Rezignation

As a new rider starting out I must say this thread is of great help. Im new to the road cycling and was wondering what people thought of Schwinn bikes as an entry level starter bike? Id be using it to go to and from work ~15 miles daily and ~50 miles (eventually greater) on the weekend. Now, I dont have the largest budget in the world, so I'm trying to keep it below 450$ and before you ask I have gone to craigslist. So what would your opinions be of the following for a first time road user getting his feet wet:


https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Mens-P...919658&sr=1-45
(249,000)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-70...-Bike/19582524
(239,000)

I also notice not to many members seem to ride Schwinn's, as though a stigma is associated with them any reason why or just personal preference. Sorry for the long post and if there are any bikes you may be able to recommend it would be immensley appreciated.

SlimRider

Welcome To Bike Forums, Rezignation!

A nice inexpensive entry level road bike would be something like this:

The Jamis Satellite Sport ~ $700
www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/road/satellite/12_satellitesport_gy.html

You might want to join a local bicycle co-op. Discuss your need for a road bike with the leadership. They will further advise you. Often times, co-ops have spare bicycles and/or frames available upon which to build.

If your terrain is mostly flat, then single speeds are usually less expensive and require less maintenance.

I wouldn't purchase a multi geared bike from a big box store outlet like Target, Dick's, or *Mart. Though some might take a chance at one of their single speeds...

Google the Mongoose Sinsure...

* If I were you, I'd pay very close attention to my local Craigslist and look for a used chromoly steel framed 80's styled 10 speed road bike.

LesterOfPuppets

There are a lot of Schwinn riders in Classic and Vintage and a few in SS/FG.

I wouldn't mind rollin' a Fastback, but seems like bikesdirect bikes in that price range, as well as your price range are a tad nicer.

LesterOfPuppets

If you're near Green Bay and ride a 54, this is the ticket right here!!!! Centurion for $300

https://greenbay.craigslist.org/bik/3069824028.html

Mondo734

Performance bikes has some flat bar road bikes in your price range, though I'm not sure if you are interested in a flat bar.

SlimRider

Just for sake of empirical exploration and statistics, I would like for someone to purchase one of those bikes just to keep us updated on their functionality.

I'm just curious as to how service oriented these bikes have been constructed.

PS.

I mean, are they like the GMC Denali? ...Perhaps even better?...Worse?

Not on my dime, though...

Some BF members boast about buying Walgoose bikes! However, they're all bike mechanics to some respectable degree, more or less...

Rezignation

Thanks for the tip, I'll be searching come morning for one.

Advice like this, is why I came here. Thanks SlimRider.


Nice eye, and thanks for going out of your way to find that...but would there be any advantages to increasing my price range for one of these (below) or is that a pretty good bike for the cost?


https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...liberty_cx.htm
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gt/gtr_series5.htm

Looks like they'd be good with the hills around here. Sorry about all the questions, but its not like there's a consumer reports for all the bikes out there based on price.

SlimRider

You might wanna try something like this:

The Nashbar Argyle Single Speed ~ $200
www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_537009_-1_202614

SlowOlympian

Slim is a salesman, he's always pushing this or that bike. He can be helpful, but take those bikes with a grain of salt. Might just be my opinion, but he makes me a bit skeptical. Pretty sure he was pushing that jamis on a guy wanting a bike similar to a $4000 full CF bike.

Anyways, I had a Specialized Allez with 2200 level components. It didnt shift very well at all. I would try to get into the big ring at the front for up to 30 seconds sometimes. The rear derailer seemed to shift only when it wanted to. This was back when I knew nothing about maintenance though. I have a feeling you're in the same boat now. If you can, spring for Sora at least. It'll do at least a little better than 2300. I now have a bike with full Tiagra level components, and it has treated me beautifully. I do have to tweak the RD now and then, but thats it. If you know you love biking, I'd say save up and get Tiagra if it's possible. It really was a huge difference.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/.../liberty_1.htm

This bike has Microshift/sora. I've never used microshift, but Im sure some people around here have. Might be worth asking them. The only problem with bikes direct is you have to know what size you need, and they dont come fully assembled, so you'll need some help from a shop or a friend.

There is nothing wrong with old schwinns, but they are heavy. Then schwinn was bought out and started putting out cheap crap bikes. DONT get a new schwinn.

Looking back I noticed that you may not currently have a beater bike that you're starting out on...If you dont, then CL really is your best friend. search new listings 2x a day. maybe get a $100 bike to start out on. then jump to a much better bike when you can afford it.

Hope it helps

fishymamba

Single speed+ hills = NO NO NO!!!!


Looking at the bikes you posted from bikesdirect I recommend you get this instead: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/.../liberty_2.htm

This one has better components than the ones you posted(And the Liberty 1). Better components are more durable and usually shift better.
One of my friends got the Gravity Liberty 2 and he loved it(till it got stolen ). It wasn't was as light as my CAAD 9 but it was almost half the price.

And I would stay away from those low level Schwinns, department store bikes don't last long.

One more thing: Make sure you know what size bike to get, this is extremely important. You can use this to find out what size bike you need: https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...LCULATOR_INTRO
)

SlimRider

Slow,

If you're going to post, then at least post what you know for certain. There's no way that I recommended a Satellite Sport to someone desiring a $4000 road bike. I may have suggested the Jamis Quest, but most certainly not a Satellite of any kind. The Quest is a particularly light road bike, made of 631 chromoly steel. It's an alternative to carbon, if considering racing. Since I like steel framed bikes, I express that quite often in my attempt to assist others. Sometimes I'll offer the Quest as a type of tongue-in-cheek type of suggestion, just to make prospective buyers think about a steel alternative. On fewer occasions, I'll offer up the Eclipse.

Also, I don't "push" bikes! Newbies and others ask for recommendations. I either render those recommendations, or I'll offer suggestions on either specific bikes that I have in mind or general bike types.

Additionally OP, the Microshift front derailleur works just fine. Front derailleurs are usually not the problem. It's the rear derailleur that does the most work and is most significant in shifting.

Also, if you can acquire an old used 10 speed Schwinn with a chromoly steel frame, grab it!
The frame is the heart of the bike. Components come and go! Components can be transferred, purchased new, or obtained from a bicycle co-op. If you have a chromoly steel frame, you can take your time upgrading it, because you know that within the next few years or so, your newly acquired used bike will still be around in service.

The only thing that's "crap" about a bike are its components and how they're installed. Any steel framed older Schwinn is better than its corresponding aluminum counterpart, I can assure you. It will most likely last longer and suffer less damage in an accident involving impact forces.

GFish

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/..._legacy_xi.htm

I purchased this bike last year for $700. Comparing this to other steel and aluminum bikes, this was and still is a great deal for a nice riding road bike. I've got over 3500 miles on the bike so far, and minus a few flats, it's been nothing but flawless fun.

The bike has a sticker that states made in Taiwan, the same location where other steel bikes like Surly and Soma are built.

Here's a little excerpt from Soma:

Where does Soma produce its frames?
They are designed in San Francisco. They are hand welded in Taiwan. Please note most big bike makers have moved most of their production to mainland China, which does not yet match the quality of Taiwan. Because of continued investment over the decades, Taiwan probably has the most impressive infrastructure for bicycle and bicycle part manufacturing than any country.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

thump55

Please don't buy a Schwinn. I've seen too many people getting into the sport that buy a Schwinn-type bike and then have problems with it and it ruins it for them.

Wisconsin does not have a rocking Craigslist road bike section, I know. You may have to travel a bit to find one.

My best advice is to head to your LBS and tell them your situation. See what they have, talk to a salesperson, sometimes they have used stuff, or know someone selling a bike.

Or buy a Bikesdirect bike with decent components, or I think Bike Island sells the same bikes that have slight cosmetic imperfections even cheaper.

SlimRider

I mostly agree with this...

However, I don't know where people get this idea that all Schwinns are bad!

Most frames, even the ones at the big box store outlets are decent. It's the components that are all screwed up! They're either too cheap, improperly installed, or both.

When buying a used bicycle, as long as you have a nice solid steel frame and the majority of your components are in fair condition, I'd say you've got yourself a winner! Just replace a few parts with quality components and adjust them properly...

Then move on!

Rex81

Not all Schwinn's are bad. Just the ones from big box stores. The new LeTour line is pretty decent. And of course the Paramounts are much better. If you buy today and use the 20% off coupon (it expires today) you can get a Sora equipped steel LeTour classic for $375, no tax or shipping:

https://www.giantnerd.com/schwinn-le-...-beginner.html

A fantastic deal in my opinion. Sora is a decent entry level component, and this particular bike is very attractive and has a nice saddle. A friend of mine bought this exact bike a couple months ago for $400 and absolutely loves it. I rode it around and it rides nice and is fairly light weight. Giantnerd is a good company that ships quickly. Assembly will take about 30 minutes.

thump55

Unlike your post above where you said "the frame is the heart of the bike, components come and go", in the case of a person just getting into the sport, I would say a properly functioning groupset is the most vital component (after proper fit, which I'm sure we can both agree is the most important). Schwinns lack a good groupset IMHO.

If the question is, "what is the best new road bike I can buy for $250?", then yes, go for the Schwinn.

If the question is, "I'd like to get into road biking and I want to give the sport a fair shake to see if I like it, what should I buy to get started?" Then the answer is not Schwinn.

EDIT: I was referring to the OP's link to the Schwinn from Amazon. Rex's link is a much, much better bike.

SlimRider

Fishymamba says:

I've already stated this. I said, " If your terrain is mostly flat...". I then suggested that a single speed might be in order for the OP, if that was the case. I'd never recommend a single speed to a person who'd have to climb hills....

C'mon FishyMamba! Please!

I agree with this, completely!

Department store bikes or big box store outlet bikes are bad news when it comes to components. You should steer clear of most of these kinda bikes. However, not all Schwinns are bad and all Schwinns don't come from big box store outlets...

Yep! This is of the most important factor whenever buying online!

SlimRider

Thump55 says:

If someone is buying a used bike, then a chromoly steel frame is of most importance to me, provided that most of the components are functional at an operative level.


In general, Signature Schwinns purchased from a LBS are great bikes! However department store bikes should be avoided in just about every case, if possible, whether they have the Schwinn head badge or not!

Right?

rumrunn6

those bikes look great. just be real sure of getting the right size. have your local shop check the bike esp. the wheels then again after 100 miles. I got a new Schwinn at my local target. it was a hybrid and I eventually modified it with road tires and drop bars then bought a road bike. the Schwinn is still going strong. but remember they are machines and have many parts that need to be checked, adjusted, maintained and repaired. don't think you're gonna buy a bike and just ride it out of the box, ok? also shop under your budget cuz the extras will add up like helmets rack lube gloves clothes whatever, etc, you know?

robbyrocks12345

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bik/3155046037.html

wphamilton

This thread is missing the obligatory GMC Denali pitch so here it is. I purchased the older version from Amazon (reportedly available from walmart as well) as my first road bike for $159. The current Denali on Amazon is the Denali Pro, a more traditional road bike version going for $325 but I can't speak to that one.

The Denali is a kind of hybrid on a road frame, mountain bike drive train, 700x32c tires if you want. I have around 16,000 miles on mine and still rolling fine - I took it for a grocery run yesterday. The downsides are the brakes (but brakes are cheap to upgrade) and weight, 28-30 pounds rolling weight. The entry-level MTB gears and derailleurs (Shimano) are solid. The frame, fork, wheels are if anything more durable than you'll find on most entry level road bikes.

rebel1916

Lotsa bad advice in this thread!

rumrunn6

nice carbon bike but it's BIG

Rex81

Wow, wphamilton. I give you respect for rolling 16,000 miles on ANY bike. I also give you respect for rising above the pain and general terror that comes with putting so many miles on such a terrible bike.

However, (and I mean NO disrespect when I say this) I have to assume you're a masochist. I can't help but think that if you spent the cost of a few tanks of gas extra, your 16,000 miles would be so much more enjoyable. Do yourself a favor and put that bike to rest. As a seasoned cyclist, you owe it to yourself to ride a better bike. I'm no gear head, and I absolutely agree it's more about the ride than what you ride, but I also know how terrible it is to put 5 miles on a bike like that, let alone 16,000, when a bike that costs 1.5 cents more per mile would make those many miles so much better.

So let this be a lesson to the OP (and all new riders). Don't cheap out. Or at least not entirely. You don't need a $10,000 bike. You don't need a $1,000 bike. But do yourself a favor and spend more than a few hundred bucks. You might find yourself really enjoying it and putting in 16,000 plus miles. Many people get on bad bikes and think biking is not enjoyable. It's totally enjoyable if you have halfway decent equipment.

...Although I guess for some people, it's even enjoyable on bad equipement.

GFish

Exactly!!

The new Schwinn branded bikes come in different price points and build options. There are the cheap department store bikes that you'll never see in any LBS. Then Schwinn has mid-level, or their top level line that compares exactly to what's available in LBS.

I've compared my Schwinn Le Tour steel, to; Masi, Surly, Specialized Allez double steel, Raleigh and Soma steels bikes and can't see any difference. I would swear that all of these bikes/frames, are built in the same factory. On second though, I thought the welds on the Allez double steel were rough and not of the same quality as the other frames.

And a bike equipped with the same components as the Le Tour, would cost $1300 to $1500 at the LBS.

Bottom line, do your homework, check all the features of each bike and do comparative shopping if your looking for the best bang for your dollar.