Corners well on sharp turns. Aluminum frame is firm. Has a carbon fork beginning with 2006 model. WTB brand stock saddle is a good touring/fitness saddle, narrow and a little soft. 25C Vittoria Zaffiro tires are worth riding until they are worn out because they provide a safe riding width and good traction.

Potential upgrades can be limited by 8-speed Sora shifters because many wheel sets are made for 10-speed cogsets, with the exception of Shimano 105 wheels. Vittoria Zaffiro tires were difficult to put back on after intertube flats, I believe because of their wire beads made the fit tight.

The right bicycle for me because I was looking for an entry level road bike. The bike matches up accurately with its review in Bicycling magazine: great frame. Followed their advice and upgraded brakes straight out of the box. Index shifting is good. Has a tendency to drop the chain on the inner chainring, unless I am religious about downshifting the front chainring before shifting into the largest cog on the back. Saw much improvement in pedalling smoothness after replacing the chain.

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Sears steel bicycles from many years ago.

Sizing, frame conformation and weight , fast, crisp handling, stops well. Carbon forks make ride smoother and integrated shifter good ergonomically

Gear shifting can be clunky - needs to be tuned absolutely bang on
Pedals

Price is in Australian Dollars - converts to US$525
I commute 22km each way (13-14 miles) but use it as a full CV workout workout; -average speed 36kph (23mph) cadence 85 bpm.
Started cycling Aug06, bought the Scwhinn Fastback Sport 24 in Oct based on price (I'm a pragmatist)

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nope

It's fast, good ride quality, great value for money

Front derailluer shifter has very long "throw" on changes up to top chainring, stock saddle is garbage (I replaced right away), brakes might be a litte soft

Bike has been great...I've put over 500 miles on it in just a couple of months. Other than cable stretch, I haven't had to tune at all. Should say that I'm fairly new to the sport, but I love it.

I was looking at Trek 1000 as well, but I didn't like the all the Bontrager stuff.

The Schwinn was a much better deal for pretty much the same level of components.

I'll probly ride this for another year or two, then upgrade to something with 105 5600.

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This is my first road bike.

Frame.

Rims

Very nice bike for the money!

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Trek 1000

Overall value/Components

Saddle

Purchased this bike after much debate and endless reviews. The deciding factor was the value for the dollar. After seeing the offerings from Trek, Specialized, I finally chose the Schwinn. I was impressed with the setup and smooth integration of the components, along with the crisp ride. I plan on keeping this basically stock with the exception of an adjustable stem. Because of a bad lower back this should help sit a little more upright. I will also add my well broken-n Selle Italia saddle.

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Raleigh/Trek

fast, light, fun, good bike for beginners

wheels bend, maintenance costs are high

I'm new to the sport - and wanted something to get me into long rides at a cheap price. And that's exactly what I've gotten. Will say that the wheels bend easily - I've had the rear trued a couple times by 2 different bike shops and the news I got was "It may happen again." So I may have to pay for an upgrade soon. I also took my bike to a good shop for a solid tune up - much happier. Chain can rub a bit so make sure you get your gears checked out...

Gave it a 3 for value because although cheap - i've put plenty of $$ into it for maintenance. Overall value 4 - you get what you pay for.

Price, weight, durability

The main weakness is the chain, but i would also recomend upgrading the seat(if u are a guy), the tires, and the rear derailer

i posted a review earlier based on what a friend told me bc i thought he knew what he was saying. The only problem i had really was that someone at the store had tampered with my gears and messed them up and i had a bad chain. Both problems were fixed by dicks for free and i thank them for that. Now i love my bike and i would recomend it to anyone ln fora first bike. It is light but extreamly tough and can handel most anything. It could be a great bike with a few upgrades which i will put in the weakness catagory

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Giant ocr-3

Strong, Light and fast. Perfect all around road bike for the MS-150 rider, or weekend worrior. But don't be afraid to go to work in the pedals, this bike is a rock solid performer no matter how you ride.

None so far.

I wanted a bike that I could use to cross train on. I primarily ride off road, but wanted to take on some 40, 50 and 60 milers with friends of mine. Even with road tires, my mountain bike was not the most ideal for long rides. I found this bike on closeout at one of the local Dick's here in KC. It was normally $599.99, but was on sale for $399.99. I was amazed how well equipped this bike was right out of the box. Name brand compoments like Truvative, Selle, Shimano Sora and Tiagra mixed grupo, and Alex Rims. I also liked the compact frame vs. a traditional road frame geometry. I had been shopping for a road bike for some time, and had seen nothing that would compare to this bike for the price. I talked to a road bike geek buddy of mine, and asked if he thought it was a good bike for the money. He reminded me that Schwinn has not been the same company since Pacific bought them, and began the mass production invasion of Wal-Mart and Target, using the Schwinn name on some pretty crappy bikes. But such was not the case with this bike. He was blown away with what I could get for $400. So I jumped... The first thing I did was take the bike to a reputable bike shop, and paid $49.00 for a tune up, and had them true my rims. I also purchased a set of SPD pedals from Nashbar for $39.00...sorry, I'm not a purist...I ride in my MTB shoes. After all the prep, I was ready for my first ride. I was amazed how well this bike performed. Crisp shifts, fast and tight on straight away's and turns, and very strong on hills...even with me having to come out of the saddle several times. I was amazed how much more return for effort I was getting out of this little bike vs. my MTB on the same road trip. Bottom line...I was very pleased with the bike, and I feel I got exactly what I wanted. I got a terrific second bike, that will allow me to comfortably enjoy long Sunday morning rides with my friends...hopefully for years to come.

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TREK 1000, Specialized Allez

weight and price

the geaars stink, the shifter if completly messed up, the wheels bend easily, the list goes on so dont buy this bike.

basicly, this bike sucks. it is cheap which is why i bought it and light but i honestly dont think i was worth near that much but its possible that the guy didnt put it together right. whatever the case, DONT BUY THIS BIKE. i gave it a 2 only because i probally got what i paid for.

Breaks, they are strong! Shifting is smooth.

In the lowest hill climbing gear the chains hits the guard and rattles a little, I am used to that now though. The seat is not as nice as an aftermarket, but not terrible either.

For the money, I am very happy. I came from a hybrid, so this bike is alot better going to and from work. I ride 22 miles each way in the mornings and evenings. This is my 1st road bike since a 10-speed I had in the 80's. I am 6'2 200lbs and I got a large(think I am a 59cm). So far everything has been great or better than expected. The bike seems solid. IT might not be the fastest or lightest, but for the price I can lock it up all day and not worry. If it gets stolen, I will just go get another. I plan to get a nicer bike for weekend rides where I dont leave my bike locked up, but for the daily haul this bike exceeds my expectations.

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GT Virage