Schwinn Discover Women's Hybrid Bike Product Review: Best Hybrid Bikes!

So, what’s a hybrid bike? 

A hybrid is an attempt to cross two different objects with one another and get, what’s hoped to be, a better machine.  In this case, it’s taking the best of a mountain bike, and combining it with a touring bike!

Mountain bikes have great suspension, tour bikes don’t.  But! touring bikes are comfortable for long trips – mountain bikes aren’t.

For the record, not all hybrids have suspension.  In fact, one of the big differences between Schwinn’s Discover, and the Schwinn Wayfarer, is the Discover has suspension at both the front and seat, where the Wayfarer doesn’t. 

[I’m doing a review of the Wayfarer tomorrow, but in the meantime, I made a spreadsheet so you can see the differences at a glance.  Click here to check it out.]

 

I really like the Discover bike, and wish I’d bought it instead of the Mongoose I picked up a couple years ago.  I like the suspension on my Mongoose, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun to ride, but because of the fat tires, it makes for a longer ride to town. 

Anyway, let’s take a quick overview of the Schwinn’s Discover Women’s Hybrid Bike:

1.  It’s a Schwinn.  Depending on your age – the name says it all.  Schwinn has been making bikes for 118 years.  Totally reliable company.

2.  It’s a great price!  Only $257.85.

3.  21 speed

4.  Aluminum frame (makes the bike lighter weight)

5.  SRAM twist shifters

6.  As mentioned earlier, suspension at front and seat.

7.  Quick release front wheel.

8.  Quick release seat.

9.  Fenders and rack

10.  Kenda tires.

11.  It’s for both commuting and cruising.

I want to tell you a bit more about that last one, but let’s go back to the beginning of the list, and take them one by one.

PRICE:

This isn’t a high end Schwinn bike, but bikes don’t have to cost a fortune to be super nice!

SPEED:

Depending on what kind of riding you plan on doing, you might not need 21 gears, which would make the Schwinn Wayfarer an excellent choice.  The Wayfarer only has 7 gears. 

Some folks find 21 gears intimidating, but if you plan on riding in an area with some decent inclines or hills, you’ll want those extra gears. 

It takes a little bit of practise, but you can catch on to those 21 and milk them for all they’re worth in a short period of time. 

FRAME:

Aluminum versus steel.  I’ll go aluminum every time.  It’s just as strong, and makes your bike a lot lighter.  What’s the benefit of that?  Lighter bikes are faster.

SRAM Twist Shifters:

Gosh, I love these!  I’ve got them on both my recumbent and the Mongoose.  A twist of the wrist and you’re in the next gear.  I tried to find a youtube video so you could see how simple they work, but no such luck.

SUSPENSION AND COMMUTING:

I’m combining numbers 6 and 11 here.  Riding a bike on practically any road isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world.  There are potholes, grooves, bumps, tiny bumps, microscopic bumps, that you will feel on a bike.  Not too mention, speed bumps, and railroad tracks.

I’ve got two bikes, a Sun EZ1 AX, and a Mongoose.  The Mongoose has suspension, and I can fly over railroad tracks without feeling like my bum is attached to my neck. 

The Sun?  Oy!  So my personal suggestion – never ever buy a bike without suspension – unless you’re under 50, and it probably won’t bother you as much. 

QUICK RELEASE:

If you’ve ever had to change a bike tire, you’ll appreciate the quick release. 

I know some folks don’t like them because they can be stolen really fast.  But if you slap a bike lock on, the wheel is perfectly safe. 

Aside from being a fast way to remove your tire, it also means you don’t have to use any tools.  I like that.  

FENDERS AND RACK:

Let’s say you’re commuting to work, and just happen to get caught in the rain.  If your bike doesn’t have fenders – you’ll look like a creative piece of artwork by the time you reach the office.

Even if it’s not raining, it’s great to have fenders on your bike to keep the road grime off.  So, that’s a wonderful plus.

As for the rack?  I wouldn’t have a bike without one.  You can strap practically any reasonable item to the back and haul it home. 

KENDA TIRES:

There’s a lot of great tires out there for bikes:

1.  Continental

2.  Michelin (Yip, they even make them for bicycles!)

3.  Cheng Shin (You can find them on Yamaha motorcycles!)

4.  Kenda, to name a few.

You’ll find any of those four on high-end bikes. 

I’ve used both the Cheng Shin and Kenda tires.  I love them both.  You get a great ride, and they last a long time!  So, the fact that the Schwinn Discover has Kenda tires on it, gives it an extra plus from me. 

COMMUTING AND CRUISING:

I could also title this, “How do you intend to ride your bike?”  The Schwinn Discover is great for both commuting and cruising.  The suspension allows you to travel comfortably on streets to work, picking up groceries, etc.  I’m over 50, so I love suspension. 

From the various consumer reviews I’ve read, some folks think the Schwinn Wayfarer is just as good for all the above, even though it doesn’t have suspension.  I’m guessing they’re under age 50. 

It’s just my opinion, but I think if you’re going to ride a lot, the Schwinn Discover is a great choice, not just because of the suspension, but also because of the extra gears.  They really come in handy. 

Then again, whether it’s the Discover or Wayfarer, you can’t help but win, it just all depends on whether suspension is important to you, and if you like a lot of gears.  They’re both great buys!

A TIP FROM MY LOCAL BIKE SHOP

Unless you’re really good at working on bikes – take it to your local bike shop and have them put it together for you.  The first bike I bought, I listened to the bike shop and let them put it together for me.

The second bike?  Oh fool that I am.  I was pretty certain I could do it.  In the end, I had to send the wheels up to be trued, and wished I’d sent them the whole bike to undo everything I did to it.  lol   So, play it smart, and just let them do it.

If you check out the consumers reviews, you’ll see a lot of them saying the same thing – take it to your local bike shop.

LOCK HER UP

The last thing you want to do is invest in a bike and have it stolen.  You need a really good bike lock to protect it.  So, I did up a review of the Kryptonite Kryptolok Series 2 Standard Bicycle U-Lock

 

It’s not just the U-lock, but you also get a 4’ cable to go with it for all over protection.  It’s a brilliant lock, and the best buy for your money.

COMING SOON

Product review on the Schwinn Women's Wayfarer 700C Bicycle.

 

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