I've been looking for a good commuter bike on craiglist.I prefer to have fenders, a rack, and step-thru frame, among other things. As for the pics below, the price is right and I like their retro look, but are these bikes practical for commuting or not so much?

Schwinn Breeze $150


Schwinn World Sport $75


Raleigh $80


Are these reasonable bikes for commuting a maximum of 4mi total each day?

Depending on your route, and that the bikes are in good running order, yes! That Raleigh looks awesome. The Schwinns aren't so bad, either.

Anyway, do you have any major climbs along the way?

^^^ Hills are a big factor if It's four miles of flat land all those bikes would be great, but if there's hills I'd go for the Raleigh or world sport.. Assuming they're in good working order.

If these bikes are ready to ride, they will pay for themselves in about 20-30 trips I would guess.

They are probably a great way to introduce yourself to commuting and find out what kind of bike you might like to purchase later (if any....)

I don't see how you can lose here.

Plus, they all look pretty nice.

Great- I'm glad to hear your positive comments about the bikes! Seeing as the price was low and they haven't sold yet, I began to wonder if maybe I'm looking for the wrong thing and these kinds of bikes are useless except to collectors.

The terrain I'll be riding will be roughly flat. There are slight inclines, but they are gradual. Nothing I would want to sled down in winter or anything.

I'm a graduate student so I'll be riding to campus and back each day and occasionally to the nearby grocery store, park, library, etc... I will have to leave my bike locked up outside all day each day and have a garage for it each night. Do you think these bikes will be ok in the weather?

Would these be safe at a bike rack all day?

I'd take the Raleigh over either of the Schwinns by a wide margin. The 3-speed hub on the Breeze is nice and it's visually appealing, but they're a very heavy and "lifeless" bike to ride. In all truth, any of these would be fine for the 4 miles of your commute, but the Raleigh will be the nicest to ride.

I wouldn't worry too much about leaving these locked up at a rack, assuming that you have a good lock and know how to lock up a bike well.

+1 for the Raleigh; it'll be a much lighter and more reliable bike in the long run. With a rear rack you have an ideal commuter that's comfortable
and easy to ride. As long as you have a good lock, it should be fine all day in the rack.

Weather wise, all three will be OK in inclement weather, but I think the Raleigh will give you better mechanical operation because of its
Japanese drive train, and better replacement parts availability. If it's got alloy wheels then it's a no brainer.

Least expensive of the three, the lightest and most serviceable; my vote is for the entry from Nottingham!

Cheers!

Glad you mentioned the weather/wheel issue oldskoolwrench, the Raleigh looks like it has steel wheels also. While that wouldn't keep me from buying it, I'd budget for a set of Kool Stop brake pads.

I'm all about "vintage" commuting -- my newest bike is from 1991.

Yeah, those bikes would be fine for commuting. My choice would be 1. Raleigh; 2. Breeze; 3. World Sport. The Raleigh is the best of the three I think, the Breeze has a 3-speed hub, and the World Sport has (I think) the older style Schwinn derailleurs which were adequate but nothing more.

This one is a "male" version of the second one.



I rode it 50 miles the day that pic was taken.

You can commute on pretty much anything with wheels, and you're definitely on the right track with fenders. I'm not sure all three bikes will fit you, though; the World Sport appears to be a substantially larger frame than the other two.

As to whether they'd be safe at a bike rack, anecdotal evidence suggests vintage bikes, and step-through frames, are among the least theft-prone rides out there.