Schwinn Crest Urban Men's Hybrid Bike (700c Wheels) Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this Schwinn partly because they seem to have maintained a long-standing reputation for quality and also because I loved mine when I was younger. I primarily wanted a relatively lightweight , solidly built frame and this bike has it. The 700c wheels seems rather popular for hybrid bikes and have been well -received by many commuters. This wheel does not have nearly as much drag as a mtb tire and more protection and gripping power than a thin road bike tire.
The bike comes nearly fully assembled and is well packaged, inside an inner and outer protective carton. Setting up the handlebars, pedals and seat were a snap.
The whole process took about 15 minutes.
The frame is painted a very nice black (So I'm told, It actually looks dark green to my eyes), though it isn't the same frame seen in the product photo (The down tube is much thicker on the bike I received). The saddle is very, very comfortable and the adjustable sprung aluminum stem is a nice bonus, accommodating a variety of preferred sitting/riding styles.
Braking is very even and responsive with little fade. The bike feels well balanced while maneuvering and provides very forgiving handling characteristics. The front suspension fork is lightweight and mostly responsive on the rebound. IMO, it needs a bit more pressure but I've yet to get to it. I'd recommend experimenting with the proper pressure based on your weight and riding style.
The cables are well protected and insulated from the frame to avoid scratches. The fenders and baskets are easily removed, should you choose to do so (I did. It took about 12 minutes because you need to remove the rear tire to get at a screw for the rear fender). Adding a quick release hub to the rear tire (the front tire already has one) would be an inexpensive and highly useful tool, IMO.
I'm about average height and weight (5'7"@ 165lbs) and I can ride for hours without discomfort on the stock saddle. Shifting is easy and smooth and the system never skipped a gear, even when pedaling uphill and changing gears.
I recently compared this model to a few local bike shop products that cost $200+ more than the Schwinn. The overall workmanship/fit and finish of the Schwinn holds up well compared to the popular models I saw.
The bike is equipped with bike shop quality components, albeit not the high end, that will generally perform quite well.
After checking out several department store bikes from Walmart and Target, I'd definitely recommend staying away from the lesser quality bikes commonly sold in department stores. With few exceptions they tend to have cheaper, heavier frames and poor quality components and poor fit and finish in the assembly.
Comparing frames among several bikes (including this one) ranging in price from ~$300 to ~$900 yielded components of Chinese manufacture with finish of the welds, weight and general construction approximately equal.
I'm not suggesting the Schwinn Crrest is better than a well build bike shop bicycle like a mid-grade Giant, Trek or Santa Cruz, but the latter could set you back anywhere from $600 to $2000, easily.
I am suggesting that, this bike is comparable, for the average, casual road or paved trail rider, to much more expensive bikes I've looked at and ridden.
Happy trails.. or roads

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Whether you're commuting to work or cruising around town, the Schwinn Crest urban men's hybrid bike offers a comfortably smooth ride. The Crest is outfitted with a 17-inch aluminum hybrid frame and an SR Suntour front suspension fork, helping the bike hold up to shocks from bumpy or rough terrain. The Shimano TX-31 rear derailleur and SRAM 21-speed grip shifters, meanwhile, give you a host of gear options for flat or hilly rides. And riders will love the 700cc rims and 700 x 38c hybrid tires, which are thinner than mountain bike tires but sturdier than most road bike options. Other features include an SR Suntour front derailleur, an alloy adjustable stem with a 30mm rise comfort bar, and alloy linear pull brakes.

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Diamondback Fitness 510Sr Recumbent Exercise Bike Review

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(More customer reviews)I just bought this bike a few weeks ago to help with recovery from a surgery and I couldn't be happier with it. Fortunately, I also bought it while it was nearly 50% off (Amazon is the best). I got the bike within a week and all the parts were included and in great shape. One of the hinges of the fan attachment had broken off, but a little bit of super glue fixed that in a couple of minutes and it works fine. It took nearly two hours to put the thing together because there are so many parts to this bike, but anybody with patience can do it. Once together, it was clear that the parts were high quality, it looks like it was well made. It's completely silent except for a little whirring when changing difficulty levels. I consider myself to be quite athletic and the programs are definately challanging. There are a lot of programs to choose from and you can set up a personal profile that saves all your information. I think the calorie counter is a little low, but most exercise equipment underestimates the number of calories burned. I'm tall enough (5' 9") that I can see over the console to watch tv, but a shorter person might have trouble with this. A shorter person might also have some trouble with the back rest as it doesn't go low enough for the lower back support to sit squarely in my lower back, but I've found that a cushion remedies this well. I haven't tried all of the features but the heart rate moniter and the fan work great. Overall, I'm extremely happy with this purchase and would highly recommend it.

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The 510Sr Screams Value! The LCD display makes it easy to keep track of your workout with a bright blue LCD display and real-time feedback. An integrated multi-speed fan helps keep you cool while a built-in USB port lets you charge most personal electronics. The headphone jack lets you play your mp3 music through the built-in speakers during your workout.

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Diamondback Tess 24 Jr Girls' Mountain Bike (24-Inch Wheels) Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this bike for my 9 year old daughter on her birthday. This was really important to us: she's right between the 20" inch and 24" sizes and a lot of the 24" bikes we tried out were a bit too big for her, the 20" ones seemed like she'd only get to ride for the summer before she out gre them. This bike fit perfectly, seat lowered all the way down and she'll be able to grow with it and use it for a long time. This is her first mountain bike, we were looking for quality and value, and I believe this bike has both. The components are all shimano, the seat is very comfortable (according to her) and the bike is sturdy. It's a bit heavy but it's standard for steel frames in this price range. Plus, she won't be doing any jumping just yet. We've been on a few rides already and the bike has managed well. The shifters do their job well. As on ALL new bikes, the cables will loosen in the first couple of months so the derailers will require a bit of tuning, this is normal and should not be cause of concern as I've read in some reviews. Also, I've read reviews on other sites criticizing the fork but the truth is that on a kids bike, this fork is pretty sturdy and has enough resistance and travel. Unless your kid is competing and requires a more specialized bike, this is a great introductory bike. I bought this at sports authority, so they assembled it for me (store policy) but if you buy here, assembly is really a breeze. Basically you have to put the wheels on, the pedals on, turn the handle bar and thighten the brakes. The hardest part is taking all the cardboard out!
We did a lot of research, tried tons of bikes and I think really found great value in this one. Not that it matters a ton but the bike looks great too, definately way better put together than those cheap ones at walmart (and I shop at walmart). Definately would recommend to others.

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