided to just jump to the reply section.

I am willing to bet that most of these people who critisize the big-box bikes and new Schwinns have neither ridden or worked on them.

First of all, as a married man I can tell you that what your wife wants is what you should get her. Period. It doesn't matter if there is a better deal or better quality or anything else - you just have to get her what she wants.

You are lucky. She is asking for a pretty simple and affordable bike.

It will work fine. Those single-speed fat tire bikes are pretty heavy, but what the heck. People have been riding them for years and I just rode around on them last week for some heavy-duty shopping.

I really do not believe that your wife will wear out a K-Mart Schwinn single speed and if she does - WONDERFUL! I think it will serve your purpose.

Your wife can enjoy bicycling on a K-mart Schwinn and even go to work on it. If she gets the fever and wants a better bike, it isn't such a big investment.

This spring we bought her a pink $90 beach cruiser and she's been riding it every night. Go figure!

Some people like it real simple. No gears, no hand brakes, upright riding position, and probably a pretty paint job. Tires fatter than the car and slow as ####... but who cares as long as she is having fun?


Your wife can enjoy bicycling on a K-mart Schwinn and even go to work on it. If she gets the fever and wants a better bike, it isn't such a big investment.

Great point. The idea is to get them riding a bicycle. If they later on decide they want to buy a more expensive bike, then the Walmart bicycle was a small investment that paid off.

This thread started off with the snobs ruining it & then common sense coming through on the couple of postings.

Oh man, I could only get part way through the flames and decided to just jump to the reply section.

snip

First of all, as a married man I can tell you that what your wife wants is what you should get her. Period. It doesn't matter if there is a better deal or better quality or anything else - you just have to get her what she wants.

You are lucky. She is asking for a pretty simple and affordable bike.

snip

I really do not believe that your wife will wear out a K-Mart Schwinn single speed and if she does - WONDERFUL! I think it will serve your purpose.

Your wife can enjoy bicycling on a K-mart Schwinn and even go to work on it. If she gets the fever and wants a better bike, it isn't such a big investment.

I can vouch for the marital advice here after being married for 14 years. Would you rather be out $119 because she got what she asked for a later on found it wasn't what she wanted after she's ridden it for a while, or would you rather spend more to get the bike you think she needs that she wont ride because it's not what she wanted?

Im not bike guru, but i would avoid walmart. I went to bike world here, and they had some quality GT and schwinn bikes for about 300 bucks out the door, built RIGHT. I looked over a few at walmart, and they were not even put together properly, and i doubt you will get any type of real service outside of a bike shop if u did go the wallly world route.

Give her credit for at least picking out the one type of bike that would probably get put together well enough. If you're going to get a Walmart bike, people ought to get the sort of bike that should cost what it's priced at and that's precisely what she picked out. I'd still rather get the Electra but a somewhat heavy single speed cruiser at $120 or $150 or whatever is probably a reasonable choice since it won't likely require the sort of maintenance that make most Walmart bikes not worth having.

Once you add a rubber band sprung fork, an undamped coil shock, front and rear derailleurs, freewheels, hand brakes, and all of the rest of the stuff some people think they should get for $150, the quality of the parts needed to meet those ridiculously low price points get similarly ridiculous. So does the complexity of the bike and the likelihood that it will not be assembled or adjusted properly. Then they take it to the LBS to get it working right and are shocked by the $40-$60/hour charge. It's cheaper than the electrician, the plumber, or the mechanic. What world do these people think they're living in?

My coworker spent $119 on a full suspension Next at Shopko and had to fix just about everything on it. He's also replaced the rear shock with a solid piece of steel tubing and now he's wondering what he needed gears for in the first place. The flat 2 miler to the store, flat 2 miler to work, and riding with his kids around the neighborhood are all he does. It's good he's mechanically inclined or he would also be stuck with 45 lbs. of scrap metal.

Take the pedals off of your son's BMX bike and he'll be able to touch the ground and get the feel for balancing his bike.

Now he is WAY too big for that bike.... His little brother (3yo) is perfectly sized for the bike.... His feet are 4" off the ground.... thats with the seat all the way down.

Its just a poorly designed bike for a beginer

As to the whole "wife bike thing"..... I told her that when pay day got here, I would get her the bike, if she still wants it.

His wife wants a beach cruiser (not a racing bike)bike,not many companies anymore sell these kind of bikes,trek does(stay away from those,I have one) torker does (dont know about those other than more expensive) and wally xmart world.

Best bet is buy from wally world and learn to grease bearings using cone wrenches and make sure they are tight(get from LBS),replace chains,and make sure all threads are tight.


Actually, I went back and bought the matching blue one so I can ride with her. I just hope none of my riding buddies sees me. Who cares if they see you riding a beach cruiser,I am 6' tall riding single speed coaster brake beach cruisers and I LOVE THEM.
I want to look like a tall rider not a hunchback of notre dame.
Beside you have less chance of a beach cruiser getting stolen than a cool racing bike.

About giant bicycles,they are made the same place as the wally world bicycles peoples republic of china(communist)same thing as the wally world except more expensive.

This thread started off with the snobs ruining it & then common sense coming through on the couple of postings.

Whatever makes you feel better about it, dude.

I'll make sure to look down my nose a little bit more on the ride home today while flexing my snobbery.

Hopefully someday someone will talk some common sense into me and get me off my inexpensive commuter and onto a cheap Wal-Mart bike. Then I'll be free of my elitism and will be pedalling serious miles year round with the great mass of happy Wal-Mart bike riders out there doing the same.

Except my friends with Wal-Mart garage ornament Bike Shaped Objects aren't trying too hard to bring me back from the Dark Side. Instead, they fuel my elitism by bestowing praise on my bike for how light it is, (The commuter is 25 lbs! Not light!) and how quiet it is, and how smooth everything works. My bike is an object of alien and exotic technology to the Wal-Mart faithful in my life.

About giant bicycles,they are made the same place as the wally world bicycles peoples republic of china(communist)same thing as the wally world except more expensive.

Fail.

Go ride a Giant TCR or OCR composite, then ride a Wal-Mart bike. If you still think it's effectively the same with just a higher price tag slapped on it then you won't understand why that statement is so dumb either.

There's a kind of irony in the fact that the world's "greatest" capitalist system has devolved itself to the lowest common denominator and is completely dependent on the above mentioned communist country to even survive. I felt that was worth pointing out since you took the time to highlight the "communist" aspect of it.

Think about that as you fill your day with cheap consumer products, comrade.

Go ride a Giant TCR or OCR composite, then ride a Wal-Mart bike. If you still think it's effectively the same with just a higher price tag slapped on it then you won't understand why that statement is so dumb either.
It depends on the frame size,my treks 19" frame beach cruiser rides good because the frame fits,even though the bikes a piece of crap,Im stuck with it,it has two wal-mart bike roadmaster wheels on it, steel.I dont like those humpback of notredame bikes.



Think about that as you fill your day with cheap consumer products, comrade.

I unlike yourself don't have a disposable income to throw away on a bike that I may have if lucky a few days if no one steals it in a bike jacking.They say "hey,white boy give me that bike " and if I don't pedal faster that they can run I wont have it for long.

I ride a Schwinn that I purchased from Target. ( http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Cimarron-26-Inch-Womens-Comfort/dp/B000FMVW14/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt)

I know it's not a "cool" bike, or an "in" bike, or what about 99% of the biking community would want me to ride. I adore my bike - I have a short commute to work (2.5 miles each way). The furthest I ever need to go in town is less than 10 miles & I use the bike for lots of errands and social visits, too.

I'm short, and the bike fits me. It's relatively light. It has more gears than I use, but that doesn't bother me. It's not a speed demon, but I can get around in a reasonable amount of time. It has 26" tires, but sometimes I do go on trails, etc. on fun rides w/ friends.

Would I like to be able to afford a sweet commuter bike, and an awesome road bike, and some back up bikes, and tons of accessories? Sure! But that extra money goes into my musical instruments fund. :)

Maybe someday I'll get a "real" bike. But I bet I'll still use this Schwinn for errands around town when/if I do.

Have you asked your wife what she likes about this bike and doesn't like about other bikes you've recommended? You may be able to give her some different choices that all meet her criteria. And if she only wants the Schwinn - get it!

Happy riding...

Hey all,

My wife has actually said she wants a bike! :eek:. She said she found a Schwinn at Wally-World that she likes (I found it cheaper at K-Mart ) - http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_080W981174110001P

Now I know the big problem with big-box store bikes is the assembly.... I figure I can get it in the box, and put it together myself and solve part of that problem.

For an around town (flat land) and occasional ride to work bike, would this be ok? I'm just warry of buying a Schwinn (I have heard that their quality has gone to POOP in the last decade or so).

What do you all think (She has a thing for PINK :thumb:)?

TIA
Billy

I think if you had been in I D instead of IN there are 4 gazillion Schwinn Breezes, Hollywoods and even an under $100 Hawthorne pleading like pound puppies for a friend from Boise to Ontario ;)

All I know is that every single Huffy they got for the adult foster homes lost the rear bearings in about 2 DAYS. Not only that but the frame was too small to be a 26" cruiser and felt like a 24" with a very unnatural stroke to it like a 40 year old on a BMX.

I would find an authorized dealer and at least look them over with somebody that knows what they sell. My LBS doesn't sell Schwinn but he also offers regular maintenance plans.

Order a Worksman (http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/indbikes.html) in whatever color you want, including pink.

Made in USA, durable and simple.

The Schwinn is what it is. At least it doesn't have the crap Shimano C050 derailleurs and ridiculously cheap brakes that are so likely to fail in the first few hundred miles.

So what your saying is my BikesDirect bike is higher quality than my Trek with it's C050 derailleur, while also being cheaper. I haven't had any problem with either of my bikes, but will be sure to let everyone know which bike is of higher quality if one fails.

Have you asked your wife what she likes about this bike and doesn't like about other bikes you've recommended? You may be able to give her some different choices that all meet her criteria. And if she only wants the Schwinn - get it!

Happy riding...

She wants it because it "looks cute". She care's not one wit for how it rides, its quality or comfort :cry:


I dont mean to :deadhorse:, but I was looking at the Schwinn site.... Have any of you looked at it? They only show the LBS bikes. They dont show the bike my wife wants, and I didnt see any bike under $300 MSRP.... Carbon Fiber road bikes????? I understand that the majority of the companies income probably comes from the BIG BOX bikes, but Dang! Why sell a product if your ashamed to show it on-line???? (I'm probably misinterpriting this BTW)

All I know is that every single Huffy they got for the adult foster homes lost the rear bearings in about 2 DAYS.

Go to LBS and buy cone wrenches,Tighten your cones,I wander how many people forget to get their oil changed on their new car?