List Price: $319.99
Sale Price: $247.50
Today's Bonus: 23% Off
Well first off I would like to note that the 2 previous poor reviews were from people who don't own and did not buy this bike. One does not like Schwinn (does not own bike) and the other was complaining about the lack of info in the ad, and then stated he wouldn't buy it anyway (does not own bike). Well, I don't give either review any weight.
I could find little info on this bike via the web. I was worried about the size as I need a taller bike being 6'1.5" with a 34" inseam. I don't have a money tree so I couldn't spend a lot on a bike. I was tempted to buy the GMC Denali. I went to WalMart and looked at one and found that it looked good and was a very reasonable price. I compared it to the Schwinn Varsity and found the the Schwinn looked to be a better quality but was a bit small for me. When I saw the Phocus I couldn't find a size anywhere. So I downloaded a photo of the Varsity and superimposed the photo of the Varsity over the one of the Phocus. Not perfect, but it showed the Phocus was taller by a couple of inches, in theory this would make it just right.
The bike comes with many upgraded parts as compared to the low end Schwinn's and most of the department store bikes so I took a chance and ordered it. Free shipping got it to my residence is 5 days (ordered on a Sunday arrived on Thursday). Double boxed, the Schwinn box inside a second heavier box. After unpacking took about 15 minutes to assemble and another 30 minutes or so to adjust and check over. Only needed an allen wrench, a phillips screw driver and a small adjustable wrench, not hard but YMMV.
Very nice looking bike, looks and feels much better than the lower end bikes. I was able to find the original price was $420.00, so it wasn't cheap, although I assume it's a cheap bike to those who buy bikes costing a thousand or more.
The size is spot on for me (34" inseam, with shoes 34.5, if your inseam is less than 32" be careful.
measurements;
seat tube, from the base(center of crank)to the top of seat post: 23.5", 59.7cm
seat tube, from the base(center of crank)to the center of top top tube: 21.5", 54.6cm
I will note that the upward slop of the top tube makes the seat post measurement a bit odd as the top bar is lower at the back than the front, similar to a mountain bike but not as drastic. If the top tube was straight it would measure at 23", 58.4cm (center to center)
top tube from center to center: 21.5", 54.6cm
The stand over height varies due to the upward slope of the curved top tube, this results in 3 separate measurements;
rear: 31.75", 80.6cm
center: 32.25", 81.9cm
front: 33", 83cm
Weight is 26.5 lbs.
The shifters are a bit weird I'll update after I get used to them.
With the lack of info on this bike I believe it was a short production, now discontinued item. I will write to Schwinn and post a follow-up.
I'm happy with my purchase and hope you find this review helpful.
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I love this bike. It rides super well and wasn't a problem to put together. Everything was lined up and ready to go once I put the needed things on. I was disappointed on the shipping time though. I ordered it early on a Tuesday and was suppose to receive it on a Thursday the 12th and didn't receive it until the 16th. So much for two day shippingBest Deals for Schwinn Men's Phocus Bicycle (Black)
I have gripes about this bike, but overall I'm very happy with it. After riding it for only two trips probably about 4 miles total I lost the back inner tube. Most of the parts seem to be fairly sturdy, but the inner tubes will probably need to be replaced after the first couple of rides. I would recommend having it tuned up immediately assembly, my wheels need to be trued and the wheel tape will more than likely need to be adjusted. I think that is what popped my tube.Also keep in mind that this is a large framed bike, my inseam is 29 inches, and I wish I had about 2-3 more inches of clearance, so I would recommend you be about 6 feet tall or have an inseam of about 32 inches to be really comfortable.
Riding this bike for commuting has been a breeze compared to my old mountain bike, since I work in an urban hilly area. The old mountain bike was from a big box store and didn't have a locking suspension, you loose all your momentum going up hill on a full suspension bike. The hills are so much easier now, it's like night and day. I think that I'm going to put about 1000 miles on this bike and if I really enjoy bike commuting I'll upgrade to a $600-$900 bike after that.
If you are a commuter, keep in mind that this bike I'm assuming is a race model, or stripped down model. There are no eyelets for mounting a pannier rack on the back or fenders. I didn't even know to look for that since I'm not an avid rider.
Still having fun on this bike.
Love this bike.
Update:
I've sold this bike, some it was my fault, some of it was the fault of the bike. This bike was not a good fit size for me, and the components are very low end. I ended up wearing out this bike after a month of very hard commuter riding, which is not the intended purpose of this bike. It doesn't have eyelets for commuter accessories like panniers or fenders. I really wish that it did have those, wet riding is not fun in this bike. Also I did have an accident on this bike which completely ruined the rear deraiuler, and the rear wheel set is not meant for a person over about 150 lbs, I snapped 4 spokes almost immediately. The frame is not a bad frame, if it fits your body size, but this $250 bike needs about another $500 worth of basic upgrades to make it a reliable daily use bike.
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