jarrowsm

Alright, after a lot of questions, research and some test rides, I've decided to buy the Schwinn Searcher!

The price: $299 at Performance Bikes after sale, and a $50 off coupon. My test rides rode like a dream. This bike is relatively lightweight, very fast, and very smooth.

Here are the reasons why I didn't buy the other bikes (STOP READING HERE if you don't want a long winded read):

I didn't end up liking the Schwinn Avenue. Cheap grips and no eylets for a rack led me to check out the similar Schwinn Trailway at Target instead. This bike is currently $229. The bike is pretty awesome; great grips, eyelets for a rack, better color scheme. The pedals are plastic, and the brake levers felt especially flimsy. Also, unfortunately, the return policy at Target isn't very good- you can't return a bike unless it hasn't been ridden. Finally, the bike would need to be tuned up- especially the derailleurs and wheel truing. Also, this bike has sold several times for $199.

Again, I really feel the Trailway is an excellent bike- take a test ride in the aisle of Target next time you're there. The bike feels great, and has a lot of the same components as the Searcher. If I could've gotten it for $199 I may have bought it.

Let's take a look at what I got with the Searcher for only $70 more:
- A lock-down suspension fork. I didn't think this would be a big deal, but when I took it on the rode in the test ride, it was great to be able to lock that fork.
- Higher quality small components. The brake levers and pedals especially are much higher quality. Not that the trailway's wouldn't work just fine, it's just one less thing I'd have to pay to replace in the future.
- A good set of wheels/rims, which can take standard tubes (the tubes aren't a big deal, but it'd cost a little more money anyway to buy valve extenders for the Trailway; combined with other things, that money starts to add up).
- A professionally assembled and tuned bike. If I were to pay to have a Target bike professionally tuned and inspected it would cost an additional $45-70.
- A store that will stand behind it's product. Performance will offer me free adjustments to my derailleurs and brakes for the life of the bicycle. Also, they offer a generous return policy. This piece of mind is valuable to me.
- I was able to join the "Performance Club" which offers 10% back on every purchase. Membership costs $29, so with a $299 bike, joining is essentially free. Also, it's possible I'll be able to be mailed coupons and offers.
- Customer Service: I had the assistance of a salesperson at Performance who helped me to explore all my options, answered all of my questions, and didn't mind that it took me 3 separate visits to finally follow through. Again, this isn't a big deal necessarily- but it was worth something for me.


Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase. I'll be hitting the road tomorrow and I can't wait! I think I was able to get a great value for my money, and I think if I take good care of it, this bike could last for several years! Thank you all for the great advice!

Wanderer

Good decision! For all the right reasons...............

xoxoxoxoLive

You made the right choice! Richard

Sixty Fiver

Excellent choice.

Won't ever say that you can't buy an x-mart bike and make it work (because people do) but feel that the amount of work it takes to keep them going really adds expense and frustration to their low initial cost.

I choose bikes based on how long I expect them to last and am pretty Scottish... figure that the bikes I have should last me the rest of my life if I take care of them as well as they take care of me.

Talldog

+1 on that. I've seen some where the hub bearings would grind so bad that one could swear that the ball bearings were of the oval variety. Either that or the cup races were ground with a rat tail file. Some are OK though. It must be hit and miss as far as the bearings go.

Sixty Fiver

One thing I have observed is that the x-marts of the world do offer some decent bikes in that their frames and drive components can be of a reasonable grade and that often dig to the bottom of the barrel when it comes to brakes, wheels, and tyres.

The Schwinn hybrid I just overhauled was otherwise decent save for those cheap low spoke wheels and really low end brake pads that were fitted... with new wheels and Kool Stops the bike is actually pretty decent.

This overhaul came at the 3000 km point and the (not small) lady who owns it rides and commutes daily... the chain and cassette were totally done but the chain rings are probably good for another 3000 km before the crank will need to be swapped out.

She also bought a new Specialized mtb as she tows a child trailer and after getting her feet wet with the low cost Schwinn felt she wanted something better and the Schwinn will be relegated to winter and back up duty as she rides 12 / 365.

xoxoxoxoLive

I guess it is like beating a dead horse, but the shifters and brake levers are not flimsy, ( same as on the searcher), Atlus DR verse Tourney, 8.00 dollars difference, 65er had it right when he said the chain and the cog, (weak components), but what rear cog does the searcher come
with? The frame on the Trailways is awesome, and the bearings are not oval. ( LOL )..
and the races are not filed with a rat tail file. The brakes have been amazingly well.
60 mm and showing little to no wear, ( big factor, lock out forks ) Rockshox after market
at least 170.00 dollars, but the Trailways headset is far better..And on the wheels, same hubs,
or at least quality, your under estimating the copy cat deep ( V ) rims in strength. Like I said before it was TIT for TAT..better grips on the Trailways, better pedals on the searcher. At
300.00 dollars the searcher was the better choice, and the OP was wrong saying the
Trailways sells for 199.00. I have never seen it for less than 240.00 plus tax, but with the
discounts I received at Target, I paid 199.00 with tax. The thing that eludes me is fitness
Hybrid, and performance Hybrid. ? The performance hybrid I am guessing FX, closer to a road bike, but fitness? and are not Hybrids made for the trails and the road....
Just my two penny's worth.... Richard

jarrowsm

"but the shifters and brake levers are not flimsy" -xoxoxoxoLive

Just a comment...I never did mention the shifters. I can attest that they are exactly the same. Although, I am unable to confirm that the brake levers are not the same, I can only say that based off my feel in the store I felt that the levers on the searcher were a little more solid. Just my opinion, maybe I am in the wrong.

As far as the $229 price, in doing my research I was able to find several sources online showing this bike going on sale for $199. Two examples: here & here. Looking at the review comments on Amazon, the $199 price is mentioned as well as one person who appears to have purchased the bike on sale for $179. Maybe the model has changed for 2010 and never reached that price? $199 would be an incredible deal for such a wonderful bike.

I really do agree that the Trailways is an excellent bike, and I'm sure that I would have been really happy with it!

As an update on the Searcher, it's been less than a week and I haven't gotten out as much as I would like yet, but I've put in 11 miles so far, and I am very happy. The bike continues to shift smoothly and is very quiet. Also, the bike is very fast. I'm very happy with the quality and performance I was able to get for the price. My previous bike was a big-box $150 mountain bike (unfortunatelly it was stolen earlier this year )and this is a tremendous upgrade for me. It is perfect for my uses: riding around town and getting exercise on bike trails. I've got a big ride (40ish miles) planned this upcoming weekend, and I can't wait!

xoxoxoxoLive

We are cool, that was not aimed at you. Matter of fact, I was going to post did you get the searcher yet,
and if so, give us some feed back. LOL..I want one now!!! Glad you like it, Richard

jarrowsm

One further update- more of a general point about buying from Performance...

When spending close to $300 it makes sense to join the Performance club (current cost: $29), as you will get 10% back to spend in the store anyway (basically your membership cost is free). You will also continue to enjoy 10% back on every future purchase as well as some other perks.

HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART (which I wasn't aware of) and could be very important for those spending big money on a bike. If you are going to join the club, join BEFORE you purchase the bike. As part of your membership you have access to special "Team Member Pricing" on a large selection of thier bikes. This is not all of their bikes- but a good many. A quick glance these prices: on the ultra high end there's a savings of up to $300! On the lower end, it's about $20-30, and in some instances there's no difference at all.

So join the club first, then check the website to see if there's a better "Team Price," then buy the bike!

In my case, it would've saved me about $20- which would've been good to know, but I'm not bothered much by it. Also, I know this may not be the best spot to view this- but I figured I'd put it out there, and maybe some google-ers will read it and save some money!

Thanks!

xoxoxoxoLive

can you tell me how much clearance you have on the rear wheels, I'm thinking of getting one, but want to put
wider tires on it...Richard

jarrowsm

Sure, I'd be happy to measure and post a photo when I get back from work around 7...(I believe their sale ends today, you may want to call and confirm).

xoxoxoxoLive

I call right now, thanks richard

CarolinaGuy

I finally remembered to come close the loop on my comments in this thread. I received my $200.00 Schwinn Avenue from Wally World and assembled/tuned it the next day. Assembly was straightforward, as expected. Tuning wasn't too bad... main thing was the brakes were WAY out of spec. Front and rear derailleurs only required some tweaking to get right. Overall, it really isn't a bad deal. The components are low end but the frame was well put together and fairly light. Not all bad for $200.

I took it for a quick spin around the block as it was almost full dark, and then didn't get in a real ride until this past weekend. Overall impression was that the bike performed admirably but was just too small for me. I had guessed that that was going to be the case, but with their generous return policy and the low cost, I figured it was worth a try. For future reference, I'm 6' 2", 195 lbs with a standover of just over 34". There was just no way to make the bike fit right, even with an extended seat post. I borrowed one to try, and although I could get the seat high enough for good leg extension, the reach to the bars was too short and "odd" (even after adjusting).

Bottom line is that I would recommend this bike as a decent entry level for folks 5' 10" or under. You could probably make it work all the way to 6' depending on your leg length.