Schwinn Women's 700c Wayfarer Bike

This bike is a Schwinn Wayfarer, Gateway City, or Admiral depending on where you buy it. I have the Gateway, cream with brown accents. I asked for this bike for my birthday February 2011 and started out riding it break times at work in Florida, we moved and now I commute 12 miles daily with it in Oregon.

Anyone who dislikes this bicycle due to poor assembly or very easily fixable problems like a flat tire tube- shame on you! That stuff can happen to any bike.

This bike is wonderful to own for a lot of reasons. It’s inexpensive. Cost was very important to me, and I think this bike is worth every penny. It’s gorgeous. No matter what version I see in stores, I always recognize the lines of my bike and admire it on the rack. It gets complimented a LOT. It’s fast- I’ve only had mountain bikes before and I felt like I was flying my first ride on this! It’s comfortable. The seat is great straight out of the box, no need to switch it out for a different one like every mountain bike out there. The handlebars are nice to hold on to, the grips are smooth so I don’t have textured impressions left behind, they don’t get hot in the sun and frost wipes right off. There is plenty of space for a light, bell and cup holder. I get an upright riding position- good for comfort and looking around near traffic. I love the chain guard so pants don’t get caught or dirty. The fenders keep dirt, water or snow off so I have no worries. My rear rack is great for hauling things- I attached a crate. The frame itself is wonderfully easy to step through for mounting and dismounting. The gears being only on the rear means it is easy to figure out for someone new to gearing, but having 7 means you can get a pretty good range. I would agree that they might be a little hard- I can now use 3-4 on flat road to cruise and I never use 7 (hardest) yet.

I’ve ridden through plenty of broken glass by accident with a cringe, but only had one flat due to a tiny wire. The tube is 27inch, easy to find, if you need to replace a tube but mine patched perfectly. Brakes and gears are very easy for a newbie to adjust after just a couple Youtube videos, too!

If you are interested in cycling, but not ready to lay down big money for a bike you may not use, or if you are ready to steer clear from the mountain bikes you were graduated to as a child and want something comfortable and great for any purpose, I highly recommend this bike. Pacific Cycle has great customer service if something isn’t quite right (bike was shipped to me, I emailed them for a wobbly rear wheel). I wish I’d had this bike ages ago!

Also,

I’ve heard lots of people have trouble with seat height, toes hitting tires during a turn, or not being able to touch the ground while seated. I had to learn how to properly mount and dismount to solve all this! It is now easier to pedal because my seat is high enough (put your heel on the pedal at it’s lowest point while seated- leg should be completely straight). My feet are in the right spot with the ball of my foot on the pedal also (instead of foot centered on pedal like before), so I don’t have to worry about toes getting hit with the tire. And maybe the best thing I’ve learned is how to stop and start. While braking shift down to an easy gear- it’s easier to take off that way. When you are almost stopped you put one pedal lowest and use it to step down off the seat at the stop. Once you are standing, hook the same pedal with your toe and move it forward to a horizontal position. You’re straddling your bike with one foot on the ground then and one foot on a pedal. When ready to go, just step down on that pedal and up onto the seat- its easier to balance with the momentum, and find the pedal with your other leg to just take off, too. Easy!