• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Are Schwinn road bikes any good?

S

SAWYER

Lifer
I was looking on craigslist and came across a Schwinn Varisty road bike, the guy claims it has upgrades and worth 250-300

I want a bike to ride around the neighborhood with my kids so i don't need anything special
 
when I was looking on CL and doing research, I found that the newer schwinn road bikes weighed waaaaaay more than I wanted them to.
 
I'd probably get a bike with flat bars like a Specialized Sirrus. A road bike would be okay but might be a little more aggressive a riding position than you want for just riding around your neighborhood with your kids.
 
Well I mean a bike that is made for street, the past few bikes I have had are the mountain bike style and every one says a road bike will make a huge difference. It will be casual riding for fun and exercise
 
SAWYER said:
I was looking on craigslist and came across a Schwinn Varisty road bike, the guy claims it has upgrades and worth 250-300

I want a bike to ride around the neighborhood with my kids so i don't need anything special
Click to expand...

Get a hybrid bike, or flat bar as mentioned. If you're not going to do anything intense...just get something under $100?

SAWYER said:
Well I mean a bike that is made for street, the past few bikes I have had are the mountain bike style and every one says a road bike will make a huge difference. It will be casual riding for fun and exercise
Click to expand...

budget?
 
There are two eras of Schwinn Varsity, neither of which was really a great bike. They made a Varsity between the early 1960s and mid 1980s which was an entry-level road bike, built in-house through a novel assembly of stamped sheet metal. These are kind of neat bikes but they're heavy and would, minimally, be 25 years old. More recently Schwinn, after its bankruptcy, was purchased by a consortium called Pacific Cycle that makes Wal-Mart caliber bikes. They now make a "Varsity," but this is a junky bike, far below the caliber of anything sold in a bike store, and a used one should sell for less than $100.

In your price range would look for a used bike by a reputable brand (Trek, Specialized, etc.). It should be possible to buy a respectable, if not great, used bike in that range. If you don't have a friend knowledgeable on bikes it might be worth having it checked out by a bike mechanic - some types of worn parts (particularly bearing parts like the hubs) can mean the bike is already due for very expensive service and parts replacement.
 
SAWYER said:
Well I mean a bike that is made for street, the past few bikes I have had are the mountain bike style and every one says a road bike will make a huge difference. It will be casual riding for fun and exercise
Click to expand...

i got a bianchi boardwalk on CL for $200

it's a hybrid w/ flat bars but plenty of road bike influence. much faster than my previous jamis commuter.
 
Never liked Schwinn as they are way too heavy for what they are. Get something along the lines of Trek, Giant, Specialized, etc.
 
I just picked up a muirwoods 29'er for $500~ brand new from a local bike shop ... I bought it about a month ago and put on 230 miles so far...of pretty light riding through the city/greenways.

It's insane how much easier it is to ride a 'real' bike.

29er_595.jpg
 
ViviTheMage said:
I just picked up a muirwoods 29'er for $500~ brand new from a local bike shop ... I bought it about a month ago and put on 230 miles so far...of pretty light riding through the city/greenways.
Click to expand...

the cheapest I could find the 29'er was $350 on CL. REI was sold out earlier this year
 
Ns1 said:
the cheapest I could find the 29'er was $350 on CL. REI was sold out earlier this year
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got pretty lucky ... I really wanted the cannondale badboy, but looking at the parts, the fact i'd have to wait until next year for stock, and quality of cannondale of late, I opt'd for the Marin...and the price really made me do it.

Buddy worked at the shop, said he got one in randomly, and even my size..Large, said he'd give it to me for $500, awesome day that was.

I could not find squat on craiglist, which is weird...usually there is a lot of good bikes around here on there.

bianchi boardwalk is nice, but I really wanted all black...and disc brakes.
 
where are the gay bike snob elitists? if you're going to spen $300, you might as well spend $2500 and get a Trek 6978.
 
With the CL in my area:

$0-$200 are pre-2000 road bikes, hybrids, and mountain bikes
$200-$350 are 2004+ road bikes with 2200/2300 or Sora components. Maybe carbon fiber fork
$300-$400 are road bikes with Tiagras, CF fork
$350-$600 are road bikes with 105's or Ultegras
$600+ are med/high end road bikes with 105's/Ultegras/DuraAce/SRAM (I don't follow their line, maybe Rivals?). We're talking about Specialized Roubaix, Cervelo, etc.

Since the bike in the OP is in the $250-$350 range, they would have to pass the following:
- 2004 or newer?
- Soras/Tiagras?
- Weight < 25 lbs (unless steel KHS Flite 220 or something)?
- CF fork is a + in my books.

With those price ranges, I landed an '06 Giant OCR 1 for $500 and a '09 Scattante R-330 for $250. I also bought a 1980's Schwinn Le Tour which I fixed up for $75, but it was all rusted up. Old bikes around $100-$120 are usually in much better condition. I almost had an '07 Raleigh Cadent 1.0, but the dumb person sold the bike 30 minutes before my arrival, although we had an appointment set up and everything. If she told me earlier, I would've come earlier, but nooo...
 
Last edited:
I was just looking up bikes today and was shocked by how much even 10yr old bikes bring. I want something used under $300 that would be good for long, smooth rides on pavement, that is less than 10 years old and in good shape. There was like 1 bike on my local CL that fit this criteria.

I'm not concerned with racing, I'm just going to use it to train.
 
YoungGun21 said:
I was just looking up bikes today and was shocked by how much even 10yr old bikes bring. I want something used under $300 that would be good for long, smooth rides on pavement, that is less than 10 years old and in good shape. There was like 1 bike on my local CL that fit this criteria.

I'm not concerned with racing, I'm just going to use it to train.
Click to expand...

It's like that here (Madison, WI) also - bikes are waaaaay overpriced. People think their 8 year old bike that was $800 new is now worth $700, maybe more.
 
No.

Specialized bikes are SUPER OVERPRICED.

29ers are the way to go, and Trek makes the best ones (best geometry by a mile). See if you can get a used one since the 2011s just came out. If you have not ever ridden a 29er, ride one to see what I mean.

Fugi, Cannondale, GT, Specialized, etc. do not have the Trek geometry and cost similar or more. If this is the way you go, the brand is a literal no-brainer.
 
Last edited:
BillGates said:
It's like that here (Madison, WI) also - bikes are waaaaay overpriced. People think their 8 year old bike that was $800 new is now worth $700, maybe more.
Click to expand...

My first new bike was a PK Ripper in 1979 and it cost $400. You get a stunning amount more for your money these days due to technology improvement. There was 1 aluminum bike back then, they are all aluminum now, or better. Almost every part is better.

The same PK ripper (actually a performance upgrade in every way) costs $300 today, or 100 1979 dollars.
 
Don Vito Corleone said:
There are two eras of Schwinn Varsity, neither of which was really a great bike. They made a Varsity between the early 1960s and mid 1980s which was an entry-level road bike, built in-house through a novel assembly of stamped sheet metal. These are kind of neat bikes but they're heavy and would, minimally, be 25 years old. More recently Schwinn, after its bankruptcy, was purchased by a consortium called Pacific Cycle that makes Wal-Mart caliber bikes. They now make a "Varsity," but this is a junky bike, far below the caliber of anything sold in a bike store, and a used one should sell for less than $100.

In your price range would look for a used bike by a reputable brand (Trek, Specialized, etc.). It should be possible to buy a respectable, if not great, used bike in that range. If you don't have a friend knowledgeable on bikes it might be worth having it checked out by a bike mechanic - some types of worn parts (particularly bearing parts like the hubs) can mean the bike is already due for very expensive service and parts replacement.
Click to expand...

ding ding ding!

Both companies are based right here. Pacific Junkery is literally right down the street from me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top