I’m trying to choose between two bikes and would really appreciate advice from people who ride regularly — especially in cities.
I’m in NYC, 5’3”, and I’ll be using the bike mostly for city riding, commuting, long bike lanes, chill rides, going on bridges n such. I like to ride comfortably and casually, but I also want to be able to go fast when I feel like it (especially on long stretches or bridges). I don’t want to feel like I’m straining just to pick up speed.
The two bikes I’m looking at are:
• Schwinn Admiral Women’s Hybrid (7-speed, 700C wheels)
• Retrospec Beaumont Step-Through City Bike (also 7-speed, 700C wheels)
Both are used and in decent shape.
Both are around 35 lbs.
Both are cute (style matters a bit to me too).
What I’m struggling with:
• I don’t want something too heavy or slow to accelerate
• Comfort matters, but so does ease of pedaling and picking up speed
• I ride in the city — so I’ll need to weave through traffic sometimes and get up bridges like Williamsburg/Queensboro
Has anyone ridden both? Or can tell me what might be better for NYC riding?
Thanks in advance!
by Silent_Ad8018
3 Comments
Your questions are mostly performance oriented and, at the same weight, with upright riding geometry and a similar number of gears, I think you will find that the bikes are basically the same from a performance viewpoint. The top bike has a rack already attached, which will be very helpful for hauling stuff, and in the absence of other differentiators I’d just go with the one that has better accessories, like the rack.
Since they are both 7-speed, I imagine they will have similar speed options.
The rear rack on the retrospec is a nice positive, but it is likely possible to put a rack on the Schwinn also, so don’t let that be the only factor.
If you haven’t sat on them, you should consider differences in sizing. Looks like the retrospec handlebars are higher up, which may feel too tall if you’re on the short side.
Ultimately, they are probably very similar.
Another deciding factor could be how well maintained they are. excessive rust or corrosion on one may be a bad sign.
To be honest, neither are “good” bikes. The Retrospec is probably better than the Schwinn, however. I have heard very bad things about the Schwinn brakes.
Both are upright riding, so comfy, but also pretty heavy and probably not great shifting, so hills I imagine would be a real struggle. I have no idea how hilly NYC is so if it is not really, then that is probably fine.
A short bit of my own experience: my first bike was a hybrid bike which I loved, but now I have a road bike, and to be honest one isn’t really that much more comfortable than the other. You kinda just get used to whatever bike you get. Comfort typically means riding position when talking about bikes but besides like how hard the seat is, I find myself more comfortable on a lighter bike that has better shifting because I don’t have to work as hard. That being said for your purposes I’d still recommend going for a city/hybrid bike but I’m not sure these are the best options you have. What are these being sold for, and what is your budget if you don’t mind me asking?