Just like electronics, you can't just trust the name. You really need to know what you're looking at. I wouldn't buy any of the Schwinns from the department store, but Schwinn still has some bike shop quality bikes out there. In Oshkosh, WI there is a bicycle outlet that is full of the better Schwinn and GT models, and they have the bikes you're referring to for $150 - $250. Compared to the Trek 7100 I put my mother-in-law in, they're nearly identical.