Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)

e0richt

hey tcar, I previously did not like the denali but now Im wondering if maybe I was a bit premature, I noticed that the reviews for the bike on amazon are not too bad and I was wondering if my comfort problems were because I didn't get the right size frame... unfortunately, I don't know of anyone that could give a real review after some use... (amazon usually has the, "I got the bike and it seems great riding around the block" type of reviews... though there are a couple that have a couple of hundred miles on it...). I MAY actually look at getting one as a "commuter" type of bike.

e0richt

oh and if you do get either one, I would like to get an initial review (when you first ride it) and maybe a later review... one where you have used it a few times
and what you think of it then...

e0richt

you know what? I was looking at amazon.com and the "Denali" is the entry level version, the Yukon is the "high end" (if you can call a sub 500$ bike high end)
and the differences is in components and frame. But, there is an intermediate version called the "Envoy" that has the similar components as the Denali BUT has the same type of frame that the "Yukon" has for not much more money...

psykel78

i measured myself. I have a 32 inch inseam. My reach is 28 inches. so?what fits me?

Scotty_Dog

Theoretically:

32 inches X 2.54 = 81.28 cm

81.28 cm X .67 = 54.46 cm road frame measuring center-to-top of seat tube.

Given your lack of experience and pressing demand for answers, take it with a big grain of salt.

__________________
"There is alot of blather here that does not float the hooey barge." boudreaux 11/22/2005

psykel78

Well today was a day of discovery on the reality of road bikes for me. After much sacrificed research on road bikes, I decided to take the advice of many people and call a LBS for a bike. I called 4 stores in my local area. The cheapest bicycle I found was 630 dollars. I asked each one of them what road bike I could get for 200 dollars and they said none. I asked them even about used road bikes, still no cigar.

So that was it with the road bikes.

Then I took the advice of some people here about buying a road bike at Wal Mart.

Well I went to Wal Mart and they only had 2 schwinn varsitys. Both were in not new condition and had scratches on paint and the handlebar clamp metal paint was scratched and black. I actually pointed out some rust on the fork that was starting and when I asked for a discount in light of all these things. They said that I would have surrender my right to return it if anything was wrong with it. OK I said. How much is the discount? 10 %! was the answer I got. I said no thank you. And walked away.

I was hoping to get a substantial discount like tscar5 but no can do.He must of did something to get that discount.

now I am debating whether to go to another wal mart and repeat or go the same one at different hour to see a different manager will give me more of a discount.

thanks for reading

e0richt

My personal opinion would be to order the bike online and put it together your self... if there are any problems, I was told that I could then return it back to the store (i.e. I wouldn't have to mail it back...)

You can get some schwinn road bikes off of amazon but nobody has reviewed them. With the Denali, Envoy and Yukon there is at least some feedback from other people... not only that I find it interesting that on amazon, you can get different frame sizes for the GMC line and you get specifics on most of the components. With the Schwinn specs, you get stuff like aluminum seat post, aluminum rims, shimano derailleur and there is only one frame size (57 cm).

In another vein, I bought a road bike off of ebay that I think is a fantastic bike (not an auction but a "buy it now" kind of thing) and I got it for 249.00 which incuded the shipping to my house. Everyone that has bought from here has given her good review (including me). The bike also comes in different frame sizes.

psykel78

e0richt: what is the name of the seller of the bike you bought on ebay

thanks

e0richt

"chicabike"

SnowTown

I have a 29.5 inch inseam or about 50 cm C-T... will I be able to adjust the Walmart Schwinn Varsity to fit me? Looking at getting a new bike, and much better locks because my new bike was stolen in only two days. Fortunetly it was just a cheapo $50 bike...

Thanks.

SteelBisketts

I'm thinking of getting into cycling for recreational use and fitness. I researched some bikes online and went to 2 LBS. They mesured me and put me on two different frames 56 & 58 cm. They also confirmed everything I've researched online. I road a $700.00 bike and a $2000.00 bike. They were everything you would think that kind of money would buy.

Like some of the posts here I didn't want to make a 700.00 investment when I don't even know if I'll stick with the sport. So I thought I can go down to Wally World and buy the bike and if I didn't like it, I'll return it. For a minimal 200.00 investment and a 30 day return policy, this was not a bad deal for me, so I took the plung.

To insure that I give the bike it's due, I took the advice from this forum and went through it. It took me about 2 - 3 hours, but I took my time and did a through job adjusting everything.

For what I'm going to use it for, I think it was a smart buy. Now if I start riding really long distances, I expect to put some money into it and wind up with a bike that eventually costs about as much. So if you are not sure about the sport and you want to try it out without breaking the bank, it's a nice buy. When it boils down, you are pretty much purchasing an aluminum frame.

The Bike:
I found the bike fit me better (Maybe because I adjusted it to my build).
The bike road nice and handled well.
I do not expect the comonents to last that long. The rear weel and derailer will probably go first. Not a problem if I get some mileage out of them.

I would like to thank everybody that posted here. You have really helped me learn a tone about cycling. I hope this post helps other readers.

renewkir

First of all, thanks for this thread. It was more help than i ever expected to find on this bike.


I found the thread last night after googling a bike I had just bought from WalMat -- the Varsity. It was the same story for me; I've never been a biker, but I liked doing it when I was young so I figured it would be a good way to get exercise. I wasn't sure about the big investment so I wanted to start small. Nothing new about that on this thread.

But when I got it back, I was confused. The wheel seemed wobbly, and that didn't seem like something that was normal. I tried to take them off and reattach them, centered, but that didn't fix the problem. Since I know nothing about bikes, I don't know if the wheel is bent or if it just needed adjusting. Anyway, I got it so it wasn't bumping into the brakes, so it would turn freely, and that was good enough.

So today I took it for a little test run, and my neighborhood has a lot of hills. So it was a lot of up-and-down riding -- climbing, coasting, climbing, coasting. I'm coming home, and I have to make the biggest climb of the trip, and it's really steep for me. The road goes through the woods, basically, and winds around, and theres no bike path, so it's fairly dangerous. Anyway, the climb was so steep I couldnt have kept turning around to check for traffic so I just kept plodding.

And then, out of nowhere, the rear deraileur bends into the spokes, locks up the bike and I stop in the middle of the road. It was bad news. I had to drag the bike (still locked up due to the broken deraileur) the rest of the way home, and now Im pissed. I'm taking it back to WalMart and doing what I should have done to begin with -- go to a LBS.

On a side note, I'm 6-3 and I'm pretty sure the bike was way too small for me. I had the seat way up, but that just made me lean down further, which couldnt be good for my back.

Thanks for all the advice, from both Varsity apologists and WallyWorld haters. Though I had a fairly bad experience, I learned a ton and it was definitely worth it.

-rick

tcar5

Damn, dude I certainly would call that a bad experience. Good that nothing happened to your body since you can't really return that..! I bet your front rim was bent and probably from the Wally World racks that the cram the bikes in. I don't think I have ever heard of a derailer bending under man power before. Cerntainly in accidents but never from muscle. You must have some power man legs. But in any case, good luck to ya, glad no injuries.

renewkir

Haha. I have very not strong legs. It was probably a combination of the steep climb (seriously, it was hard!) and the bike being poorly assembled. But I wouldn't know what to look for, so I guess I was just hoping the bike was in good shape. Guess it wasnt.

I had looked it over, and I had decided that I'd get used to the bike, even if it was too small. I was gonna take your advice and replace the seat post and fork and pedals, but now I'm back to square one. Maybe I'll look around at pawn shops for a decent used system and take it to a lbs to get it set up. Anyway, thanks again.