Originally Posted by
keiththesnake
Sorry to hear the market will allow such abuses as the $200 Varsity. That's just terrible. Good luck.
Actually they are capitalizing on the name SCHWINN, just as Pacific Cycle and their new owners DOREL (IIRC) are doing.
The uneducated do not always know there is a difference between a Collegiate, Varsity, Continental, LeTour, Super Sport, or Paramount models. The ad is marketing a "Schwinn is a Schwinn", the same bike the kid down the road had when you were growing up, or if lucky as a kid the same bike from your youth.
As a buyer, being educated about the product you seek is basic, and if not able to locate new, and will rely on the recycle market, knowing the differences between model years, and what to examine, and to be comfortable with the product the seller is representing is all part of the game of auction sites and Craigs List, and other venues.
As a buyer, anytime you are not comfortable, you must be able to walk away, seek another deal, another time.
I've never ridden a road bike before so I'm not sure how it's supposed to feel.
OhNoItsCritical should really take the time to visit a LBS, test ride some current options and confirm a ROAD bike is what they really want. Otherwise, there is a good chance the Road bike selected could be the wrong bike, for the propose intended.