"Mark Weaver" wrote in message
...

"gooserider" wrote in message
. ..

"rick" rick @ nowhere.com wrote in message
...
Just a few word for the one wondering if they should buy those bike.My
answer is yes.

If you bought your Schwinn at a bike shop, it's not even close in
quality
to
what's available at WalMart. A bike shop entry level Schwinn is
comparable
to any other entry level bike shop bikes, be it Trek, Giant,
Cannondale(well, maybe not Cannondale).


Check the components. My wife's Walmart Schwinn from last year has the
same, or slightly better components than my daughter's low-end LBS bike
bought a year earlier--read derailleur is up one step in the Shimano
food-chain over the LBS bike, the front fork is also one notch up (same
brand but cast alum parts instead of painted steel). Same with the
brakes.
The Schwinn also has two sets of braze-ons vs one on my daughter's bike
and
a threadless rather than threaded headset. The one exception to that rule
is that the Schwinn has a quick release front wheel only. Overall,
though,
I think the Schwinn was a heck of a deal for $149. The main downside is
no
free LBS tune-ups -- you have to do that yourself (which I don't really
mind).

I accompanied my friend when he purchased his Schwinn Sidewinder from Wal
Mart. I found his bike to be a heavy, poorly performing tank. I do not doubt
what you're saying, but his bike was a piece of junk. Maybe things have
changed?