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Schwinn Volare Hybrid Bike Review

The Schwinn Volare Bikes, for sale online today, are not the same as the original Volare that Schwinn built in the 60s and 70s. The original Schwinn Volares were historic in that they were among the first Schwinn bikes marketed in the US with Japanese components (viewed as lower quality at that time).  Schwinn ranked the original Volare as one of their best bikes of that time frame.

The Schwinn Volare Bikes for sale online once again use Japanese components (of course!) but there is not much more that today's Volares have in common with the vintage Schwinn Volare bikes.

This is a Schwinn bike, of course, (made by Pacific Cycle) but you won't find this bike on the Schwinn Bike site or at local bike shops (LBS). This bike is very different from old vintage Schwinn Volares of the past (which is good in some ways, but not all good).

The new Schwinn Volares are inexpensive, aluminum frame, mass marketed bike sold at Amazon and a few other online retailers so keep this in mind when reviewing this bike.

Note: As of 8/1/2010 the Schwinn Volare is selling for $270 (new) at Amazon with free shipping. See Schwinn Volare Hybrid Bike for the latest price and customer reviews or to purchase the Schwinn Volare.
www.Amazon.com

Amazon sometimes refers to this bike as a Flat Bar Road Bike and other times refers to it as a Hybrid. I have classified this bike as a Hybrid on our site.

This bike is often used for commuting and can handle touring and long distance rides, comfortably, as well as paved, crushed stone, grass, or fairly rugged dirt bike trails.

The Schwinn Volare Road Bike at a glance:

The Schwinn Volare has a lightweight and sturdy Aluminum Frame, steel fork (for a smoother ride), Shimano 21-speed drive train, Shimano EasyFire 21-speed shifters, SR Suntour alloy three-piece crank, alloy rims, a quality padded seat and Schwinn warranty on parts.

I have seen this bike labeled as gender neutral and a "Men's" Hybrid model on Amazon but I see no good reason for this bike not to be considered gender neutral. The primary difference in most "Women's" models is the top tube (or top crossbar). Most (but not all) Women's model bikes have the complete step through design.

About-Bicycles Review:

There are better Hybrid bikes for sale online but you will not find many quality hybrid bikes available for less than $300.

Fortunatly, hybrid bikes (or flat-bar road bikes) are usually a little less expensive than regular road bikes so you can usually get a good hybrid at a reasonable price. I would also consider the Fuji Absolute models, which usually cost about $100 more than the Volare if you can afford the upgrade.

I would recommend the Schwinn Volare as a good quality and inexpensive hybrid for light to moderate use.

Customer Reviews:

Most of the customer reviews that I have found online were at Amazon and, at the time of this review, the schwinn Volare was rated at 4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars at Amazon (depending on the model year).

Some of the Most Relevant and Typical comments included...

"Easy ride, a little bumpy"
"I purchased this specific bike based on the many positive reviews available. I just wanted to add my positive comments that this bike offers a smooth ride, and to date has been worth the investment. Assembly was extremely easy (~20 minutes), and bike was ready to ride without any other tuning of spokes, etc. "

"Great bike! I've riden about 50 miles already"

"Easy to install, the seat is a little uncomfortable, but you get used to it. It rides very good on the road and in bike trails. "

See Schwinn Volare Hybrid Bike reviews (at Amazon) for more information, additional customer reviews or to purchase the Schwinn Volare.

Schwinn Volare Road Bike Specs and Features:

• Shimano TX-50 rear derailleur
  
• Shimano EF-29 shift levers
  
• 700cm Wheels
  
• Frame type: flat bar road
  
• Frame material: Aluminum
  
• Rear derailleur: Shimano 21-speed
  
• Brakes: ProMax alloy linear pull
  
• Crankset: Suntour Alloy 28/38/48t Crank
  

More helpful online bike sales resources:

See Best Buy Bikes Online - for the latest sales and deals on quality brand names bikes for sale online.

Most popular bike brands in US - WIth so many bicycle manufacturers, bicycle types and popular brand names sold in the US, that it can be difficult to find a comprehensive summary of the top 20 bike most popular bike brands.

See Online Bike Stores - for a complete listing of where to purchase the most popular brands for all bike types online.

Recommended Hybrid Bike Brands and Online Bike Sites

** REI.com - Cycling has a great selection of Cannondale, Raleigh, Scott, and Novara brand Hybrid Bikes that you can buy online. Some REI brand hybrid bikes (like cannondale) must be delivered to an REI store but the brands that can be delivered directly to your home come with only minor assembly required.

* Performance Bicycle has a nice selection of comfort and hybrid bicycles for sale online including Schwinn, K2, Mongoose, GT,and Dahon brand bikes. Bikes can be delivered to your home or to a Performance store for FREE shipping.

See Bikes at Wal-Mart for a good selection of hybrid and comfort bikes at very low prices. Walmart offers Schwinn, Kent, Mongoose, and Huffy brand comfort and hybrid bikes for sale online.