Mellat news blog

Posts Tagged ‘road’

This was a great bike rack, be aware however that it is really designed for 4 adult bikes. With some creative positioning we are able to include my children’s’ bikes so it is possible.

We traveled 5 hours each way with the bikes and had no problems. There was very little movement and sway while driving with the bikes on the rack.
Hollywood Racks HR400 Road

This card is a really really good deal. I went to the supermarket and they were trying to sell 2GB cards for $15. I bought this 8GB card from Amazon for my underwater digital camera, and was able to use the highest pixel settings. I could save my pics with really good resolution. My camera, which normally would have taken around 200 pictures was able to take over 600+! (I don’t actually know the maximum that my camera can hold because for my entire week long trip, I never once had to change my memory card. I felt bad for my poor friend who had to keep switching out her 2GB cards.

The price Amazon offers for this card (currently approx $25 with free shipping is totally worth it.)

4 Wheel Off Road

Very good for the price. Please note that my 5-star rating is based on value.

History: I have been riding a Road Master mountain bike for the past several years just following my children in the neighborhood. I have registered to ride BP MS 150 (from Houston to Austin) in April 2009. I took my bike to training rides and noticed that I was going slower than other riders even though my cadence is same as that of theirs. Further observation revealed that the front gear on my bike was much smaller than the road bikes other people are riding. It was clear that I need a new bike even though the existing bike is still functional.

Research: I spent a lot of time looking for a bike. Local bike shops don’t carry any road bikes that cost less than 600 USD. Then I found this bike and ordered it. I didn’t want to invest a lot of money on a bike as I plan to reduce my riding frequency and duration after my MS 150 ride. I can alway upgrade (if necessary) if I change my mind and continue to bike long distances.

The bike:

I just want to confirm other reviews that the bike came mostly assembled. Instruction manual is mostly useless. The manual is a generic road bike manual – not Prelude manual. I had trouble assembling the front calipers (brake). I had to remove Schwinn Prelude Mens Road Bike afterwards because I figured I should have put white reflector between the calipers and the frame. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to raise the handle bar.

Other reviewer is correct. Their help desk is very quick and responsive. Turns out the handle bar can not be raised.

Bike weighs only 25 lb (my road bike weighs 40 lb). Gears shift fine. Overall the bike is good.

Don’t consider this bike if you are shorter than 5′ 9″.

Pedals are clip and strap type pedals. I am not used to these, so I have replaced them with plain pedals (from the mountain bike) for now.

Spokes are stainless steel and rims are made from alloy metal. Apparently rust-proof.

Problems with the bike (as you can see, they are all minor):

1) There is no room to place the red rear reflector after I assembled the under-the-seat bag. I have fitted the reflector on the rear fork with additional padding.

2) There is absolutely no room on the handle bar for the trip computer. I have currently put it on the handle bar rod; I have to read it sideways!

3) Rear wheel arrived slightly bent. Hopefully I can fix that by adjusting the spokes.

4) I wish the bike came with water bottle cage. Frame has holes and screws for a cage that you can buy.

5) Rear break wire runs along the side of the frame bar. I suspect it causes problems when putting the bike on a carrier.

Overall, I am very pleased with the bike considering the price I paid.

Update 3/3/’09:

I have ridden this bike for more than 110 miles so far. I have replaced the seat (saddle) as the supplied one is hard and doesn’t have anatomic recess. I am yet to find any significant problem. Still happy with the product.

Update 4/27/2009:

Over 500 miles on this bike so far. Still in great condition. I have had 3 flats on the rear wheel. Two are inexplicable (2 – 3 millimeter holes on the rim side), and one was due to a thorn. Biggest problem I have observed is that the lowest gear (highest mechanical advantage) is not low enough to climb steep hills. I am talking about hills where people with expensive bikes are also struggling to climb. I just have to get down from the bike and walk up. This bike has only two gears in the front. A 3rd smaller one would have been very helpful.

Update 12/02/2009:

I have begun inflating the tubes to less than the pressure suggested on the tires. Not a single flat in more than 6 months! I am still using the same bike and I am still very happy with it. Also, see the comments section for suggestions related to flats.

Oh, BTW, I have registered to ride BP MS 150 in 2010 and I going to use this bike again

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good bike for the price. When i saw the bike online i could not believe the price. I had been doing some research and found this to be the cheapest bike on the market.

It got to my house on time, I was able to track the bike online. once I had it, I sent GMC Denali Road Bike to a bike shop because i don’t have the tools. The next day i took it for a ride and found out that the breaks work but not very well, and the changes make a lot of nose. The location of the breaks and the changes are in a weard position.

The bike so far has been working very good and for a 8 mile comute to my job it has been working fine.

I would say it a great bike to know if want to get searious in biking because buying a $800 it is not a deal if you will use it onle a couple of times every year.

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Excellent bike for the price. I read many reviews about this bike and other bikes. For the price, one couldn’t go wrong. From ordering to assembling the bike, I haven’t had a complaint. I did however, have a missing seat quick release, and when I contacted the CSR, she was most helpful and even got a laugh when I told her the seat wouldn’t stay in place. I have since received the missing part, and am able to ride without the threat of getting literally turned around. With that said, I do have two issues with the bike. First, as previously stated in several reviews, the seat is not comfortable. GET A GEL SEAT, or at least a cover. It is a very nice looking seat, but after the first week of riding 8 miles round trip to work, I was saddle sore. Secondly, the shifting is only so-so. I have had at least two times where the chain wouldn’t go into the gear, and I had to flip gears around. This is a light weight, very smooth bike. I look forward to many more rides on the Volare.

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GREAT entry level bike. I had been wanting to get back into cycling or a while, but couldn’t justify spending [...]+ on something I might find I didn’t enjoy. I was able to get this bike free through a rewards program at work. It has definetly been a great starter bike. I’ve got about 500 miles on Schwinn Katana Road Bike so far. I’ve had to replace one tire tube, but that was due to riding through glass on the road.

It was easy enough to put together, but having it tuned by some one who knows what they are doing will make a big difference.

I would also recommend the Schwinn cycling computer as a great add on (http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-SW654-17-Function-Bike-Computer/dp/B000DZD3FQ/ref=pd_sim_t_1)

Only complaints are the bar mounted shifters which can hamper add-ons like aero bars and computers (I moved the left shift over to fit the computer). The front derailure leaves a little to be disired. Got it tuned by a friend who is a serious cyclist and it has stopped the chain from jumping off. But still doesn’t shift very quickly. The back derailure by comparison shifts VERY quickly.

All and All a VERY goot starter bike and well worth the investment. Once you put a couple of thousand miles on it, then look to upgrade.

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