20 Best Road Bike Under $600 (Jan 2023 Update)

I bought this bike for road treks and I have been happy. There are two sets of hand brakes, so you can comfortably ride low or high and be able to break. It shifts easily and is great going up hill. It is a sturdy bike and lightweight.Bkdavis89

It’s fast it’s amazing, love the change in the gears. It’s like a mountain bike, I use it to go hiking. Rt now I’m using it every morning it’s amazing love it.sana.k

This is a pretty good bike for the most part. It is really for a casual bike rider not so much a long distance rider. It's a bit heavy for long distance but seems to be pretty good quality with the exception of the tires. I think we'll probably replace them with some good quality ones since my husband does ride quite a bit. He generally rides somewhat long distances (more than 10-15 miles) but because he's risen professionally, he can handle the weight at least semi regularly. Thank you Influenster!heather.h

Excellent bike. Very smooth riding with a comfortable riding position. Quality parts from Shimano make for fast shifts with good gear range. I ride primary for aerobic exercise and find the bike gives me a great workout while providing a smooth, solid ride. I assembled it myself but needed to have a bike shop to fine tune the front disc brake and true the front wheel in order for the front wheel to spin freely. (Although the bike comes with all the necessary assembly tools (hex wrenches and pedal wrench), the included assembly instructions are not very good w respect to the front wheel / disc brake assembly). But as it turns out Vilano explains that you need to have a bike shop check the assembly in order for the warranty to be valid … not something I knew going in, but the bike shop’s assembly review and front wheel / disc brake tuning ($80) gives me added peace of mind. I should add that Vilano customer service is outstanding. Their toll free phone automated attendant menu could do for a few more option selections to make things more intuitive, but once you get through to the staff they is great. They give you the sense that they are genuinely interested in helping you solve whatever problem you’ have. They listen well, seem to be very knowledgeable about the product and follow up as promised. Overall I’m very pleased with the bike … smooth and solid with good quality parts. Would I recommend and buy again – Yes!Michael L.

We ordered this bike for our teenage son. We added the Pro Build, since we don’t have any close bike shops and we knew he would ride it right away. The bike came on time and packaged neatly. Our son put it together in about 15 minutes and took it out for a ride. So nice that it worked perfectly! Totally worth the slight up charge. The bike looks and feels great for the price point; matte finish, lightweight frame, responsive components. Our kiddo is very happy!James K.

I researched bikes in order to find a hybrid bike that delivered more road performance than trail, at a reasonable cost. This one fit the bill and I believe is a clear winner in the price range $300. It does take a while to set up, and you should understand bikes or bring it to a shop to handle that for you. I understand bikes and I still became tripped up on the front derailleur, and it took me a couple days of working on it and reviewing video to first see where I messed up in attempting to fine tune it and then figuring out where to set it back to where it originally was set and then fine tuning it from that point again once I realized that's all it needed. The back derailleur and the disc brakes also needed adjustment and I did fine on them though but again, you need to understand bikes and also to comprehend videos on the subject matter. Took the bike for my first ride recently, so this is a maiden voyage review of approximately 7 to 8 miles on steep hills. It performs admirably on hills, where the 24 gears are a must! The bike is a performer for the price! Tires felt strong, frame is solid, disc brakes are great. The seat may need to be changed out for comfort, however, they are cheap enough and for the price of the bike, should not be considered a deterrent. It is better to NOT have a front shock for more road use, as that absorbs energy going up steep hills and that's what I needed this for. Had the bike pushing 40 m.p.h. or over and was very stable. Be sure to check the wheel hub and brakes prior to doing that though. Five stars for the quality on price point and the outlet shipped it fast and delivery time is reasonable. Remember, assembly IS required. The bike is solid but will need some adjustment once assembled though, so your call on how you do it, yourself or professionally, as it can be quite frustrating. If you were worried about quality, don't, it will get the job done for leisure to intermediate riding endeavors I believe based on my first take. I will update this if I have any major issues.Alphonse I.

I am very pleased with this bicycle. You get a lot for your money. This is a fast and light and well put together bicycle excellent for fitness. I would recommend that anybody over 5' 8" ,looking to get into cycling, to take a good look at this.RonCS

im in search or hunt i should say of a good road bike for beginners,ive set myself some short term goals for this year start with few miles and eventually build strenght to pedal harder but didnt want to spend a fortune so this just might be the rite one,open for all suggestions from the experienced fellas that will guide me in the rite direction havent road a bike since i was a kid im 52 so imagine ,thank you.

MikeMAMadera

Bought this bike under some recommendations of online cycle reviewers, so far I'm really pleased. The bike came in great shape, only had to put together a few key items (handle bars, front wheel, and seat). I was ready to go in about 1hr. I've taken it on a few 30 minute rides, the seat is definitely firm but more forgiving than other road bikes. I think the shifters on the brakes and the overall feel of the bike are very high end compared to the cost. I like the styling and look forward to riding it to work on a regular basis. If there is one thing to complain about it's that the shimano claris derailleurs have recommended combinations front-to-back, so they suggest not using the lowest front gear with the top two highest rear gears and vice versa. The front derailleur offers a "half shift" if your chain rubs, which really comes in handy when you want to break the shimano rules! Next steps: trying the bike with a baby carrier on it! Note: it came with a lot of warning/warranty/branding stickers. They all came off (some easier than others) with some good fingernail picking. No glue residue left behind – really happy about that.CarlFS

Wheels are perectly true(purchased pro build). Very quiet ride and frame and spokes seem to absorb most road road irregularitys well. Slight chain noise easily eliminated by fine tunning of front derailer. Tires look a litle questionable, I don't think I'll get life that I was getting with my Vittoria Zaffiro V tires on my previous bike. Time will tellAmato B.

Price was really good. The bike had a few issues mainly due to someone assembling that didnt know what they were doing. Some minor scratches too but those look like they were from how it was returned. The rear derailleur hanger was bent and needed replaced. Got one for $10 and it was as good as new. Someone tried to put the peddles on backwards and damaged the starting threads a bit. Also had to do a lot of spoke adjustments to true the wheels. Basically good as new after a few hours of work and $10.je_vajef_b0zku3

The bike arrived on time like it said it would. The packaging was good. No damages and all the places that needed be protected are all cover with cardboard and foam pieces. Assembling the bike was a breeze no real headache there, whew! Thank god for that because the assembling instructions that came with the bike wasn’t really much help either way. Everything else about the bike was great I like the way it feels. The quality isn’t the best but it’s also not the worst…it’s definitely you get what you paid for. If you’re planning on doing any long-distanced riding with this bike I’d the first thing you want to do is change the tires. I wish I didn’t have to return the bike but I guess I’m going to. The bike height is taller than I expected. I went off of the sizing chart that the original website recommended to me. I bought a medium and I’m 5’7”. I’m going to try and get the smaller size and hopefully the fitment will be more comfortable.Brandon

Broken spokes on rear wheel!! Tape on broken spokes to make it easier to see. Kent said since bike is out of warranty, I would have to buy a new rim!! I will not be wasting money on a new rim that might have the same problem…I have never had a spoke break on any bike before. This has serval broken!!! Buyer beware!!Mreview

You can't beat the price on this bike! It's well made, easy to assemble and perfect forcommutes. I would say that if you are 5'6" tall, this bike will be too large for you. I am 5'8" and I am barely tall enough to ride this bike with the seat lowest as possible. I am very happy with the purchase! #sweepstakesHana

I bought this bike back in June of 2019 for $130. It was on-sale during christmas of 2018 for $99. It's crazy how the prices have jumped up so high for this bike. I have been riding this bike on and off since I bought it, usually in the beginning of each cycling season (like the past weekend), using it as a training bike. Simply because this thing is so heavy! It certainly cannot compared to my other sub 20lb bikes. It is very stable and steady. Hence, i have converted to a somewhat gravel bike. Upgraded the tires to gravel, brake pads to shimano ultegra, changed out the 14-28T freewheel to TZ500 mega range for better climbing, upgraded to tourney UN300 BB, TY500 rear derailleur, TZ500 front derailleur, and HG40 chain. It is a budget built, but for a $130 bike? I have already spent too much on parts. It shifts so much better now and never have to use the middle and small front chain rings. I highly recommend to take out the brake line and fully re-grease them and the housing lines too. It came with no grease whatsoever. This is a solid bike, but for $350-370, no! It's too expensive for what it is. The kent Nazz provides a better value because of the disk brakes. Other than the brakes and double front chain rings (which is the correct setup for all road bikes), there is nothing different between Road Tech and Nazz. Nazz just provides better value in price and offers more! Oh yeah, one more thing before you buy this bike. The customer service at Kent is the worst i have ever encountered. Don't expect much help from them, if you like to jump through hoops. If you buy it in the stores, look over EVERYTHING closely. If you ordered online, the first sign of issues, call Walmart customer server, return it and have them pick it up. In contusion, i would recommend the bike, but not for the current price. Nazz is a better choice, if you must go the walmart steel road bike route.MRdeuce

So the weather is getting nice out and even though in the past ive had bad luck with walmart bikes i decided to try again. Saw this Kent bike on a huge sale, seemed like a fair deal for a entry level road bike and the manufacture seemed pretty good too. I ordered this bike in a box so I could ensure it was put together well and wasnt one of those outside models that sits in the weather. After getting it all together, next came the adjustments (these bikes will not come set up at all) after a bit of tinkering i got the derailleur set just right and the brakes right where they should be. Now here come the problems. The front derailleur is not a click style, you have to search for the gear which while riding is rather difficult. The front brake bracket was bent slightly, no matter what adjustment i made they rubbed. The brakes that come stock will have to be changed out as well, they dont grip well. And the worst problem, the bearings front and rear were Grundy, like they had sand in them. The rear wheel had about 1/2 of walk as well, both the rear rim was out of alignment and there was play in the bearings. Being a bike tech, I pulled apart the rear wheel and repacked the bearings but it was too late, the rear axle was beyond repair and the rear cassette was in bad shape too, so bad it would grab while riding and fling the derailleur. So needless to say, yes this bike is cheap but you get what you pay for, expect to spend at the very least $80-150 more just to have everything completely gone through and if parts are broken expect more. I contacted Kent and they wanted so much information as well as pictures and videos of the issue and it still wouldve been well over a week before parts arrived and that wouldnt cover the labor to replace them. I've since returned this bike and bought one from a local bike shop. Really a shame, I expected much more.tbalonick

Liked the color. Great looking bike. Mine came with a bent front rim. Called technician and they sent a rim and tire that doesn't match the bike. They sent white wall tire white and bright trim. Rim doesn't match either. Now they are giving me a hard time bc I didn't buy a mismatched bike. I want a refund asap. Just remember if you buy this bike kent doesn't stand behind their product's.tabitha

Love the Vilano Gravel bike, just did a quick test after setting it, up, shipping was fast, and everything arrived in good condition. Beautiful bike i love it, can't wait to test it out more in a few weeks time.Andy W.

Purchased this bike even after checking lackluster reviews. I rode it in the parking lot to make sure it was ok and immediately noted the rubbing sound as I peddled. Shifted the gears so I could see if it was intermittent but found it to be noticeable at every one. Took it right back inside and the salesman took it to the back and he advised the assembler was there. He came back and explained that the gears needed to be broken in a bit and the rubbing/ scraping would settle down. I made sure it was returnable and then agreed to try. I don’t know why I fell for that. Son came over to my house to check it it out. He noticed it and after we both rode it, found it still rubbing noticeably. Son advised it was improperly assembled or just poor quality. Disc brakes also were not tight. Pretty heavy for a hybrid, but sturdy. I’m surprised the Professional assembler” didn’t ride it and adjust before handing it over to anyone! I expected more from Schwinn and especially from Academy. Took it back! Surprised at the poor quality. It was a very pretty color, though.New Smyrna gal

I bought this bike a few days ago. I plan on biking 3-5 days per week in the spring, summer, and fall. I did some research and decided to purchase a hybrid since I will be using the bike on roads and light trails/paths. I am 5'4" woman and wasn't sure if a men's bike frame would be too much for me to handle, but I tried out many women's bikes and found men's bikes to be more comfortable. The Schwinn GTX2 700c men's hybrid bike was in my price point and was very comfortable. When I got home and went on my first ride, I noticed some issues with the gears. When I was in a lower gear, there was a persistent grinding sound that didn't subside. When I was in higher gears, there was no grinding sound. I brought the bike to my father-in-law, who used to build bicycles, and he said the bike required a few adjustments in the gears and chain. Thankfully, he was able to make the adjustments without any cost to me. My first time riding the bike, I noticed how uncomfortable the seat was. I know there is a period of getting used to riding a bike, but the seat was so uncomfortable that I figured it would deter me from going on rides. I went back to CT and bought the Schwinn Ultra Air Pump Bike Seat. What a difference! The new seat is much wider and much more padded and comfortable. I tried buying a rear bike rack but none would fit the bike. The holes in the bike frame to attach the rack didn't allow enough clearance for the screw between the frame and the gears. And the type of racks that attach just under the seat didn't work either. There wasn't enough room between the frame and the seat to attach this type. So instead, I purchased a removable basket for the front of the bike. I also purchased a water bottle holder, a bell, a lock with word combination, helmet, and trunk rack. While I have only biked twice since I bought the bike 6 days ago, I am very excited about the bike. I have owned a few bikes in my life and find this to be the most comfortable. And it looks great also! The only reason I am not giving this 5 stars is that I had to purchase a new seat since the seat that came with the bike was so uncomfortable. I definitely recommend this bike!TinaMarie

It is a good (was red) bike, I did on it more thet 5.000 km. Changed transmission, brakes and tires, changed handlebar and cables, changed seat and pedals. The issues: heavy in general, front suspension is heavy, pedals can harm you and scratch your skin, cheap wheel parts, cheap brakes, cheap transmission, expensive for him parts. This bike is good only for fitness during two seasosns. After two seasons you should change transmission and fix other issues.Radu

You get what you pay for here. Bike needed a full tune up out of the box. Wheels were horribly untrue. Gear shifters were super tight and hard to push down. Need to find that sweet spot between High and Low gear settings so the chain doesn’t rub against derailleur. Popped a tube second ride out after hitting a tiny pothole. Hoping things get better with time since bike is virtually not returnable after being ridden. If I could do it all over again I would’ve invested a little more money for a better bike.Adam K.

It's my preferred method of transportation to the coffee shop or brewery! I always get compliments and lots of head turning. Rides great and gears shift crisp after taking it in for adjustment (10$ at your local shop)Leo S.

I wanted a single-speed bike for ease of riding and maintenance, and I wanted one that was inexpensive enough to not worry about theft. This bike has been perfect in that regard. The only significant weakness for me is that the bike does not have eyelets for mounting a substantial rear rack. Instead I have settled for a relatively weak rack which can only carry a few groceries. As visible in the photo, the handlebars are relatively straight, which means that you’ll be leaning forward while riding instead of sitting upright. Riding with an upright posture feels (and probably is) safer, especially if you ride without a helmet.Kyle

This is the best bike I have ever owned that will get me around; smooth riding at a medium to fast pace, the breaks work great. If you decide this kind of bike would also be right for you I would definetly reccomend using lights and have protection with at least a helmet; especially for long distance riding, if you can manage to use gloves with both elbow and knee pads thats even better. Having this bike is really worth it long as you stay safe while following local traffic laws while being mindful of others. What I also like about this bike is that its great for riding around to explore natural sceanary; so if you love nature photogragraphy or just happen to be into listening to music while enjoying the health benefits then wonderful! 🙂Frank

This piece of useless trash should not be considered a bicycle. The tires are so fragile my front one was tearing apart within a week of having it. The brakes do not ever adjust correctly or stay adjusted. This along with these wheels being so terribly poorly made that you will keep stopping your ride to try to figure out what broke on the pseudo-cycle. Nothing broke, it was built this terrible and worthless. I have written a complaint to Kent bicycles because of this assault against function and use being called a bicycle. I will never buy another bicycle from Kent Bicycles and depending on Kent's response to my complaint, this current piece of trash will most likely be thrown in dumpster.Gordon

I received This Amazing Takara Oni Bike Complimentary from Influenster and Kent Bicycles Free in exchange for my honest Review and I LOVE �� This bike , The Handlebars, The Brakes and The way it Rides also . I have had other bikes before But , This one really did outperform The others. Thank you soo much foe this Amazing Bike That You've blessed me with and I'm very Grateful �jennifer.i

It’s a great solid bike! I don’t have a ton of experience with bikes and I’m not an avid rider, but this seems to be on par with other brands! My husband enjoyed riding it and I think it will last for years to come.taylor .r

I received these bike for free from Influenster and Kent brand in exchange for my honest review. I had my husband trying the bike he states that is very easy to use and very light so far he really likes it and enjoyed it he went around our neighborhood. This bike looks stylish and has all the much-needed features for a smooth ride! The bike seat is well cushioned and really comfortable. Brakes on the handle act much quicker and stronger than the paddle ones. I’m pretty sure he’ll continue using it.he loves bikes!sherley.m

I'm not a cyclist. I moved to CHI and needed a better way to commute. I am in LOVE with my bike and couldn't be happier with my purchase. Smooth ride, lots of compliments from other bikers, all-in-all VERY happy.Ryan

Great bike. Silky smooth ride and tons of style points. It's not a race bike (obviously) and not a touring bike (maybe not so obvious), but if your interested in looking good while cruising around town, then this is a good choice. I get lots of looks when riding it. And like the other reviewer said, the chain is super quiet. Pure's customer service? Well, it stinks. I submitted a repair question to them — twice — and was ignored both times. Bad on them. REI, on the other hand, is fantastic. Get the bike, just don't expect any help from Pure if there is a problem.sojo

Customer service a joke! I purchased my speciliazed sirrus as my commuter bike for work. It arrived brilliantly packed in seemingly immaculate condition. Unfortunately the first time I took the bike out it was a bag of nails with only half the gears working. Because I need the bike daily for my commute to work I contacted a few local cycle shops but nobody was able to get it in for a week at least. Speciliazed suggested taking it to their approved dealer…. The approved dealer was 30 miles away from my home so far from an ideal solution. The other solution was I send the bike back fully packed as it had arrived. Now bearing in mind the box is over 6ft in size and that I NEED the bike daily for work that was not possible however I did have a cycling enthusiast friend that had kindly offered to repair it. Once I had told them this they basically completely forgot about the problem they had caused and offered no apology or ownership for their poor bike build. On the bright side now my bike has been rebuilt by someone that knows what they are doing it is fantastic. Just a shame all the stress that was caused by it originally being built by someone unqualified. I would suggest buying elsewhere.Guest G.

I'm not a "pro" cyclist, but since the pandemic I've been biking more and more. I brought my old dolce road bike in for a tuneup and ended up coming home with this bike as well:) I've been wanting a new road bike with larger tires for gravel trails for years and I guess this was the year to do it (my dolce frame could not support a larger tire)! I was just test driving a few bikes when the associate had me try this one out. It is a smooth ride, the disc brakes are new for me and they are great! I was hesitant to try a straight handlebar, but love the comfort of it and the end pieces are a plus so that I can change hand positions. I love this bike so much! unfortunately, it's made me neglect my old bike and I may have to sell it as this bike has every feature I want in one bike. Thank you Erik's! I've never had a bad experience there with the staff-always very welcoming and helpful. David helped me with this purchase and he was excellent! I don't have the scrutiny of a hard core bicyclist to fill out this review, but what I do know is that the bike is a comfortable, smooth ride. shifting is easy. The only thing negative i would say is that when i downshift for hills, the low gears are way to easy for me and that is something I need to get used to/i need to learn how to downshift a bit better for my skill level. The top gear feels good for my skill level. #sweepstakesIrene

My daughter is quite happy with this bike. It bought with the purpose of her riding to school but has yet had the opportunity due to current lockdown laws in Victoria. She does however, enjoy riding around block and neighbouring streets.Shannon

This is one of six bikes that I own. I bought it as a bike to bring with us when we travel because I didn't want to put my "nice" bike on the trunk rack. At this price point, I can leave it on the rack, stop at a rest stop, and not worry while I'm inside that it's going to be stolen. I've been pleased with how well it has held up. I changed out the 8 speed cassette that it came with for something with a tighter gear range so that I could ride it fast with a group. The original cassette had big leaps between gears, which made it harder to fine tune. It's a fine cassette though for when I used it to tow my children around in a bike chariot. And it's a good choice for people newer to biking so that they can get themselves up steep hills. Just not right for me. I've ridden it on gravel roads but mostly on tarmac. It's heavy (but that's to be expected) but rides well. All in all, a good bike for anyone but especially for someone looking to see if they're excited to get riding more.Matt the Biker

Great road bike! Very light weight bike frame you could pick up with one hand easy. Love the color metallic black. I am moving from my Trek MTB to Giant road bike Contend AR3. This transition was like leaving a bomber plane to an agile quick fighter plane. The Giant Contend AR 3 has a comfortable seat, light weight and fast! I would definitely recommend this bike I look forward to my rides now everyday after work! I track and monitor my progress with my bike computer I am hitting speeds and climbing ascending and descending quickly I take on any hill now with the " I got this mentality". This bike makes you want to take on the challenges of the road and it can get you to and from with no problem! Hands down the best move I made was to Giant Contend AR3 thank you Giant!Quick Nick

I bought this bike after owning an Escape Disc 1. I've put almost 1,000 miles on it. I use it for commuting and exercise. The shifting cables will stretch with breaking the bike in, but with a turn or two of the barrel adjuster, it shifts perfectly. The gearing makes it easy to climb hills and gain speed on flat runs. If you're looking for a good bike to ride on trials (gravel or pavement) or ride on the streets, this is perfect for the price. If you are new to biking like I was, check out some YouTube videos on how to shift properly, and maintain your bike. Just a little knowledge will make your bike last a long time.Jear

It's a Large frame 29 inch tires, relatively wide tires. I use it for trails and typical mountain biking stuff. Great bike on and off road rolling over branches and all kinds of debris. I'm only 5'7 and I can ride this bike easily no issues. I was hesitant to buy it because of the advertised 6'0 height recommendation. I reach the bars comfortably then again I keep the seat post at its lowest position though. Disc brakes are fairly good for what they are. I ride normal and even some steep grades I've gone down. Assembly was easy, package was undamaged and for $228 price that was a great deal for a tall good mountain bike.MrE

Got mine a week ago that was basically half the nearly $500 price that they were initially being sold for.

The bike came quickly, in 2 days. It was well-packed. I have quite a bit of experience working on bikes so assembling it was a breeze. Important! Use caution unpacking the handlebars. On mine I had to remove the fork to get the cables routed correctly, if you do that do it carefully and see that the lower headset bearings remain in place on the fork crown, since I saw a few commenters had issues with this.

The derailleur came pre-adjusted but I noticed the chain they provide is a bit short for my liking. I added 2 links off a spare chain I had lying around, that made a noticeable improvement when shifting to the lowest (largest) gears.

A word about the brakes. Like others, I noticed they were quite weak when test riding. This had been the case on most bicycles that have lower budget mechanical disc setups. But there is an easy way to gain extra braking power and that is to use short-pull brake levers. These levers are made to operate with cantilever or caliper brakes. I immediately swapped the levers during assembly with a pair of short pulls from my parts bin, it made a big difference. You will have to readjust the inner pad to bring the pads closer to the disc, as well as re-center the caliper. The increased leverage of short-pull levers means shorter travel at the brake end. Why bike makers continue to use long-pull v-brake levers with these brakes… beats me. With a pair of these levers and about 20 hard stops to bed in the shoes my brakes work great.

Another thing I decided to check before riding was the bottom bracket. I took it apart and verified that the bearings were adequately greased and at the same time measured the axle shaft and bottom bracket shell width (the part of the frame it fits in) to order a cartridge bracket later on. The bearings the bike come with do have seals and are splined to accept a standard bottom bracket removal tool, which is really unheard of on a box store bike. For the curious the cartridge it takes seems to be a 72 mm by 125 mm. Someone correct me if I am wrong on the measurements. A cartridge bottom bracket is a cheap, easy upgrade that will make your bike much easier to maintain. BTW the crank side bearing cup is left hand thread.

The headset bearings are also worth checking for grease if you have to take off the fork. It's easy enough to fit back together.

I'm not a fan of the steamroller tires so I swapped those for 29 x 2.1. Doing that and removing the kickstand got rid of a bit of weight.

The bike offers a lot for the price I paid for mine ($245 after taxes). I can't even complain about the weight because it only weighs a few more pounds than the old chromoly rigid bikes I was used to riding. You get a micro adjust seat post, larger sized bottom headset bearings, a fork with a lockout, and alloy pedals. The bike also comes with the larger 31.8 mm diameter bars and a narrow-wide chainring.

The fork action is pretty crude but for my type of riding it will do. I read where people were having problems with the lockout breaking, always make sure it is unlocked before hitting the rough stuff. That might prolong the life of the fragile plastic lockout components.

The bike is pretty good out of the box, but some simple cheap upgrades really improve it. Ditch the factory seat, it is horrible. I also installed a longer handlebar stem with more rise.

So in the end I can say this is a sweet deal for under $250. At that price point it gets 5 stars, for the original price it would get 4. I am very happy with the bike. Perhaps the only gripe I have is that it has no rack mounts on the seat stays, which is a bit surprising.Jack Cooper

For the price, this is a very solid bike, with big potential. Out of the box, you will need to put the front wheel on, the pedals, and the seat. You will also need to attach the dropper post cable. During and or after that you will want to make adjustments to everything and ensure all bolts are tight. This is things like adjusting the brake pads, brake cables, shifter cable, derailleur stop limits, dropper post cable, brake lever and shift lever position, maybe even true the wheels, etc (this is standard for any bike you buy that is new). A lot of this you might not need to do, but you might so just keep that in mind with any bike you buy unless it's preassembled from a local bike shop. The few places I feel the bike really cheaped out on are a couple things: The handle bar grips, the seat, the pedals, the brakes, and the tires. The grips are useable but not that squishy. If you don't ride with gloves, it would be worth the $20 for some comfier grips. The pedals are perfectly fine for commute riding. If you plan on doing trails, I would opt for wider / grippier pedals. The seat is not that comfortable. If you plan to use this as a commuter you might want to opt for a squishier seat. I personally don't have a problem with the seat. I think it looks good and is comfortable enough. I don't commute with it so I don't spend that much time on my tush. The tires, while they are cheap cheap tires, it doesn't mean it won't be good enough. I think they're perfectly fine to start with. Rather on the large side that's for sure. Finding tubes for the stock 2.6" wide 29er tire is not as easily available as something like a 2.4" (though you can probably put a 2.4 into a 2.6 and be fine i think?). For regular commute I think the brakes are perfectly fine. If you're constantly mashing on those puppies on the trails are hard core hills in your commute, you might want to consider a hydraulic brake upgrade (but you might be able to get away with better rotors and pads?) For daily commute: the bottom bracket, headset, and forks are honestly just fine. Old school ball bearing style and the fork is a coil fork which will do it's job and absorb some impact. If you plan to hit trails, I recommend replacing the fork with an air fork. Even better if it has rebound adjustment. Something with 100mm of travel or 120mm. Also, the headset is tapered (this is a good thing for future upgradability). And while you're at it, since you're hitting trails, you should replace the crankset with one with an external bearing bottom bracket. This will withstand the abuse better. And since you're replacing the fork, might as well upgrade the headset bearing to basically any sealed style that's not the old school loose ball bearing style. I've done a ton of research into bikes of this class, and this one comes out on top in MANY ways. But Schwinn definitely needed to save money in order to offer a bike at this price.Patrick

I bought this for my daughter (Christmas 2021). At first, she loved it. However, last night on our ride I noticed a clicking noise when she peddled. Later in the night, I found the noise coming from the hub so I took it apart and found almost no grease in the hub. So I cleaned it, greased it, and reassembled. Its a little better but still a little noisy. I am concerned there is permanent damage and the cost of a hub will be greater than the entire bike. Its a pity she only rode it regularly for about a week now.Bart

Purchased bike, got it delivered pretty quickly, but unfortunately it arrived damaged. When we received the bike we put it together right away. You put the tired, handlebars, pedals, seat, and mud guards on. All prenty much a simple assembly. Once assembled, we realized it was very difficult it was hard to turn the handlebars. I loosened the stem a bit, but it made no difference. Having a local bike shop nearby I took it over to ask what could be wrong. They took the rake and head apart and showed me how bent the rake (upper portion of the front forks) were. This part comes assembled from the manufacturer and I was told ot looked like it wasn't aligned correctly or forced in to the frame incorrectly. Regardless, it isn't something you could adjust, so we ended up having to return the bike to the store. We were hoping to find one at the store, but the two they had on display were a little bit scratched or bent at the mud guard portion…we are back to step one. Bike looks good, was comfortable, and put together easily…unfortunately it came damaged. You can see the slight bend in the part on the picture and how scratched up it was from it being installed incorrectly.Armando

I stopped purchasing Huffy product for 2 decades. I hoped over time that the quality would change. Things ate still the same. Purchased thus Cranbrook for one of my kids, and after 6 months of use, the rear bearing got really loud, right before malfunction. After a quick Google search, I found many have had this same problem with theirs, and or the bearing started making really loud noises just like ours did yet they were still able to use it. I have ours apart at the moment, and may just scrap the whole bike as I no longer have my receipt. Honestly, fixing it will likely yield the same issue, and I am disheartened that Huffy is still not up to par with simplicity of mechanical technicalities. I let the evidence reflect my dissatisfaction, and am back towards never purchasing Huffy again.MC Intimidator