Thursday, October 1, 2009

Jenny and Willy Schwinn


I know this sounds like ad-copy, but really? What's not to love here.

Jenny and Willy look like a winning pair. So much fun, and PRACTICAL: fenders, chaingaurds, racks, easy. Enough gears, but not too many. MSRP $399. Just like your old Schwinn, but new.



8 comments:

Zach said...

What's not to love? Derailleurs are not to love. Internal hub gearing or single-speed are. The Rest of Us don't want to deal with bike grease and chains falling off and adjustments. Otherwise these look great.

dweendaddy said...

I agree - why did they change from internal hub gears to derailleurs when they changed colors from Coffee/Cream to Jenny and Willy? What a shame.

Ted said...

"Chains falling off"? Seriously? In my decades of cycling, both on and off road, I have NEVER had a chain fall off the rear cog(s). Also, last I looked, even single speed bikes and internal hub geared bikes have chains that need lubrication. That argument is bogus.

As far as adjustments go, I've stretched just as many chains on my fixed-gear bikes, requiring as many tension adjustments as much as my derailleur'ed bikes need cable adjustments.

I like internal hub geared bikes too, but for the price and for what you get overall, these bikes are affordable with a good amount of style.

Your definition of "bikes of the rest of us" sounds mildly exclusive and narrow.

Anonymous said...

I have a Jenny and I LOVE it!

Anonymous said...

Looks like a Schwinn Coffee with a derailleur. Beware crappy quality. My Coffee looks 5 years old after one season of use. The brakes are awful--I'd hate to see how long the derailleur lasts.

Ted said...

"Looks like a Schwinn Coffee with a derailleur. Beware crappy quality. My Coffee looks 5 years old after one season of use. The brakes are awful--I'd hate to see how long the derailleur lasts."

You're pointing your gun at the wrong target.

Okay, I admit, I'm Schwinn-biased. I've got a Willy, early 70s Collegiate and a World Tourist (plus a gang of Treks, Specialized, Fisher, GT, Scott Bianchi...even a recumbent trike for my wife). If you're concern is for derailluer quality, focus your attention to the company who actually makes the derailuer: SHIMANO, FSA etc. Schwinn, as well as all the other brands I mentioned, don't make their own drivetrains. If it fails, it will fail on a Schwinn as easily as it would on a FUJI, Cannondale, Electra etc.

The TEKTRO brakes on the Willy are better than standard issue given their dual pivot design like one's found on most road bikes. They're not Dura Ace light, but light years ahead of the craptastic ones on my vintage bikes. Have you tried adjusting them? From the sound of your statements, I'd recommend bringing your bike to a certified mechanic, ASAP.

Art Simon said...

Hey Zach, if you don't like Derailleurs, get a Schwinn Coffee or Cream single speed. They are cheap fun, and my Coffee is still my favorite bike. Yeah, the paint is cheap and scratches easily, but other than that I've got zero complaints. Put a Wald 139 basket on it and you've got a great utility bike.

JDL said...

Bought a Target gateway over the summer and I believe this to be the same bike. The rear tire would not seat on the rim above 20 PSI and had to be replaced, bontrager hard case. After about 100 miles the brakes needed adjusting, something with all new bikes during break-in.

I commute 2.8 miles one way 1-3 times a week and this has been a very utilitarian bike. For the $160 I paid for it I'm pretty happy.

The fit is okay, I'm 5'9" with 32" inseam.