Archive for the ‘Excursion’ tag
Schwinn Excursion Men’s Hybrid Bike (700c Wheels) Review
I spotted the Schwinn Excursion that had almost exactly all the features that I was looking for. This bike is a lot of fun to ride. It only has three speeds, but that is all you need most of the time. Pretty simple to put together (It arrives mostly assembled). The internal shifting mechanism is inside the rear axle and is smooth as butter- very nice shifting. The handlebars are upright (I am more interested now in enjoying the scenery rather than counting pebbles). The tires are not too skinny or too fat (700CX40C with Schrader valve stems, the valve stems are extra long to accommodate the aerodynamic rims).
The pedals are flat and can be used on either side (plus they are metal, not cheap plastic). But the most impressive piece of equipment is the three-speed Sturmey-Archer rear hub. I have owned about six bicycles with this hub. It is a very reliable hub and requires very little maintenance. I was delighted to learn that the hub is still available (it has an interesting one-hundred-year history which can be found on the Internet). I would have preferred the trigger shifter, but the twist-grip shifter is much less vulnerable to damage. One improvement in the newer hub is that the shifter chain rides on a little pulley which decreases friction and improves the shifting. The seat is fairly well padded and should suffice for riders who use this type of saddle frequently.
I bought Schwinn Excursion bike one month ago and have been using it substantially since then. It comes mostly pre-assembled, yet there is still some assembly required that might pose difficulty for someone with not so much bicycle maintenance under their belts. When I say that it comes pre-assembled, that means that the tires are on the rims and the back wheel is attached to the frame along with the pedals, brakes, chain guard and handle bar stem. You still must still secure everything else to the frame and connect and adjust the gear shift cable. The fenders fit very well and do not rub.
Once all of the adjustments have been made, it is a very secure feeling and comfortable bike to ride to and from work. The three speeds give me all of the range that I need for bike riding in my area, which includes a couple of stiff hills. I do enjoy this bike very much.