“Hey, nice bike!”. I bought this bike for my lady for a 1 year anniversary gift; as an entry level road bike. I’m an avid cyclist/urban commuter, but being that she only rode a MTB at the time, I didn’t want to commit to any road specific bike over $500 since she may not like the skinny tires and crouched stance. I stumbled upon the Schwinn Prelude, liked the price, and went for it.
She rode Schwinn Prelude Mens Road Bike for about 3 months before we replaced it with a Schwinn Super Sport. The reason for replacing it was because of the geometry and sizing, which would be my only beef with this bike, along with no rack mounts as said before. My lady is about 5′9″, but has long’ish arms and legs – and in this case, a properly fitted bike would be the correct way to go as opposed to trying to fit on a “one-size-fits-all”. Even after replacing the bars with MTB/hybrid flat bars, it still caused her pain in her neck and wrists.
She’s very happy with her current bike and instead of selling this bike, I took it (which fits me just fine) and converted it to a second urban/commuter bike, adding fenders, platform pedals and a singlespeed conversion (there is no conversion kit for the type of freewheel cassette that comes on the bike, so I had to use a little ingenuity to make it work). I kept the flat MTB bars and it works just great for me – in the asphalt jungle, sometimes bunnyhopping a curb is necessary! The freewheel is a nice break from my fixed gear bike that I mostly use.
I would definetely recommend this bike to anyone in the upper 5′ to lower 6′ height range: the parts are of very good quality and the frame is solid and light. However, I would also advise that any buyer should SIT on the bike and make sure it fits properly. Even after making bar and seat height adjustments, the frame just may not be right for you.
great starter bike for me. Background:
I came from a background of BMX trail-riding in the late 90s when I was a teenager. I sold off the bikes I had at the turn of the millennium and have been bike-less since.
Pre-purchase:
Now that I’m in my 20s, I’ve recently decided to buy a bike to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, and I did hefty research before purchasing. I originally wanted to spend as little as possible, under $150 for a bicycle. I went to Wal-mart to take a gander at what they offered, and nothing really wow’ed me, so I went on Amazon. I didn’t want to fool with Mongoose or any of the generic brand names. I rode Haro in my glory days, but I always wanted a Schwinn. I saw the prices and decided to spend a little more since I’d be using it a lot. It was a toss-up between this one and the Ridge-AL Mountain Bike, which is $35 cheaper than this one. I ordered this bike finally, at a $235 price tag with free Amazon shipping.
Shipment and Setup:
I got this bike in a cool three days, and it came in a big box. The setup was pretty easy. I set it up by myself but it would have been a big help if I had asked for help. One thing to note is that it does have the quick-release front wheel, so I’m telling you now so you don’t act like an idiot (like me) sifting through the box for bolts. The front brakes take a little fidgeting to set just right, but the back gearing and brakes are already set up for you. Overall, everything is solid and exactly what you’d expect from Schwinn.
The ride:
This is my first road bike, so I had to adjust alot of things before it became comfortable. I’m about 5′8″ and it’s okay; I think the ideal height for this bike however is in the 5′10″ range. Everything is smooth and shifts smooth,
Cons:
Handlebars – You can’t adjust the handlebar height because of the threading system. It’s not really a big deal, but if you want it changed you have to take it to a licensed pro, or risk it by doing it yourself.
The seat – The best for last. The seat is like riding on your household iron, metal side up. This thing is so uncomfortable, I can’t even ride for extended lengths of time. If you ride in a crowded neighborhood, you’ll be thinking to yourself on how to look cool while being really uncomfortable, but most people can see through this technique. This is one thing you absolutely must replace if you purchase the bike (in my opinion).
Need a translator for the directions!. Ok, this is my first road bike, and I like it a lot…now that I have it built. The directions that come with the bike are p o o p! There are things not specified in the directions that are crucial in order to put the bike together. Like the lever that has to go through the front wheel in order to attach it to the front. Also, you have to install the front brake (which in not hard once you know what to do) that the directions presume that it is already installed. Just un-screw the end off of the bold (you can do this with your hands), and put it through the hole in the front of the frame, and tighten appropriately.
Besides the assembly, this bike rides great! I took it on a 23-mile ride the next day and absolutely no problems with it. Also, it is super light! My friends own GMC Denali bikes that are a size smaller and I own the large size in the Schwinn Prelude. There is no comparison that the Schwinn weighs significantly less. In conclusion, this bike is awesome!
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