bionictony

this bike is looking pretty nice for a dept store bike. looks comparable to a diamondback trace. it has an aluminum frame, mechanical disc brakes. are the 28" wheels a type? are they supposed to be 700c wheels?

NormanF

Its only one size. Likely heavy and 28" are 700 c wheels.

I'd get the Diamondback Trace for the difference over the big box store bike.

djmcnz

But wow $289? You could almost throw it away after 12 months if you didn't like it.

Assuming you're not doing 100 miles a week, or having to carry it up flights of stairs (38lbs!), it's difficult to fault on face value.

If you're looking for an inexpensive new bike I certainly wouldn't rule out a trip to Target to try it out for fit etc! Trace is twice the price and probably not twice the bike (although I stand to be corrected on that).

Description says it's a "woman's" bike but title says "men's" so check what's in the box!

Link: Schwinn Hybrid @ Target

churnman

First blush, you will find many detractors for your question but if it works for you as an occasional means of transportation that will be fun, go for it. Don't know where you live but getting some good advice from a bicyclist and buying used from Craig's List is a viable option. People sometimes determine after even only one season that bicycling is not their thing.

badger1

If the OP happens to live in Canada, this particular bicycle would be a very poor choice in my opinion. It is available up here from Target U.S. online, at a price of Cdn $407.59.

For $489 (or less) one could have this from an LBS. Admittedly it doesn't have disc brakes or a "rigid road suspension fork", but then it also doesn't weigh anywhere near 38 lbs and is from one of the major manufacturers:

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-ca...specifications

NormanF

Yup. There are better bikes than this one. A 38-40 lb bike is already too heavy and that's before a rack and a load.

Take a quarter of the weight off and even if you haul stuff, easier when you're doing 35 lbs as opposed to 50 lbs.

travbikeman

This better bike can be had for $269 when Nashbar has their 25% off sale, which is like once a week.

Diamondback Insight 1 Bike

therealjoeblow

I'm not going to comment on the bike (primarily because of that I am going to comment on)... but really... what *totally useless* specs to post about a bike:

-Gear Speeds: 21
-Bicycle Frame Height: 15"
-Bicycle Frame Material: Aluminum
-Seat Material: Polypropylene, Nylon
-Bicycle Chain Material: Steel
-Pedal Material: Resin
-Rim Material: Aluminum
-Front Wheel Height: 28"
-Rear Wheel Height: 28 inches
-Tire Type: Smooth
-Tire Width: 1.95"
-Maximum Weight Capacity: 250 pounds
-Dimensions: 68 inches L x 41 inches H
-Weight: 38 pounds

There's nothing there that would let anyone knowledgeable about bikes make any informed decision on the quality (or lack thereof) of this bike.

Cheers
TRJB

bionictony

i took a quick look and i'm pretty sure the circuit is around 30lbs. 38lb is probably packaged weight. it's got basic shimano components and i think promax disc brakes. i wanted to upgrade to a hybrid with disc brakes. i've currently got a forge breva also from target. so i think the circuit bike will be below $200 in the future when on sale.

NormanF

Like I said, spend a $100 premium on an entry-level LBS bike. And you can find a used LBS bike on eBay or CL for around your quoted price.

BBS bikes are simply awful just for the value.

MRT2

So many better options. Something entry level from a bike shop, for example. Or a used bike. Do not buy a bike from a Department store.

rumrunn6

I once made the "mistake" of buying a Schwinn hybrid at Target. the paired spokes didn't hold up. I had to rebuild & replace the rear wheel. the plastic clip holding the kickstand broke in the parking lot at my car. those were the only defects

the other part of the "mistake" was that I really needed a road bike. so I wound up modifying the bike to suit me. turned out to be a very comfortable & fast bike. put a cpl thousand miles on it before selling it last year. will always have fond memories of it

changed the saddle, tires, added fenders, mini clips, kickstand, rear rack, front & rear strobes, reflective tape, 2nd & 3rd bottle holders, computer, tightened the shocks, added stem riser & drop bars

finally got myself a decent drop bar road bike (instead of ll the '70s & '90s steel bikes). no offense to straight bar bikes or hybrids or whatever, I've got 2 of those those too :-)

rumrunn6

if you share approx where you live a cpl of us could probably find a decent used bike on CL for less

sh00k

i agree 100%. for the money, try to find a lightly used bike off craigslist. you may even get lucky and find someone that had buyers remorse and wants to sell their bike asap. this assumes you dont need a bike this minute and can spend some time sifting through craigslist ads for a bike in your size at the right price.

hope this helps.

Scooper

What the heck is the Schwinn marketing department thinking? In the late eighties, the Circuit was a twenty-one pound high end road bike. This is blasphemy, I tell you.

rumrunn6

diff company now tho right? guess they're just trying to recycle old names?

travbikeman

That was a nice bike! I used to dream of owning one of these back in the 80's. Before I was allowed to have a job.

practical

I'd say the bike is worth the price - you get what you pay for. This is not intended as a slam against Schwinn, but I'm guessing most readers of this forum expect more from a bike than this one will deliver. (I really hope the bike really doesn't weight 38 pounds because that would be just terrible.) I would guess the best uses for this bike are short rides (10 miles or fewer) on mostly level roads and trails going at a relaxed pace. Nothing wrong with that and if that's your riding expectations, then this is probably a very good bike for you.

Scooper

Yep; the company has changed hands at least twice since the late 1992 bankruptcy, first it was Scott Sports and now Dorel Industries (Dorel Sports).

It just seems a shame they would recycle the Circuit name, a highly respected eighties racing model, and apply it to a cheap department store bike.

rumrunn6

did a century w my "mistake of a bike". well actually it was only 88 miles cuz I made a mistake w my mapping calculations

bionictony

i'm in LA and i'm fine with bikes. i'm the occasional rider, and i do look for deals. i search on CL for giant roam/escapes, trek fxs, cannondale quicks. what i do need is a good 26" mtb 7 speed wheelset for my other bike.

djmcnz

How far behind the times am I!

Didn't know that, thanks!

NormanF

Agreed. I would say though Schwinn's Signature Line of LBS bikes are of very high quality. My Schwinn is still running strong after 8 years of near day to day use. Pretty satisfied.

I've felt bringing the Schwinn brand into BBS cheapened the brand. That wasn't Ignaz Schwinn's vision for it.

Jwoair23

I just recently bought this bike, so I thought I would offer a few insights. I am new to the cycling world, and I researched a bit before I bought my bike. I must say, while I am certainly familiar with the way enthusiasts talk from other hobbies (i.e. car forums, computer forums, etc.) biking brings a whole new level to being a bit snobby about the sport. I mean that in the friendliest way possible.

I wanted a bike for just some occasional fun and trail riding, maybe 20 miles at a time every few weeks etc. This bike hit the price point I was willing to pay, I really like the way it looks, and it had some features I wanted.

Some things to call out:

- I had to learn to do A LOT of adjustments off the bat, which I fully expected. Both front and back pads were dragging and I had to align the calipers and adjust the spacing. The front and rear derailleurs were extremely mis-adjusted, and I had to learn how to fix them. It took me many hours of learning as I had never done it before, but I enjoyed learning it and I was able to learn to do it myself.
- The bike is actually 31 lbs, I'm not a huge believer in weight being all that important for recreational riding, I think its plenty light.
- I liked that it had disc brakes, mostly just because I think that's cool to be honest
- I liked the matte black paint scheme, I think it looks really cool.
- I liked that it had Shimano components, obviously they are bottom of the barrel, but they are still Shimano and are standard fittings, and could be upgraded if anything breaks.
- Everything on the bike is standard and could be replaced if desired which I liked.

Overall so far I am really happy with the bike for the price point of <$300. I think for MANY people this bike would be very sufficient and a great value. You would have to be willing to make the adjustments yourself, or pay someone to do it though.

I have read (endlessly) people's opinion of buying used "nicer" bikes rather than new. I personally prefer buying new, and I like the features/looks of this bike, so I preferred going this route than Craigslist.

I fully expect to be beat to death for this first post since it runs counter to the bike culture I have seen so far, but I think taking a deep breath and relaxing, and realizing that it IS possible for someone to buy a cheaper department store bike and enjoy it, would be healthy for many people on the biking forums I have been reading. Its not the end of the world if someone doesn't want to spend a ton of money on their bike for recreational use.

therealjoeblow

Welcome to the forum and the sport! I'm not going to beat you up for this, in fact, I'm going to give you props for doing the most important thing that most people who buy any kind of bike, and department store bikes in particular fail to do - that you learned how to adjust the components and tuned the bike up yourself.

You make your decision with eyes wide open obviously, but besides the lower end components, which as you say are probably fine for occasional use, the single most frustrating thing with department store bikes vs bike shop bikes is that they are never properly assembled and adjusted. In some cases, it's just an annoyance because things don't work quite right, but in a lot of cases, it's a major safety risk and concern.

So props to you for learning how to adjust and tune up your bike. You are a better cyclist for it, and will enjoy whatever bike you have and end up with in the future all the more!

Cheers
TRJB