Schwinn Tourist Review - Post honeymoon period...

Here's the review I've promised on the new bike purchase, post honeymoon period, and about 250 miles or so into it.

For starters, I settled on this bike for a couple of reasons:
* I would like to start commuting regularly (Been doing the half commutes occasionally)
* I want to start training for the 50 mile Ride-For-Roswell next spring/summer
* For errands
* Not sure if cycling was something I'd get into

I ended settling for the Schwinn Tourist from Target.  Specs are:
* 700c, 28 mm tires
* Swift Arriv aluminum aero wheelset
* Shimano Altus rear derailleur
* SR Suntour front derailleur
* SR Suntour chainrings, crank (And pedal, presumably)
* Aluminum frame
* One set of bosses for water bottle/pump/etc
* Schwinn-branded (p)leather seat

I think I lucked out in what Target location I bought it from.  The bike was well assembled (Greased properly, assembled properly, and wheels trued).  The only issue I had was the front and back der required adjustment.  15 minute job, tops.  If you are at all handy with a hex key and a screwdriver, you'll be able to do it yourself.  You can take it to a shop for a once-over if you are not comfortable learning a bit about the machine.

The seat is a roadie-style saddle, which looks uncomfortable at first look.  Let me assure you, it will hurt for a week or so, until your body acclimates to riding, if you've not been on a bike for a while.  However, quickly, it becomes a very comfortable saddle.

While, you can set this up for a more relaxed riding style, this bike really shines once you set it up for the type of riding it's designed for:  An aggressive riding style.  Put the seat two inches above the handlebars, +/- a half inch or so.

It does have the mount points for the rear rack at the drop out, but not at the top of the chain-stay.  Some wire clamps, or zip-ties, and you'll be all set there, if your rack doesn't come with the applicable hardware.  Front fork does NOT have the mount points for a front rack, nor fenders.

The weight of the bike, according to my scale, is 22 lbs, without accessories.  I added a rack, a water bottle cage, and a hand pump.  Which, leads to my biggest complaint about the bike:  Only one mount point for accessories.

I got around this one problem by using the same mount point for my pump and water bottle.  The mounting for my pump sucks, so occasionally, I have to pull the pump back up (It slides down), so it doesn't rub against the front chain ring.  For 15 cents more, they could have added two more holes on the seat tube.

The ride itself was nice and smooth.  It didn't feel "twitchy", and was surprisingly comfortable, even over the rough pavement we call a "Bike path" here in WNY.  It does feel unstable when going through sand or debris on the road, but that's to be expected with the narrow road tires.

All in all, this was a fine purchase, and even a couple of the guys from a local bike shop said this was a fine ride, and well worth the money.  Online, there are some reviews about the tires blowing out quickly, but I'm just not seeing how this is possible with properly inflated tires.  There are also some riders who think the bike is too small/too big.  This may be the case, or it may be a case of not knowing how to adjust a bike to fit.  The seat needs up/down-forward/backward adjustment, which is really key.  I'm 5'10", and it fits quite fine after some adjustment.

About the only experience I can lend, is wider tires would be better for Buffalo roads, which generally are crappy even for cars.  Even worse on bikes.  Not a ding against the bike, but on piss-poor road quality in WNY.

Will I need to upgrade soon?  I don't think so.  I've already set my goal at 1500 miles over a rolling 12 month window before I upgrade the bike.  I think this ride will last me quite some time, and thus far am quite happy. I'll review it again after 6 months, to let everyone know how it's going.

Department Store Bicycles: Are they really that bad?

Something really grinds my gears:  The automatic admonishment of all bicycles bought from department stores, like Wal-Mart, Target, Sears, etc.

Yes, most bikes from department stores are crap.  And, yes, they, almost without fail, will have to be taken to an actual bike shop to get a final tuneup prior to being road worthy.

But, I said MOST are crap.  Not all are.  For about 95% of all cyclist out there, a department store will hold a bike that is a fine deal, pretty good quality, and fit their needs fully.  I learned this lesson.  And, thankfully, not the hard way.

I'm a decent bike mechanic.  I can do most adjustments and repairs on my own (Still getting handy with derailleur adjustments).  I first bought a bike at a police auction (Don't recommend the BPD police auction...  You have NO idea what you are buying until it's in your hand).  I spent WAAAY too much on it.  About $20 more than I should have.

So, I started doing what every person has suggested:  Start prowling CL and check out the Local Bike Shops (LBS).  Basically, everything on CL was over priced for used bikes.  The LBS?  Couldn't find even a used bike fitting my needs for less than $300.  The fact that no area stores have their inventory online, and only are open for limited hours (6PM on a weekday...  Seriously?  4PM on a Saturday?); I started doing the next best thing:

I started browsing department stores online.  I ruled out Wal-Mart on philosophical and practical grounds.  I know why Wal-Mart is cheaper than everyone else.  It's how they treat their suppliers, which forces the suppliers to use sub-standard parts on everything.  There's a "QA Check" and a "Walmart QA check" for most suppliers these days.

I landed on a couple at Target.  I really didn't want anything with suspension, so it ruled out most.  I was looking for a nice 700c road bike.  Landed it:  $269, a Schwinn Tourist.  Light, agile, and 700c wheels.

Yes, it had issues.  I had to re-adjust the derailleurs.  But, that was about it there.  I got a new bike, with entry level components found on other bikes that cost $499 or so.

Will this bicycle last me for, say, 4 years?  Most likely.  My "post-honeymoon" review will be coming shortly. But, the bottom line is this:  You don't have to go to an LBS in order to find a decent bike.  Yes, going to your local LBS is preferential, but don't sweat taking one sale away from them on a bike.  They only get like 5-10% margin on it.  Go to your LBS for services and parts, they get a much better margin, and you keep the mechanics there employed.