Rated 4 out of 5 by MarylandDawg Almost perfect bike
First, I have to caveat this in saying that I am old. It's been 40 years since I rode a bicycle. But after getting a hip replacement and losing weight, I wanted to get back on and ride. After cogitating over this purchase for over a month, this bike went on sale and I bought it.
To say that I love this bike would be an understatement. Or maybe I just love being able to ride a bike after years of pain may be shading my view. But in the five times I have been able to ride since buying it in mid-winter, I have enjoyed every bit of my rides.
It is comfortable and handles well on the streets and riding through a nearby park, even for someone who hasn't ridden a bike in 40 years. The seat is a good side and the medium is a good height for me with the seat lowered all of the way. The bike feels solid and well built. A design feature I do like is that the front bar is not straight across. There's a downward slope to give a male more room during rest periods without being physically uncomfortable.
My one complaint are the gear shifters. I might be remembering the sticks from the 1970s, but I am having a difficult time getting used to the shifters built into the handles that have to be twisted. I have seen other bicycles with different type of shifters that may have worked better. Even on the days when I haven't had to wear gloves to ride, I was not comfortable. Hopefully, I can get used to it by the spring so it will be second nature, but for now, I have to take a star off for this design--I would have done only a half-star if it was possible.
The store in Tyson's Corner made the buying process easy and would recommend this bike and that store to anyone!
February 23, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by RetiredOldSalt Appears great for big guys!
Bought this from LLBean for 6'6" son-in-law because LLBean is one of the few places that carries XL 22"frame. Since it is a Chrismas present a riding review will have to wait, but it came very fast in 3 days, beautifully packaged. It took more time to remove the protective wrapping than to assemble it. The bike was easy to assemble thanks to both good printed instructions and a helpful online video. LLBean claims to set up the bike in their shop, then disassemble it and pack it for shipping. From reading reviews on other websites I'd say this is true... none of the assembly, quality, or true up problems reported elsewhere. Bike appears extremely strong and comfortable for its relatively light cruiser weight of 28lbs, and it is HUGE. With the seat post not all the way up, the top of the saddle is 43" off the ground! - 40" at it's lowest setting. Although they say XL is for up to 6'5" I'm not worried about it fitting my 6'6", 250 lb son-in-law.
Will update this after he has ridden it for a while...
December 10, 2012
Rated 4 out of 5 by Randiest Good solid bike
I've had my Runaround Cruiser since April 2012. After replacing the seat (adjusting and leveling it because the seat it came with was too wide for my narrow bottom) and replacing the pedals (the ones that come with it are plastic) I have found this bike to be solid and reliable. The gears have been adjusted only once after an accident (you can do simple adjustments yourself) and I've had a couple of flat tires but other than that the bike is a wonderful bargain at this price. Well built and nice to look at.
October 16, 2012
Rated 2 out of 5 by Rebr Poor gear system
I bought this bike after a test drive at Tysons store which has a flat parking lot. When I got it home to tackle the hills by my house it failed miserably. The chain fell off 3 times on a trip around the block. I took it back for adjustments and brought it home again. The chain stayed on this time but the shifting was very sluggish and the chain rubbed with certain gear combinations. Needless to say I took it back. Thank goodness the store wasn't that far away. I was very unimpressed with the quality of the components to say the least.
July 25, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by MrBreeze Men's RunAround Cruiser
This RunAround Cruiser is my 2nd LL Bean bike; both are an outstanding product & reasonably priced for the quality received! I'm 6'0" & fit well to the L size frame. I chose the RunAround due to its 27" wheels, narrower tires for both on & off road riding, upright riding stance & its durability. Had it a week before taking it on the 300 mi. NYC to DC ClimateRide in May 2012. Five 60+ mi. days of comfort in that saddle & all the gearing needed to climb some substantial hills along the way. The "MegaGear" made it possible to triumph over some very challenging inclines. Can't say enough about this well built bicycle.
June 1, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by docpark Wonderful upgrade from my 1992 LLBean Mountain Bik
My old mountain bike was seeing its last legs and the seat was giving me fits -after twenty years the gel had hardened into a anesthetizing cudgel. I was going to order another mountain bike but decided that most of my biking was on paved trails that a road bike with a more upright posture made more sense. What a revelation. The bike arrived and it took about a half hour of tinkering to put it together and transfer my gadgets from the older bike. I installed a bobike toddler seat on the front and we went on our first ride two days ago. It was effortless riding -exercise that didn't seem like exercise because the bike wasn't generating the load. The gears shifted seamlessly and the brakes worked perfectly -not rubbing the wheel when not engaged and stopping on a dime. Hills that were a struggle were crushed by this SUV of a bike. Like, faved, and fanned.
April 20, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by NewToCycling PDG value
First, I'm no Bob Vela with my hands and quake in dread fear at two things -- the next bill out of Congress and "some assembly required." To my sheer surprise and utter joy, the cardboard shipping crate arrived on time, with all the parts intact and a structural engineering degree was not required to navigate the instructions.
Where one customer assembled his bike in 30 minutes, I needed 1 hour, 40 minutes and one BandAid for a busted knuckle. Don't go by me. Tools-challenged, I stare at a 5 mm hex-head wrench in wonder. Or is that frustration? The function of a screw driver eludes me.
Once I took a couple in-town test drives, I realized two things: 1. Mr. Wizard here had the handle bar upside down (derrrrr, no wonder my back got stiff); 2. I thought my body came with a padded seat as standard equipment. Not so. Forty-five minutes on board gave this wimpola early stages of saddle chap. (next purchase will be real bike britches)
Make sure you purchase the right size. I'm 6-2, 260 pounds, with a 34-inch inseam in my britches. Guys, I am just barely, barely long enough in the rise to ride the size XL Cruiser in comfort.
Other than a few scratches on the frame, I find no fault with this product. Indeed, I gauge my Schwinn Runaround Cruiser -- made in China, distributed through Wisconsin by a retailer in Maine -- to be a strong value for the dollar.
Godspeed and a tailwind !
February 5, 2012
Rated 3 out of 5 by Trots Not the old style schwinn I had forty years ago.
This is a fair bike for around town on a flat surface, but on hills when you torqor out with power the gears tend to skip and you lose steady motion up hill. The gears are noisy so dogs know you're in the area.The bike looks great.
December 26, 2011
Rated 5 out of 5 by coachB Fun and easy bike
My wife purchased the runaround cruiser first and loves the way it rides so I had to get one too. It handles bumps in the road with ease and is very comfortable to handle. And it goes without say they look great!!! Also easy to assemble. Don't hesitate to buy one.
October 23, 2011
Rated 5 out of 5 by RecentFloridaTransplant Great Riding Bike
Arrived in perfect shape, was easy to assemble. A very comfortable bike for casual riding.
October 12, 2011