Schwinn Men's Prelude Bicycle (BBWhite)

by Schwinn

Product Features

• Men's commuter road bike with aluminum drop bar frame and Schwinn road fork
• 14-speed Shimano drivetrain with A050 road shifters
• 700c alloy wheels
• Dual pivot road brakes
• Schwinn Quality padded saddle

Product Description

Amazon.com

The Prelude Men's Road Bike from Schwinn is well suited to commuting and pleasure or fitness riding. The Prelude features an aluminum road frame with drop handlebars and a forgiving Schwinn road fork. The 14-speed Shimano drivetrain is equipped with responsive A050 shifters and lightweight alloy cranks to keep you moving fast. Clips and straps for the pedals increase efficiency in turning the deep-dish, 700c alloy wheels. Additional details on the Prelude include dual pivot road brakes with alloy levers, a comfortable Schwinn road saddle, and a kickstand.

Key Specifications:

• Size: 55 inches
• Wheel Size: 700c
• 14-speed drivetrain
• Schwinn Aluminum Drop Bar Road Frame

Drivetrain:

• Crank: Schwinn Approved Alloy 42/52-tooth Road
• Bottom Bracket: Sealed with Ball Bottom Bracket System
• Derailleur: Road Double
• Shifters: Shimano A050 Bar Mounted
• Chain: KMC Z-51, Black

Wheels:

• Rims: Schwinn Alloy x 36-hole
• Rim Size: 700C
• Hubs: QR Alloy 36-hole
• Spokes: 14-gram Black
• Tires: Schwinn 700 x 25c Road

Components and Extras:

• Pedals: Road with Toe Clip and Strap
• Brakes: Dual Pivot Road
• Brake Levers: Alloy Road
• Handlebar: Road Shallow Drop
• Stem: Schwinn Road Ahead
• Headset: 1 1/8-inch threadless
• Grips: Color Matched Foam Wrap
• Saddle: Schwinn Padded Road
• Seatpost: 27.2 Alloy
• Color Matched Parts
• Clear Coated Paint and Graphics
• Toe Clips and Straps
• Kickstand

Product Description

The Schwinn Prelude is perfect for for that morning commute or getting out for your evening ride, the Prelude features a aluminum road frame for quick agile riding, the Schwinn road fork absorbs pavement imperfections. The 14-speed Shimano drivetrain with a quick-shifting A050 shifters, and lightweight alloy cranks to keep your legs moving fast, clips & straps for the pedals and deep-dish alloy wheels..

Product Details

• Item Weight: 33.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 33.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B004QM22HC
• Item model number: S4030
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,107 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #3 in Sports & Outdoors > Bikes & Accessories > Bikes > Comfort Bikes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars my new ride the good, the bad, and the ugly, May 12, 2011

By 

R. Custer (Galveston, TX, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schwinn Men's Prelude Bicycle (BBWhite) (Sports)

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.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Schwinn Prelude Road Bike, July 11, 2011

By 

Steven (Sunny, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schwinn Men's Prelude Bicycle (BBWhite) (Sports)

Got this bike about a month ago after deciding to change from a hybrid to a road bike. This bike is priced right, is light & fast, has a nice paint job , straight & true wheels and a fairly comfy seat. I've put about 1500 miles on it and SO FAR I've had to adjust the rear derailleur, adjust the steering stem bolt DAILY and adjust the cranks DAILY (what a Pain and they both still creak!). I'm about 6' & 180 and the bike seems to fit me nicely. The brakes could have been positioned on the handlebars differently because you lose precious fractions of seconds trying to find and grab them in an emergency when you're not in the Race position on the drop down bars. Assembly instructions were terse and hard to understand and seemed to be written by an engineer on 6 beers. If you have a limited budget and you want an entry level road bike that you have to tinker with maybe this is your bike.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Bike in its Class, August 21, 2011

By 

nerfherder2000 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schwinn Men's Prelude Bicycle (BBWhite) (Sports)

More in depth specs. Seat post 55cm, top post 56cm, rear cassette 7-speed 14-28t LOOK UP SUGGESTED BIKE SIZE FOR RIDERS.

How is this bike similar to a $700 bike:
Modern components easily upgradeable, serviceable, and standard. The bike stem brakes cassettes, everything except the handle bars that are smaller than 28mm( I think) which means no clip on aero bars. Light weight well constructed frame and wheels. Wheels have no seam like other cheap bikes. It has a seat that is very usable. Smooth reliable shifts. Components ( brake shifters etc.) are very workable. Cage pedals are great!


How is in unlike a $700 road bike.
Shifter separate from brakes. 7 speed instead of 8 speed rear cassette. I could only get the derailleur to work on the lowest six gears. Never really needed the high 28t anyways. The chain rubbed the frame on 14t when i first got it. I just put a washer between the cassette and the frame.( adjustment of the axle might have fixed it). Wheel tape needs to be replaced like others have stated ( it took mine a year to fail). It does not have quick release for back axle. I taped a wrench on the inside of the back frame with electricians tape.(ghetto but hardly noticeable). This bike may take some brain power to assemble and adjust. local bike will do it if you are not a patient person.


If your cannot afford a $600-700 road bike buy this!!! If you cannot afford this bike(I understand how bike stores think $700 is no big deal) then DO NOT buy a road bike. The GMC or victory versions of road bikes are not worth the anger and frustration.

I wish they had more sizes available or a woman's version.