Men’s Tourist Hybrid Bike Customer Review: Save your money for a decent bike from a real bicycle shop
I picked this up at a local retail store for a “junk” daily commuter. The bike is one of the more attractive and lighter weight varieties sold at department stores and the components aren’t too bad for the price. I rode the bike almost daily from summer to winter, during that time:
-I had constant issues from the beginning with my wheels never staying true (specifically the rear)
-The wheel rims lacked sufficient tension as they have very few spokes, leading to some snapping and breaking on two separate occasions.
-Rear axle broke within months with no good explanation, as it was never taken off any curbs, jumps, trails, etc.
-Material on seat began tearing prematurely
-Brakes needed almost constant adjustments
These are just a few of the major issues along with the obvious ones that come with buying a department store bike. As others have noted, a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t any good. I’m 5′8″ and had no issues but if you’re any taller, you’re going to want a bigger frame.
There’s no reason I should have had even that many issues in that short span of time with a bicycle that was treated well and strictly ridden on well-paved roads. Ultimately you get what you pay for and I don’t personally recommend buying a bicycle from a department store because of the frustrations and money spent on premature repairs that will eventually most likely lead the rider to become discouraged with cycling and quit altogether. Believe it or not but $250 isn’t much for a bicycle. Remember, whatever you spend on a bicycle is still going to be far less than what is spent on owning and buying a car.
If you’re interested in buying a bicycle, visit your local bicycle shop, get fitted for a frame, let them know what matters to you and find something you’re comfortable with that will actually be reliable. Or build your own bicycle. I’d only recommend this bicycle if you’re only ever interested in using it in sporadic bursts when the weather is nice for a ride around the block and then letting it collect dust in your garage for the remainder of the year. Schwinn still makes some respectable products but you won’t find them at your local retail store. This isn’t the same Schwinn that made durable 10 speed bikes your parents would be familiar with, these are the cheap products of a company that purchased Scwhinn a few years ago and is more concerned with turning in a quick profit over turning out a decent product.
Customer Review: Au Contraire, this is a SWEET ride
I just got this bike, yes, from Target, and I’m loving it. I’ve been eyeballing a nice Jamis bike at a shop I trust for the longest time, waiting for the day I could finally afford the dang thing (about $700). With my birthday looming, and feeling sorry for myself that I still can’t afford it, I found this bike and decided at around $250, I’ll give it a shot.
G. Beachy is dead-on correct, the bike does come with better components than you might expect at this price, and it is a nice fit for average size guys (I’m just under 5′ 9″). The best thing about it is the ride. With the investment of just a little muscle, you’ll find yourself flying at a rate that’s damn-near scary. I’m used to riding an old, but fairly decent mountain bike, and the difference is night and day.
Bottom line, its nice bike by any measure and for this price, I’d say it’s a great bike.
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