Advice on this bike for recreation
 

I'm not a hardcore biker by no means but wanted something I could ride around the neighborhood on with my kids, maybe take on an occasional trail. Probably going to be about 90% road and 10% trails. I tried to do my reserach between going hybrid and a mountain bike but I thought this was a great deal. I didn't want to spend a great deal of money on a bike from a local bike shop so decided to check out the local brick and mortar stores (walmart, target, etc.) and I found this bike which I actually purchased yesterday but have not taken it out as of yet.

http://www.target.com/p/schwinn-men-...k/-/A-13971520

I know I'll be riding paved roads most of the time but I figure I could probably get a set of road tires to interchange? If thats even an option.

Read through the posts in this and other sections (50+ and general cycling) by people seeking their first bike or a new bike. Over and over again you will read warnings from long time recreational riders about buying from mass merchandisers like Target or WalMart. If you want a bike that works well and you know that it is properly assembled, buy a bike from a reputable bike shop.

If you are already going to spend more than 200 on anything, go just a hair bigger and get something decent from a bike shop. They even have the occasional sweet deal on an older bike that will be so much better than the bike shaped objects at the box stores. At the bike shop, you can count on the machine being assembled and greased correctly where you cannot be sure who put them together at the big store or whether any of it got tightened up right or whatnot. Plus they have a lot of great gadgetry to work just right with your machine.

If you do go for the Big Box Bike, get the sub c note <$100 super basic one. It will do for the interim, and it will work for as long as a couple years before failing.

A bit late for both of our advice. OP bought before he asked the question. I PM'd the OP with some other suggestions.

There are two things about this bike that would put me off besides the fact that it comes from a mass merchandiser and the assembly might not be professional. It weighs 38 pounds and has front suspension. I see a lot of spiffy looking suspended bikes at the mass merchandiser bike section. The suspension is pretty much there for show rather than utility. It adds a lot of weight to what might be a more suitable bike without it. Too bad they didn't put the cost of the suspension into better components on the rest of the bike.

there is no service after the sale at Box stores like there is at bike shops..

and some guy from the Guns and Paint department may not even put it together right.
already own it ? take it to a bike shop and have them do a safety check- Tune-up

and at least it may function a bit better, and stop, when required ..

safety checkup, as far as i know these kinda bikes are shipped boxed, with only the pedals and the bar to install?


Op, keep the 'offroad' tires, nothing to gain with slicker tires if youre not racing, and dont let the 'you should get bike x y z slow you down'