2019 Schwinn Circuit Review
09-25-19, 03:10 PM
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2019 Schwinn Circuit Review
We bought 2 on Labor Day. His and hers. We're less than 1 month into these bikes and here are our observations:
1. Please, either have a bicycle shop assemble them, or take them to a bicycle shop if you purchase them assembled.
2. Replace the rim tape with a thicker tape or cloth (we went with cloth), or you will have flats. We had 3 of the 4 tires on our two bikes leaking air in the first month. The ends of the spokes wore through the thin rim tape. Rim tape is the stuff that covers up the ends of the spokes inside the wheel rim.
3. While you are at the bike shop, go ahead and replace the tubes. The spec tubes only go to 50 lbs or so of pressure, and we replaced with tubes that support up to 80 lbs. The tires were fine.
4. The derailleurs are the same as a low end Trek bike. A big box store is not going to have them adjusted correctly, so you will not be able to use but about 1/2 the gears. The bike shop will ensure that you can use almost all the gears.
5. The disc brakes are ok, but loud. We were told that the pads are metallic, so they can squeal coming to a stop. If this annoys you, the local bike shop can replace with different pads, but at a cost. We are just going to wear out the metallic pads and replace them later.
But here's the thing. After spending $299 per bike, we discovered we could have purchased a Trek FX-1 for about $450, already assembled and adjusted. With the bike repair shop, we already have another $100 per bike in these bikes, and at $399, we're about $50 away from an FX-1. The local bike repair shop said that this bike is good for "light use", but at 30+ miles per week, this bike's wheel bearings will be completely worn out in a year. The Treks will last for 10 years. You give up the disc brakes with the FX-1, but I think it's a fair trade off.
BTW, we are getting the FX-2 with hydraulic disc brakes, and the Dual Sport-2, also with hydraulic disc brakes for about $650 each. We will keep the Schwinns, but for "guest use".
1. Please, either have a bicycle shop assemble them, or take them to a bicycle shop if you purchase them assembled.
2. Replace the rim tape with a thicker tape or cloth (we went with cloth), or you will have flats. We had 3 of the 4 tires on our two bikes leaking air in the first month. The ends of the spokes wore through the thin rim tape. Rim tape is the stuff that covers up the ends of the spokes inside the wheel rim.
3. While you are at the bike shop, go ahead and replace the tubes. The spec tubes only go to 50 lbs or so of pressure, and we replaced with tubes that support up to 80 lbs. The tires were fine.
4. The derailleurs are the same as a low end Trek bike. A big box store is not going to have them adjusted correctly, so you will not be able to use but about 1/2 the gears. The bike shop will ensure that you can use almost all the gears.
5. The disc brakes are ok, but loud. We were told that the pads are metallic, so they can squeal coming to a stop. If this annoys you, the local bike shop can replace with different pads, but at a cost. We are just going to wear out the metallic pads and replace them later.
But here's the thing. After spending $299 per bike, we discovered we could have purchased a Trek FX-1 for about $450, already assembled and adjusted. With the bike repair shop, we already have another $100 per bike in these bikes, and at $399, we're about $50 away from an FX-1. The local bike repair shop said that this bike is good for "light use", but at 30+ miles per week, this bike's wheel bearings will be completely worn out in a year. The Treks will last for 10 years. You give up the disc brakes with the FX-1, but I think it's a fair trade off.
BTW, we are getting the FX-2 with hydraulic disc brakes, and the Dual Sport-2, also with hydraulic disc brakes for about $650 each. We will keep the Schwinns, but for "guest use".
