LifeNovice1

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1101162250361653/

Finally landed on this bike. I know newer Schwinn bikes don't get a lot of love...probably rightfully so but here's what I need it for.
1) Going Car Light I guess. I like that it has fenders and a rack.
2) 90% paved, 10% dirt path.
3) Just riding for fun around the city and on our Riverwalk
I realize this isn't super nice but I figure just the fenders and rack would be worth $40 if I were to sell them if I just hated the bike.

​​​​​​I read the few posts on here so I was hoping some long-term owners could chime in.
​​​​

SkinGriz

I like that it doesn’t have those fake suspension forks.

I’m happy with 1 piece cranks for this type of application. Just understand 1 piece cranks will limit your pedal options. I don’t know if you can get clipless pedals in 1/2”.

If the bikes fits and you want it, I’d haggle price a little and go for it.

If you have the time and patience something better might come along for the price.

You can always make more money.
You can never get time back.

LifeNovice1

What should I offer? She was asking $140 and grudgingly took $80. I'm kind of on the fence as I know what I'm getting and I'm debating getting a cruiser for $30 that I found

rumrunn6

in my area, when buying used bikes, I never low ball sellers. I also don't make offers unless I'm there, in person, & did a test ride. maybe go ride a cpl bikes & see what you like?

ThermionicScott 

Yeah, seems rude for the OP to haggle with the buyer and then not buy it.

ClydeClydeson

That looks like a great basic bike TBH. I have some concerns about the skill of the assembler based solely on the length of the front brake cable, but a bike with so few moving parts should be dead simple to get running as good as possible. Also, a rack normally costs between $30 and 50, and fenders between $50 and $80 (more for metal fenders), so it seems to be a very good value for $80.

The one issue with the simpler one-piece (Ashtabula) crank is that the bearings are not well sealed from the elements. However, Ashtabula bottom brackets are about the simplest thing in the world to maintain - all you need is a single large adjustable wrench, a rag, and some grease.

LifeNovice1

Guess you guys don't buy used bikes much. I've bought and sold a dozen and I will tell you that it is common practice to negotiate a price and ask questions before I drive an hour to see a bike. I don't mind when I sell, others don't mind when I buy. To each his own I guess.

LifeNovice1

Thanks so much for the USEFUL feedback! I will probably buy it this weekend. Thanks!

ThermionicScott 

Well, excuse me! I guess you know what you're doing. Good luck in your pursuits.

shelbyfv

The dozen bikes is surprising since you seem to need lots of advice. Nevertheless, it's cheezy to haggle down the price, then not buy it. This is one reason I've listed the bikes I've sold on CL as "firm price." Gives some protection from dealing with flakes and the random Lookie Lou.

LifeNovice1

I need advice on certain bikes. Not on etiquette.

shelbyfv

We don't know what we don't know....

Vintage Schwinn

It is a Pacific Cycle product of the past five years. It is a $199 Target bike.
Other than that, the fenders will rust, and the plastic pedals aren't durable, and the fact that it is only available in one (18") Men's Frame Size. Its a good enough bike.
THE WHEELS ARE EXCELLENT for such a basic 7 speed cruiser and are approximately about 700C x 37mm.
This bike is essentially the same with similar names like GATEWAY, WAYFARER, and ADMIRAL (the Women's ADMIRAL is a mixte, the other women's frames are step-thru) The tourist handlebar shape varies slightly between the Gateway & Wayfarer.
Versions of these bicycles have been sold annually for about 15 years and there have been some very classy colors that were seen only for maybe one year or two, but most of those occurred between 2007 and 2012, but during the past four years, there have been a few outstanding colors, like a nice medium blue, a yellow, a cream, a mango orange, and a turquoise, and a garnet.........Some box store retailers seem to have had exclusive colors offerings.....Dicks and Kohls to name just a few seem to have offered colors that could only be found from there during some of the past 15+ years.
Here is what I have recommended to neighbors that have purchased these bikes:
REPLACE THE HANDLEBARS with a used chromed 7881 Schwinn handlebars from 1967 to 1977 era, BECAUSE THE steel handlebars on these RUSTS VERY QUICKLY because as you know what constitutes chromium plating today is not what it once was
Hey, you don't need to change the handlebars because they are okay as far as functionality and comfort but they will begin to look very shabby quickly, and any used chromed handlebar from the sixties to late seventies will look better even if it is 60 years old with slight scrapes and peppering. NewAFTMKT Alum bars can be ordered from China based Ebay bike parts at reasonable prices, and many USA bike parts sellers sell them at prices that aren't too bad. You simply need to note the Stem Clamp diameter of the bars (typically 25.4mm) and the outer diameter(7/8" 22.2mm ) of the bars. If you find that you like a particular handlebar the most, go with that, even if it costs more than twice as much as the typical ones that you see. You're gonna enjoy the bars that you like, so much and it will make your riding experience better.........ditto for the bicycle seat.......and the handlebar grips..............................Trust your instincts and go with what you like the best,,,,,,,,,,,none of those items are really expensive, so even if one if more than twice the cost of the average basic item, go with the one that you like the best because the overall cost isn't too much.
I recommend immediately changing the pedals out to a pair of new $18 free shipping "Krate" style bow pedals which are near look alike inexpensive Chinese reproductions of the GERMAN made Bow Pedals that were seen on 1970's era SUBURBANS, as well as several Sixties era Schwinn models, and of course the infamous 5 speed Krate models of essentially the deluxe Stingray circa '68-'73. The used German made Schwinn Approved BOW PEDALS from a Seventies SUBURBAN would be perfect too if they still appear presentable.
THE COGS of the rear freewheel are thin steel compared to anything from from the early eighties, seventies, or the sixties but as long as the rear derailleur is properly adjusted, you'll have no worries about wearing out the teeth or breaking the tips of the teeth off.
The rear derailleur is a basic black color , lowest line Shimano which is good enough.
***There is a NEAR EXACT bicycle sold under the VILANO badge that shares the same frame, and wheels, one piece crank, except that the VILANO bicycle comes with a non-Shimano rear derailleur which is a similar basic black No-Name Knockoff of the lowest line Shimano rear derailleur. The VILANO bicycle has a slightly different shape to its handlebars, otherwise I believe them to essentially identical to the PACIFIC CYCLE chinese schwinn wayfarer/gateway. I guess the Vilano bicycle people have a larger gross margin by using a lower unit cost Knock-Off NO NAME BRAND REAR DERAILLEUR. Other than that, I believe all the other Chinese parts to be from the exact same factories. The Vilano may have better a color that one might prefer, but I'm not sure of their current offerings.
The Vilano bicycle typically is seen only online and on AMAZON, as I have never seen it in any stores. I have seen several folks riding them and have seen them upclose next to the Pacific Cycle products.
NEITHER OF THOSE BICYCLES HAVE THE LOW GEARING OF THE Seventies era Schwinn Collegiate FIVE SPEED which had a 32 TEETH 1st gear (low gear) and 46T front which translates to (37 GEAR) and these Pacific Cycle & Vilano bikes Do Not Have As Good of LOW GEARING of the Five SPEED SUBURBAN of 1970 -1976 which had 32 TEETH 1st gear(low gear) and 46 T front which translates to (39 GEAR).
These new bikes obviously have 7 Gears but still the Lowest Gear IS NOT AS GOOD as the Seventies era COLLEGIATES & SUBURBANS.
BUT DON'T WORRY OR FREAK OUT, BECAUSE THE LOW GEAR (1st gear) is DECENT ENOUGH, because you've got 28 at rear and 46 up front WHICH IS WHAT THE 1964 thru 1969 COLLEGIATE had. the '64-69 Collegiate has (43 GEAR) for 1st GEAR.
These NEW 700C Seven speeds WILL BE MINIMALLY WORSE than the 43 GEAR of the '64-69 Collegiate BECAUSE 700C (622mm) is nearest to 27"(630mm), where the ancient Schwinn Collegiate had 26" (597mm) wheels. *****This Explains why though that the ancient SUBURBAN of the seventies & the COLLEGIATE of the seventies do have the same exact 32 teeth at rear and 46 up front but the smaller 597mm--twenty six wheel COLLEGIATE has the better (37 GEAR) versus the (39 GEAR) for the 27 inch wheeled SUBURBAN.

HERE IS THE FORMULA to do the Simple Math :

THE NUMERATOR is number of teeth on Front
THE DENOMINATOR is the number of teeth on REAR Sprocket

Example: you have 45 Teeth on front , you have 15 teeth on rear sprocket

45 divided by 15 = "result" of 3

You TAKE that "result" and you MULTIPLY IT BY THE DIAMETER OF THE WHEEL IN INCHES

USE 27 as the diameter of the wheel IF YOUR BICYCLE is 27"(630 mm), or 700C (622mm)

USE 26 as the diameter of the wheel IF YOUR BICYCLE is 26 x 1 3/8 (597mm) or (590mm) , or 650, 650a, 650b, 650c, (584mm), (571mm) or 26 mountain/cruiser(559mm)

(in this example you have a 700C or 27 wheeled bike with 45 teeth in front and 15 teeth at rear)

45 / 15 = 3

take your "result" of 3 and multiply it TIMES 27 to get GEAR number
3 X 27 = 81 GEAR





**************************************************************************************************** ***************************************************************************************************n ow if you would like to know how far that the bicycle would travel with each PEDAL REVOLUTION:
Take the GEAR number that you just calculated and muliply it by Pi ........(you do recall from 4th grade math class that Pi =3.14 )
So we take that 81 GEAR that we just calculated and multiply it by Pi = distance in INCHES that the bicycle will travel with each pedal revolution
81 X 3.14 = 254 inches
Then divide that result of inches by 12 to get a more useful measurement of how far the bicycle travels in FEET
254 inches is approx 20 FEET
So while the bicycle is in that 45 front, 15 rear combination which gives you that " 81 GEAR " the bike with 700C or 27" wheel will travel approx. 20 FEET with every revolution of the pedals.



Now somebody pointed out, while bashing the ONE PIECE CRANK as not very protective to the Bottom Bracket BEARINGS from water, dirt, and grit that could easily seep into there with flow of moisture or water. Well, yes, it isn't perfect BUT IF YOU DO LIBERALLY GREASE THE BOTTOM BRACKET WITH Syththetic & Waterproof GREEN GREASE (that is a trademarked brand name....their based in Texas) it is inexpensive at AUTO ZONE, NAPA, and maybe a $1 more direct from the mfr or from O'Reillys, Advance Auto Parts, Pep boys, etc.............O'Reillys and Advance WILL PRICE MATCH on an exact same item with AutoZone, but you have to bring it to their attention and point out to them to receive the price match) I recommend the GREEN GREASE as the 14oz cartridge tube is a fairly large amount and its just under $10 at those two stores and under $11 at the others. ...................................THOUGH ANY Automotive/Marine type Grease THAT IS SYNTHETIC & WATERPROOF WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT ISSUE THAT the one-piece crank hater brought up. How simple is a ONE PIECE CRANK to service the two caged bearing assemblies. IF YOU DO AS I SAY AND USE A LIBERAL AMOUNT OF SUCH SYNTHETIC & WATERPROOF GREASE, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO ANYTHING AGAIN FOR MAYBE SIX TO TWENTY YEARS. EVEN IF YOU WERE TO NEGLECT AND NOT GREASE THE CHINESE BIKE'S ONE PIECE BOTTOM BRACKET....AND RUIN THE CAGED BEARINGS AND CUPS........you can buy NEW COMPLETE CUPS & BEARINGS for about $15 online. and just caged bearings themselves are only about $4 each. Even an 11 year old or a 98 year old can service the bottom bracket on a ONE PIECE CRANK in a half an hour. YOU SIMPLY NEED A new Harbor Freight Tools $10 crescent wrench in the 12"inch/300mm Size. I'm sure that you probably already have a large standard Flathead screwdriver and basic wrench/pliers to remove the chainguard at least at the front crank area and wrench to remove the LEFT PEDAL. You don't need to remove the RIGHT PEDAL........You have to remove the left side pedal to be able to remove the crank assembly out of the right side.
THE ONE PIECE CRANK IS SUPREMELY DURABLE AND FUNCTIONAL and certainly the most cost effective from a DIY Service Standpoint. Heck yes, it weiighs more but when you do want bullet-proof reliability on a bike that will see potentially see rough treatment.......you can't break it.....unless you perhaps ride off of the second or third floor of a parking garage on to the street some 30 ft below or try to recreate Evil's 1974 Snake River Canyon JUMP.

Hey, those Big-Box CHINESE BIKES will have nearly ZERO grease as they do that for the simple reason that it saves unit costs and guarantees that the bicycle Will become problematic within 3 years IF NOT GREASED PROPERLY...................this is desired and planned because, they want FOLKS that have no bicycle or mechanical knowledge to return to purchase another bicycle as soon as the handlebars & fenders rust and the bottom bracket begins to have problems.
The minimal labor and most minimal item cost to make such a simple repair at the Local Bike Shop will likely exceed 80% of what they paid for said bike at Wallyworld, Target, or Amazon. The twist shifters work well enough but they break easily. The V brake assemblies work well enough but are not the most durable if the bike is not stored indoors. All of those parts are extremely inexpensive should you need to replace or repair them, BUT YOU NEED TO WANT TO LEARN TO DIY.........It is extremely simple. Let me say this, if you are gonna own any bike and be a DIY'er , you should learn all about your bike's individual parts.....at least something....you need not be an expert,,,,just slightly familiar enough that should you need to read a how to or watch a YOUTUBE how to video, you will know what they are telling you and so you'll know what parts online can solve the situation. CERTAINLY, IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T TRY TO FIX IT.........the basic equipment on those Chinese Pacific Cycle, Vilano, Kent Baysides, pacificCycleschwinn Sanctuary 7, or the Jimmy Buffet or Nel Lusso models are all good enough if the are sufficiently greased and assembled properly. Don't Let Somebody Tell Ya That The LOW BUCK BICYCLES are just BSO (bicycle shaped objects). Most of those folks with no love for these basic bikes are employees of , or proprietors of local bike shops, so they want to do anything to discourage you from shopping from AMAZON, TARGET, WALMART, DICKS, KOHLS, or any other Website. A basic bicycle that is not complex is surprisingly simple for someone who enjoys the DIY adventure. 90% of the bicycle buying general public does not need anything more than 7 speeds and something comfortable and stable. Now if you're gonna dress to impress the other Lance Wannabees, you are gonna need to be among the 10% crowd because you're gonna need machinery to maintain a pack pace with the Lanny Duncestrongs and their 19.7 MPH average pace.
Now yeah if you aren't capable of FITTING these 18 frame (MENS) and approx 17 frame at one time on Women's ADMIRAL but typically 16 to almost 17 on the womens bikes with 16 being most likely.......THERE ARE ONLY TWO OFFERED SIZES mens 18 and womens 16.......
Contrast that with the SEVENTIES Era Schwinn women's Collegiates / SUBURBANS that were offered in (17) , (19) , & (21) frame sizes.
The Men's Collegiates/SUBURBANS of the 1970's came in (18), (20), (22), & (24) frame sizes
Most six foot tall men that are physically fit(NOT OBESE) and weigh between 165 pounds and 195 pounds can easily FIT On the ancient Women's COLLEGIATE/SUBURBANS in (19) frame size, and certainly men up through 6"2 and physically fit can easily FIT the (21) ancient Women's COLLEGIATE/SUBURBAN.
****These ancient 1970's era Women's Collegiate/Suburban (19) & (21) frames ARE LARGER THAN THESE modern Chinese PACIFIC CYCLE schwinn MENS & Vilano MENS frames!!!
Most folks just don't realize just how good the ancient FIVE SPEED Seventies era COLLEGIATES(1970-1977) & SUBURBANS(1970-1976) are.
Yes, you have only 5 gears versus 7 of the modern Chinese bike, but the gearing is superior on the ancient Seventies era FIVE SPEED.......superior in LOW GEAR, hill climbing................yes you could argue that the modern Chinese bike is 5 pounds lighter but you can also argue that everything on the ancient Schwinn is more durable because everything on it is built like a tank. Most of the weight difference is due to the weight of the ancient seat on the ancient Schwinn, pedals and perhaps wheels .....Those modern Chinese 7 speed one piece crank "collegiate" style copies are decent enough and certainly offer much better value for the dollar than that Detroit limited issue Collegiate re-imagining which although more modern and sporty than the ancient Collegiate, is likely nowhere near as durable and unbreakable as the ancient Chicago built Collegiate. I have my doubts that the Detroit limited issue Collegiate re-imagining is as good as even the GIANT built Schwinn Collegiate of circa 1983 or 1984. Is the Detroit limited issue bike good? Absolutely. Is it a good value for the its pricing? In my opinion, NO .

SkinGriz

Put another way.

If I was in the market for that kind of bike, I’d buy for 80 if it fit me.

Rodrigo Kenobi

Legend.

Phil_gretz

Don't be so sure on either count...

LifeNovice1

Way to revive a 12 day old thread. Must be a slow day under the bridge.

GhenghisKahn

You can. You just have to get adapters. I got a set at Walmart a while back.