I bought this bike from Amazon in June 2010. My intention was to ride on weekends for recreation and exercise up to about 50 miles a day. While this expectation remains unchanged, the bike does not. It arrived in a typical large bike box and took about 30 minutes to assemble. The manual is worthless and commonsense will once again win the day.
Having read many reviews here on Amazon as well as on other sites, I replaced the bike seat before I even rode it. No complaint there. I also purchased a helmet, gloves, waterbottle holder, rack, paniers, and pump. Total: $111. The rack I purchased requires that the bike have holes in the frame to accept it. This is a common attribute on bikes as I understand, but not on this bike. Had to send the rack back and buy a seat post rack. OK, no big deal. The other accessories were just fine.
The first ride was wonderful. About a 15 mile loop to my sister's house and back. Nice trip overall. The bikes shifts well, rides quite smooth and the brakes work as they should (and yes the bike seat was nice).
The second trip just around town on the usual paved roads punctured both tires. Oddly, I found to foreign body puncturing the inner tubes and nothing protruding from the tires themselves. I attempted to inflate the tires to no avail. Both tubes were shot. This is a common finding with this purchase as you might have read in other reviews. So was the case here. Now it's off to the LBS. Two touring tires with innertubes and tire tape= $90. Hmmm. This is adding up. OK, Im waiting for the Prelude to come back from the LBS (he did not have the touring tires on hand) and I look forward to riding once more.
If you're looking for a bike to ride for exercise in a more than casual but less than Lance level, consider this bike. It needs a few mods to make it the reliable product it should be at the point of purchase but for the price and relative to its competition, I would recommend this bike provided the consumer is fully aware of its shortfalls and advantages. Hope this helped.
Pros: cost, ride, looks, overall value.
Cons: tires, seat, does not accept 'standard' racks.
(41 customers reviews)Customers Rating=4.5 / 5.0
More Detail For
Schwinn Prelude Men s Road Bike 700c Wheels - Men's road bike with comfortable and responsive 700c wheels
- Lightweight and durable aluminum frame and Schwinn road-bend bar and stem
- Shimano A050 7-speed shifters for up- and downhill adjustability
- Promax dual-pivot caliper brakes for sure stopping power
- Aero 36-spoke alloy wheels with radial-laced front toe clips and straps
