Archive for June, 2009

Kent Dual Drive Tandem Bike Review: Fun activity for two. Thursday, June 11th, 2009

tandem-bikeIf you’ve never tried one, a tandem bicycle can be loads of healthy, good old fashioned fun. Kent’s Dual Drive Tandem Comfort Bike is a great model for tooling around town with a friend or a significant other. It’s stylish, but most importantly it’s extremely comfortable. Not that you’d take it on a cross country tour or anything, but these cruiser style tandems are all about feel. Good news for those looking to buy this bike. It is currently on sale at Amazon for over $35 off through this link.

The Good
  • A very comfortable tandem bike – you don’t see that often in two person bikes.
  • One of the smoothest rides you can get from a tandem bike.
  • Very easy to put together.
The Bad
  • I have heard people saying there were problems with the gear shifter. It tends to be hard to get it to pop into the highest gear.
  • Hard to find depending on the season.

Kent Dual Drive Tandem Comfort Bike Review
The first big plus is durability. The Kent Tandem is solidly built without being too heavy or unwieldy, surprising for a two seater. Sailing on beefy 2 inch wide tires, its a stable and smooth ride but still responsive enough so that you don’t feel like you’re trying to steer a shopping cart while you’re biking. Thankfully, Kent didn’t skimp on components and kept quality in mind when they put this model together. The Shimano drivetrain and Revo shifters make it a breeze to switch gears. The brakes are also firm and capable without jolting you to a halt to quickly. Light alloy wheels trim overall weight and are guaranteed to last a long time without rusting.

Another big plus is the easy assembly right out of the box. Not that putting a bike together is exactly rocket science, but the instructions are clear and easy to figure out. Kent has a great reputation for customer service and support, so if anything is amiss they handle the problem and ship you missing or replacement parts right away. Add to that the wide array of options for customizing it the way you like and you’re looking at a winner of a leisure bike.

Want to buy this bike? You can get this tandem cheapest at Amazon here.

Although more of a secondary plus, the Dual Drive Tandem just looks great as well. It’s easily one of the nicest looking bikes I’ve seen in awhile, with a classic, vintage layout that somewhat reminds you of the kind of thing people would ride in the 1950’s down to the ice cream parlor. It’s surprising how many people comment on it pedaling around the neighborhood. It’s tough coming up with anything bad to say about it, in fact. All in all, it’s a tremendous deal for a solid, quality bicycle you’ll have for years to come.

Mongoose Domain Mountain Bike Review: A solid dual suspension bike for men. Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

Mongoose Domain Men’s  Dual Suspension Mountain Bike Review

domain-mountain-bike Buying a new bike can be a very difficult decision. For many people, money can be the deciding factor when it comes to which bike they choose. Other people, who may or may not be a bit more fortunate, care much more about the quality of the bike than how much it costs. The good news is that there are quite a few bikes on the market that will appeal to both crowds, being both inexpensive and of high quality. One of the best products in this category is the men’s Mongoose Domain. If you want to buy this bike, you can get it cheapest on Amazon through this link.

The Mongoose Domain is inexpensive to say the least. While many people end up paying upwards to $1000 for a new bike, the Mongoose Domain can be purchased for as little as $180. This price point makes the product instantly attractive to anyone looking to buy a new bike and conserve a little money at the same time. The wonderful thing about this bike, however, is that aside from being extremely inexpensive, it is also of excellent quality. The bike has 31 speeds, shocks and a three piece crank system, all of which will to appeal to even the most avid biker out there.

While this bike may not be for the ultra-experienced biker who is looking to upgrade his $2000 powerhouse, that is not the intention of the manufacturer. This bike is designed specifically for the beginner/intermediate crowd and will surely appeal to anyone looking for their first bike. The important thing to consider when looking to purchase this bike is to shop around. A quick internet search will pull up prices ranging from $130 to $210! Such a large price margin makes it crucial for the buyer to keep a watchful eye and be sure that he or she is getting the best price possible. Want this bike cheap? You can get it pretty cheap at Amazon here.

Mongoose Spin BMX Review – Good Entry Level Tricking BMX Bike. Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Mongoose Spin BMX Freestyle Bike Review

bmx-mongooseBMX biking can be fun entertainment for people of all ages and sizes. The Mongoose Spin BMX Freestyle Bike has a classic BMX styling, and is combined with a host of quality safety features making this a great bike for both track and street riders alike. It is the perfect bike to learn freestyle riding, show off your skills, or just to have fun with. There is a huge sale at Amazon for this bike. You can buy this bike for $140 off through this link.

Let’s take a look at the specs of the Mongoose Spin

  • 20-inch BMX freestyle bike with handcrafted Hi-Ten Boy’s Team series frame
  • Handcrafted Hi-ten jumping fork; sure-stopping front and rear U-brakes
  • 3-piece tubular crank set, alloy 48-hole hubs, and A-head machined stem
  • 4-piece Knee-saver handlebar; 20-by-2.125-inch black Jumper K-Rad tires
  • Mongoose Jumping large saddle with stitches; lifetime warranty on frame/fork

When it comes to the Mongoose brand name, you expect nothing but the best. Every component on this bike is of the highest quality. The Mongoose Spin BMX Freestyle Bike is crafted around a Hi-Ten Boy’s Team series frame and a handcrafted Hi-Ten jumping fork, the Mongoose Spin BMX bike is strong enough for trick riding, dirt jumping and off-road cycling.

This legitimate freestyle bike with its light frame has all the components to give it the street credential it deserves. The bike features a shiny chrome finish and colorful graphics, lifetime warranty on frame and fork, Mongoose jumping large saddle with stitches, and mini-mag style wheels with puncture proof tires. The bike stops securely thanks to dual braking system, which includes rear hand brakes and a rear coaster brake.

If you want to buy this bike, you can get it cheap at Amazon through this link.

Whether it is your first BMX and you’re excitement about the possibility of making a living out of becoming a BMX pro, or you have been smashing concrete for awhile, and your looking for the right BMX setup to suit your needs, the Mongoose Spin BMX Freestyle Bike could easily be the sporting equipment that you are looking for.

Schwinn Volare 700c Flat Bar Road Bike Review: Best Transportation Bike. Monday, June 1st, 2009

Schwinn Volare 700c Road Bike – A great bike to get you around town.

Most people own bicycles for transportation, but other own bikes for fun – something the Schwinn Volare 700c bicycle delivers. If you are looking for a bicycle that will get you to your destination in style and comfort while making the trip enjoyable, take a look at the 700c. Want to buy the Schwinn Volare? You can get it cheapest at Amazon here – comes with FREE shipping.

schwinnvolare The Volare 700c will fit riders between 5’ 7” and 6’ 1” in height. It features a Shimano derailleur with twenty one speeds, so you know you will get long-lasting gear shifts. The stand-over height is 27.75 inches over an 18 inch frame. A Schwinn flat bar aluminum road frame completes the solid 700c bicycle package.

The Good
  • A surprisingly light bike. You really don’t expect it either.
  • As smooth as a ride can get.
  • Can compete with bikes in the $450-$500 at a fraction of the cost.
The Bad
  • A little bit difficult to setup. Not too difficult but just enough to annoy you a little bit.
  • Seat is pretty hard lol. You can get use to it though.

I have personally owned bicycles ranging from a $60 Huffy to a $500 Cannondale and all I can say is that quality makes a huge difference. In fact, I ended up throwing (literally) the Huffy after getting so angry at easily bendable gear teeth. I was able to get up enough strength to actually bend the flimsy gears in an attempt to ride the bike.

The Schwinn is very light and durable!
You will not see that problem in the Schwinn Volare 700c. First off, the 700c is a road bike. That means that it is built with a lightweight frame and thinner wheels. The large number of gears makes an easy riding experience easier as you attempt to tackle flat and hilly terrain.

And I’m not the only positive reviewer you will find. One reviewer states that he has fallen in love with the high-quality Shimano gear shifters. Another reviewer who had switched from a clunky, cheap mountain bike to the Schwinn Volare 700c talked about her very positive experience with the smooth ride and gear shifting.

The best part about it – it’s very affordable!
Arguably the best part about the Volare 700c is the price tag – $300 on Amazon.com through this link. Sure, you can find a lot of used, expensive brands at that price, but you will get the Volare 700c brand new. Remember that repairing an expensive bike is an expensive process. You still have to buy high-cost parts and specialized labor. The 700c puts that problem to rest.

Get a Schwinn Volare 700c – you won’t regret it.