Crap headset/fork ? Even Stem ? I don't subscribe into that. The fork arm are either aligned straight or they aren't. Headset on the Vilano is adjusted and lubed properly. Stem, it's Neco, but even there, it's properly tightened. As for handling is vague and not confidence inspiring ? The steering on the Vilano is responsively crisp, the handle bars being as short as they are make that a reality. The Vilano also can make an unbanked 90 degree left or right just the same as any bike. U-turns, same there, slow down and get enough pavement it will make a 180 degree about face.

Harsh ride ? It's on 700x32 or thinner tires with a thin and unpadded seat. It's going to be uncomfortable and harsh for anything more than a few city blocks. The best you can do for that is inflate the tires at the bottom end of the range, which might account for perceived frame flex ? But running these tires at max pressure on anything less than a freshly paved road or smooth concrete and it's going to be brutal going the same as any other high pressure & rail thin tire. That's what it's supposed to do, relay feedback from the road with a fork with no shock absorber and higher pressure tires that aren't balloons.

I know it sounds as though I'm the only one defending the Vilano & RBO, probably because I am the only one defending it. But by the same token, I'm probably one of the few, if not the only one to acknowledge that I own one. Just trying to give it a fair assessment. Nobody's going to beam over a $ 230-240 base price cheapie SS/FG. But I had 3 other options at local bike shops, beyond the internet purchases. At one shop, $ 600 plus tax choice of the Schwinn Madison or Giant Bowery '72. The next closest shop had the Specialized Langster Tokyo model for $ 850. All three are superior products to the Vilano just from appearances. But are they $ 300+ to $ 550 better ? I don't think any of them has that kind of price differential that the ride is going to be that vastly superior on the same size & width wheels with identical air pressure. Add that the seat is the same unpadded rail and I certainly want to ride it 30+ miles round trip to confirm the handling is superior and so is this comfortable ride that the Vilano gets slammed on for being so harsh and unforgiving ? Be fair about the review of the bike and if the Vilano is 90 or more % of a $ 600-850 track bike, it has to be a great value for around 1/3 to 1/2 the price ?