o Lightweight and durable Schwinn men's aluminum road bike frame and Schwinn road
bend bar and stem
o Shimano A050 seven-speed shifters for up and down hill adjustability
o Promax dual-pivot caliper brakes for sure stopping power
o Aero 36-spoke alloy wheels with radial-laced front toe clips and straps
Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description :
The Schwinn Prelude Men's Road Bike offers Schwinn quality and performance at an affordable price.
With comfortable and responsive 700c wheels, a lightweight and durable Schwinn men's aluminum road bike frame, and Schwinn road bend bar and stem, the Prelude handles well and is fun to ride.
The Prelude has seven-speed Shimano A050 shifters for adjustability so you can maintain your speed as you ride up and down hills. The Promax dual-pivot caliper brakes offer sure stopping power.
Aero 36-spoke alloy wheels maintain balance and alignment, and radial-laced front toe clips and straps keep you comfortable and moving on the road.
Specifications:
o Aluminum road frame and fork
o Schwinn road bend bar and stem
o Shimano A050 seven-speed shifters
o Promax dual-pivot caliper brakes
o Alloy road crank
o Aero 36 spoke alloy wheels
o Radial-laced front toe clips and straps
o Assembly required
Customer Reviews
Great Road Bike!!!!
I was skeptical at first, but I decided to get this bike due to my tight budget. I'm training for a triathlon and I needed a road bike that would do the job. After looking at several local bike shops (the cheapest road bikes from $600.00+), I decided to take my search online. Amazon was my first choice. I looked at several road bikes and my decision came down to this bike, the Schwinn Prelude!
The bike comes partially set-up, you only have to attach the seat, front wheel, front brakes, shifters, handle bar, and the pedals! If you do not know how to set up a bike, I highly recommend having someone that does to set it up for you. The instructional guide is unacceptable, because it does not tell you anything about how to set up the bike, it only provides a few pictures that have been taken with a camera phone (joking, but it really looks like it). Once you're set up, you're ready to hit the streets!!!
I have put about 75 miles on this bike and so far, it hasn't given me any problems.
The shifters however are in a weird, awkward spot (in the middle of the handle bar).
The pedals are strap-in, but personally, I prefer strap-less pedals.
I would not recommend this bike to anyone with short legs or anyone who is under 5' 7". I am 5' 9" and my legs are normal length. The bike fits me perfectly. If you are taller than 6 feet the seat raises higher but, unfortunately, the handle bar does not. This might be cause back problems, because usually, the seat and handle bars should be around the same height.
The MAIN POINT:
If you're looking for a great road bike that won't cost you an arm and a leg, you should definitely pick up the Schwinn Prelude!!!
Very good for the price
Please note that my 5-star rating is based on value.
History:
I have been riding a Road Master mountain bike for the past several years just following my children in the neighborhood. I have registered to ride BP MS 150 (from Houston to Austin ) in April 2009. I took my bike to training rides and noticed that I was going slower than other riders even though my cadence is same as that of theirs. Further observation revealed that the front gear on my bike was much smaller than the road bikes other people are riding. It was clear that I need a new bike even though the existing bike is still functional.
Research:
I spent a lot of time looking for a bike. Local bike shops don't carry any road bikes that cost less than 600 USD. Then I found this bike and ordered it. I didn't want to invest a lot of money on a bike as I plan to reduce my riding frequency and duration after my MS 150 ride. I can alway upgrade (if necessary) if I change my mind and continue to bike long distances.
The bike:
I just want to confirm other reviews that the bike came mostly assembled. Instruction manual is mostly useless. The manual is a generic road bike manual - not Prelude manual. I had trouble assembling the front calipers (brake). I had to remove it afterwards because I figured I should have put white reflector between the calipers and the frame. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to raise the handle bar.
Other reviewer is correct. Their help desk is very quick and responsive. Turns out the handle bar can not be raised.
Bike weighs only 25 lb (my road bike weighs 40 lb). Gears shift fine. Overall the bike is good.
Don't consider this bike if you are shorter than 5' 9".
Pedals are clip and strap type pedals. I am not used to these, so I have replaced them with plain pedals (from the mountain bike) for now.
Spokes are stainless steel and rims are made from alloy metal. Apparently rust-proof.
Problems with this road bike (as you can see, they are all minor):
o There is no room to place the red rear reflector after I assembled the under-the-
seat bag. I have fitted the reflector on the rear fork with additional padding.
o There is absolutely no room on the handle bar for the trip computer. I have
currently put it on the handle bar rod; I have to read it sideways!
o Rear wheel arrived slightly bent. Hopefully I can fix that by adjusting the spokes.
o I wish this road bike came with water bottle cage. Frame has holes and screws for
a cage that you can buy.
o Rear break wire runs along the side of the frame bar. I suspect it causes
problems when putting the bike on a carrier.
Overall, I am very pleased with this road bike considering the price I paid.
Update 3/3/'09:
I have ridden this bike for more than 110 miles so far. I have replaced the seat (saddle) as the supplied one is hard and doesn't have anatomic recess. I am yet to find any significant problem. Still happy with the product.
Brake required disassembley
The bike arrives semi-assembled. Which was a pleasant surprise since I was expecting it to need complete assembly.
The only tools required were monkey wrench and an allen wrench set.
The whole assembly probably requires about 45min or less.
However, I had an issue with the front brakes.
It required me to completely dissasemble the brake and reassemble.
It seems one of the joints were too tight and the brake was not releasing (no spring action).
I had to have a friend help because one person needed to hold the tension on the brake and the other put in the screws. (unless you have some kind of brake assembly jig).
Also on the 1st ride the front tire went flat nearly immediately. I looked from something that caused the flat but couldnt find anything. Pinched tube from the factory? maybe...but who knows
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