Schwinn Tornado Men's Cruiser Bike

by Schwinn

Product Features

• Schwinn handcrafted hi-ten cantilever cruiser frame
• Shimano 7-speed revo twist shifter and TX-30 rear derailleur
• Schwinn super soft cruiser spring saddle
• Easy-reach handle bars
• Alloy wheels

Product Description

Product Description

Ideal for riding around the neighborhood or on bike paths, the 26-Inch Schwinn Tornado cruiser provides a comfortable. It features an upright riding position with easy-to-reach handlebars, a super soft Schwinn suspension seat, and 7-speed Shimano twist shifters. The custom styling and alloy wheels give the Tornado a smooth ride and nostalgic look. Perfect for around-town use, this bike has a nostalgic style and feel to go along with its smooth ride.

Specifications:

• Frame: High Tensile Steel
• Shifter: Twist Shifters
• Brakes: Front and Rear Alloy Linear-Pull
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano
• Handle Bars: Cruiser bar
• Saddle: Spring
• Rims: Alloy
• Frame Size: 26 inches
• Wheel Size: 18 inches
• Gear Speeds: 7
• Chain guard included

About Schwinn
Founded in 1895, Schwinn is an American icon that has been synonymous with quality and innovation. They have built some of the best-known and best loved bikes of numerous generations--Aerocycle, Paramount, Phantom, Varsity, Sting-Ray, Krate and Homegrown. Today, Schwinn continues to be a leader in the industry with innovative bikes such as the new Sting-Ray, Rocket mountain bikes, and Fastback road bikes. With a continued dedication to quality, forever synonymous with the Schwinn name, America's most famous bicycle brand looks forward to providing another century of innovation, freedom and performance to people of all ages.

Assembly of the Bike:
This bike comes mostly assembled. Minor assembly is required before the bike can be used.

Amazon.com Bicycle Buying Guide
Finding the Right Bike
To really enjoy cycling, it's important to find a bicycle that works for you. Here are some things to keep in mind when you're in the market for a new bike:

The Right Ride
In general, bikes are broken down into three major categories:

• Road and Racing Bikes--As a general rule, road and racing are built for speed and longer distances on paved surfaces. Thinner tires, lightweight 29-inch (700c) wheels and drop bars that allow for a more aerodynamic position are the norm. Most road bikes, regardless of price, offer many gears for tackling both hilly and flat terrain.
• Mountain Bikes--With their larger tires, hill-friendly gearing and upright position, mountain bikes are very popular for all types of riding, both on pavement and off. Mountain bikes that are designed specifically for rugged trail use typically feature a suspension fork. Some may have rear suspension, as well. A quick change of the tires on any mountain bike--even one that you use regularly on trails--adds to its versatility and makes it a worthy street machine.
• Comfort/Cruiser Bikes--For tooling around on bike paths, light trails, or for cruising a quiet beach-side lane, comfort/cruiser bikes are the ticket. With a super-relaxed riding position, padded seats, and limited or no gearing, these bikes are made for enjoying the scenery and having fun with the family.

The Right Price
A bike's price boils down to three essentials: frame materials, bike weight, and component quality and durability.

• Entry-level--You'll find a wide range of comfort and cruiser bikes in this category, as well as some lower-end mountain bikes and road bikes. Most will have steel frames and components that are designed to last for several years with frequent use.
• Mid-range--Bikes in this range may feature a lighter aluminum frame with mid-range components that keep performing after miles of use. If you're looking for a quality bike that is relatively lightweight and will stand up to abuse, this is the "sweet spot." Most serious commuter and touring bikes fall into this category, as do mid-range mountain bikes with a decent front suspension.
• High-end--Racers and serious enthusiasts who expect lightweight, high-performance components will want to stick to this category. For road bikes, exotic frame materials (carbon fiber, titanium) and ultra-lightweight components can add thousands to the price tag. Mountain bikes in this class often feature advanced front and rear suspension technology, as well as components designed to handle lots of rugged trail action.

The Right Size
Fit is crucial for comfort, control, and proper power and endurance on a bike. Here are some basic bike fit tips:

• Stand-over Height--To find out if a bike's overall height fits your body, measure your inseam. Next, determine how much clearance you'll need between your crotch and the top tube of the bike. For a mountain bike, you'll want three to five inches of clearance. A road bike should offer between one and two inches of clearance, while a commuter bike should have two to four inches. Compare the stand-over height for a given bike to your measurements (inseam + clearance) to determine the right bike height.
• Top Tube Length--You can measure your torso to get a good estimate of proper top tube length. First, make a fist and extend your arm. Measure from the center of your fist to the end of your collarbone (the part that intersects your shoulder). Next, measure your torso by placing a book against your crotch with the spine facing up. Measure from the spine to the bottom of your throat (the spot between your collarbones). Finally, add the two measurements (arm length + torso length), divide the number in half and subtract six inches. This is your approximate top tube length. Compare this number to a bike's posted top tube length. You can allow for about two inches longer or shorter, as most bikes can be adjusted via stem length/height and saddle fore/aft position to make fine adjustments to the fit.
• Bikes for Women--Proportionally, women tend to have a shorter torso and longer legs than men. Bike makers design women's bikes that offer a shorter top tube and many comfort/cruiser bikes built for women may also provide more stand-over clearance.

The Right Accessories
When you make a bike purchase, don't forget these crucial add-ons:

• Helmet (this is a must!)
• Seat pack
• Lock
• Hydration pack, or water bottles and bottle cages
• Spare tubes
• Portable bike pump
• Gloves

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 53.2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000A10N0G
• Item model number: S2632
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #433,077 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Bicycle, August 30, 2005

By 

HiBeamsOn (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schwinn Tornado Men's Cruiser Bike (Sports)

I grew up with a single speed bicycle and later purchased a 10 speed when they were all the craze and hated it. It was so very uncomfortable, nothing worked well, and all those gears and levers made me nuts. That put the end of my recreational bicycle riding until now.

I like this bicycle. This is my first bicycle in 20 years so I am amazed at the light weight of this machine. The electric blue paint is briliant and exciting, and two of my adult neighbors have commented that they really like the style. I do too!

I am 5'8", 175 lbs and have found this bicycle to be a comfortable size for me. The riding position is upright and comfortable, just like it was when I was a kid. No stooping over into a racing position for me! The 7 gears work easily and smoothly with an easy rotating motion on the right hand grip. No more goofy levers for me! The hand brakes work well and are quiet. No more squealing brakes for me! The seat is comfortable for a 2 hour ride along Chicago's Lake Michigan bicycle path. No more skinny and painful seats for me! The tires are fat and ride smooth like they were when I was a kid. No more skinny and rough riding tires for me! I find this bicycle to be an overall pleasureable riding experience.

Before you get me wrong, I am not against speciality bicycles or technology in any way. I'm just not a "technology victim". I just want technology to work for me, and I don't want to pay for "capability" that I will never use. I want a comfortable ride that can keep up with most of the pack, and this bicycle meets those requirements for me.

The bicycle arrived in good condition and was secured in the shipping box very professionally. It took me a while to assemble the machine (foot pedals, handle bar assembly, seat assembly, front wheel, inflate tires) and adjust the seat and handle bar height. The bicycle comes with an owners manual with an overwhelming amount of assembly information that is mostly useless. Most of it pertains to other models and assembly that has already been done at the factory. If you have a few good tools, take your time, don't get overwhelmed by the printed material, and have a little mechanical ability you will get the assembly done in a few hours. My tips: Make sure that the front fork is facing in the correct direction! I put it together backwards which made the front tire hit my foot every time I turned the handlebars. Don't inflate the front tire until AFTER you install it on the frame. The inflated tire will never clear the brake pads. Inflate the tires fully before you check to see if the brakes need adjusting. The wheel rims will shift slightly when the tires are inflated changing the alignment with the brake pads, and I did need to do some adjusting of the front brakes. The front wheel has some wobble to it but nothing serious. If you don't have any mechanical ability and some basic tools I would not recommend trying to assemble this bicycle. You won't find this bicycle in a Schwinn store, and the closest Schwinn model that they have will cost you almost double.

Four stars.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good value, but..., August 14, 2005

By 

B. Atsma (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schwinn Tornado Men's Cruiser Bike (Sports)

Firstly, unless you have some experience with bicycle assembly or repairs (or are naturally handy), this is a bit of a gamble. The booklet claims that the bike is fully assembled at the factory and then partially disassembled for shipping. The implication is that you need only put on the wheel, seat and handlebars and you are set. Perhaps I was unlucky and got the bike assembled by a careless or less competent factory worker, or perhaps they have a different definition of assembly. But I also had to redo the brakes, chain, and derailleur. If you have not done that, assembly and adjustment of derailleurs is one of the trickier parts of bicycle assembly. The cable needed to be significantly tightened, proving it was not properly assembled and then only disassembled for shipping purposes. So, what I anticipated to be about 40 minutes of assembly based on other bikes I purchased for my kids, turned into about 4 hours. Your mileage (and factory assembler) may vary. :-) Bicycle shops and local stores assemble the bike for you, so you may wish to balance convenience vs. value.

That being said, the bike works fairly well and is what the description states. You'd probably pay 50-100 more at a bicycle shop for a similar bike. A couple of other things to consider: Although this is a 26 in bike with a full size frame, there is something about its design that might make it feel a little small for a tall person. I am only slightly above average in height and it's just barely right for me with the seat and handlebars raised nearly as much as they should safely go. Also the tires are not "hybrid" tires used by some cruisers and comfort bikes (permitting some minor crossover biking like dirt roads or grassy fields). These are strictly pavement tires. Happy trails. :-)

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Bike! Easy assembly!, October 7, 2005

By 

A. Conforti - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Schwinn Tornado Men's Cruiser Bike (Sports)

I found the assembly for this bike to be very easy. You'll need a ratchet, 2 sockets. an open end wrench, 2 hex wrenches, and about 40 minutes. Handlebars, Seat, Front Tire, & Pedals. Air in the tires. Then final adjustments to the seat & handlebars. That's it. My brakes & gears needed no adjustments.

The reviewer who had trouble must have truely gotten the oddball item. My guess is that his cycle was a returned item that was re-shipped with the parts thrown haphazardly back in the box.

After 35 years of riding racers the upright riding position will take some getting used to for me. Still I found the bike's ride smooth & comfortable. with my Amazon gold box discount & the free Super Saver shipping this was a great bike at a great price.