Customer Reviews

Schwinn Men's Courier Bicycle (Green)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have 2 other bikes in my house. A Giant hybrid bike with a basket for shopping and carrying class materials (I'm a teacher), and an old Fuji road bike that I have rebuilt. The Fuji road bike was great to ride but like most projects it was a hassle to replace parts and find parts that fit. I ordered this bike to be my solid nightly rider around town and I wrote this review to show how pleasantly surprised I am. The bike feels solid and lightweight. The package came quickly with Amazon's 1 day delivery option for $3.99, and the assembly was simple. The handlebars are not huge but actually the perfect size. Some reviews from other sites use the stock photo of this bike and make judgments, when in reality the bike is beautiful and clean. The stickers on the wheels come off easily and although the Schwinn logo is present, it seems to be done in good taste. If you look at their site you can see that Schwinn seems to be heading in the right direction by including more high performance / low maintenance single speed road bikes.


I had to call customer service today because one of my crank-arm's threading was done incorrectly and my pedal ended up shredding out all the threading. If you are a cyclist you have probably ran into this problem before and know that this can be an expensive fix. Luckily, a 5 minute phone call to customer service was all I needed to do to get a package on the way to my house with a entirely new crank-arm assembly kit and pedals. I couldn't be happier with this purchase. If you are on the fence with this, don't be. This bike has quality that is well worth its price, add to that the fact that it is built by a company that stands by their products and the bike's value far exceeds its price tag. Don't be like me and tell yourself "But its a Schwinn...gross" to keep you from buying this product, because now I ride the bike daily and tell myself "It's a Schwinn!"

Well, this will be a long review, so let me divide it up into sections.

Packaging: The bike arrived in a long Schwinn box with everything assembled except for the front tire, pedals, and handlebars. The packaging was well designed and protected the structure and finish of the bike well. After minor construction, the bike was assembled. After a bit of adjusting, I had the brakes interfacing properly with the rims. I removed the kickstand, pedal loops, and wheel reflectors without much trouble.

NOTE: The bike arrives without a fixed gear. You might be able to get one from calling Schwinn, but Amazon only advertises the bike with a flip-flop *hub*, not a fixed gear already installed.

Construction: The bike weighs around 20 pounds, or so. To me and my friends, that feels incredibly light for what I paid. The bullhorn bars are very comfortable, and provide adequate ability to turn in all positions, though braking is only possible from the bar end position. I only end up putting my hands in close when I am chugging up a hill. The rims and tires feel very sturdy, as do all of the components. It is a very comfortable bike, but I assume that from the geometry of the bike, anyone less than my height would have difficulty standing over the bike (I am 5'10"). The bolt-down wheels and seat post are a plus for me, as I am constantly locking my bike up outside, and I will be the only rider. The brake levers feel very comfortable, but it seems like it takes a bit of burning in before the brakes catch like they are supposed to. The pedals are fine, but I will discuss that later. The chain is actually quite nice, and after a little bit of riding, the oil emanates from the inner parts of the chain, leaving it nicely lubricated. Almost all of the components are aluminum, which means that rust will be pretty hard to find. Of course, you can't avoid it forever, but this bike will ensure that the rusts remains on the tertiary components, and not on the frame.

The Ride: Yes, it is an aluminum frame, so it is rather unforgiving when it comes to small bumps. Steel would, of course, provide a bit more dampening, but that would be at the cost of many more pounds of weight for this price range. I find the seat quite comfortable, though, with 50 pounds in a backpack, I can start to feel the pressure. I truly enjoy the simplicity of a single-speed bicycle. While it feels limiting on some downhills and difficult on some uphills, it is very rewarding and limits both weight of the bike (perhaps of the rider, too) and the maintenance required. I use this bike for commuting from my apartment to my classes, which is about 3 miles one way.

The service: I was given a bad left pedal (the bearing were grinding, especially under high torque situations). I called up Schwinn that day, and was immediately asked for my address so that they could send out a new set of pedals. Incredible service. It's hard to find a company so willing to honor warranties.

Conclusion: I recommend this bike to anyone that needs a reliable, light, simple commuter bike. It will certainly surpass any other bikes in this price range. Keep in mind, though, this bike was designed for urban environments, and made for the road. I would not recommend this bike for anyone who is commuting a longer distance and/or commuting through dirt trails. For my purposes, though, this bike nicely fits the need.

Had the bike a week and a half now and thought it was time for feedback. Assembly was easy and the bike looks great, but some of the parts are really cheaply made. Given the price, this wasn't unexpected.
The biggest problem has been getting flats. So far, I have had 6 flat tires! After fixing them multiple times, buying 2 new tubes and patching the rest, I discovered that the problem was with the wheel rim strips. These are the rubber pieces that go around the wheel and keep the tubes from going up into the spoke holes when inflated. It seems that the original part supplied by the manufacturer is simply too thin to do the job at the recommended tire pressure of 100psi stamped on the tires. Replacing the original parts with velox(sp?) rim tape from my local bike store seems to have done the trick. Hopefully, this problem will be addressed soon and others will not have similar issues.

This is an excellent product, it is exactly what I was looking for. Priced around $230, this is a no frills bike, yet very solid construction, the bike is packaged well for shipment. Easy assembly: seat, handle bar, pedals, front tire. Please note the bike is single-speed (free-wheel), not a fixed gear bike. The rear hub can be flipped to accommodate a fixed wheel with the purchase of an additional gear from any local bike shop. The handle bars are the biggest concern with people that have not rode this bike, I agree they are a bit different then a straight bar but they are really comfortable and fit the bike style. I have owned various drop and straight bars with side posts and I would definitely chose the bullhorn style for this type of riding any day. The bike has a cover over the front-top portion of the chain; so no more "80s tight rolling" of your right pant leg. The chain cover keeps your pants clean from grease and from getting caught in the motion of pedaling. The front tire is bolt-on, not a quick release. The rims, and tires are solid with 700c tubes sporting a schrader (just like a car) air valve. Bike has all the necessary reflectors of any bike. Tools used for assembly: allen/hex wrench (seat post, handle bar), and a 15mm wrench (pedals, front-tire).

Inflated tires (60psi), tweaked brakes, aligned front reflector, and took it out for a spin. insert smile here

I just received this bike two days ago, and so far I can say that for the money, this is a high-quality single-speed. Overall the construction seems solid, and I was lucky that the fit was just right (I'm just under 6'1" and I sit almost perfectly on this model) As a previous review stated, the tires will probably need replacing before too long, as they don't feel too sturdy. I already replaced the saddle so I can have some comfort in my ride (my tailbone is a bit wide for the packaged saddle). I own two other single-speed bikes, and this one is going to be my commuter bike for work (only a few minor hills; close to home). I'll update this review later with my experience(s) riding this bike.

Update: I put some PanaRacer RiBMo tires on the bike and ride it for fun/fitness purposes (car drivers on my commute to work are crazy; several people have been maimed/killed recently, so I'm not using it for a commuter). I replaced the stock saddle outright with a PlanetBike comfort saddle, and it's been great. The original tubes are still intact after a few hundred miles, and have held up well with no flats, although I AM pretty obsessive about checking every aspect of my bike after I ride. I really can't complain about this bike, it's been a great addition to my stable and it's surprisingly sturdy in construction/components for the price. I'll be replacing two part sets soon: The freewheel is fine, but I have a MUCH quieter Shimano that will do the trick with less noise (thankfully the horizontal dropouts make it easy to put just about any size freewheel on it without changing out the chain), and the brake levers are going to be replaced with some Cane Creek levers purchased mid-last year. Overall, this is a great value...it's the one bullhorn-style bike I have, and I expect it will last for years to come.

I had been looking for a way to get a fixed gear bike for about 8-9 months. When I came across this, it had everything I wanted: Bullhorn handlebars, bar end brake levers, flip flop hub, and a lightweight frame. When I received it, I was disappointed to find that it didn't have a fixed cog installed, or even included. This was easily solved by going to Ben's Cycle (ever heard of it?) and getting one of their cheaper cogs. I am just starting anyway, so I don't need something extremely high end.

I love the handlebars. At first, they feel huge and awkward, but then you get used to it, and you find them really comfortable, and very easy to control the bike with. They offer multiple hand positions, and gives you a lot of control with skidding.

I would, however, consider upgrading the rear tire if you are going to be skidding. My tire lasted about a month, and it only took about 2 weeks for the threads to be exposed. I upgraded to a Panaracer RiBMo tire that I am very excited to use.

I LOVE this bike, and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who wants an excellent start to the "wondrous world of fixed gear riding". It is most definitely the best bike I have ever owned, and I have no regrets whatsoever in buying it.

Edit: When I put the Panaracer on, it was too tall so I had to take off the rear brake so it wouldn't rub. I had already planned to do this anyway, so it was no big deal. It works great and this bike will provide a lot of good riding. :D

I purchased this bike after having a really great fuji track pro stolen- so coming into the buy i was hesitant thinking that the workmanship and body/frame would not be up to standard. Needing a pair of wheels deperately and not having the 1000 plus bucks to spend like i did on my original bike-- i was worried. This bike is great for quick trips- im a sporratic biker and jet around the hills of san francisco with great ease- having it say schwinn Everywhere is a pain but nothing that a few mods and stickers bought online cant fix. youre gonna have to change the seat probably- but without regards to appearance- its a very smooth and almost luxurious ride in comparison to price. Im 6"0 and the frame is about 54cm so its a great deal for big guys to power through long rides. Handle bars are really great although huge- provide excellent steering. very easy to set up and very happy over-all. it probably has the best price ive seen anywhere.

After all is said below I would still buy again. Below are my rambling thoughts as the weeks go by :)

Everything has been expected, but here are some things to plan for. Don't get me wrong, the next closest price was over $100 more for a similar bike and it was a steel frame. A lot of bikes do not have eyelets and use different tires so be prepared as I was not. I like that it's super light especially for the price, and bc steel would rust fast since I live near the ocean. All adjustments and stuff I have done can be searched for on youtube and are easy to do even if your a movie-stereotype soccer mom with no tool experience; so don't be scared away by my post. Well, the bracket could be a little too much fun for you, but it's not needed if you have the right parts to begin with hence my writing you about it. So, get strap on fenders and a bolt on axel mount rack to avoid the bracket and eyelets I made if you want.

I unpacked it and put it together in no time. Packaging was great with no possible box burn on the paint job. I thought the directions sucked overall so I winged it. Things such as, which way do the rough edged washers go inside the fork or outside. I followed what they did on the back. Lacing the basket on the pedal, etc. Just get on youtube if need be.

Headed down the block, which lead to an adjustment by hand to the chain cover. Do to the larger down pipe they left out the bottom bracket for the chain guard FYI, but it is not necessary if adjusted in the center.
I made it three blocks and the pedal started clicking. I took it apart (pop off the circular cover on the outside of the pedal) and repacked the bearings with marine bearing grease for trailers axles and loosened the internal bolts a tiny bit (but locked them down) to get a smoother spin on the bearings (I think it was just too tight and had a rough spin). The machine surfaces and bearing all looked fine with no burs.

I did 4.5 miles after repacking and loosening the pedals and all seemed fine.

It weighed 24 LBS with all the junk on it.

I'm 5"10 & 210 lbs.

Paint job doesn't look too tacky overall. See close-up pics I added.

Couple months later: Tires have been fine with not one problem (knock on wood) for a couple months riding to and from work commuting. No fixed wheel skidding though :)

Week 4: 40+ miles and left pedal is back to clicking, it feels tighter again and not smooth. Rather than adjust it ever week I'm going to see about getting a new pedal. I'll let you know how good Schwinn is at customer service. Update: In three minutes they had a new one on the way, they were not hard to deal with and they were pleasant. Couple days later I had a ful set of pedals. with baskets and everything, so that's A+ in my book. I did not have to send anything in or do anything but call them.

Week 3: I just got a good pannier bag and drilled out some mounting eyelets (see pics) and slowly used the bolt to make my threads in the aluminum screwing in and out every 1/2 turn. Take your time, use some lubricant, and get a drill bit 1/16 and 1/32 smaller than the threads and work your way. This might take some research on youtube for you. There are re-threading tap devices as well too, but I didn't use any.

Week 1 -1st wing looking setup:
No eyelets for rack on the back so I cut a piece of 1/8th" sheet aluminum (can get at home depot) and drilled it to fit between the frame and the axel bolt and drilled an eyelet for the pannier rack at the top of it. I was told by a bike shop guy that this lack of eyelets is common for some road bike designs bc your heal would hit the pannier bag. So I moved it back 5" and up a bit; see pics I added. You can get axel mounting racks also. I ordered the two items at the same time and it was easier to make the brackets, than ship back, reorder, and wait, plus car gas to get to work :)

You'll need a schrader to presta valve wheel adapter for future blow outs so the schraders don't pinch and blow, unless you can find the stock schrader 700c tubes and your town is not to small to find them in stock :). FYI tube is size 700cx25 if you want to pre buy them now just encase.

-Crank = 170
-I like how the fork is not just a round tube
-Seat design/ colors look cool, soft enough, but not too bad for long stuff. It will feel stiff for beginner riders like my friend, until "sit-bones" get used to it. It's exactly like a cloud9 seat minus the wind tunnel.

about 20 miles so far. Pedal is happy, no flats.

I added the SKS P35 fenders to the bike. I used my homemade rear brackets to mount the rear fender. The front forks have eyelets for a fender and did not need any fixing. A friend suggested: for the rear you could also get a drill bit and a tap for the correct size and make your own eyelets since the rear axle mounting area has a large piece of metal. See new pics added.

Side Note about the shipping, not about the bike:
I was a little disappointing about the shipping. It took 6 days to get here, which is fine, but don't tell me 2 days with a shipping header that guarantees order arrival by this date as a sales pitch and then not follow through. It said 2 days shipping and it took 4 days to get out of the warehouse when it said in stock (but did have 2 days on the road). I was also quoted up to three months for deliver from Amazon for another purchase that said "in stock with 5-8 days delivery." Amazon direct sales are getting slow compared to their 2 day deliveries I once had, and it's not even Christmas season. Maybe they are trying to get people to sign up for that two day shipping free, with prime account; or they fired a bunch of employees. How would 2 days free shipping with a prime account have helped me if it took you 4 days to get something out of the warehouse, or months for an in stock item? Individual sellers don't do the prime discount so why get prime guys. Step things back up AMAZON :)

I had two Fuji bikes stolen in less than two months so I wanted a cheap decent bike that I would not cry over if stolen. I live in NYC and my main form of transportation is my bike. NYC is flat so a single speed is fine with me. I have basic bike knowledge as I use it regularly but am by no means a bike expert. This was the first time I assembled a bike together. It was relatively easy, I do consider myself a handy person. I bought the 56" frame as that is what I rode on my fuji classic. With the bull horns it was a bit too big. I am 5'8" with longer legs. I like straight bars that are cut down so it was not a big deal. I did take the bike into the shop for a tune up as I need the brake cables tightened and was not feeling so confident on my assembly. Now that I had a mechanic switch out my bars for straight bars and check it all out I am pretty happy. My old bike was an amazing Fuli classic steel frame. I really did not want an aluminum frame as it is very jarring riding around NYC. With pricing an issue and wanting a new bike that was really my only option. I am pretty happy with the bike, I did remove the chain cover as it was a piece of cheap garbage. I am excited for my first ride into the city.

Looks great, defective crank bearings that took some time to replace and when I did get to finally ride it the front tube kept puncturing at the same location on the backside ie non road side. There may be some sharp edges that dig through the rubber liner into the tube. I replaced the front tube with a thicker Schwinn slime tube, but it did the same thing in the same location. Waiting to see how the problem will be handled by Schwinn.