Schwinn Meridian

EDIT: I wrote this review about 16 months ago, and I still ride this Trike. It is still very, very strong and has proven its high quality. I ride 3 times weekly, and have lost about 40 pounds during the time I’ve been riding. It has no mechanical problems whatsoever, and is a blast to ride. I repeat what I said 16 months ago — BUY THIS TRIKE!!I'm an aging former bicyclist (68 yoa) that gave up two-wheeled transportation about 3 years ago. I bought this machine because of my desire to ride again, and my need for exercise. I chose the Schwinn Meridian single-speed because both "expert" reviews and user reviews are overwhelmingly positive, and at 6'3" of height/260 lbs this is one of the few trikes that I could fit on, without spending $1000+.Negatives:-- The front wheel is slightly out of true. Since it's the front wheel, that's not a biggie. It's very slight, not enough to affect braking, and probably won't get any worse because the wheel is not stressed. Both rear wheels are in true.-- There was one scratch on the frame, but after 3 days of use I've already forgotten where it is. It's about a half-inch long, not a deal breaker. I figure I'll probably scratch it up eventually anyway!Neutral:-- After about 35 years of serious, hard-core road cycling, it is surprisingly difficult to learn to ride a Trike! It's almost like learning to ride a bike for the first time, all over again. Turning is completely different tactically on a Trike, and riding straight on a slanted surface presents its own set of difficulties. Most of the learning curve is to figure out how to **not** lean, and remain upright, when turning.Positive:-- Workmanship and quality of the bike is excellent (except for the above-mentioned wheel). Everything is beefy, strong, and fits. Nothing was missing from the box, and the box was not damaged.-- The Trike rides very smoothly, with no noise other than the slight rattle from the basket and the tires on the road.-- Brakes on both ends are very good, but need to be adjusted during assembly. **Take the time to get them adjusted!**-- Assembly took 2 hours and 15 minutes, and was pretty easy. The caveat is that I already understood the basics because of my cycling experience (adjusting brakes, seat/seat post, bars, etc.) so for the uninitiated it may take longer. I worked slowly and did things carefully, so if you're a fast worker it may take less time.-- We Cyclists usually steer away from large, foamy, plush saddles like this one. They usually end up as torture devices. However, I have to say this big, pillowish thing is the most comfortable seat I've ever used on a bike. There, I said it. Yes, I'm surprised.-- Buy from Amazon. I ordered the Trike on a Monday, was promised free delivery for the following Sunday (6 days) and the bike arrived Wednesday - only 48 hours after I ordered it online. Amazon is really good at this stuff, folks.

This bike is amazingly awesome!I was born with a genetic disorder (EDS) that has my bones aging three times as fast as my body. That being said even at only 24 I have MAJOR joint problems, including a sprained PCL, but I wanted something that would be easy on my bones while helping me keep active. I received this as a Christmas present from my mom- AKA she gave me her card and said buy yourself a trike. I did not want to buy something super expensive and at the time this was on sale for about $275, so my mom agreed it would be good for the price.The shipping was fast and I was not home when it arrived, luckily my apartment maintenance guys love me because it was in my third floor apartment when I got home from my trip. This box is heavy- it took two guys to carry it up three flights. I have a 100 pound dog who I carry fifty pounds of dog food up three flights of stairs every two weeks, and yet I still found myself scooting the box around the apartment because of its heaviness.I could not put this bike together- I took it apart three times over a week before a co-workers husband took it during his bonding night with his son and put it together in less than three hours. I have always been handy challenged, but I would still recommend not spending the money on labor and just bring someone handy the bike, some beer, and a pizza because it is do-able.Once it was put together, it was still too heavy to bring back upstairs daily, so if you don't live in a trusty neighborhood take that into consideration.As for the riding, I LOVE this bike because it's super easy to ride. So far my longest ride was 12 miles with a 300ft elevation- in total during the past few months this bike has seen me through a total of over 50 miles and 700ft elevation in weather up to 100 degrees plus humidity- and this bike has held up. I ride to the store all the time, load up one of my five gallon bins with $100 worth of groceries, stick it in the basket, and ride home easily. I live in a very humid extremely hilly area of south Texas, and this bike handles both the hills and my weight extremely well.When I received this bike I did not like the seat and upgraded to one without a horn, which I do suggest looking into.I was 5.4 and 220 pounds when I received this bike, and have already lost 10 pounds by riding this bike for fun. This was my first bike ever, and I didn't know how to ride the first time I got on this bike, yet I have never fallen nor crashed- even coasting down a steep hill at 10mph. I would highly recommend this bike for older adults who have bone issues like myself, mobility challenged individuals, or anyone who wants a cargo type trike that is easy on the ecosystem. If this bike ever fails me, I would not even think twice about spending the asking price for this trike, it has quickly become my child and new favorite hobby.