gpsblake

Looks like Schwinn is going to make this bike in multiple sizes for Walmart. Here's their XL model. Doesn't list though what size the XL actually is.

https://www.schwinnbikes.com/catalog/.../category/151/

Mobile 155

What market are we talking about? It is a road bike so we aren't looking at the average person simply looking for transportation. Seven speed is very old tech for a road bike today. Entry level LBS bikes start at 8 speed so upgrading wheels and cassettes are a lot easier. Think about is, Nashbar and Performance can sell a frame for $50.00 to $75.00 that cab be built into a fairly good bike. Get the least expensive wheels, cranks, brakes, bars, shifters and derailleurs you can add tires saddle seat post and chain and you are over $400.00. So where did they skimp on this bike to bring it in under $300.00?
Most people get took on these bikes because they can't see the advantage to getting a minimum standard on a bike and because it looks like a $800.00 machine it should ride and last like a $800.00 machine. I don't believe for a second the bike weighs 22.5 pounds with wheels and pedals and would have to see it on a scale with my own eyes.
This bike is a generic with several names decaled on them. Same specs, same componants down to the rim choice. Like I said they ride, they shift and they stop but they don't do any of that well. They are made to hit a price point not a quality point so anyone buying one will need to expect what comes from the lowest quality parts and only a part time worker putting them together. We have pointed out the flaws all that can be said now is I wouldn't reccommend them to anyone I liked. But I wouldn't look down on anyone that bought one thinking they were a real Schwinn. It is the same bike as the Prelude with different shifters.

It is not a good deal it is a bike that is worth about what people pay for it. They are not taking a loss on this bike. I have seen good saddles that cost as much. Look what xenologer posted and think about what people are gettting. Like the old joke about government construction, they award the contract to the lowest bidder. Would you want to sail to England and a boat built by the lowest bidder? Would you fly in a plane that was built with the lowest quality parts the builder could find?

I am not saying people can't buy this bike, I am saying it isn't a deal let alone a good deal. A $800.00 bike for $500.00 is a deal.

nrowensby

I put A050's on my budget hybrid drop-conversion, they worked fine for what they were. I didn't have any problems with them and thought they were pretty good for the money. They did interfere with mounting my computer and headlight, but I just picked up a dashboard extension piece to mount those out in front of the bar.

NightShift

Yes, but assembling and adjusting a BD would be less work than I would expect to put in tuning up a Walmart bike (not that I mind doing the work).

NightShift

Thanks for the input on the shifters.

Seems like an odd choice of bar tape, but looks like a fun and functional ride.

NightShift

Why not?
Recreation, fitness, transportation: those are the main reasons normal people buy bikes.
The Empire will probably appeal more to people looking to improve there fitness.

What is it about road bikes that you think would prevent normal people from buying them to get from point a to point b? Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to stop them from buying the Denali.


Iirc around 80% of new bikes sold in north American are sold by department stores.
Most people don't buy $500+ bikes. At $200 or less it's a potential impulse buy. At $200 to $400 normal people who aren't serious cyclist will consider buying. At $500 or more most people see the price tag and look somewhere else.

An $800 bike for $500 is a good deal, for someone who is already looking to spend more than $400.
A $100,000 luxury car for $80,000 is a good deal, for someone.
There are different markets, and a good deal for one person may be no deal for someone else.

Mobile 155

This is why I say these debates never end well. It is a cheap bike with cheap parts that may represent any number some people want to post. But for those of us who have been cycling for more thasn four decades we will bet that most of those bikes end in the trash in less than two years. Sears, Wards, Western Auto and yes Pep Boys sold cheap imitation Schwinns, Raleighs, and other better known bikes for years before wally world was even around. Yes they were cheap and no they didn't hold up as well because they were only worth what you pay for them. No they didn't cost as much as a LBS bike but they shouldn't because they weren't as good.

We aren't talking a social issue here we are talking what a good deal is. A $250.00 bike for $250.00 is not a good deal it is fair trade. You are getting what you pay for nothing more or nothing less. If you know nothing about wally world bikes or bikes in general it is like buying a computer from a swap meet. maybe you have a bike that will last and maybe not.

It is like this. In India they make a car the Tata Nano and it sells for about $2,500.00. Is it a deal? It has 35 HP and almost no real safety equipment. Is it a good deal? If we imported them here more people might be able to afford a car. However would they last and if they didn't was that $2500.00 well spent? The technology used for the empire is like buying candy at half price because it is past its exparation date. It might still be ok to eat but then again maybe not.

NightShift

As far as what compromises are reasonable for making a low cost bike, fewer gears and a less upgradeable frame seem fine to me. And I wouldn't complain about a heavy stem and seat clamp or loose bearings instead of sealed.
It seems to me like a better RD should have been spec'ed, but I could deal with that.

I wonder how poor the quality of the BB is and how flexy the brakes are. To me those are far bigger issues.

Still, for $50 more with brifters the BD bike does look like a much better deal.

NightShift

Mobile, my first road bike was a 1975 J.C.Penney's Foremost. Hi-Ten frame, stamped dropouts, steel rims, cheap department store bike. I still enjoy riding it.

Mobile 155

Yes and after getting my first real road bike I tossed my wards bike in the trash. I had discovered what a toy bike was and what a real bike was. I do not look fondly back at the old varsity either rather I had I remember all of the faults and realize how far we have come from those days. Like I said the bike cost $250.00 and you get what you pay for. Wally doesn't lose any money on the deal and they haven't made a breakthrough on quality. They are at best a cheep bike for people who don't know better or don't care. Wally get the manufacturer to make low quality parts that they will not sell on LBS quality bikes. Like the Tata Nano is a car they are bikes but not a good deal for someone interested in quality. It is simply not worth more that they sell it for. The defination of a deal is increased value at a discount. This value is made from the minimum quality to sell for as much as someone thinks they can get for it.

That is my contention and I would never reccommend them to someone I liked and believed wanted a bike that would last.

CharleyGnarly

So, really this is a better way to support the LBS...

NorwichDOD

NightShift,

I bought a Schwinn City Series Bike from Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago and so far love it, no problems at all.

Before I bought it, I had looked at it but decided to stop into our Local Bike Shop and see what they had, prices, etc. I would prefer to buy from a local dealer because of service, expertise and to keep the money local in the community. I walked into the store and they had approx 12 Treks, that's all they had. The person behind the counter who I presume was the owner, didn't even bother to come over to see what I was in the market for, etc. He just stood there and said that if I bought 3 bikes, the 3rd would be 10% off. I asked if they had a brochure and he said no. So I am left with poor customer service and no info to look thru. I looked at the various models he had then left. I would expect top notch customer service from a local shop, thats one of the things I am willing to pay for. What I got was no customer service.

So for the same customer service I went back to Wal-Mart, took a better lok at the bike, and another for my wife and got 2 bikes and various accessories. I took the bikes home, checked them all out and made sure everything was tight and adjusted properly, set them up for our size, etc and was ready to go.

Everything has been great, no complaints at all. The derailers shift crisp, and the brakes are a lot better than I expected for the price of the bike.

I would strongly suggest you check out the bike carefully when you get it home and make sure everything is tight and adjusted for your individual build, especially check to mak sure the cables are adjusted properly and tightened properly, you don't want to try to use the brakes only to have a loose cable slip on you.

I am sure that there are great local bike shops out there, and many years ago, I have dealt with some of them, however, there are also the not so good ones. Just because you pay the premium price from a local bike shop, and you will if you buy there, does not mean you get premium service and set up of your bike. It could be the person setting it up just started work there the day before or just broke up with significant other the day before, etc., either way they may not have their head in the game.

Go for the bike you like whether it is from Wal-Mart of Joe's Bike Barn.

I love my Schwinn so far. Maybe the components aren't top notch and will wear out quicker, etc, but then I can replace them with better components.

chasm54

I volunteer at a bike charity which recycles and refurbishes unwanted bikes.

Even using volunteer mechanics whose labour costs nothing, we find that fixing bikes that cost peanuts new is almost never cost-effective. The parts are shocking and if you replace them with stuff that works and might last >6 months, you end up spending more than the bike cost when new. Even if they have hardly been ridden and nothing is worn out, frequently the manufacturing standards are so low that it is impossible to adjust the bike so that the brakes and gears work cleanly. People would be far better served by buying a used bike that started out being OK, than wasting their money on new stuff at <$400.

gforeman 

Good for him, bad for the consumer :-)