Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've owned dozens of bikes and ridden my whole life (I'm 40 years old). I know a few things about bikes, and purchased this one as a daily rider that I wouldn't be devastated if it were stolen. Here are some initial impressions that may help other buyers: --This bike is a fantastic value (as the headline says) and if you are willing to tune it and upgrade it in a couple of ways, and bear with a few of its inherent flaws, the bang for the buck can hardly be beat. --Pros: Outstanding brakes (can lock the wheels at any speed with moderate pressure). Surprisingly refined paint job--no stickers (except on the wheels, which can be easily removed). Light weight (unless you're willing to pay 600+, which you probably aren't if you're looking at this bike). Fantastic wheels and tires, though note that they're quite thin. Gearshifters are precise and have an easy movement. The front crank is sleeker and more attractive than it appears in the pictures. Fit and finish all around is equal to bikes costing five times the price: this does not look like a $244 bike in person. --Cons: Certain components are dirt cheap: the seat,the freewheel, and the handlebar grips. The seat is hard. I mean, really hard. So hard you wonder why they even bother manufacturing seats so uncomfortable. Fine for a 10 minute ride, but anything longer will lead to regret. The freewheel (the thing with the gears attached to the rear wheel) is a piece of junk. This is the kind of thing that might pass unnoticed by a novice rider , but will drive someone who knows bikes absolutely crazy . Mine arrived with multiple bearings loose--it leads to a subtle but unsettling knocking as you pedal---something that can't be repaired without expense exceeding the purchase of a new one. This is a common problem on cheap bikes. I paid $30 and got a real Shimano freewheel, which operates smoothly. You may think "oh, he got a bad one," but I have a lot of experience with these types of bikes and in general, freewheels are a spot where manufacturers tend to skimp, so be forewarned. Another cheap component is the handlebar grips. They aren't firmly affixed, so very slowly twist downward as you grip them (superglue might help). And they aren't comfortable to begin with, either, so this is an item prime for replacement. General observations: The combination of the light weight and the thin tires makes this bike fast and very easy to get moving. Unless you're willing to spend $1400+, you won't get a faster-feeling bike in this class. Steering is precise, almost to a fault, due to the riding position. This bike comes in one size, and the handlebars are NOT height adjustable, only the seat. I am 5'10 1/2" and I am borderline too tall to be comfortable on this bike. The flat handlebars help, but anyone around my height or taller will find themselves thrust forward and hunched over the handlebars--a situation we were presumably trying to avoid by buying the flat bars in the first place. The upshot: other than the seat, the handlebar grips, and the freewheel, this bike is indifferentiable from bikes costing five times more. It is therefore a truly outstanding value. In person, the bike certainly looks like it cost much, much more. Replacement of the seat and the freewheel (if needed), and later, the handlebar grips, means that with about an hour of tuning and about $100 more invested, you can have a bike that can go toe-to-toe with anything in its class.