Schwinn Prelude Men's Road Bike

First off I do not give this bike a 5 star rating based on how wonderful it is. You need to spend Several thousand dollars for that bike. This gets a 5 star rating because it is not several thousand dollars yet it is an acceptable entry level road bike. At just under 28 pounds it is 10 pounds heavier than a $4000 bike. Of course it is only a pound or 2 heavier than a $500 bike. And I argue that anyone riding an entry level bike has that on their own midsection anyway. If you are new to cycling you can get this and ride for a year before investing the big bucks while you decide if you like cycling and what you like and don't like about a bike. I bought mine directly from Target (on sale!) so I could get an idea of the size rather than buy on line. I noticed another reviewer said a person 5' 10 - 6'2" would be comfortable. I somewhat agree with the top end but I am 5' 7 3/4" and am comfortable on it. The seat post could still be dropped an other inch and a half but I woul... Read more

We got this for both my husband (6'1") and myself (5'6") and it fits fine for both of us. My seat is almost lowered all the way and his of course is higher. One of the front tires exploded in the first 2 minutes of the ride, so that was discouraging, but the others have held fine. Nice looking bike. Don't forget to get a water bottle attachment!

I bought this bike for my lady for a 1 year anniversary gift; as an entry level road bike. I'm an avid cyclist/urban commuter, but being that she only rode a MTB at the time, I didn't want to commit to any road specific bike over $500 since she may not like the skinny tires and crouched stance. I stumbled upon the Schwinn Prelude, liked the price, and went for it. She rode it for about 3 months before we replaced it with a Schwinn Super Sport. The reason for replacing it was because of the geometry and sizing, which would be my only beef with this bike, along with no rack mounts as said before. My lady is about 5'9", but has long'ish arms and legs - and in this case, a properly fitted bike would be the correct way to go as opposed to trying to fit on a "one-size-fits-all". Even after replacing the bars with MTB/hybrid flat bars, it still caused her pain in her neck and wrists. She's very happy with her current bike and instead of selling this bike, I took it (which fits me just ... Read more

I love this bike. It is amazing! It's very lightweight so you could ride very fast without pumping the pedals (much). I absolutely love it- it's very comfortable, although the seat isn't that great. I'm 5'6" and a 1/2 and it feels great. I recommend this bike. However, the handle bars are annoying if you want to place a basket there.

The Schwinn Prelude is a lot of bike for $199. The wheel hubs are aluminum (not stamped steel) so the bearings will stay tight and roll smooth with little or no maintenance. The cranks are aluminum, with replaceable chainrings. The rims are aluminum, in the international standard 700c size (not the old 27" size). The frame is aluminum, just like more expensive road bikes. Aluminum parts are lightweight, do not rust and should provide many years of trouble-free service. Those are all "must have" features. The 14-speed (7 x 2) thumb shifters are simple to operate while keeping your hands on the bars. The Shimano Tourney derailleurs should provide years of trouble-free service. However, I was disappointed to see that the frame does not have threaded holes (braze-ons) for mounting a cargo rack or fenders. Also, the stock saddle looks a little slim for some riders; but is easily replaced (I recommend a Terry Liberator or Velo Plush). Conclusion: This is a capable road bike, worthy of... Read more