Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)First of all I consider myself a serious commuter rider. I ride 3000 miles a year, have for two years, on and off for 35 years. I've had Schwinns, Gitanes, and Motobecanes. I hit a pothole, ended up in the hospital and destroyed my 35 year old Motobecane a few weeks ago. My bike is my only means of transportation, so replacing it was a must. I'm not a weekend racer or casual rider. I'm 6'6", 240 pounds, and an engineer. I need my bike tough, fast, and with a really high high gear. I'm not interested in some overpriced bike to impress my weekend bike warrior friends. I don't run around in spandex. What I like: The balance is good, light as a feather, the padded tape handle bars are wonderful, the gearing is great, the shifters that actually go right to the desired gears are heavenly, the brake calipers do a great job of centering on the tires. I like the quick release front hub with self centering fork depressions. Quick release seat height is a plus. The paint looks durable. The handles hold a end of bar mirror nicely. The bike rides great and I rapidly got used to it's balance. Before I mention the negatives, I am pleased with the bike, it's a pleasure to ride and would definitely buy it again. I got it for $249 at a big box sporting goods store. What I don't like: I would love to be able to raise the handlebar stem a few inches, and have the frame larger for my size. I immediately replaced the skinny fits in your crack seat, with a wide memory foam one from Bell for my ample rear. I took off the peddle baskets, hate them things, which lost me two peddle reflectors. They have wrapped the brake lines under the handlebar tape and taped almost to the stem making it really tough to cludge solutions to mount the lights, reflectors, and speed computer. I made putty epoxy forms to get the computer to fit the handlebar center shaft. My Motobecane had brake handles that went both down the front and in toward the stem of the handlebars so you could brake in both hand positions. You have to be in the lower position to brake on the Prelude, loosing precious milliseconds in an emergency. I am at the upper limit of the seat post to fit me. The 700c 23mm 'tires' are weak for going across rough terrain, I go over 34 railroad tracks on the way to work. Blew both tires first week going too fast from pinch punctures. The rear wheel is a pain to remove and especially to reinstall. The rims are really solid, but they are that hollow extruded aluminum design. They put a chinsy rubber strip over the spoke holes and the tire pressure (100 PSI min) caused it to burst puncturing two inner tubes within a two weeks (while it sat in the Sun). I filled the depressions with hard high temperature red silicone rubber and taped over them with 3/4" fiberglass electrical tape. It seems to be holding well now. Schwinn should have done that in design. They are sending me a bike computer as an apology for my troubles, hey they listen, got to credit them for that. By the way Schwinn's 700c 25-32mm self sealing inner tubes are too long to fit in the tire, and fold up inside on inflation. The self sealing stuff doesn't work at this pressure just makes a mess. Schrader valve narrow 700c inner tubes are really hard to find, get a stock early, I'm going to Presta valves because it's all I can find in torn proof inner tubes. The cheap thin tubes are supposed to flex better and make you ride faster. My bike weights 26# I weigh 240, excuse me, all you need to do is get some muscle child and it won't slow you down. After all the tire flexes in and out, pushes in hard pushes out hard, so it's negligible unless you wear spandex and have to ride in packs. Bottom line it does what I need for a reasonable price. All of the problems have been simple fixes. Most of you are not my size and won't put the bike through what I do. I love the thing, plus it looks hot. I spend $300/year on bike repairs, I was spending $450/month to keep a car on the road. My cholesterol dived, my BP is great, and my sleep apnea is in remission since riding daily.
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